CHILI

SANTIAGO DE CHILI

On arrival at the airport in Santiago, we face our first language challenge. We do not have a pen to fill out the forms of customs. How do you say pen in Spanish? Not a clue! With a mix of Spanglish and sign language, we can dig in one. That's it, we are in Chile! 

We find a backpacker in Brasil, the student quarter of the city. It is brand new, very well decorated and the people who work there are very friendly. You feel immediately at home here. There is even a terrace with wicker chairs, perfect for small sample set and Chilean wines.

In the city as it feels good, despite the traffic and polution. Unlike Australia, here, people familiar with the concept of terrace. Our area is full of small bars and restaurants alone. The atmosphere is a bit like the south of Spain. We are definitely Latin, it feels much more at home here, even if I exceed everyone a head in the street and it's a little early BISARD. It is true that Chileans are not very big. 

We meet Nancy Roman, a Swiss-Colombian and French, with whom we spend a day ride around the city. We climb to the top of a hill on top of which is perched a giant statue of the Virgin Mary, some kind of Christ Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, but fewer still. The top one has a magnificent view of the city with the Andes in the background, but they are a bit confused by a thick cloud of yellowish polution. After three days, we decided to take the air in Valparaiso, near the coastal city of Santiago.