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Friday 15th
A relatively relaxed morning saw us getting to the airport about 9:00 for our 12:30 fight.
The 12 hr 40 min Qantas QF27 to Santiago was actually a very nice experience and was on schedule. I guess being fortunate enough to fly business made it so with the fantastic food on offer and the lay flat seats. We were seated in the upper deck of the 747-400 were there are only 18 seats and a dedicated crew and galley. Everything was pretty relaxed and casual. The crew were efficient and friendly.
Arrival was at 12:10 Santiago time Friday (Time difference being 13 hours behind AEST). Immigration and customs at Santiago was pretty quick. Once through, we were met by met by the tour company arranged transport and taken to out hotel.
We then went for a walk to familiarise ourselves with the local area before heading back t the hotel for dinner and a nice long sleep.
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The We got a fantastic view of
Sydney after takeoff.
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| In Santiago - The area near the hotel is the "big business" end of town with mixture of old and rundown, brand spanking new and the unusual. | |
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| And of course, Beer-o-Clock and a small bar/restaurant . | |
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Saturday 16th
Unfortunately the weather was not cooperating and it has been heavily overcast with some rain. Luckily the rain cleared enough in the morning for us to hit the pavement for the 5k walk into town.
We detoured at Bellavista and took the funicular up to Cerro San Christobal. From there you would normally get a great view of the city and the snow capped Andes Mountains in the distance. With the cloudy weather, this was not to be for us.
After the return trip on the funicular, it was a short walk into the city centre for a wander through the streets and a visit to the Museum of Pre Columbian Art.
The rain returned later in the afternoon so it was time to grab a taxi back to the hotel for a reception with all the other tour quests, some dinner and an early night. |
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| Torre Torre Gran Costanera and various hotels in Providencia (aka "Sanhatten" - the Santiago version of Manhattan). This is the business district and on the main route into the city, | |
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| The funicular up to Cerro San Christobal and some not very clear views from there. we did get a short glimpse of the snow capped Andes. Below is what one might see on a clear day. | |
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Sunday 17th
Today was a full day tour of Santiago and the port city of Valparaiso. It rained pretty heavily all day and there was not a lot to see out of the fogged up and wet coach windows. The only real highlight was the interesting commentary from the tour guide on the history of the areas visited.
The rain had eased a little by the time we returned to the hotel and we were able to get another fleeting glimpse of the Andes from the hotel. |
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| The flooded Provicencia | The Palace in downtown Santiago |
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| Some views if Valparaiso | |
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| A not so clear view of the Andes from the hotel | |
| Santiago can seem unremarkable in terms of city scapes except for the Andes backdrop which we didn't get much of a view. You must remember that the area is prone to severe earthquakes and most of old architecture has been lost to mother nature. I expect that in good weather, it could be quite spectacular. | |