¡Hola! from Santiago Chile

Hello! We arrived in Santiago, Chile early Friday morning, after an overnight flight from Miami. We were very lucky that our room was available because we really wanted showers and a long nap before our tour of the city later that afternoon.

Our guide met us at the hotel and took us on a very interesting and informative tour of Santiago. It is a beautiful city, surrounded by mountains on either side (the Andes to the east and the coastal range to the west). Georgina wanted to take us to the highest point in the city which is a mountain where a statue of the Virgin Mary stands. Unfortunately, she is surrounded by very tall cell phone towers. In addition, she introduced us to a typical Chilean refreshment - Huesillo. (It is made of peaches that have been dried whole and rehydrated in sugar water. The peaches are served in a glass with a scoop of hydrated wheat and topped with the cold sweet liquid.) It was a very refreshing treat as the temperature was about 85 degrees and quite sunny.

For dinner, we ventured outside the hotel and walked about 3 blocks (maybe half a mile) to a restaurant at the entrance to the National Park. We enjoyed another typical Chilean beverage called Pisco Sour. It tastes a lot like a margarita, but a good bit stronger!

After dinner and a brisk walk back to the hotel, it was about 11PM and we needed to turn in as our guide for the next day´s tour was picking us up at 7AM. (That is 5AM EST!)

Buenos Noches!