Day 3 - Santiago

Sadly, we didn't sleep very well due to a niteclub in the vicinity going until 4:30am. Even earplugs didn't drown out Doof! Doof! However, this just meant we slept in (yay!) until 8:00am. At breakfast we met a couple from California, Arlene & Alan Karpel, who are doing our trip...but in reverse. They've already been to Rio, Iguacu, and Buenos Aires - where we are yet to go. They gave us some good tips and even recommended a guide for Rio, which I've already contacted. As we've got limited time in Rio, someone organising things for us sounds like a great idea.

This morning we took the funicular up to the top of the mountain where the statue of the Virgin Mary (Cerro San Cristobal) is. Of course with Mary you get the bligatory statue of Jesus on the cross and a small chapel too.

From the top of the mountain you can really see the smog in the city - it even obscured the 4000 foot Andes mountains just behind Santiago. The photo doesn't really show it but you can smell it at 880m above sea level.

For lunch we got a taxi over to Alonso de Cordova, effectively Santiago's Rodeo Drive, or perhaps Double Bay. We didn't find it all that appealing so we caught another taxi to Parque Arauco again for lunch and to continue shopping where we left off yesterday (it really is quite a large mall).

Taxis have been 'fun'. Most drivers don't understand my flawless Spanish....NOT! so directions are a combination of frantic pointing at maps and me going through every spanish word I know until we get to one he recognises.

Tonight, dinner is at Patio Bellavista, a collection of small artesan shops and cafes in this suburb with live music and dancers. It's very popular and most places are full. Dinner in South America starts after 9 generally as they are drinking and talking spanish flamboyantly up til then.

Up early tomorrow to fly to Rio with LAN Chile (again).