Santiago – Chile Capital City – Final 3 Days                                       30^th April 2019

The Gala Hotel in Vina Del Mar provided a great room, bed, pillows and the best of hot showers so it enabled a great catchup in us becoming ‘normal’ once again. Unfortunately, we had to source each breakfast and other meals externally, as the reviews stated the food service in the restaurant was a little below average but not the pricing. We checked out easily after an external brekky and packing and Reception was very amicably providing a taxi to take us to the bus terminal for the return journey to Santiago. I can’t mark down the reception staff with their warm welcoming and smiles throughout our stay and the willingness to carry our bags.

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The taxi driver was very polite and really should be a limo driver such as his demeaner and professionalism and taking us to the best alignment for entering the bus terminal although I knew his 4,000pesos was on the high scale. Knowing the ropes now we obtain our bus tickets for 3,000pesos each, back to Santiago and within about 15mins we are well on our way.

The bus ride back was uneventful and not much to see but somehow it seemed quicker to when we came to a builtup area and quite a few people alighted in a thunderous escape out onto a street area. There are no signs visible, no intercom on the bus now anyone speaking English. I asked Scott is he aware of anything but he’s as knowledgeable as his Dad at the moment. The bus pulls out into the traffic and with a whiplash movement I glance back to see the smallest of sign stating ‘Las Rejas’. Holy crap!!! That was our bus station to link up to the subway train into Santiago. Where did the 1hr 45mins travel time go?

With anxiety in play we crossed our fingers to when we come to the next stop hoping there is a train link with it. We travel about 3klms down several roads and finally the bus stops along a street with some people alighting so we alight, show our bag tickets and gain our compass again. We follow the local crowd seemingly entering a communal building and then a sign appears for the bus terminal. We walk through the building to the other end, passing the miniature retail shops and news-stands, etc and literally ‘fall out’ to a railway section entrance with a ticket booth and a sigh of relief. Knowing our station stop we buy our tickets for 1,500pesos each and make our way down the stairs to the platform.

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With the 30mins train trip completed we alight up the high stairs of Universidad Catolica train station, allowing for our 3 blocks of walking back along the main street, AV. Andres Bello, to our Crowne Plaza hotel to another warm Reception welcome. Checking in was far easier being a client a week earlier and we unpack and headed down to the resident Starbucks for a well-earned coffee and morning brunch. Howard, an extremely helpful and English-speaking Crowne Plaza reception staffer we met last week was now at the desk and greeted us warmly again after our coffee. He advised us Santiago will be different tomorrow with the public celebrating their Labour Day where streets will be filled with marchers and political agendas and it would be wise to stay at the hotel or to keep well away. With this in mind it would be prudent to see the city sights today so we research the city map to see what can be done with the hours left.

We turn right from the hotel (heading East) and just before the new area of skyscrapers adjacent to Baquedano train station, we head North across a central type park, Parque Forestal, between major roadways we had seen last week in a rush. We take more time to view the amazing and well detailed statue mounted centrally and amusingly, note the pigeon taking the supreme position by standing on the man’s head looking down at passers-by. There are many statues to view from sea gods, politicians, founders and war heroes to name a few, all with great detail and in prime view of the bustling city dwellers.

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After walking about 2klms from the hotel we pass busy streets and a major university area, numerous bars and restaurants to an enormous park (Metropolitan Park) with the Hill of San Cristobal (863m above sea level) fitted with a very steep at 45° Funicular train (1925) to a church monument on a city hilltop and a platform for city viewing. Following the tourist crowd, we purchase all the required tickets we wish to undertake. There are zoned sections and an attached gondola ride of 3klms where you can take it one-way or return back on the loop. We chose the loop at 9,400pesos for the both of us.

It is a bit of a wait for the funicular considering the volume of tourists present. There is a strict procedure where two workers unlock, close the security gates and each car gate, plus the tourists do take their time walking the steep stairs to gain access to their funicular car. Some can’t even make up their mind which part of the funicular they wish to partake in when workers ask them to step into the car! So frustrating … steady Brian, you’re on vacation and not on a deadline.

Finally, we get our chance … we go to the top cars seeing we can scale the stairs a lot better than most leaving the bottom cars for the less mobile tourists. It is quite a ride and long in length (500m @ 45°) and even a side shuttle track where we stop mid-way for about 2mins and this allows for the other funicular to venture down to the bottom before returning to the main track. I have never seen this sort of engineering before on a funicular. From the side shift you get a view back down to the bottom where it is eye opening to the steepness below.

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Arriving at the top station we can hear church music but we must walk up to even higher ground in a winding pathway to see the church, statue of Virgin of Lourdes (Mary) at 14m high on top of a pedestal of 8.3mtrs simulating the Virgin Mary in Lourdes, France. There is a plaque commemorating the blessing from Pope John Paul11 when he visited and blessed Santiago in 1987.

We walk around the viewing platform, noticing the small market tourist shops selling mainly souvenirs and then the enormous city scape of Santiago and its ugly smog line hovering over the city which discards the brilliant view otherwise. Unfortunately, the view is about 200° so the ‘back’ of the city area is hidden. You have to have a keen eye to find the directional signage towards the gondola entrance so we had a bit of a treasure hunt to find it.

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The gondola (cable car) was inaugurated in 1980 but had some severe mechanical failures in 2009 and thereby closed. It was finally recommissioned on 24^th November, 2016. The route seems to bisect the Metropolitan Park where it is located between 4 communes (neighbourhoods) and is approx. 737 hectares in size, making it the largest urban park in Latin America and 4^th largest in the world. There are some stations along the way but with being time limited we stay within the car and do the return loop. It seems to take 20mins one way so there’s plenty of time to see the varying city scapes of neighbourhoods and mini CBD areas. It was pleasing to note the tourists in the other cars providing the occasional smiles and waves of greetings. I think Scott & I stand out from the crowd as well.

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Arriving back on the Hill of San Cristobal we wander around the pathways and guessing on the signage we finally find the funicular entrance and do the return journey. This time we venture the entire length without stopping. At the foot of the hill we notice the louder bustling noise of the University closing and the numerous night life bars and restaurants gearing up for the after work and night trade. Some are looking a bit dodgy though and I believe you must have your wits entering these bar areas.

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Seeing nothing that catches our eyes, food wise, we saunter back towards the hotel and revisit the little pizza café from last week (Pizzeria Bella Italia) where we enjoyed 2 vegetarian pizzas with fresh juices (8,200pesos or $13AUD) before returning to the hotel.

We seek out the pool area and gymnasium for tomorrow’s lazy day before we adjourn to our room where we had the TV on but more into today’s review, facebook, book reading and music plus Youtube hilarious banter between the Rock and Kevin Hart. Scott & I had tears of laughter from these two gooses. I told Scott all todays transport from the taxi, bus, train, funicular and gondola rides for $47AUD all up for the both of us. A lot cheaper than Australia and all running magnificently.

1^st May 2019

Another perfect sleep in a bit of luxury, albeit awoken on the 13^th floor by the sounds of a loud hailer and beating drums coming from the main street below. Obviously, the Labour Day march is on early and with a huge following.

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Knowing the street parameters today, we took the option of eating a Starbucks brekky. I was alone on the roof swimming pool and most of the area was in full sun so I can say it was bloody hot outside of the water. I really wasn’t alone as a strapping swimmer was with me (building wall had giant tinted glass panels acting like mirrors in the sun). It was a bit unnerving to see yourself in full view and being totally alone. Scott was sweating in the gym for some 2 hours. The pool area, being a holiday there were no towels or staff present so I sun baked quickly on the pool surrounding stone pavement and within a few minutes my boardshorts were dry enough to re-enter the building.  Scott was finishing up so we went back to the room, showered and went for brunch at Starbucks.

After brunch, lunch really, the street was eerily quiet after most of the Labour march had disbanded. Howard (Reception) said most people go home and bbq with their families. In the Crowne Plaza precinct, there were numerous music stores so we engaged in window shopping of guitars mostly for an hour or two. Scott said the pricing is comparative to the Gold Coast back home albeit, he was wrapped in a few 8 string guitars (Dad learnt something today .. 8?).

Walking around the circle of music shops, dinner became on Scott’s mind as he had burned a bit of energy in the gym and he was withering away, as he calls it.  Vegetarian food is rare in Sth America and with most places closed he was aligning himself to eating his socks until breakfast next day. With a push we started walking and further up heading East again, we find the city more alive with people now but lots of shops still closed. Obviously, all the McDonalds and American fast food outlets were doing a roaring trade, sadly noticing the escalating obesity levels of the locals becoming more evident.

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We headed back in a roundabout way towards the funicular area, along a pedestrian bridge almost totally weighed down with love padlocks. It would take me days to count each one fixed on the chain wire netting on both sides of the bridge. Thousands of dollars of locks used.  Heading back to a familiar street of bars and restaurants we come across an arcade with huge doors (#87 on the city map) & found this hot spot of tiny restaurants in a hub called Patio Bellavista. Quite unique & hidden & a place we would have visited more often if found earlier, in our stay. Certainly, pays to keep walking, seek & never give up. Patio Bellavista has a myriad of restaurants, bars, shops … all keen for our business and they all seemed very good quality and definitely a great tourist spot. We settle on a good vegetarian offering after fluking a bit of Spanish connection and a great coffee. We sat there for quite some time soaking up the ambiance and basically people watched. There was plenty of viewing of people and the varying types of food brought out to the outside tables so we were amply occupied.  We had a couple of servings of coffee, juices, pasta, etc in that time.

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Feeling a lot better (safer) walking closer to night time amongst the volume of pedestrian traffic we reluctantly left Patio Bellavista at the latest time possible in order to be in our room at a reasonable time to refresh ourselves and unwind, even though nothing is planned for tomorrow, our last day in Santiago, Chile and Latin America.

2^nd May 2019

Waking up from wonderful slumber and ahead of Scott naturally, I showered and started to pack my bags for the latest checkout and to have our bags in Crowne Plaza’s storage until our International air travel later that night. We have an ugly flight out of Santiago at 00.45am so it’s actually a 3^rd May departure direct to Melbourne, Australia. Scott was a bit lethargic waking up, knowing it was a ‘dead’ type of day.

We had a bit of a splurge by enjoying the Crowne Plaza’s banquet breakfast. A very wide choice of food and juices and Scott was most pleased by getting a good intake into his stomach. The brekky equated to $23AU each so we made sure we were pleased.

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After brekky we walked the streets, mainly looking at the other music stores and types of guitars nearby and walked up to Plaza Baquedano (111) and slightly beyond for more statues, pedestrian bridges and parklands. Eventually we decided to give another visit to Patio Bellavista for another enjoyable few hours at a cafe. Certainly, a good spot for lounging and soaking up the pleasant ambiance.

It was now late afternoon and again, we take our time trying to find something new and hidden, but nothing really stood out … just a big city with lots of people and a real Catholic heritage that doesn’t resonate strongly with Scott. Miss the true nature and townships with character. Santiago does offer a hop on; hop off tourist bus circuit but Howard wasn’t really pushing us to do it so we took notice of that and decided to do the walking exercise of roaming the streets.

We chatted over another Starbucks coffee before we had the hotel arrange for the taxi to the airport. We could have saved, maybe $2AU if we sourced our own taxi but not worth the hassle, especially when a limousine was graciously offered. It was a fast drive again by another ‘would be’ racing driver. They certainly know where the accelerator is and thank God the road system to the airport is a new infrastructure and can allow for those in a hurry. We tried to tell him we have some 5-6hrs to go before our flight. Scott and I came to the agreement there were no reasons to stay in the hotel lobby or Starbucks when we could take our leisure, get through the scanning and immigration and people watch at the airport in a totally different atmosphere.

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Thankfully, our airport journey was safe and we were given special attention when aligning to the departure section of the airport conveniently placed at our check-in counter point.

I’ll end this blog here knowing I will post another blog soon describing our actual departure from Sth America and our journey home. Another different airport terminal story.

I really appreciate your precious time in reading my blogs and hopefully receive some comments; and on what to write about next. Thank you.