Chile - Santiago

We arrived safely in Santiago Chile and had no problems with the 6:00 am flight but what a terrible time to fly.  I felt sorry for our guide who had to get up and take us to the airport at 4:00 am.  Canadians have to pay for an entry VISA.  When we arrived the immigration area was very confusing.  There is a lot of paper work to complete and it must be in duplicate.  The immigration paper and the agricultural control document.  All bags are scanned when entering Chile to control pests.  Make sure that you do not bring any fresh products or dries fruits.  If you do not report these items there is a huge fine.

Now what do you do for the whole day in Santiago when your hotel is at the airport and you can not check in until after 12:00?

Bill is always wanting to go so we found out how to get into the city.  The cheapest way was to take the blue airport bus to the subway then hop the subway to the city central.  With a little help from a man in the subway we figured out how to pay and which line to take.  It was not packed with people so the trip in was easy. 

The central market or Mercado was filled with fish and seafood there are numerous small restaurants located in this area. We headed down the pedestrian walkway and found St. Francis Church.  This church was built in the 1500's and is one of the few building still around from that time period. 

The Pre-Columbian Museum was excellent and we highly recommend a visit if you are interested in Inca and Aztec cultures.  There are also items from indigenous people prior to these civilizations.  There is an excellent display about the Chilean indigenous people in the basement.

Mummy

This last picture is a mummy.  The Pre-Columbian people would remove the organs, replacing them with stick and branches then pulling the skin over the body.  I found this fascinating as we had not heard this in other South American countries.

Now off to the funicular and up Cerro San Cristobal this hill provides a great view of Santiago.  While up top you have a great opportunity to relax and reflect on our day.   On the way we walked through the Bellvista Barrow.  The buildings in the area have been painted with a variety of murals.  Very interesting community.  The views from San Cristobal were fantastic.  The ride on the funicular is always fun.

It is 7:00 PM time to retrace out steps, heading back to the Holiday Inn at the airport.  The subway was certainly packed as people were heading home.  The subways transports 3 million people each day.

Most people are very friendly and helpful.  Just watch out for the pickpockets on the subway.  We had another person following us so we changed our route.  It must be the grey hair and our skin colour.  Blond hair also makes us stand out as tourists.

The Holiday Inn is a great choice and right across the street from the airport.  There are two sections to the hotel the new section at the back and the old tower. I was very please that the hotel monitors who can access the facilities and is very quiet.  We did not hear the planes with the fan on in the room.  The also have a pool, whirlpool and sauna to enjoy.  The food was also good.  We eat in the lounge and had the breakfast buffet.

Our next guided tour is the hills of Valaparaiso.  Then off to Easter Island for a few days during their Festival before returning to San Pedro de Atacama.

After all our tours in Chile we returned to Santiago to rest before depart on our 28 hour travel time to return home.

Hyatt Hotel in Santiago was a great choice.  The hotel is located in a business and financial area of the city about a half an hour from the airport.  Taxi cost $20,000 pesos or at the time about $40 US.  You can get there by bus and subway but it will take you a lot longer.  Check out this oasis - pool was great they have a spa area at your disposal.  The restaurants were also exceptional.  Need to spend a few pesos there is a large indoor mall a 5 minute walk from the hotel.

Santiago Hyatt Hotel Pool