The flight left Heathrow a little later than our 10pm scheduled departure, but we quickly made ourselves comfortable. After a light dinner, which was very good, we settled in. We both tend not to eat too much when we fly, especially on long-haul, but we’d had a busy week beforehand and were both pretty tired. So, after stretching out, duvets pulled up and blinkers on, we drifted off. I managed about six hours, Rachel slightly longer. Two gold stars for BA. Breakfast was good too.
After nearly fifteen hours, we touched down in Santiago and caught our first glimpse of the Andes Mountains. About thirty minutes later, our Uber driver dropped us at our Airbnb in Las Condes, right in the middle of the business district. We took it easy for the first few days while we reset our body clocks.
First impressions of where we’re staying: the apartment is comfortable, and the area is full of shiny new high-rises, with well-kept, tree-lined streets in between. I’m not much of a shopper anymore, but there’s a cool, modern, black warehouse-looking building just across from us called MUT (Mercado Urbano Tobalaba). It’s where local brands and delicious produce are showcased in a mix of swanky boutiques and purpose-built stalls spread over three main levels. The lower floor is all about food from around the world. There’s even a raclette house. I went most days to pick up fresh fruit and veg.
Rachel’s busy with work, so aside from our morning coffee at Milk, a great little coffee bar, and a stroll in the early evening, it’s been fairly slow-paced. Watching the business crowd unwind in the restaurant districts or head to the parks to relax has been interesting to see. The temperature has been hovering around thirty degrees, but it feels much hotter.
One evening, we stumbled across an outdoor concert. I think we’d both expected pan pipes or something similar, so we were surprised when Los Beetles took to the stage, complete with bowl haircuts and matching suits. They were actually very good, and we ended up staying for most of their set.
With the metro just a stone’s throw away, we headed downtown for a day exploring the sights and getting a better sense of Chile’s early history at the National Museum. From there, we wandered into the Museum of Art and then into the bohemian quarter for a great lunch and a mooch around one of the parks. Music and dance are a strong part of Chile’s cultural identity, and we saw it passionately expressed throughout our time in Santiago.
The best place to get a sense of Santiago’s size, framed by the Andes, is from San Cristóbal Hill. We took the cable car up (we did walk down though). Since it was a Sunday, the live church service and singing were piped around the summit, accompanied by church bells as we walked, which really added to the experience. It felt like a kind of pilgrimage for many. We stepped inside the small area beneath the statue of the Virgin Mary, and there was definitely a certain energy to the place. Unfortunately, the clouds moved in and we didn’t get a clear outline of the Andes, but the views out across the city were still a bonus.
Dream Chasers 