Hot and Bustling: 2 1/2 days in Santiago

Welcome to Chile!  Our first stop on this adventure...

When we're traveling, we generally limit the amount of time we spend in cities. We've lived in lots of big U.S. cities, and been to many others.  So we're usually eager to get into more remote and rural areas where it's less chaotic and the livin' is easy. But Santiago proved to be a good introduction to Chile. A few things we learned in our two and a half days:

• Chileanos are very nice and courteous. They even let pedestrians cross the road - truck drivers at rush hour will stop and wave you across.  Needless to say,  this was a big a cultural shock after two years of living in Boston.
• Even Chilean stray dogs are nice and much cuter than your average stray dog. 
• Many Chileans don't speak English - this gives Erin an excellent chance to practice her Spanish skills (which aren't too bad!)
• The subway is cleaner, faster, cheaper, and just better than those in Boston, D.C., New York, San Francisco, London, Paris, Budapest, and many more.  Quite impressive.
• There are lots of great museums, but the capstone is surely the Museum of Memory and Human Rights. 
• Santiago is a vibrant, fun city, and given the amount of construction, is planning some serious growth.

Here´s a link to a few photos from our time in Santiago, including a few from our wanderings, the Mercado Central, a whimsical French art installation, and some archaeological treasures.

We´re now down in Puerto Natales in Patagonia (after an aborted landing at the Punta Arenas airport, but more on that next time).  While Santiago is hot and dry, this place is cool and damp.  But there are epic mountains and hundreds of miles of wilderness, trails, and fjords to explore.  Tomorrow we start an 8-9 day circuit hike in Torres del Paine national park, around its eponymous peaks.  It should be an awesome (if difficult and somewhat windy) experience.  We´ll let you know how it goes...