After Easter, we headed back up to Santiago, where we have been for about a week (with a side trip to Valparaiso which I will write about separately.) We have loved staying with our friends Patrick and Trini, and being based at their apartment.  Some of the highlights of our time in Santiago have been:

• Spending time with Patrick and Trini
• Exploring the central city – la Moneda, a sculpture exhibition of the signs of the cross that we stumbled on, the Cathedral Metropolitano and Plaza de Armas

 

•  Taking the funicular up Cerro San Cristobal for an amazing view of the city

There have also been a few challenges here! Some of these have been:

• Sickness – I had such a bad headache one day I had to stay in bed all day, and both Reuben and I have bad colds which are depleting our energy.
• Having to find ways to fix things – the zip on my brand new pack and our camera both managed to break. It’s a lot more challenging finding repair places in a city you don’t know while trying to speak another language.
• I have felt frustrated that we haven’t seen as much as we wanted to due to spending time on the above two items!

Overall, we have had a great time here. Our next stop is San Pedro de Atacama – a 24 hour bus ride away. We hope to explore the desert and would like to do a tour to Bolivia to see the Salt Flats of Uyuni. Internet access is likely to be limited, so we will update you as and when we can.