Saturday, February 9 – Santiago

Today I took an all-day excursion from Santiago to the neighboring cities of Valparaiso and Vina del Mar, both located on the Pacific Ocean. (Excursion cost: $50)

The day started out early with a 7:10am pickup at my hotel. (Really? I’m on vacation!) We then picked up other customers and were on the road at about 8am. It was an 1 1/2 hour drive to Valparaiso. And what a difference in the weather in that short trip. Very warm Santiago turned into cool Valpo (per the local lingo), thanks to its proximity to the ocean.

Valparaíso is a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its dozens of steep hillsides containing endless streets and cobblestone alleyways with colorful buildings. It was a neat place, but I also found it dirty, with much graffitti, and sidewalks covered with dog poop. It that way it kind of reminded me of Rome, except of course without the benefits of things like the Colosseum, St. Peter’s, the Pantheon, etc.!

Vina del Mar is located adjacent to Valpo, but they couldn’t be more different! VdM is a very clean resort town with a casino, highrises on the beach and flowers in the lamp posts. I was impressed! Apparently others are too, as I was told that beachfront apartments can go for seven figures (in USD!).

Traveler Tip: Typically on a full-day excursion like today’s, lunch is not included in the price. When that is the case the group is usually taken to a high-end restaurant where a couple hours is spent dining. I’m guessing that the tour operator receives a commission for this, and I know the tour guide’s meal is gratis. That is what happened today. However, I opted out. It was great. I had two hours to roam around VdM on my own, with my own agenda.

Sunday, February 10 – Santiago

A pretty low-key day (as Sunday’s should be!). I took a walk through the parks lining one of the city’s major thoroughfares and ended up at the Chilean National Museum of Fine Arts.

Monday, February 11 – Santiago

Today was a busy day – spent entirely in my hotel room working on trip planning and booking! A dirty job, but it’s got to be done. I have now booked my flights from Bolivia to Ecuador and then Ecuador back to Santiago in mid-March. I also booked a hotel for my arrival tomorrow in La Paz (smart!). I still need to come up with a game plan for both Bolivia and Ecuador though, with the one major known activity being a Galapagos Island adventure. I’m thinking I’m going to book that last-minute (to save $$).

I have a 6am flight tomorrow to La Paz. I need to be at the airport 3 hours early, so that means a 2:30am departure from my hotel. Ugh! It’s my own fault though, I chose that flight! (and not just for cost, but also because it was the only non-stop)