Taking in the Heights

I welcomed Day 2 of my travels after a great night's sleep - even my FitBit agreed! Breakfast was included during my stay at the hotel, so I went up to the dining area at a leisurely pace and enjoyed my first meal of the day before heading our for today's adventure.

My plan was to go to the top of San Cristobal Hill. It was an easy walk to the Bellevista neighbourhood to the Pio Nono access where the Funicular was located. However, the funicular is closed on Mondays (didn't even think to check). But this place is like a huge public park so no worries, as there was a bus service to the top. Round trip ticket was about 3 bucks! Good views on the way up and even better once to the very top.

The top of the hill stands a huge statue of the Virgin Mary looking down over the city. I decided to walk back down to the bottom (about 2.5 km), especially after seeing so many fitness enthusiasts getting their morning workout in by either biking, running or walking their dog to the top. I ended up at a different point from where I had originally caught the bus. This happened to be a fortunate accident because it actually brought me closer to my next stop of excursions I wanted to do - Sky Costanera.

Sky Costanera is the tallest building in South America. It is 62 floors and stands at a height of 300 metres. It was started in 2005 and was completed in 2013. It's no CN Tower, but still a great place to see panoramic views of the entire city and surrounding mountains. Ticket entry was about $16.

I ended up taking an Uber back to the hotel (just under $5) to return quickly, so I could spend more time enjoying the pool. It was a great way to cool off in these 31 degree temperatures.

I was having trouble finding an ATM that was open so I could access some Chilean Pesos. Banks are not open on Sundays and they close at 2 p.m. during the week. Even when they close you can't always access the ATM. I ended up changing money at a Cash Exchange place. My research told me there were better rates at the banks. Oh well...girl needs her money! Credit and Debit cards are widely accepted but it's always a good idea to have some cash on hand!