By this Author: moorsey88

Time for another travel adventure. I have wanted to get to this destination for awhile...and this year things lined up perfectly - not to mention a good price on flights! Heading to South America to the long and narrow country of Chile.

Apparently it has more than 6 000km of Pacific Ocean coastline. Santiago, its capital, will be my landing destination. The city sits in a valley surrounded by the Andes and Chilean Coast Range mountains.

Lots of things to see and do...hopefully the weather cooperates.

Wheels up tomorrow!

Today may have been a record with my arrival to the airport. Everything from the Uber to the airport, through baggage drop off, and security all completed in under an hour! The Nexus access probably helped a bit too. Uber to the airport was only $67. That's a good deal, considering the place I usually use was over $25 per day...that would add up.

My holidays start as soon as I clear the security queue, so nothing says holidays more than a morning cocktail. My flight was not direct (wasn't really an option), so I connected through Atlanta and had a 5 hour layover. Now, just to be clear, that was not how I originally booked it. About a month ago, the flight out of Toronto was changed to 3 hours sooner. Oh well, beyond my control...and the bright side, I did not have to rush through the airport and my luggage made it to the destination with no hiccups.

The pilot on the flight from YYZ to ATL was a bit of a comedian. He got on the mic in front of the entire plane to welcome everyone and tell a few jokes. He had a quick wit about him. Everyone applauded. I am sure he says the same thing on every flight. And I am glad his flying skills were better than his stand up comedy.

The flight to Santiago was uneventful and fairly smooth. Flying time was just over 9 hours which was an overnight flight. I definitely did get some sleep because I remember starting many movies, but never saw the ending of any of them. I was also seated in premium economy which had a few perks, the best of which was the extra leg room.

It was a long day of travelling but I have now arrived to Santiago Chile!

Oh warm weather, how I have missed you!

I have arrived to Santiago and after collecting my luggage, I met my private driver in the arrivals hall to take me to my hotel - Hotel Cumbres Lastarria. He had messaged me on Whatsapp to tell me he knew I had landed and told me where to meet him. This was a great service ($40) and after a long day of travelling, I did not have to think about anything. The company I used was called Welcome Pick ups. I have used them before.

I arrived at the hotel by 8:30 a.m. and knew my room would not be ready, but I was able to store my luggage and head out on foot to explore the neighbourhood, after changing into cooler clothes. Timing was perfect because I knew there would be a Free Walking Tour at 10 a.m. I like doing these tours when I arrive in a new city to help get acquainted with the surrounding areas and some of the popular tourist sights. The company I used was Guru Walking Tours. The meeting spot was a 10 minute walk and the tour lasted just over 2 hours. You tip at the end of the tour at your discretion. With today being Sunday, there were many shops and stores closed today. As the day went on, there were more things open. I am sure tomorrow will have a different vibe around the city.

After the tour, I was able to get a new SIM card for my phone. I was able to get one using the provider, Movistar. The plan is 70GB of data with 1000 minutes used in Chile. You would not even believe the price. Any guesses? Wait for it... it only cost 8 bucks! That was a fantastic deal.

I chilled by the pool later in the afternoon and met some fellow Canadians that were just finishing up a motorcycle tour trip. It sounded amazing...except for one of their buddies that fell and broke seven ribs, punctured a lung and broke his shoulder. Later on I toured the nearby park called Cerro Santa Lucia. It was totally free and offered some great panoramic views of Santiago and the surrounding mountains.

After dinner, I decided that I really needed some sleep. Tomorrow will be another day of adventure. Today's step count was 25 308.

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!

I actually had to use my alarm this morning to get up early in order to check out of the hotel and head to the airport. The hotel staff waited with me outside the entrance of the hotel until my Uber arrived - which was a nice touch. Travel time to the airport was just over 20 minutes and cost about $20.

LATAM is the airline commonly used for domestic flights in Chile. My destination today took me south to the Lakes Region of Puerto Montt - the gateway to Patagonia Chile, where snow capped volcanoes meet lakes along side charming villages. There are also many national parks and natural reserves in the area too.

I am actually staying in Puerto Varas, which is known as the City of Roses for the beautiful rose bushes that decorate the streets and squares of the city. Puerto Varas is just over 1000 km from Santiago. Flying time today was 1 hour and 40 minutes. Premium Economy was an added bonus. Domestic travel is actually quite affordable. Once I landed I was able to catch the shuttle bus from the airport to Puerto Varas, about a 25 minute drive ($8). Traffic coming into town was bumper to bumper. I probably could have walked faster.

My hotel is Hotel Cabana del Lago overlooking Lake Llanquihue (not sure how to say that one). My room was not ready, so same drill - drop off the luggage and set out to explore...I even found some gelato. Once my room was ready, the view did not disappoint!

Step count was a little low...14 000.