Destination South america
Flying with Copa air to Panama, for a quick stop over and change of aircraft. Then heading onwards to Santiago.
Arriving late at night there is a hassle and a lot of fuss from people trying to get your business on giving you a trip to the hotel.. we (I) was almost tricked to go on a “non registered taxi. When arriving we did seek out a tour desk and people in front who actually not working with them did take “authority” as if they would work for them, people behind the desk would not do or say anything about this so I assumed he was from the agent, so we accepted being transported with hi, till a police officer approached us and asked if he could help us..When the guy just disappeared, the officer was extremely nice and helpful.
Getting to the Eco Hotel, it is a bit less then, I thought and looked on the web site more a real backpacker style place , then again I had never really done real backpacking so it’s a bit hard to compare…
The room is just for us big enough a bit dark, next to a open space where at night people gather together and have dinner , drinks, mingle .
So.. our first visit to Santiago, it is hot, sunny and actually lots to see.
Quite a difference to the Latin quarter in LA where music is blasting from every corner as loud as in night clubs, almost as if they try to out “blast “ each other.
Here in Santiago nothing like this not even in busy walking streets.
We did a big city walk ending up at the market where we had a big lunch – seafood was on the menu and yummy it was…
Then we did follow up with a further walk up to san Cristobal mountain. You can visit the zoo there too but we opt not to go rather hop straight up to the top with a cable car and on the way down to a different exit with a gondola. Total one way trip each 2000$ (Pes) then subway back to our hotel fairly easy to get a ticket on the desk entering the sub. (one way trip about 1$ AS
As well it is perhaps worth it not getting a round trip but rather going one way see the zoo if you like and stop at the pools, when getting to the final stop with the “gondolas’” keep walking towards the river on any of the streets (there pretty nice looking houses) when hitting the river turn a bit left on Av. Santa Maria Then cross over the river to get in to Avenida Sueca where one restaurant next to each other line the street.
Lot of them have Happy hour and cater for all sorts of different taste
And after a few drinks or some good food it is just a few steps away form the Subway which is with 3 read diamonds in a circle marked (los Liones station)
