Chile

Your head hit the pillow with a thump. Quietly chuckling I leaned over and lifted your arm; when released it hit the bed as if you were under anesthesia. And then I heard you softly singing... "At Last". You know the tune, and it looks as if you instantly fell in love with our overnight accommodations. It is no wonder. At midnight we had boarded an overnight flight from Toronto, Canada which would land us safely in Santiago, Chile 14 hours later. It's a mysterious skill to be able to sleep normally in those airline seats. I may have gotten an hour to two; but I believe you were too enthralled by the on-demand movies to get much rest.

Victor is waitingLanding safely at mid-day we then waited to pay our reciprocity fee, and then navigate immigration and customs. Sleep deprived is not the ideal way to wait in several long lines, but we needed those minutes to transition. We are now in South America for the very first time! I was feeling just a bit giddy. Oh there are so many jewels here for us to explore, but that will need to wait for another journey (wink wink). This time we are in Chile for only twenty hours. Immediately after clearing customs we found Victor. Oh he was such a lovely sight! Transport was waiting! Now we are firmly in the hands of the experts.

Santiago is beautiful, completely bordered by the snow-capped Andes mountains. It is spotlessly clean and the locals are warm and friendly. During our group transport to the hotel, Victor mentioned that from Santiago you can ski in the morning, be at an award winning winery for an afternoon snack, and then to the beach for dinner... all in one day! At the Grand Hyatt we were given $35 dollars credit towards lunch; but according to our itinerary cocktails and dinner are only three hours away. So while you sang to your pillow, I used that credit and called room service. We enjoyed an amazing chicken green curry from the in-house Thai restaurant and gazed upon the Andes from our magnificent view. I just may need for you to pinch me again!

View from our hotel room, Santiago

Don't read this next bit if you want to stay in that yummy, sleepy stupor. Our wake-up call is scheduled for 4AM. Tomorrow is a really full day, beginning with another flight to Ushuaia, Argentina, and a catamaran tour of the bay and Seal's Island before we embark the ship at 5PM. I may miss a day in updating you... but just let your imagination run wild while you get that needed rest. Have I mentioned how excited I am to have you all traveling with me?

This is our interactive map. Click on the buttons, move it with your cursor, whatever you like... it is indestructible.