Devil's Throat or Garganta de Diablo

Wine and Olives: The Bodega Tour

After a bit of rest, I decided to see what I could do in Mendoza with one day. I had asked the previous night and was told that I was a 30 minutes too late to book any excursions. Luckily, a different staff member was working in the morning and she advised me to check out Parque San Martin where the 1978 World Cup was held and from where you can see the Andes. She was also able to put me on a bodega tour to see some of the Argentine wineries. After that, I would be off to the bus station to catch my bus to Bariloche in Patagonia.

Around 2:30 pm, the tour guide, Karla, picked me up from the HI Hostel in Mendoza. She was quite dismayed when she realized that spanish is not my language. For you see this is a Spanish-only tour! No problem, I told her. I can understand more than I can speak. Plus, it's good practice for me. When I hopped in the van with my big 'ol backpack, I sat down beside a young guy. The first thing he asked me was, "Are you really from Canada?" Perhaps, he thought I was one of those tourists from the U.S. who straps a Canadian flag on their back. But, I assured him that no, I actually am from Vancouver. Turns out that this guy is from Mexico and is living in Buenos Aires studying wine and design. Great! By the end of the tour, we had exchanged e-mails and promised to meet up when I got to the city. Here comes Felipe, new best friend!

So, with Felipe, I toured the San Felipe winery in Mendoza. Luckily, this tour was bilingual. So, I got to listen in Spanish first and then check for understanding in English second. Que bueno!
The winery is one of the largest in Argentina and they have a wonderful museum of both turn-of-the-century artifacts and a history of wine making. After seeing the vineyard and the museum, we got to see the factory and wine cellar. The wine tasting here was pretty basic and only got to one red. I have to say that I prefer the wine from Chile. Score one for them!


Next was a smaller winery run by a couple from France. The focus here is on sustainability. They use all of the grape so they do have rose wine which is normally not made in South America. Here my spanish really got a workout because the tour guide\owner speaks no English and she speaks spanish with a French accent! Again, not too taken with the white or red wine we sampled. Although, by this point, I have perfected my wine tasting skills.

I was pretty sure that was our last stop of the day but surprise we were off to the Olive Oil factory. That was good news by me because I was starting to tire of the wineries.

Backpackers' Motivations

As I have been traveling, I have been wondering what motivates fellow backpackers to embark on such a journey. For me, I have an interest in the language and culture of South America, specifically Argentina, that can only be satisfied through travel. I also just love traveling. It is my favourite hobby and of late, I have been reading only travel literature. As I have been speaking with other backpackers, I find that there is a bit of a common theme emerging: traveling after breaking up with a long-term girl/boyfriend. For others, they are escaping a job or a life which bored them. Even with different motivations, I feel that there is a strong sense of camaraderie amongst fellow backpackers. After all, it is not for everyone. It takes a lot of courage to travel this way but it's one of the most fulfilling experiences you could ever have.

Partying in Mendoza

Mendoza was a bit of strange stop for me. I had intended to stay longer but it didn't seem like there was that much to do here. I get the sense that Mendoza is good jumping off point for excursions into the Andes and to winery tours. Because I arrived in the early afternoon to the hostel, it was to late to join any excursions. After running a few errands, I went back to the room and met new best friend, Daniela from Brazil!

Later that night, most of the guests were dining at the hostel on spaghetti and then this crazy man from Uruguay who is easily pushing 50 came over and sat in between me and this British backpacker who were conversing about the American Idol finale playing in the background. He goes to me "I love your accent. Keep talking. I love American English." So, I continued talking awkwardly now with this British guy. I asked the Uruguayan man, if he would like to talk instead to me. But, no he only wanted to listen.

After dinner most of the guests retreated to the bar at the back of the hostel but I wasn't interested in hanging out because I was behind in my journal writing. The good journalist that I have become! Later on, I had another visit from my Uruguayan friend who had clearly just downed a few beers and again just wanted to listen. After that I thought, maybe I should get out of the hostel for while...I can always write in my journal tomorrow.

Luckily, a different group of British Backpackers (Nick, Vas, Sofie, Marcus and Rob) plus my Brazilian friend were planning a night out in Mendoza. Seems the Brits want to party their way across this continent. For this group at least partying is the top priority. The plan was to hit a bar and then see where the night takes us.

There is a cute street in Mendoza called Villaneuva. It's basically one street with cute shops and lots of restaurants and bars. On the way there, I spied a cute hostel called Damajuana. It looked brand new and very posh for a hostel. Should I ever return to Mendoza, I'd like to stay there. We went to a bar in this area called El Abasto. To be honest, I was pretty bored with the bar and the group. But I did end up starting a good chat with Nick and had fun taking crazy pictures with Vas. Nick, the player man that he is, got us free passes to a club called Irska. I decided to cab it with Daniela and Vas. On the way there, they were both getting agitated with the cab driver because they thought he was taking us for a ride. Inside, I was thinking, "tranquila chicos, tranquila." But nope, they were starting to ask him where he was going, etc? Turns out there are two streets with similar names in Mendoza like Av. San Martin and Av. Gral San Martin. We were off to Club Irska on the further street. I was glad we got there in one piece and for a cheaper price than our other four mates.

The club was packed and the DJs played a good mix of English and Spanish music. I really had a great time dancing to all of the Reggaeton hits like Gasolina, Rompe, La Tortura, Lo Que Paso, Paso, and a mix of Gwen Stefani and BEP hits. I think we all had fun and were bonding on the dance floor. After a few unwanted suitors and a drunken Rob, I was anxious to get some shut eye before my not-yet-determined sightseeing and the night bus to Bariloche. After dragging Daniela back to the hostel just before 7 am, I finally get some rest.

In the end, I was glad that I went out and partied with some unlikely friends. Since everyone was leaving the next day, it was a fleeting moment of togetherness. But those are the moments, after all, that make backpacking so much fun.

Argentina vs. Chile

After spending only a few hours one afternoon in downtown Mendoza, I began to see why people prefer Argentina to Chile. So, to help fuel this on-going rivalry. I will add my two cents with the reasons why Argentina is better than Chile.

1) Fewer stray dogs. Most Argentines keep their dogs as pets (at least in the cities).
2) Less holes in the sidewalks. In Santiago, some sidewalks had big holes and I´m surprised I made it through that city without falling into one. At least in Argentina, the greatest danger you face on the sidewalk are broken tiles.
3) Sweets that actually taste good. Argentina has a plethora of sweets. Hello dulce de leche and alfajores. Good bye tasteless Chilean sweets.
4) Stores that actually let you browse. In Chile, you have to tell the store clerk what you want, then she gives you a ticket. After that you pay and receive a receipt. With that receipt you can now collect your goods. Is that a make work scheme or what? On the other hand, it does streamline the process for the store.
5) Money that I can understand. The Argentine pesos is in units of $1. The Chilean peso starts at a $1,000 for about $2 US. It is through the kindnesss of strangers and people working at tourist attractions, that I did not loose more Chilean pesos, the first day I was there. For example, I tried to pay $12,000 pesos for a ride that costs $1,200. I was thinking that Chile is as expensive as everybody said.
6) Less garbage on the street. In Mendoza, the garbage was up off of the streets in metal bins or in garbage cans. The garbage in Santiago was spilling off of the sidewalks and into the streets.
7) Being able to go to a public restroom without having to pay! This is a big one. In Chile, most public restrooms are staffed. This is probably a good security measure but it's hard to always have to pay when you are out sightseeing.
8) In Mendoza, there are no beggars on the street. Only men selling roses!!

All in all though, I had fun in Chile and would like to go back one day and see more of the country. Ciao for now, Chile!

Through the Andes

The first rule of traveling should be never consume tragos the day/night before going on a long distance bus trip or flight. But, this is a rule that few backpackers follow. Some miss their connections but I was determined to make mine.

With all of my worldly possessions on my back, I trudged down to the metro station at 6:30 am, made one change of subway trains and got to the bus station just in time to catch my Tur-Bus to Mendoza, Argentina. At long last, I would make the windy trek through the Andes and seem them in all their splendor. Best laid plans, indeed. However, tiredness from the night out on the town led to a sleepy ride through the Andes. What I did catch was, of course, stunning and they are a must see on any South American journey. There was only a slight amount of snow when I crossed them on June 1. The road curves through the mountain range and I saw cute little hosterias on the way.

What my tired state led me to do with beyond a doubt the epitome of stupidity. When we got off the bus after 4 hours of twisting and turning, we had to clear customs. I managed to exit Chile, but I forgot to enter Argentina! Anyways, after a slight embarrassment at the hands of the bus drivers, I admitted my stupidity, marched off and cleared customs and immigration for my destination. What is even more crazy is that I was not the only passenger to make this mistake. My seat-mate, a handsome Chilean, did the same thing. I mean, you'd think a semi-local, would be a bit sharper. But, no! Definitely the most embarrassing moment of the trip thus far!

Happy House Hostel

My home away from home in Santiago, Chile deserves a post of its own. This is without a doubt the best hostel I have ever stayed in. It is located in Barrio Brasil in downtown Santiago on Catedral Avenue. The hostel is in a restored mansion that is beautifully decorated with soft lighting and a cozy atmosphere. Every morning, we got a complete breakfast of cereal, yogurt, coffee or tea, juice and a grilled cheese sandwich! There is also beautiful terrace where you can hang out and enjoy a view of the skyline (smog permitting). One of the best things was that the internet was always available there and people were very respectful of each other’s time on it as well.

The staff, Chris, Luis, Carolina and of course, Faby, my friend, were helpful and welcoming. All of the backpackers who stayed here were quiet and respectful and I met some really nice ones with whom to sightsee. I don't think I could have found a better place to stay. Plus, the owners are opening another hostel in the Bohemian neighbourhood of Bellavista. I'd love to see what they do with their new property.

The Stare Down

Being stared down here in Santiago at dining establishments is a common occurrence. It's as if there is no tourism industry at all in this city. Unlike Buenos Aires where there are gobBsAs staff on major street corners and in the tourism information centres, they actually give you information on the attractions. In Santiago's tourist info centre, I barely got a map out of the staff member who was too enthralled in her conversation with her friend to help me. Thank goodness for guidebooks in times like that.

Anyways, one night I went to a small cafe called Cafe La Jolie one block away from Happy House Hostel and across from the Cumming Metro Station on Av. Catedral. It looked like a warm and inviting kind of cafe from its decor and name but I stepped inside and found all of the wait staff sitting around doing a crossword puzzle. I went up to the counter and tried to order but the waiter intercepted me and took my order instead. He told me to sit by their table so I did. It took all four staff to make my one hot chocolate. One to take the order, another to make it and two to discuss whether or not I needed an ashtray. The ashtray thing was quite funny as I didn´t know the word for ashtray which is ciencero. When the waiter said it, I thought he asked if I wanted trecero which is a third. I said to myself, “a third of what?". Finally, he asked fumar or no fumar. When I said no fumar, the search for the ashtray was called off. What I noticed most was that one member of the wait staff kept starring at me. It was unnerving. Why? I'm not that interesting. Just a tourist wanting a snack. At this point, I didn't have anyone or any book, journal or magazine to keep me occupied so I was extremely conscious of everything going on around me. Luckily, one of the wait staff brought me a magazine and local arts and entertainment paper and asked if it was my first time in Santiago. After about 10 minutes which seemed like an eternity to me, the hot chocolate arrived. One of the waiters continued to stare me down so I gulped down the drink and got the heck outta there. It's hard to go into these places when you get stared down. From other traveler's stories, it is a common occurrence for a tourist when you go to a place that normally only locals frequent. Shame really, because then it's harder to get a feel for the city.

VIPs at Vina Santa Rita - May 31

In honour of my last day in Chile, I decided to experience Chile´s most important export of the last decade: wine! Jade and I decided to find our way sin tour guide over to a small town, Buin located in the Maipu Valley about an hour south of Santiago. We were originally signed up for the wine tasting and tour at 11:30 a.m. However, as time goes in South America, we were falling behind schedule. We took the metro from the hostel to the Estacion Central. At Estacion Central, I was shocked to see a CinnZeo in the station. It's usually not the case that a Canadian fast food chain will expand abroad. Aside from Tim Horton's, of course. From there, we went via MetroTren to Buin station where we had to catch a colectivo out to the winery. The colectivo was quite an experience. Again, you are in the middle of a town with no set stops and then you just wave down the nearest taxi and off you go. When we arrived, the security guard had my name on a list. It certainly made me feel like a V.I.P. Once we cleared security, we went into the vineyards passing through row upon row of grape trees already harvested for the year. The driver stopped in front of a red bunglow dotted with palm trees. A light mist was covering the vineyards and the mountains providing a perfect backdrop for the grounds of Vine Santa Rita.

Since we had missed the wine tasting, we had to "settle" for lunch at the luxurious restaurant which included a tour but not a wine tasting! With an hour to go before lunch began, we wandered off to Muse Anion. The museum was a quite a find as it was free, well curated and had a fine collection of artifacts from the native groups in Chile and Peru such as the Rapa Nui, Mapuche, the Incas, the Pre-Colombian people and even more modern ones like the waso or cowboys. I had not made it to any museums yet so was happy to learn more about the people of Chile. We only made it through half of the museum before it was time for lunch.

As we entered the restaurant, they helped us out of our jackets. We were served by a professional waiter, bowtie, vest and all. He was very pleasant and spoke perfect English, although he was gracious and allowed me to order in my poor but improving Spanish. We had a Sauvingnon Blanc and a Cabernet with my lunch of fricassee steak and curried rice and Jade's lunch of sea bass and a chileno salad made of cilantro, onions and tomatoes. By far, the best meal thus far of my trip! At 3 pm, we were supposed to start our tour, so I waived over an official looking guy. He looked surprised that I had waived him over and I asked about the tour and then he asked me if I wanted to salsa later. Cheeky! Anyways, turns out he runs the wine store downstairs and we would be able to get our wine tasting later.

Vina Santa Rita has a very modern factory with all of the best equipment imported from Italy and other European countries. Everything except some of the harvesting is done by machinery. I learned that Chilean wines have only been exported in the last 12 years and that unlike European wines, South American wines do not have good and bad years. It's always a good year in Chile and Argentina. The wine they are most proud of is called 120 as it represents the 120 soldiers who hid out in the house on the winery grounds during the War of Independence from Spain.

After the tour, we wandered into the wine cellar for our private tasting with Marcelo, the store manager. He taught us how to properly taste wine. The steps are:
1) Smell it with your nose
2) Swirl it to see if it has "legs". Red wine will have more "legs" than a white.
3) Smell it again with nose and mouth. Smell should be different this time.
4) Now taste it. For a white wine, suck it between your teeth and swallow and for a red one, gulp down a bit and then swallow.
5) Then, enjoy!

After the wine tasting, it was back to the museum. Here my Spanish got a work out because the security guards and two winery workers decided to chat me up. I must have talked to them for at least 20 minutes. One of the winery workers told me he played the guitar in a traditional Chilean folk music group. I couldn't hear the group play so I asked him to sing a traditional song. He obliged. It was a cool experience meeting these guys and Marcelo who saved us 4000 pesos by dropping us off at the Metrotren station in Buin. Awesome place, people and wine.

¿A que? Vino Dios al mundo si no tomo vino!! ¿A que? Huca vino...!!
For what? God came to the world if not drink wine. For what? Drink wine.

Por La Educacion!

In Chile, there was a major strike happening between students and the government. Some say it is a test for the new president, Michelle Bachelet.

When I was in Chile last week, I noticed a lot of student milling about on the morning of Monday, May 29. They had some protest signs up at one school and all of the students in their smart uniforms were spilling out onto the sidewalk. As I made my way down the sidewalk, one of the students shook her cup of change at me asking for a donation. I thought it was strange that the students were moonlighting as panhandlers on their way to class. But, maybe it was just one of those things. I didn't connect the strike with the panhandling until another girl begging for me asked for money and then added the exclamation, "Por la educacion!". Ok, I got it now. School must be expensive there.

Of all the Spanish speaking countries in Latin America, Chile has the strongest economy but the education costs sound prohibitive for the average Chilean. The average salary is $11,300 US dollars according to the CIA World Factbook. My Chilean friend, Faby, told me that the monthly cost of school there is expensive compared to the earnings of most and that most Chileans graduate from university with a heavy debt load. That is why some students beg for money on their way to school, she said.

The strike sounded very grassroots with 20 schools joining, then 40 and finally up to all of the schools in Santiago. When I was in Valapairso on May 30, I saw signs up at another school, too. Before I left Chile on June 1, I heard that the strike the day prior turned violent with the police clashing with the otherwise peaceful students. This week, I heard that the strike grew to one million people and that the President is agreeing to some their demands. It'll be interesting to see how the situation unfolds. After all, education is a universal human right but for many it still remains out of reach. If Chile wants to keep progressing, they should focus on educating their citizens and keeping the costs down.

Lost in Isla Negra - May 30

On Monday, I was having a conversation with roommate/new best friend, Jade about traveling. I said how, "it's the the snap decisions that get you into trouble when you are traveling." It's funny how that statement foreshadow the events of Tuesday.

I have wanted to go to Vina del Mar from before I came to Chile. When I was researching language courses, I looked into the University there so was curious about seeing the little seaside resort town where I could've been living. When I spoke to Carolina at Happy House about my plans, she said that Valapairso is much better than Vina del Mar. Since she is a Chilena, I thought she knows best and changed my plans at the last minute. After purchasing my bus ticket to Valapairso, I consulted my Footprint guide and thought that there were some interesting sites there along with 12 funiculars. Plus, it's an UNESCO World Heritage site. It's got to be good.

However, when I got to the bus station in Valapairso two hours later, I didn't have a good feeling. So, I asked bought a ticket to Isla Negra to see another one of Pablo Neruda's houses figuring it would be close. I was wrong. Isla Negra is a one and half hours south of Valapairso. The bus winds through the countryside so it takes a bit longer than if I went a more direct route on the highway. The long bus rides did afford me the opportunity to see more of the Chilean landscapes from shanty towns to vineyards to forests to small housing developments to farms and finally, the beautiful Pacific Ocean. Chile is truly a beautiful country and am at times reminded of British Columbia.

4 hours later, the bus dropped me on the side of the dusty road. Before I got off, I asked the driver where the house was and he pointed ahead. And I walked. Thankfully, there were lots of hints that Neruda was close by. A mural here, a sign there and finally, a collection of artisan stalls. I went down a dirt road to reach the house and was one of only a few tourists milling about. The house is quite quirky and there is a small museum on the grounds.





After wandering around taking pictures of the beach and garden, one of which is my user photo, Marcela, the tour guide greeted me for my English tour. I learned a lot about Neruda who has had a fascinating life. Poet, Nobel-Laureate, Communist, Diplomat, Designer: All-around Renaissance Man. One thing that blew me away was the fact that he was a diplomat at age 23. No wonder he collects so many interesting cultural artifacts like masks from all around the world. His most impressive collection is that of ship heads from all over the world. His houses are always separated into a collection of smaller buildings so he could separate his work from his social life. Looking out from his bedroom at the Pacific Ocean, it's easy to see how the setting at Isla Negra inspired him.¨

As it was getting late and the sun was setting, I went back out the dusty road in this one street town and waited for the bus. And I waited and I waited until the point where I thought I was going to be stuck in Isla Negra. Luckily, I saw couple who had boarded my bus from Valapairso. I thought they were Spanish but they were speaking in French. After 45 minutes, I finally struck up a conversation with the tourists.

I said to the girl in the couple, "Je suis Canadienne." Hoping for some connection but people from France don't really feel an allegiance with the Canadians. On second thought, the French only feel an allegiance to themselves. Anyways, a bus to Valapairso finally materialized out of the dark only to pass us by. At this point it is nearly 7 pm and am freaking out. The subway in Santiago stops running at 10:30 pm. I need to get back now. Lots of questions and thoughts run through my head. Would there be another bus to Valapairso? Would it stop? Could I keep up speaking in French? After consulting with the French tourists in my high school french which comes out in emergency situations only, we flagged down a Pullman bus headed to Santiago. The wonderful staff allowed me to hop on without paying extra. Thanks to a more direct route back, I was safely back in Santiago regaling my roommates with my muy loco adventure out to Isla Negra in less than two hours.

Cafe con Piernas

While sightseeing Monday, the British backpacking crew and I were craving real coffee. Myself, I am suffering from a Starbucks withdrawal. I go from having one to two lattes a day to having none. Quite an improvement, I must say. So, when I saw Cafe Haiti on one of the pedestrian shopping streets, I got quite excited. I told my friends, "Let's go there. I heard it's a coffee chain in the city from my guidebook."

Upon entering, I noticed a couple of things. First, there were no seats to linger. Second, I noticed was that only well dressed men in business suits were patrons of this coffee joint. Thirdly, there was no women's washroom. I was told by Alex that there was only a men's urinal. Hmm. But, we were not put off as maybe it was just the timing that we caught all of the business men on their coffee break from work. Turns out these business men were craving more than just coffee. You see, Cafe Haiti is no place for a woman. Unless, you are the female barista wearing an outfit which rivals any Vegas casino girl.

All throughout Santiago, they have these coffee shops for men only called "cafe con piernas". For the price of a coffee, you get to ogle the barista's legs as all of the women wear very short skirts. Our barista was heavily made up wearing a short red dress of shiny jersey material and fishnet stockings with heels. A far cry from the khakis and polo shirts donned by the Starbucks baristas back home.

The plot thickens though, in addition to Cafe Haiti and the like, there are coffee shops that run even more into the strip club/massage parlor variety with blacked out windows. According to my Chilean friend, Marcelo, there is a place called Baron Roja or Red Knight, where you can see women serving coffee with tassels and underwear on. He told us for a little extra, you can pay for the feliz minuto for even more of a peep show. Marcelo also teased us by saying that cafe para mujers where scantily clad men serve coffee with something a little extra. A female Chilean friend, Faby, confirmed this but alas could not provide an address. Que lastima!

Just Another Manic Monday - May 29

Like the Bangles sing, "It's just another Manic Monday...wish it were a Sunday..." That sentiment is very true in Chile when most museums and attractions close on a Monday. As a traveler, you normally look forward to your Mondays with no work or obligations and all the free time in the world to explore. Luckily, my British friends, Alex, Betty, Janine, and I figured that we could still sightsee if we went to the things that might be open like libraries, churches, parks and markets. So, we planned to hit Biblioteca Nacional, Cerro Santa Lucia and the San Francisco Cathedral. With them all being within a three block radius of one another, we had quite a relaxing day.

We took the metro from Universidad de Santiago to the Santa Lucia stop. First attraction, the National Library of Chile. Ok, I admit that it sounds a little boring but it turned out to be quite a find. They had a display of beautiful artwork which was at one point part of an exhibition of art that was projected onto to their building. The most striking drawing was that of 11 de Septiembre. It represents the military coup on September 11, 1973 which overthrew Allende and installed Pinnochet. So many tragedies have occurred in history on September 11. It truly is an auspicious date. We wandered around the library taking funny pictures of us reading encyclopedias, checking out books at circulation and relaxing in the posh cafe. The security guards were more amused than concerned by our activities. Me pienso.



Second attraction of the day was the Cerro Santa Lucia, the hill from where Santiago was founded. At this attraction, we were a little bit concerned about our security so, we locked all our packs. Our fears were put aside when we were greeted by security guards at every level of the trek up the hill. I walked up the palatial yellow and white stairs to a plaza with a statute of ? and a beautiful water fountain. Next plaza, had a small church which was closed. Continuing up the steep hill was like working out on a natural stairmaster. Again, the view of Santiago was marred by not only the smog but also a large billboard for El Codigo Da Vinci.

Third attraction was the San Francisco Cathedral but it was closed. Yes, even God takes Monday off in Santiago. We continued our walk through downtown and saw many of the closed sites like the museums and the Municipal Theatre. Finally, we hit the main plaza in town, Plaza de Armas. Men playing chess, pigeons snacking off of the chilenos leftover lunches, and again young couples embracing. The Plaza is surrounded by many impressive buildings including a large Cathedral. My favourite site in the Plaza was the Indian face. It is a statue which looks like the Rapa Nui in Easter Island.

Finally, we found another site to see. In fact, God does not have the day off in this predominantly Catholic country. Instead, he is at the Cathedral in the Plaza. It was an impressive church. It appears plainer than most grand cathedrals but it was one cathedral in all of my travels where I felt people were actually serious about their faith. All of the Catholics who entered took the holy water and made the sign of the cross. Even more surprising was that the confessional. The priest was taking them publicly in the sense that there was no traditional box. He just took them face-to-face.

We ended the day by shopping in the malls close to Plaza de Armas and then wandering over to the markets in Bellavista. They were more food markets than handicraft markets and were buzzing with activity. The first one was under tarps and then other was in a large building. I think the locals frequent this one as opposed to the slightly more touristy Mercado Central according to the insider info courtesy of my N.Z. friend, Jade.

At times, I feel like I am recreating the Amazing Race episodes in Santiago where they went to the Cerro San Cristobal, the National Library, Cerro Santa Lucia, and to the Mercado Central. I managed to see them all in two days. And as in the Amazing Race, I also plan to go through the Andes to Mendoza, Argentina on Thursday. On Tuesday, I plan to take a day trip out to Vina del Mar.