Where in the world is Lani?

Well - we've now had 2 whole weeks here in Chile and have had quite an experience in our travels. There are so many things we have seen, heard, tried and photographed that its difficult to come up with a round up of our experiences (on our last night), but here goes.....

THE GOOD

- Chileans are usually not the tallest people in the world which is a lovely change for a shortie like me! I'm 5 foot on a good day and I love that feeling of being the same height as my amigos (its a new feeling for me).

- The people we have met - travellers from all over the globe, and local people with the kindest hearts. Special mentions to Shara at Hostal de Sammy for helping us understand how to buy food and water and our new Aussie mate Linda from Newy (kind of), family at Casa Carrasco in Valparaiso for taking us in like we were staying with grandparents, all at Casa Maria in La Serena and our new mates Liz, Adrian, Brenda, Andrew + Jason.

- The music - everywhere we go there are beats and rhythms kicking along.

- The wine. Its even better than you think (vino tinto or blanco).

- Great culinary experiences at Colour Cafe + Como Agua Para Chocolate.

- Chileans love sweet treats as much as i do. There are patisseries on every corner selling a variety of cakes, biscuits and anything you can think of for next to nothing. The best stuff is called "manjar" sweet condensed milk caramel - its used in everything and they even have it on toast. Better book my dentist appointments now...

- The metro system here is amazing! 50 cents to any stop, whirlwind speed and easy to navigate. Aye carumba!

- Afternoon siestas. A nanna nap between 1 - 4pm every day and no one looks at you in a funny way when you start yawning at midday. My body clock is now well and truly adjusted.

- The highlight venues of our trip - Valparaiso's colourful houses on the hills and street art, Santiago's amazing history, the Mamalluca Obervatory in the mountains of Vincuna.

THE BAD

- Long, uncomfortable bus rides. People that snore should be put on their own bus. Seriously. Also the airport queues that lead to no-where. hmmmmm

- The lack of decent coffee here. Their version of decent is Nescafe in a cup with some warm water. As a result i switched to drinking tea, buts its not much better! The situation is much the same with black beer. Thank god for the red wine - it is amazing.

- The relaxed approach to safety in general. We regularly see tyres come off taxis in the street due to bodgy mechanic work. No one blinks - its just part of everyday life.

- A handy tip - "Coke Light" is not the same as diet coke. I really cant compare it to anything palatable. Just stick to fanta.

THE CHILEAN

- Carbohydrates everywhere. A typical brekky is bread, fruit and jam or cheese. Anytime you order anything here you get bread with it. The other day for lunch i was served bread, rice and potato on the side! Carb-o-licious

- Brands of food including - "Bimbo" bread, "Pap" fizzy drink and Ping Dong (i dont really know what that was and im happy not knowing)

- You will find a pharmacy on every corner here. I dont know if people are really ill all the time or if every pharmacy stocks a different medicine. Anyway, its very convenient if you need bandaids.

Nevertheless, we gringas have had a blast here and will always remember Chile for the culture shock, the good times, the fabulous red wine and the amazing spirit of the locals. Bring on Argentina! Ole!

Lani