Sadly I didnt have the time to do Chile justice having only a week here.
What a wonderful day I had the other day though in the World Hertiage city of Valpraiso.I decided to walk from Valpo to Vina de la Mer some 8K down the road. I am not sure Chileans are used to walking as, when on the way i asked for directions from various people, all were surprised that i was walking there and kept directing me to a bus stop! Part of the walk was along part of a busy highway (not so nice) but part and in the main it was a coastal walk (muy bueno) where i saw lovers (there seem to be loads in chile)walking hand in hand, seals sunbathing, pelicans, turkey vultures, gulls eating starfish and a whole host of other wildlife. It wasnt quite the same as seeing wild lions or tigers (which ive never seen) I'm sure but it was just perfect for me and just reminded me (again) just how lucky I am.
Santiago is Ok as far as a city goes with some nice neo-classical buildings dotted around skyscrapers with the backdrop of the breathtaking Andes. I ended up staying 4 nights but i think 2 would have been enough.
So really i've only managed to see 3 places in Chile. Not enough. I was suprised at the number and gangs of stray dogs in the 3 towns i visited which were a bit of a nuisance.
I was a bit worried about not speaking any spanish and so prior to arriving in South America I listened to my 8CD teach yourself spanish set taught by a man with a Germanic/Austrian accent (helpful)and was armed with my Latin Spanish phrasebook. I should have done more but then again i figured that as i had managed my way through China without knowing the language i'd keep my fingers crossed. And thankfully so far, I've managed to get by. I've managed to ask for a coffee, the menu, the bill and ask where the loos are - all the important stuff. In fact I've had two converstions with some locals where i clearly couldnt understand anything they said to me but managed find out what i wanted by reading their body language. So so far so good...here i come Argentina!
