Andean Odyssey

We are now in Santiago, Chile, having crossed the Andes. It was a long coach journey, but with front seats on the top deck we had a great view so it was never dull - especially the excitement of approaching tunnels / hairpin bends and wondering if we were going to make it. The views were spectacular amongst the highest peaks, whilst the foothills were pretty and colourful, the brightly painted little houses surrounded by lush grass and wild flowers. On both sides of the mountains vineyards abound, stretching from the roadside to the mountains to the east and west.

We have a couple of days to enjoy Santiago, before flying up to San Pedro to explore the Atacama Desert. Santiago is much smaller than Buenos Aires and there are fewer explicit sights to see; still, it seems a pretty hip sort of place and the thing to do, I think, is to wander the streets, sit in cafes admiring the colonial architecture (that hasn't been flattened by an earthquake) and just soak up the atmosphere.

Chilean vineyards