Santiago, Chile

An 8 hour journey from Mendoza to Santiago sounded easy in comparison to some of the epic journeys we've already got badges for. Turns out the reason our tickets were so cheap was because the coach was actually a mini bus...with no aircon. Unimpressed, Nicola and I squeezed in and endured a very uncomfortable journey. The silver lining was that the border of Argentina and Chile is separated by a bunch of hills known as 'The Andes' and so the views throughout were breathtaking. It was also the first time I've ever gone through passport control and customs on top of a snow capped mountain. Very strange! The trip also helped us to realise that we need to learn how to say "Excuse me mate. Could you pull over so I can take a p*ss behind a rock?" in Spanish.

We arrived at our hostel which we were really pleased with. I was dreading a 6 man dorm after being spoilt by Marta in Mendoza but it turned out to be a really cool place, with big communal areas and a roof terrace. We've discovered that we are the only people in the world who don't snore. At times the noise coming from the other four people in our dorm was like whales communicating. Thank god we brought decent ear plugs. Poor old Nicola has also had to endure a week in a dorm full of some very smelly blokes.

We loved Santiago from the start, it was really lively with loads to do. The nightlife rivalled Buenos Aires which was a surprise. They have happy hours 4-9pm every day and so we enjoyed a lot of 50% off cocktails. The food also surprised us and was by far the best we've had so far. Chile is apparently the only country in South America where they eat raw fish. Consequently, Sushi is really popular and so we took a break from steak to enjoy the Chilean's take on it. It was amazing.

Like Mendoza the backdrop of the city is the Andes but because of pollution it's not as clear as in Mendoza. One thing that was striking was the sheer size of Santiago. We were told that it actually houses a third of Chiles population. Not far from where we stayed was a mountain in the middle of the city which acts as a great vantage point to see the whole thing. We decided to hike up it a few times in order to gain some much needed fitness for some of the hikes we have planned in Patagonia (not fun at 35 degrees with a slight hangover). My legs ached just looking at it when we checked out yesterday, it was definitely no picnic.

We made a day trip to the Pacific coast to a port city called 'Valparaiso'. Valparaiso is a world heritage site because of its famous favela style hills with houses piled on top of one another. Unlike Rio's these favelas were a lot less dangerous and famed for the graffiti and art that covers every wall and building. It was a really cool place to walk around and we had a great day.

The only bad thing to happen this week is discovering that I might possess the infamous 'Simpson Gene' and am possibly going through a period of 'Dummaning'. I found it impossible to not keep referring to Santiago as 'San Diego' when talking to people. They must have thought I was a complete numpty. No change there then! Still not as bad as Nicola referring to a Dingy as a 'Floating Boat' which really helped to distinguish it between other boats that don't float. Maybe we both have the gene!

Overall Santiago is right up there amongst our favourite places. We are now in the middle of a two day journey down to Patagonia. We will spend the first week in 'San Carlos De Bariloche' which is in the Lake District region of Argentine Patagonia. We plan on doing some hikes up into the surrounding mountains as well as some fly fishing.

One last thing to mention is that Nicola's sister Charlotte is running the marathon this year for a charity very close to the hearts of the Hilliard family and all those connected. Please check out her just giving page for details and donate as much as you can no matter how small. It would be greatly appreciated! www.justgiving.com/chilliard

Hope everyone is well!

Harry & Nicola

Copa Del Sh*thead Scoreboard: NH 77 - 89 HF