It was time to move onto my eighth and final country - Chile. With only a month left on my trip we decided to focus on southern Chile. This is still about two thousand kilometers! We also had to factor in that we would be over crossing over the Chilean and Argentinian border a few times in our attempt to see the vast Patagonian landscape. However before getting into all that outdoor lark I was all set for chilling out in Santiago for a few days.

The border crossing getting to Chile is quite strict as you are not allowed to bring any meats, seeds etc. As such, you have to grab your bags from the bus and put them through x-ray machine first. This didn't work out that favourably for the guy who had an entire suitcase full of cigarettes. Although he did eventually get back on the bus.

The bus was meant to arrive in Santiago at about 5.30am. We decided to book a bed for that night rather than waiting around till one o clock the next day. Due to an epic fail by hostelbookers (maybe the hostel too) they had overbooked the hostel. I was cranky at this stage and needed a nap. Thankfully the sister hostel was available and it actually worked out to be a lot better. Crisis/tantrum averted.

Later that day my flip flops and my Ray-bans decided they had enough and they broke within about five minutes of each other. In an order to change I had to limp back to the hostel for about fifteen minutes. I did trip up and stumble on numerous occasions much to the amusement of others. Santiago was not been very nice to me so far.

The Bella Vista neighbourhood is surrounded by universities and has cheap beer and food to cater for all. The entire neighbourhood is lively and full of young people sitting outside having a beer. In our unwavering attempt to be hip and cool like the college kids we decided to stop into a college dive bar -Coyote (no association to that nasty film Coyote Ugly). There was a jukebox/TV where the guys played music from. One of the videos was of this older Latino guy singing. Much to my surprise the locals were giving it loads, dancing and singing. I can only compare it Christy belting out 'Ride On'. The whole place was buzzing and even a few locals came over to chat to us. I was a definite change from the fancy wine tasting I had done in Mendoza.

We stumbled upon a great steak restaurant during a farewell dinner for Jimmy. We all agreed that this steak did rival some of the famous steak houses from Buenos Aires. Santiago's stock was starting to look up in my opinion.

Everyday at three pm a 'free' walking tour of the city leaves from Plaza de Armas. Well, the cost is based on how much of a tip you feel like giving your guide. In fairness the tour was top class as out guide was really knowledgable and friendly. We passed by the City hall, High Court, Mayors office and the Presidential Palace to name a few. We also heard stories about the dictatorship that ruled until '89. I found it astonishing to see how progressive Santiago was a mere twenty years after Pinochet's ruling. I sat there listening to stories wondering what is holding Ireland back.

After a really enjoyable few days of sampling the best food, sights and sounds that Santiago had to offer it was time to move on again. I was looking forward to heading to the coast to the well known bohemian city of Valparaiso for some downtime.