Wow well Im feeling quite chuffed after successfully negotiating the metro to the bus station & now hopefully on a bus headed to Valparisio!

Didn't do so great yesterday ... I lined up during peak hour and did my best to request a ticket but when the lady at the counter started speaking rapidly in Spanish and pointing off in another direction, all I freaked out!  Spat out a 'no entiendo - no hablo espanol' shrugged my shoulders & walked away ....

That totally sucked & so far has been the only time I haven't been able to get by ...

Was on my way to meet Isa, my contact from couchsurfing.org for a drink so quickly hopped in a car & got there no problemo with a bit of broken Spanish  with driver on the way ... 

Twenty minutes & 2000 pesos ($4) later I got to meet Isa and we went to Pio Nono for a drink in the Barrio Bella Vista sector.

I was so glad for this as had been really envious of all the people hanging out drinking in this area the day before when I passed it on my way back from Cerro San Cristobal - I wanted an amigo!

Isa likes Pisco Sours National so had to try one too and yummo!!! I think I like more then margarita! Not so sweet but nice lime taste - 2 sips and my head was spinning so matched pace with Isa and sipped on it for 2.5 hours and head still spinning by the end!

Isa was a great girl! We chatted about life in Chile, travel, being single, dating and how hot Brazillian men are! 

She's learning Portugese as wants to move to Sao Paulo, and one of her friends from her class, Daniel came to join us as they were heading to see a Brazilian band next.

Had a great nite out with them and they were both so friendly and hospitable - even offering to get cab back to hotel with me so they didn't rip me off ... Of course I declined and of course was ripped off! 

I knew I was & tried to argue a bit in Spanish but the Pisco Sour was making me mellow and gave in with the thought that at least I was helping the poorer people and the Chilean economy! Paid 4 times normal fare though - cabron!

I also met another couch surfing contact at Plaza de Armas in the morning - Sarka who moved here from Czech 2 years ago ... She gave me some maps & we chatted and wandered around the city, taking in Modena Palace and Central Market.

Santiago is a pretty city with a lot of beautiful old buildings, relaxing parks and surrounded by the Andes that you can't see for the smog! Still lots of dirty buildings & stuff too but look past  that as we really are spoilt in Australia with how clean we are!

Other typical tourist sites I've checked out:
* Cerro Santa Lucia (old fort amongst other things)
* San Cristobal & the funicular ride (spectacular views of the city and the statue of the virgin)
* Pre-Columbian Museum (archaeological items dating back thousands of years that have been dug up all over Latin America)
* Palacio de Bella Artes (Modern Art Museum)

Random observations ...
* They show the Bondi Rescue show here as Isa watches it!
* INXS, Duran Duran & Back Street Boys are all playing here soon & lots of western music being played
* There's heaps of stray doggies wandering about & sleeping on the streets & plazas - even with rabies shots not sure if I should pat but some are kinda cute!
* A lot of places you have to order in one place, then take your docket & pay somewhere else - very confusing when you don't speak the language to realise this!
* People stare at me a lot, but were staring more at the super blonde Sarka! Apparently Chilean men are shy, so therefore unlikely to approach you. Isa said Brazilian men are not shy and may be approached or get yelled out or whisted at a lot :-)
* They don't have much etiquette when walking round city & cut your path and are rarely chivalrous - doesn't help that I keep left instead of right, like side of road they drive on
* Pavements are uneven & broken and there's an excessive use of slippery tiles - I've nearly stacked it so many times it's not funny - hope I've amused the locals :-)
* Chillean men are short! Nit all though & Some are pretty hot!