Up and out early today after a light breakfast and internet session. We were due in town for 10am as we were going on a FREE guided tour of the city which was to last 4 hours. We followed Duncan's lead as we weaved through rush hour traffic on foot. Our guide was a chatty animated fellow who spoke really good English. We took in the sights and sounds of the city which was pretty much the same as all the other South American cities we had visited previously. The h...

We arrived in Santiago ahead of time after a restful nights sleep on the bus (I am definitely getting better at sleeping properly on buses!) and caught a taxi to Bellavista Hostel in the Bellavista district (surprising that!) of Santiago. It was 8am when we arrived but we couldn't check into our room until 13.30, so we had a bit of breakfast and spent a few hours sitting on the sofas in reception. Scott amused himself on wifi and I pressed on with my novel. By m...

We travelled along the same dirt track we had cycled along the first day we arrived. Only this time the sun was out and the trees were dancing in a light breeze. The same breeze had also bought ash from another active Volcano 10 miles away. As a result the sky was a misty grey. The horses we were due to ride were tied to the fence when we arrived at the farm. They were already kitted out with saddles and saddle bags. The courtyard area was quaint with a large tre...

Scotty's Birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my husband. His day started with breakfast cooked by moi (frankfurter hotdogs and cereal) followed by present opening. My fears that the hoody I bought him might be a bit small were correct; but not to worry as we managed to exchange it for a bigger size later in the day. We had a lazy morning in the hostel - the weather looked overcast unfortunately but Scott used the opportunity to chat to his parents on Skype. Our original...

Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to the woods we go, with a ruck sac full of food and an upbeat mood, hi ho, hi ho, hi ho, hi ho, hi ho, hi ho. Today is warm and sunny - shorts and walking boots the uniform for the day. We set off in a small group on the bus to the Park National Huerquehue - 'The Messenger Place' in English. Our group consisted of Duncan (English), Bodo & Annika (German), Naomi (Swiss) and Ju & me (English). Everyone seemed upbeat after a days rest...