CHILE  (7days)We stayed in a charming hostel which made our days in the capital a great transition into the new "culture" awaiting us.The city itself reminded us much of Europe though set surrounded by the mighty Andes Mt. range was just so cool. We walked the city streets flat, sampled our first and not by any means our last - yummy pisco sours (national drink) empanades (pastry pie things). Visiting the Cerro Santa Lucia and the Parque National high up on the hill top - we were amazed by the layer of smog hanging in the basin of the massive city.The streets are buzzing with so many people out and about  - you can imagine our shock after being in New Zealand! With a bit of an overdose of city we headed out to Valparasio, a charming port town with it´s rolling hills of grandiose mansions colourfully painted with cute cobbled alley-ways. though below by the port are the rougher streets. We loved the famous ascensores (elevators which were built around 1883) up and down the hillside. Making and meeting new friends was also part of our week in Chile before we flew onwards to Ecuador!!!!