It's now been three days in Santiago and I can officially say this city is awesome. It's really beautiful - both the nature and the built environment, it's clean and easy to get around, the art scene is heaving, there are awesome bars, food and shopping and parks absolutely everywhere.

A few things I have noticed are: 1. PDAs are totally acceptable. There are couples smooching everywhere. On the metro, on the streets, at the tourist sites, lying in the park. In fact, at the Santa Lucia hill there is literally a couple entwined on the grass every two meters! One guy barely took a breath to give me directions before going straight back to it! 2. Protests are a common occurrence. Half the tourist sites we've gone to visit are closed. San Cristobel has been closed three weeks. When we arrived it was though a party was occurring - Dance music pumping and the employees behind the gates, playing ping pong. Even if they don't get the pay rise they're after, I don't think it's a total loss ;) 3. 35 degrees is not hot for Chileans. Even though B and I were walking around all day so inevitably going to be hot, we were sweating like crazy. Meanwhile ye ol locals are donning jeans and cardigans as if it is a cold winters day! The weather does drop pretty quickly at night though so perhaps they are all just being super prepared...

Highlights: La Jardin is an alternative restaurant we were at yesterday. A French chef set it up. His business model is to go to a new country and spend a year collecting rubbish to use to fit out a restaurant in said country. After another year of operation he moves to the next country. The fit out of La Jardin is incredible. Will post pics of it separately.

Low lights: The toilet flush in the hostel was actually broken...