Hola Chile!
Andes Mountains taken from Cerro San Cristobal in Santiago
My only complaint with my departure out of Argentina would have to be the absurdly long immigration line at EZE at 5am! A Brazilian girl ahead of me collapsed to the ground perhaps because of heat exhaustion or maybe because she partied too hard the night before. Whatever the case, her friends huddled around her fanning their tickets at her face. Only after about 10 minutes of this did any staff people approach the girl to see if she needed help. Thankfully she recovered a few minutes later and got herself to her gate. It was definitely an odd thing to witness so early in the morning.
My flight to Santiago was a breeze. The LAN flight was comfortable, and it once again reminded me how behind U.S.-based international airlines are in aesthetics and service. After Andreas’ horrible experience flying back to the U.S. from Santiago with American Airlines, we are going to try very hard to fly LAN or something comparable on our next trip to South America. The early flight to Santiago provides amazing morning views of the sunrise and surreal views of the Andes. A window seat is a must! The ride over the Andes is a quick one, so be ready for it.
Mural at the Bellas Artes Subway Station
For anyone who has traveled to the Santiago airport early in the morning, you know how crazy things get given the large number of flights that arrive between 7am and 9am. The immigration lines are insanely long, but Chileans are a bit more attuned to issues of efficiency and the lines, in my opinion, move at a good pace. Americans will need to pay a reciprocity fee of $141 before they get into the immigration line – there is a separate line for that at the extreme left-hand side of the vast room. Andreas and I arrived at the same time – he arrived from Dallas – and I spotted him quickly as he worked his way into the immigration line. Seeing him was a fantastic sight after a month separated. We were ready to do it up in Santiago, but first we had to find our way out of the airport. Be sure to keep the immigration paper that is stamped by the immigration officer as you exit to baggage claim – you will need to return it when you depart from the airport. We booked a ride using Taxi Oficial for CLP$15,000, or about $30USD, from the airport to the apartment we rented downtown (there is a Taxi Oficial booth right before you exit the customs area and are released into the throng of people wanting to sell you a ride to anywhere). There will be someone outside the door with a Taxi Oficial sign who will take you to your car. It’s a quick ride to the city, about 20 minutes depending on traffic.
Our lovely apartment managed by Santiago SOHO Apart (Miraflores 455)
Before arriving to Santiago, Andreas and I reserved an apartment through Santiago SOHO Apart (Miraflores 455, close to the Bellas Artes green-line subway station). For $75USD a night, we rented a very chic and modern furnished one-bedroom apartment, with kitchen. Breakfast is delivered at noon daily, and a housekeeper cleans the apartment daily as well. There is a supermarket a block away. The room is equipped with Wi-Fi and a safe. Laundry services are inside the building. Be prepared to speak only Spanish to the staff of Santiago SOHO Apart. I recommend using Google Translate to help you communicate with the staff. When we first walked into the apartment, we fell in love it with it immediately. We had a terrific view of the wall mural at the Bellas Artes subway station from our balcony, as well as Cerro San Cristobal – the hill with the famous statue of the Virgin Mary. We both thought the price for the apartment was definitely a steal for Santiago!
We decided a nap was in order since I hadn’t slept any since the day before and neither had Andreas on his flight. We woke up seven hours later, armed with a list of restaurant recommendations from Andreas’ friend, refreshed and ready to hit the streets.
