Recovering in Chile

  Santiago, Chile
Friday, June 17, 2005

It had been 34 days of intense travel since I had left Buenos Aires a month back. I could tell my body was getting tired. In my last few days I had gotten another sinus infection (a life-long problem of mine) and I was quite ready for some slow-paced relaxation. My solution - Santiago, Chile.







I was fortunate to find a friend-of-a-friend to crash with ("Chile is bloody expensive"), so my days of hostels and small twin beds were temporarily over with. I could cook a few meals, get some long reading in and simply relax until my return home. With an extension of my old B.A. Spanish school in the area, I was able to work on the language skills and meet up with some old friends who had transferred over - including my great friend, Sarah, from adventures past.



We spent many afternoons exploring the city and its sites together and we both agreed it just didn't compare to Buenos Aires. Perhaps it was the grey weather, the lack of a meaningful social scene or just the slight differences in culture, but the big city buzz just wasn't here. Of course, I wasn't really looking for it and the relaxation I was seeking was found in full force. I slept long and hard for many nights until I had fully recovered and was prepared for my journey onwards.

With so much beautiful nature left in Chile to explore, I know I will return to Santiago someday. And when I do I'll be sure it's just a limited stop-over, during the summer, and on the way to Patagonia. For there are many better metropolis cities in the world to enjoy than this.