24-hour bus ride

Trip Start Jan 12, 2009

Trip End Apr 02, 2009

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Flag of Chile Santiago, Chile
Tuesday, March 10, 2009

I knew that I'd have to go to San Pedro de Atacama, but didn't know how I'd get there. With time running out, I walked a good 20 min or so from my hostel in Bellavista to a Tur Bus ticket office in Providencia and bought myself a marathon 24-hour bus ride north to San Pedro for 37.500 Chilean pesos!

Before leaving, I went up Cerro San Cristobal on the funicular. The highest point in Santiago has a statue of the Virgin Mary that overlooks and watches over the city. The views of the city are quite nice if there's no smog - that's a big if, since the smog really does take away from the views like it did today. I was also astounded as to how big the city of Santiago is, while being equally appreciative of the serenity offered by being high atop this hill...

After deciding that I couldn't spend any more time up here, I took the funicular down and walked back to the hostel, got my duffel bag and hailed a taxi where I was again reminded that I was no longer in Peru as the taxi used a meter! How modern, right? The friendly taxi driver wished me a happy trip and I got dropped off at the impressive S. Borja bus terminal where I'd catch my bus. Santiago and Chile continue to impress me with its infrastructure...

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