This was such a fleeting visit, without any time to explore a city that I found oozing with European charm. More importantly, I felt safe to walk to the restaurant at night and back on my own without fear of being mugged. Is safety a reliable measurement of a city? Well to me it is. Travelling solo and in constant fear of being mugged does not engender any sense of enjoyment. Another solo female traveler from Bogota Colombia said this to me at Peru: "I've stopped wearing any jewelry since I no longer have to worry about being robbed." Santiago on the surface is clean, orderly, with good roads, and looks relatively prosperous, very different from a capital city like Sau Paulo where the dispossessed sleep in the rough in the city centre. The Pinochet years seemed a long time ago.
All the photos in this blog were taken on my iPhone 6 plus.
They put me on the 24th floor of the office where there was a commanding view of the surrounding area. I loved the view although less so the isolation.
One of the pleasant memories from this trip is the speed and efficiency of my departure from the airport. I was able to use the priority check in of LAN Chile on the first floor - no queues, all smiles and a quick exit. The service really put British Airways so-called "Fast Track" at London Heathrow to shame.
LAN Chile's lounge is spacious, modern, clean, and an oasis of calm. Wifi was excellent and I was able to clear some emails and have FaceTime chats with my loved one without encountering the dreaded error message of "Reconnecting". This was truly a refreshing experience after weeks on the road, encountering hostile and uncaring airport staff, endless security and customs checks, mile long immigration queues, and being herded into waiting areas by some screaming officials at Miami airport.
All the photos in this blog were taken on my iPhone 6 plus.
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| View from the office |
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| Another view from the office |
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| Yet another view from the office |
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| View of the city on the way to work |
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| Calle Santa Magdelene where I stayed |
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| Santiago on a wet and chilly Sunday winter morning |
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| LAN Chile priority check in at Santiago de Chile (SCL) airport. No queues! |
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| A LAN flight being serviced at SCL airport |
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| LAN Chile frequent flyer lounge at SCL airport |
