SANTIAGO, CHILE

 Our bus ride from Valparaiso was not so bad.  It was only about 2 hours and was on time.  We arrived at our hostel about 3:00pm and found it to be quite nice.  The pool was a little sketchy so I only dangled my feet in.  Our host was very helpful, he gave us a map of the area, instructions on how to use the extensive subway system and suggestions on where to eat.  We set off to explore the area and find some water and beer.  It was very hot so we asked a young girl where we could eat and have a beer.  With a bit of sign language and pointing down the street we found a nice place to eat.  It was too late by then to venture too far so we just hung out around the pool, caught up on some blogging and e-mails and studied the subway map because in order to take the tour we wanted the next day we would have to take the subway.  This was a new adventure and we had chickened out in Bunoes Aries but the kid assured us it was very easy to use.  We had to switch lines in order to get where we needed to go.

The tour company we had chosen was called Spicy Chile.  It is a free walking tour based on tips.  We were going to tour the traditional food markets, the original train stations and the fish market.  The subway in Santiago is amazing.  It is very well marked and as long as you know where you are going you make it in record time.  It was very clean and we felt safe the entire time.  I think it cost us around $1 each.  The tour was very interesting and the fresh fruit and veggies were to die for.

The corn was huge, I now know where they get the kernels to make the roasted corn they serve for snacks.  The strawberries were everywhere as well as raspberries, blueberries and avocados.  They also sold cilantro and other spices.  The first market we went into was the very traditional market and was the biggest and the busiest of them all.  The next two were more modern, however the prices were higher and there were very few locals around.  These markets had been open since 3am but were still very busy.  Our guide told us that most of the restaurants in town purchase their food here.  There was also a flower market, but it was not as impressive as the one we saw in Bangkok. 

The fish market surprised me.  It was mainly restaurants with a few stalls set up to sell fish.  Each restaurant was out front trying to convince you to come inside to eat.  We had eaten scallops a couple of nights before and could not figure out the extra piece that was attached to the scallop as we know it.  I saw it in the market and asked one of the ladies about it and she described it as the tongue of the scallop.  I did not like the texture so was not surprised to find out it was the tongue.  Glad we don't get that part back home as it is not something I will eat again.  We also tasted a traditional drink called the Motte.  It consisted of cooked grain in the bottom of the cup and then they added peach juice and canned peaches.

The train station was an impressive old building that was not in active use as the trains no longer run in Chile due to the many earthquakes they have.  The building is now used for special events and a few restaurants.

After the tour finished we walked about 10 blocks to the highest point in Santiago called San Crisobal hill.  There used to be a gondola up to the top, however it has not been in use for a number of years.  Now they run a free bus up and down.  The view was pretty cool and we were lucky it was not too smoggy that day so we could see the entire valley.  

We decided to get on the subway before it was rush hour and just chill by our pool again before dinner.  Our flight out to Peru is at 7:30am so we have to be up by 4:15.