Exploring: Santiago, Valpo and La Serena; Day 1
Though everyone else knows its winter, our kids are committed to having a summer vacation. Though they have been out of school for over a month, their last week in Pocatello was damn near slave labor and the first three weeks in Concepcion have been largely dedicated to logistics and preparing a home. Yes, they have slept in and we have peppered in a few trips to the beach, a train ride up-river and getting lost in the city park, but it was time for a bonafide vacation that the Griswolds would be proud of.
Our plan is simple: Bus to Santiago. Three days there (palaces, museums, city life). A day in Valparaiso (ascensors, murals, architecture). A bus to La Serena. Three days there (penguins, astro observatories, Pisco, desert). Twelve hours of bus home to Concepcion. No, we will not go skiing. That will happen later. I have two adult commitments: a 2 hr shindig at the American Consulate (ambiguous invitation, family explicitly not invited) and a meet-and-greet with the great folks at Fulbright Chile. Let 'er roll.
Public transportation in Chile is amazing. With almost no clue, we were able to travel on one city bus from just outside our apartment to the regional bus station, catch a double-decker semi-cama (almost bed), 6 hour Tur Bus to Santiago, and then use the Metro to travel to within 2 blocks of our rent-by-owner flat. Some may not marvel at this, but to me, this gives me goosebumps.
The bus was plush. We decided to splurge and got the fancy 'cama' (bed) class seats that are akin to first class on airplanes but softer and with a deeper recline. We were downstairs and the rainy weather kept the cabin pretty stuffy, but we realized that most the smell was coming from our family. Time for some new shoes. I worked on/edited a paper, Cana slept and the kids read/played with screens.
Our plan is simple: Bus to Santiago. Three days there (palaces, museums, city life). A day in Valparaiso (ascensors, murals, architecture). A bus to La Serena. Three days there (penguins, astro observatories, Pisco, desert). Twelve hours of bus home to Concepcion. No, we will not go skiing. That will happen later. I have two adult commitments: a 2 hr shindig at the American Consulate (ambiguous invitation, family explicitly not invited) and a meet-and-greet with the great folks at Fulbright Chile. Let 'er roll.
Public transportation in Chile is amazing. With almost no clue, we were able to travel on one city bus from just outside our apartment to the regional bus station, catch a double-decker semi-cama (almost bed), 6 hour Tur Bus to Santiago, and then use the Metro to travel to within 2 blocks of our rent-by-owner flat. Some may not marvel at this, but to me, this gives me goosebumps.
Bus terminal in Concepcion
The bus was plush. We decided to splurge and got the fancy 'cama' (bed) class seats that are akin to first class on airplanes but softer and with a deeper recline. We were downstairs and the rainy weather kept the cabin pretty stuffy, but we realized that most the smell was coming from our family. Time for some new shoes. I worked on/edited a paper, Cana slept and the kids read/played with screens.
This is the view from the seats upstairs. I wanna book these seats sometime!
Airplane style. Clean enough. Well lit. No paper.
Upon arrival in Santiago, we headed straight for our place, checked in with the owner (a very nice man named Ben, originally from London) and headed out on the town. We walked for hours through the city center (to Plaza de Armas and back), ate a strange focaccia-like pizza and crashed around 1am. Rock-rockin' it.