Fiesta - The Pogues

Chile 135
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Santiago July 2, 2007  6 hours before my flight home

So this is it folks, the last posting from the road.  It´s just amazing to me that it´s actually over.  I feel that traveling has become a part of my life, like a new friend you like but who just won´t go away.  It´s pretty obvious if you´ve been tagging along lately that I miss hearth n home big time and am ready to call it a half year, but there´s certainly a little twinge of  Ís it really over?  Honestly, no more new places to experience?  Seriously, I have to get another job?¨  It´s a weird combo going on in my head right now, especially with that half bottle of Chilean cabernet I drank with dinner last night.  With that said I think I´ll once again save the hard core ruminating for a final post-trip round up and just talk about my last two destinations - Santiago and Valparaiso.

Chile 132
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Bobbo excluded, name the movie - ¨Have you been to Santiago?

¨Twice, just last year.

Äah, then you´ve seen the Stadio Olympico¨´

Something About Mary, of course.  And to set the record straight, there is no Stadio Olympico but the real local Estadio Nacional looks okay from a distance.  Nice town however.  Surprisingly, (probably because I did zero research before arriving here) Chile is one of the most modern countries I´ve seen.  On par with Oz and Western Europe in its cleanliness, infrastructure and modern amenities available (other than the packs of wild roaming dogs).  Guess that´s what corrupt dictators and such will do for you on occasion, right after disappearing out of planes over the ocean the entire political opposition first though.  Anyway, it´s a cool modern town with, again surprisingly,  rather bland food.  Same with Peru.  Guess I expected Mexican spices in all of South America but got roasted chicken and fries everywhere instead.  Never assume folks.

Not the Stadio Olympico
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After the week of skiing I took a bus ride to Valpàraiso (not the NCAA tourney team) to see the Pacific in a highly recommended town.  The locale itself didn´t exactly live up to the billing but my compadres, Don and Michelle from Kalamazoo (my favorite town name ever), made it fun.  We saw the St Pete n Paul boat blessing festival and they got us in to the Chilean Naval Reserve Club where we had a great meal with retired admirals and such.  I had my best steak of the trip, but with fries and a fried egg.  Definitely not carne asada but darn good just the same.  Also tried my first real Honey beer.  YUM!  Unfortunately, I think I have do 2 weeks a year scraping barnacles now in return.

Chile 147
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So the final flight leaves at 8pm tonight but beforehand my new pals and I  hit Santiago with a hill hike and a tram ride up the Cristobal Mountain. Very nice views, especially the air show we were lucky enough to see up there.  I finally got back to a little sightseeing, which is just the way this trip should end.  I´m ready now for a reverse bon voyage with no regrets.  To have completed this trip safe and sound, to have even had the opportunity to do so, I´m just so lucky I can´t even describe it.  Maybe the words will come once I´m finally home.  Now, I´m just happy to be here.

Chile 162
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Adios -

Bill