Making Myself at Home

Felipe’s flat is right in the centre of town, within walking distance to everything that one could need. It is a really big flat, with a kitchen, two bedrooms, living room, dining room, bathroom, toilet and even a utility room. It is absolute heaven to be here after backpacking for two months and I soon made myself at home.

Monday was my day of sorting myself out, catching up with my emails and doing my washing, despite nearly flooding the bathroom, sorry Felipe. We went shopping that evening to the mall so that I could prepare my bag stroke wardrobe for the winter seen as all my clothes have been worn to non-existence.

Tomorrow we will be flying to the South to Puerto Montt in the beautiful lake district of Chile for the weekend.

The next few days I have spent walking around the city of Santiago. It reminds me very much of London, really quite a westernised city with all the hustle and bustle of business men and students flocking around the streets. The work ethic here is very much like back home, with long hours and very short siestas if at all. When you first walk into the main streets of the city where all the offices are situated you are taken aback by the amount of men there are compared to women, there is definitely a very strong masculine culture here. I think I may have to change that! (Take that feminist hat off Sophie I hear you cry).

In one day I managed to see three museums and of course the cathedral which is massive. It’s so lovely to see when you go into the Cathedral the amount of workers that go there for a quick prayer at lunch time. A beautiful place, where the constant organ music only adds to the magnificent atmosphere that this building has.

Yesterday was spent visiting a few more churches and doing some shopping. Although I was ready to crack on with some ironing, (it is a difficult habit to break) but in asking where the ironing board was Felipe said don’t worry about it the Cleaning lady comes today, could you believe it. I was in shock at something so alien to me; I think a few lessons on the modern man is in order. In the evening we had dinner at Felipe’s parent’s house, which was lovely. I met his sister for the first time who is at university studying graphic design; she is the same age as me and earns extra pesos by portraying Emma Bunton out of the Spice girls. How strange that their cult still lives on. We missed our film due to a lot of chatting and so decided to go and have a White Russian at a very trendy bar. So trendy in fact that we saw a famous Chilean singer! Now aren’t you jealous.

I am truly enjoying my time here in Santiago and settling in nicely. It is not over yet. Tomorrow we will be flying to the South to Puerto Montt in the beautiful lake district of Chile for the weekend. What a lucky girl I am!