The journey begins here

check out the metal knife!
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Just landed after a 14 hour flight from Melbourne to Santiago with a stop over in Auckland - first flight i've been on since 9/11 2001 where we got not just a metal fork (the more dangerous of the bloody two) but a knife as well!

First surprise was the nice ´little´ entrance fee Aussies had to pay to get through immigration a nice US $56 - mind you unlike the Yankees we didn´t have a US$112 fee!

First con of my trip, within 5 minutes of breathing that brown smogged air of Santiago

First view of Chile heading into Santiago from the plane
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so after waiting in line for a solid 45 mintues, sizing up the local and ímmigrant´ talent i was talking to Pedro.  ´puedo sucare su photo?´(can i take your photo) response ´si si si´ - so i pull out the camera and ask for a smile - unsurprising really i was smacked down with a thud! ´no, no, no this is a high security area´! fark well there goes the first local photo!

Heading out to pick up the bag i was approached by a few locals asking for taxi and bus rides - the ´smart´traveller that i am researched local transport to the hostel prior to leaving Melbourne - through the doors and into Santiago air the bloody locals came in swarms!  Having been on a flight for 14 odd hours my instincts and the bubble in my head they call a brain wre completely buggered - 'Hola, whats your name' -  Fransisco approached me -He started bargaining a cab ride to the hostel - I said 'no, no, no i'm taking the bus, mucho cheaper.' I walked over to the bus and Fransico followed, yabbing to the local bus driver in local tongue - i then asked the price to Sanitago - he says '8,000' - from the bus stop i would have to catch a train and then walk 4 blocks - Fransisco was offering 10,000 ($30 Aus) - i knew i'd ben conned already so i just folded and went with the flow - fuck it i couldnt be bothered arguing with both the bus driver (whom funny enough passed on his business to the bloody cab driver) and Fransisco - First con of my trip, within 5 minutes of breathing that brown smogged air of Santiago.

First cerveza on the trip with John - the irishman living up to his countries reputation
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20 minutes and in the city of Santiago a local i'd seen at the airport (must be part of Fransiscos mob) came running up to the window of the cab just to re confirm that i had been ripped off - Â´10 mil, 10mil!´- not getting out of this one!

Anyhow i made it to the hostel in one piece which in the end i suppose is most important.

Thanks to the $30 buck cab ride i got to the hostel first, with 3 others following from my flight conincidently - i got first dips at the lower bunk!

First dinner in Santiago - Juaquin the Chilean and Mel
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Met a Irishman (thats him living up to the reputation knocking back the local cerveza 'Escuda') and two cool Aussie girls (Amee and Mel) whom i hung out with over the next 3 days.

Checked out downtown area (at least one of them, Santiago is HUGE) and the first thing i noticed was the massive amount of stray dogs on the streets - there must be about 4 dogs per block, thats every bloody block!  These were'nt your regular dero looking strays, saw some cockerspaniels, huskies and german shepards - still couldnt figure it all out by the time i left!

some mystical building in Santiago
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Santiago is,i suppose, comparible to large Asian cities, think KL, Jakarta and Bangkok - no lanes, pot holes everywhere, and some serious pedestrian crossing survival skills (make sure a local is between you and that bus heading towards you at an increasing '100 points for the Gingo' speed - all reducing your life expectency with the inhalation of the dust and exhaust the bus with 'Gringo points' just spat out and kicked up. - All in good fun though!

The first day finished with a cerveza with John followed by a dinner hosted by Juaquin - the local Chilean that Amee knew.  Good food, good beer at a beautiful price all in great company - couldnt ask for much more for my first day of 'mi vacaciones'

We'll have to see what the following days offer...

Much luv

Shaunigus