April 19th, 2019
Today we woke up after napping in the Santiago airport and started our day taking the local bus from the airport to city center. Once there, we got on the subway until we reached Santa Lucia (an area of downtown Santiago). We were there very early in the morning, so I knew we would not be able to check into the little apartment we rented until later but were hoping to be able to drop off our big bags. We got to the apartment, and the guy said it was our lucky day and the room was ready. It was SO nice having our own little apartment.
Since we traveled through the night we were really tired, and I was super happy to take a nap in a regular bed (not a dorm bunkbed like we have at many of the hostels we stay at). The apartment only cost about $37 a night and definitely worth it. I felt pretty tired after so much walking and exploring the week we were in Buenos Aires. I was excited to rest and take it a little easier in Santiago before we head to Peru where I imagine we might do a bit of hiking. I forced myself to get up from my nap, so I didn’t get on a really whacky sleep schedule and joined a 3pm free walking tour. Brendan stayed back and worked on school. This was another great tour and I am really liking the tip-based walking tours to get oriented to a new city.
Santiago was of particular interest to me since my best friend from high school (Co) was born and lived there until he was 8 years old. Learning the history of the city was very impactful and I could only imagine what it was like for Co and his family during some of Chile’s turbulent times. I really enjoyed the tour and the history as well as learning about some of Chile’s current law and politics. Once I got back to the apartment, I felt exhausted and was very happy Brendan had enough energy to get takeout food and bring it back to the room. We had a relaxed evening and went to bed.