Santiago – San Pedro de Atacama: 24 hours by bus. After having suffered from the 26 hours of bus between El Calafate and Bariloche, this time we divide the path in two: Santiago – Copiapo (12h) then Copiapo – San Pedro de Atacama (12h). Copiaco is where 33 miners were trapped in the mines for 3 months. We arrived there at 8pm. The next day, at 8 am, we already leave for San Pedro de Atacama (2500m of altitude), one of the oasis of the Atacama desert, the most arid in the world. What I didn’t know was that even with all the chances on my side, these 12 hours…

This is the 2nd time we visit Santiago. The first time was just after Easter Island. The Chilean Spanish (too fast, too difficult) discovered in Santiago made us flee to Argentina. This time, we come back here to wait for the arrival of my new credit card. To judge our progress in Spanish, we booked exactly the same hostel as the 1st time Part 1: Travel Diary Part 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Diary I had to make a new credit card due to a suspicion of fraud from the bank. In reality, there was no fraud, it was me. I tried unsuccessfully to withdraw money several times from…

For the last few days, the word lindo(a) has been coming up often, as we only visit the cities that are too cute . We are in Valparaíso, only 8.5km from Viña del Mar, the city of 42 hills, with its famous graffiti and small streets Part 1: Travel Diary Part 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Diary Day 1 : After saying goodbye to our neighbors (to whom we got a bit attached especially after the New Year’s Eve party) in Viña del Mar, we take a bus to Valparaíso. Because of a misunderstanding with the bus driver, he drops us at the bus terminal and not the cathedral…

To us the best fireworks of Chile! How is Valparaíso better? Let me explain: Valparaíso’s fireworks are famous because the towns next to the bay launch their fireworks at the same time, creating a nice show. It’s not one firework that we had, but nine at once! Attending it from Viña del Mar or Valparaíso is about the same thing! Viña del Mar is only 8.5km from Valparaíso, accessible by metro and bus Part 1: Travel Diary Part 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Diary How to get there We take a bus from Puerto Varas (which we leave with regrets) at 20h to arrive at 10h(más o menos) the…

Remember, in the previous episode, I asked the owner of my hotel in Puerto Montt which were the best cities to spend the New Year (apart from Valparaiso & Co.), the answer was clear: Puerto Varas. She told me about Valdivia, Pucon, among others… but Puerto Varas remains her favorite This lady was absolutely right, check it out !!!! Part 1: Travel Diaries Part 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Diaries Day 1 : The photo above is simply (part of) the great view we have from the Llanquihue lake in Puerto Varas, on the Osorno and Calbuco volcanoes. Am I in Japan, the Philippines or what? The view is…

From Bariloche, we take a 5-6h bus to Puerto Montt (500$AR/person), one of the most important transportation hubs in Chile. So important that there is a screen (like at the airport) with the bus departures and their location Day 1: Puerto Montt After 3 weeks of deserted streets in Patagonia, it is a bit of a shock to see so many people in the streets, hence a false impression of insecurity in Puerto Montt We could have taken a bus to go directly to Castro, but we really have a lot of time to waste so why not spend a night here, just to learn about the city and the…

We are on December 24th, at the water’s edge, in a super picturesque stilts hut near Castro (Chiloé Island) In the middle of the evening, JB tells me that we hear waves, it’s completely abnormal. We have been here for 4 days and this is the first time we hear some. JB thinks of a big boat passing by, I think directly of a tsunami. A small check on Twitter tells us that a very small earthquake has just taken place 30 minutes ago super far from here and that no tsunami warning has been given. JB blames me for being paranoid since our two earthquakes in Burma & New…

After fleeing Chile like thieves because their Spanish was too hard to understand, we are back after 3 weeks of youth hostels in Argentina where we spoke more English than Spanish.Too accustomed to the deserted streets of Patagonia, finding civilization in Puerto Montt seemed a little strange to us.Well, now it’s time to put our Spanish to the test in Chile and see the progress (or lack thereof).JB reserves a hospedaje (guest house). Who says “guest house” says “nobody speaks English here”.The owner is really nice but she doesn’t speak English at all. However, she seems to want to talk with us. Let’s go for it! I try to ask…