Santiago de Chile - bye bye Exodus overland

After Pucon, where the weather was horrible and we could not see one single volcano cap because it was all a misty cloud, we drove straight to Santiago - home town of my once friend Gonzalo. It was a couple of days of farewell with the group, lots of people going their own way, some going back home, some staying for a conference, others continuing on the truck and 3 unfortunate new souls joining. Well, hopefully not really unfortunate, let´s just say that things had gotten a bit rotten in the past couple of weeks with our leader, so we cannot be entirely confident that all will be well. Anyways, WE are off and I think it was just at the right time. Time to slow down a little and relax!!!

Santiago is not as bad as I had expected, though the air is really terrible as they describe it and you can forget seeing the Andes on any day!!! First day we went to the fish market, where we were attacked by a storm of fish restaurant owners trying to get us over to eat at their place. When we finally sat down in one, we had then to endure the wrath of the others who were cursing us for not eating at their place - quite an incredible scene!! In a nice way, but on the way through the market at least 3 of them shouted ´mala!´ and ´mala, me engañaste!´to me!!!! Generally they were quite nice though, despite the grudge for not eating at their restarant, and the fishemongers were very friendly and playful. One found a baby shark in a pile of prawns that he was cleaning and insisted that we took it home with us, saying that we could essicate it and display it..right.

Second day we went up Cerro Cristobal, which is a bit of the Andes sticking out into Santiago and from which you have a great view of the city. So we took the funicular up to the top of the hill and then from there a cable car that looked like an egg over to the end of the Cerro. Not a bad day at all.