Chile - Santiago

Neither Janette or I had ever been to Chile but our research led us to a few conclusions that were ultimately proven by our time in the country.  First, Chile is modern with an infrastructure and amenities on par with anything in North America or Europe.  One of the first things we did in Santiago was take an elevator to the top of the impressive Costanera Shopping Center to get a 360° view of the city from 300 meter tall building.  The view was incredible.  

The cost to summit the Costenara Center is almost $20 a person.  This proved out the second thing about Chile.  It rivals the developed world with high prices on everything.  Knowing this beforehand limited the shock and you could see why the things were expensive.  Chile was safe, clean, and modern by every definition.  Renting a car, driving, and exploring Chile was as easy as doing it in California.  In fact, there were times when it even felt like we were in California.  The dry rolling hills and the frequency signs for Wineries had tremendous similarities. 

On of the reasons we decided to spend a few days in Santiago was to show the Boyz that South America wasn't only mountains, jungles and beaches.   We went to a cultural center in the heart of the city and played in a few of Santiago's many sprawling parks.  We only spent two days in the city but it was enough.  Although the capital city has plenty of cultural activities for older children or adults we were ready to head south to Chile's lakes region and adventure capital - Pucon.

Here is a video with highlights from our days in Santiago.

Link to full screen video