Bob and I had been making plans for over a year. Finally the day arrived for our departure. Neither of us had been away from family, friends and province for this length of time. We were excited and grateful to leave the northern winter.

After a long flight we arrived in Santiago just after noon. Had no difficulty finding shared transportation to our hostel. La Casa Roja is the "Party Hostel". A great place to hang out and meet people no matter the age.

Went for a walking tour of central Santiago. Santiago is a very modern city surrounded by mountains. It was wonderful not to have to wear winter coats and boots.

I definately recommend the Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino as a way to comprehend the indigenous prior to Spanish conquistadors. I was amazed at the history and diplay at this museum.
We took the subway to the bus station where we took a bus to Valparaiso. Buses in Chile are comfordable and affordable.

Casa Aventura in Cerro Conception is the hostel we stayed at. A fulfilling and nutritious breakfastis served every morning. The hostal is very clean. We stayed in a private room with shared bathroom. Quiet compared to La Casa Roja, but travellers would convene at the end of the day and share stories. We met a fellow Edmontonian who was celebrating …

Bob wanted to do some wine tasting. Spent the entire day visiting two different wineries between Valparaiso and Santiago. We booked the tour through our hostel.

Found Pablo Neruda's digs in Valparaiso. The hike from our hostel to his place was all up hill. The view from Neruda's house is well worth the effort. There is plenty to do in Valparaiso and it is very picturesque. Loved the ascensors.

Caught a bus very early in the morning to Santiago. Our travel alarm worked! We connected with another bus to Aeropuerto Internacional Arturo Merino Benitez. Flew Sky Airline to Punta Arenas. Spectacular view of the Strait of Magellan form our airplane window. We were landing at relatively the same latitude south of the equator as we lived north. …

One never knows if arrangements made via internet are going to pan out. Niko picked us up from our hostel in Punta Arenas to transfer us to Puerto Natales just as I had arranged through Paine Trekking via internet. The service and trip we received was excellent! I recommend this company.