43 and 44: Heading home

   

Fond farewell to Santiago, Chile and South America - we had a ball

LOCATION:  Santiago to Brisbane

Predictably, with the combination of the staff at Cumbres Lastarria and the organisation of Adventure World, showers, breakfast, checkout, pickup, delivery and checkin all ran like clockwork. We were at the airport courtesy of @Walter and @Rodrigos in record time through streets and tunnels devoid of traffic.

Packed and hitting the road

QANTAS staff welcomed us and stickered our luggage up with BNE prominently displayed. Through immigration and security and set up on gate C with our aircraft pulled up and waiting all done within an hour.

QANTAS was as keen as we were - place was there very early - check out the morning smog, just a hint of the Andes in the background

Guess that explains the relaxation of the flight home. Almost like a decompression chamber. Settled back for the usual meals and movie but did have a little giggle at our decline from group 1 priority with a guaranteed extra seat for pur LATAM jaunts, to a boarding group of zone 5 with QANTAS - how the mighty have fallen. 

Have had time to run some numbers and it is staggering the ground we have covered in the 6 weeks:

Brisbane - Sydney 916
Sydney - Santiago 11368
Santiago to Puerto Williams 3561
Puerto Williams - Antarctic Circle 1800
Antarctic Circle to Puerto Williams 1800
Puerto Williams - Santiago 3561
Santiago - Buenos Aires 1389
Buenos Aires - Iguazú Falls 1302
Iguazú Falls - Rio de Janiero  1488
Rio de Janiero- Lima. 4908
Lima - Quito 1802
Quito - Galapagos. 1343
Saint Cristobel - Lima. 2168
Lima - Puerto Maladinado 1579
Puerto Maladinado - Cusco 477
Cusco - Yucay. 62
Yucay - Machu Picchu 50
Machu Picchu - Cusco 66
Cusco - Santiago 2893
Santiago - Sydney 11 368
Sydney - Brisbane 916

That's a total of positioning and repositioning of  54 343 kms in 6 weeks PLUS all the on ground tours!

A bit excited by the weather forecast for home - got the perfect welcome home to deal with 6 weeks of holiday luggage. We have some interesting shades of grey in our whites after that little laundry stop in Cusco. Thinking there will be an overload of bleach and disinfectant.

Not a bad outlook to welcome us home - a last taste of summer

Looking forward to reacquainting ourselves with both the kitchen and the laundry. The recliners have a little glow attached to them and @Mac has 44 days of recordings to catch up on!

In the meantime - settled in for that 14 hour homeward bound, back of the plane set of movies, meals and toilet stops. It was definitely a long one. Taking off at 12.30 in the middle of the day didn't do us any favours. We were refreshed and firing on all cylinders and didn't really "sleep" on this one. Had to survive on an overdose of movies and TV series.  Had leaners in front of us for the entire journey and QANTAS didn't rank very highly in the food department on this trip.

Are we there yet - it was a long one 

Had bus number two to ourselves in Sydney - really didn't thonk we would make the connection - so many little hiccups including a long wait at the carousel

Missed our guide at Sydney airport - think we needed assistance. Had that "nervous nelly" feeling as @Mac's luggage appeared early - but mine was nowhere to be seen. Think we were down to the last four people on the carousel. Meant the Customs line had grown and we had to declare we had been in the Amazon in the last 30 days and show our Yellow fever documentation because we had been in Peru. Were finally diverted to queue 2 for a quarantine inspection, only to be dismissed with a smile!

Made the dash to the bus for terminal transfer and were in the action of lifting our bags off the trolley and the bus that we were beside, closed its doors and drove off. Seriously!

Only had to wait 2 minutes for the next one, which delivered us to Terminal 3 for what we thought was a bag drop. Not quite - "apparently" the machines can't scan a connecting flight barcode. Meant we had to line up behind a bunch of noisy and alcohol fueled Asian tourists. They were running from all corners of the airport and joining the one family at the head of the queue. So annoying.

Through security and in the lounge - feeling lucky that we made it with our little annoyances at Sydney airport.

Last flight home and glad to see our luggage had made it to Brisbane. The @DeLoys had arrived 12 hours before us and somehow they were not so fortunate - their luggage hadn't made the final connection! 

Was all smiles for about 10 minute as  were greeted by our "reliable" home driver @Michael waiting for us right at the pedestrian crossing outside the arrival's terminal. Unfortunately, his car was displaying a "critical engine" warning and we had only progressed a kilometre and he had to pull the car over into the emergency lane. Gave it a few minutes, consulted his mechanic (it is 10:30 pm!!) and restarted and we made a few more kilometres and stopped again. Repeated this to limp over the gateway and pull off at Lytton Road.

Not quite as reliable as Adventure World 

Nothing that a combination of a tow truck and an uber couldn't solve. Mind you, in @Michael's drama of organising the tow truck and the uber, he selected our street name at McDowall rather than Daisy Hill - that did cause a little complication for the Uber Driver - nothing that a phone call to @Michael couldn't fix!

 Not quite the welcome home we had planned - but who's complaining - at least we had our luggage and our housesitter had done a great job (thank you @Michael) - lights were on and home was welcoming when we pulled in the driveway. 

Sort of in a high after the pick up and run home and couldn't help unpacking and getting a load of washing on and hung on the line. Refuelled with Vegemite and cheese on toast and a homemade coffee. What a treat. 

Confessing it is a little awkward flushing toilet paper after so many weeks of using the bin beside the loo! Need to get our rhythm back 😅.

A long day - think we will be drawing the zzzzzs late into the morning and then will have to stop ourselves from reliving all the details with anyone who asks "How was the trip?" And just quietly, definitely don't thik we have an answer to the "What was the highlight?" question - so many, in fact, don't think we had a dud leg at any stage of the trip. Smiling now as I think of the number of times this was tossed up at the table - it sort of became a thing ....  'Well, I never thought I'd be sitting here in (add any place we were ... )" 

Happy 70th Birthday @WJMac - it was a grand adventure.  Plenty more celebrations to come in the middle of May when the date actually rolls around.

Can you believe this?

We are HOME

Survival Barometer

Steps 8 208 (chasing buses and dragging luggage in Sydney!)

Weather Sydney 22 Brisbane ... 29

Health tired  but all in one piece

For Jesse: Thank you for the card - it made it!

"i could be a trolley girl and help with the luggage."

42: Towers and ribs to round it out in Santiago

  

On top  of the world in Santiago 

LOCATION:  Santiago

Sometimes we do listen and today seemed a good time to heed @Lisette's advice to keep it simple and local. The goal really was just to get out and stretch the legs in preparation for all the sitting that a flight home entails. 

After a leisurely breakfast, the hotel's private car service and were dropped at the entrance of the Gran Torre Costanera - billed as the tallest building in South America. 

Trying to get tickets

Naturally, an entry fee - followed by an ear popping elevator ride to the 61st floor. Two levels to explore - all with 360 views of a white and orderly Santiago, encircled by a ring of dust (fog, mist, smog) covered Andes. Must be spectacular in winter capped in snow. 

Always that pall of dust in the mornings

Hot all the tourist shots

A drink with views

Took in the sights, read the signage and took the ekevator to the open Sky Deck for all the tourist shots and lounged in the Cafe for a beer and hot chocolate. Why not.

Reconnected with @Deb in the shopping precinct and set out on the walk home.

Great effort for a final stroll

Turned out to be a little further than we had first thought - Apple maps was a little short - but it was an absolutely flat stroll along the river. The river at the moment is a thin brown dribble, running through a concrete culvert. But it was a parkway, with walking path and separate bike way, that ran adjacent to the river for the length of our walk. There were so many staff looking after the grounds- the bins were lined, edges were being cut by hand with shovels, lawns and dirt paths were raked, grass was mowed, sprinklers were on, fountains were running. And there were locals in the parkland, clustered around blankets, enjoying the open air. Even had a swimmer in one of the fountains! We were never short of something to see or chat about and plenty of park benches as they were needed. A perfect stroll and admitting we were happy to see our little street of vendors.

Been there done that

Bikes were never an option, but they were available

Dinner plans had been hatched by @Lloyd a few days ago - all stomach dependent. All reported as "tight as a drum" so we headed out for our final night in Santiago. 

Made it an early one to compensate for the lack of lunch and with a spring in our step and barely a glance at the map, primed like the pack of carnivores that we were, set out on our 750 m quest for meat! Took a little sleuthing to find it - it was tucked inside one of the hacienda style complexes.

Down to the bone!

And Texas Ribs did not disappoint. It was worth the walk and the wait. The waitress tried to talk @DeLoy into a "share for 2" serving of ribs but they waved that suggestion away and opted for a "single serving" to split between them. Big mistake. The hunks of marinated meat just fell off the bone - juicy, tender and so delicious. Mac hadn't been silly - he'd upsized from the beginning. With sticky sauce clinging to their faces, fingers and clothing, @Deb employed the "grab the attention of the waiter" wave that has been perfected over 43 days in South America and they ordered up a second serve! And sucked and slurped that down with ease. It was so good, @Mac, who never picks up food with his fingers - always scrapes off the last morsels with a knife and fork - couldn't bare to risk leaving a skerrick behind and succumbed to gnawing at hand held bones. And, i couldn't quite watch, but I do think there was some intense finger licking involved (a pet aversion for me.) Two for one beers and a round of cocktails added to the width of the smiles. 

Dinner could only be improved with an ice cream and as "locals" we had a spot in mind. Made that last walk home, greeted as always at the hotel by the dorman and off to packing duties. 

Finding the ice creams

Farewell to the @DeLoys, their ride arrived promptly at 10 pm to relay them to the airport for their q.30 am departure with LATAM. We'll be 12 hours behind them flying out at midday tomorrow with QANTAS.

Safe trals @DeLoys and thanks for sharing the adventure.  What a team. 

A combination of smiles and tears - been a top notch adventure @DeLoys are off

Farewell to the @DeLoys, their ride arrived promptly at 10 pm to relay them to the airport for their q.30 am departure with LATAM. We'll be 12 hours behind them flying out at midday tomorrow with QANTAS.

Safe trals @DeLoys and thanks for sharing the adventure.  What a team. 

Can you believe this?

🌆 Key Facts About Gran Torre Costanera

- Height: 300 m (984 ft) – tallest in Latin America.  

- Floors: 62 above ground + 6 basement levels.  

- Location: Providencia district, Santiago, within the Costanera Center complex.  

- Completion: Construction began in 2006, topped out in 2012, and finished in 2013.  

- Cost: Approximately US$1 billion.  

- Architect: César Pelli (also designed Petronas Towers in Malaysia)

🏙️ Amazing & Weird Facts

- Nicknamed “El Costanera” by locals, it anchors Santiago’s “Sanhattan” financial district.  

- Seismic engineering marvel: Chile is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries. The tower’s foundation was redesigned to withstand powerful subduction-zone tremors.  

- Observation deck (Sky Costanera): Located on floors 61–62, it provides panoramic views stretching up to 50 km on clear days.  

- Connected to South America’s largest shopping mall: The Costanera Center mall, with over 300 stores, restaurants, and entertainment venues.  

- Symbol of modern Santiago: Its glass-and-steel design reflects Chile’s economic growth in the 21st century.  

Survival Barometer

Steps 16 126

Weather 26 - perfect for walking

Health no problemo! 

For Jesse - keeping that card at heights - tower was 300 metres today

"Lots of games to play when you get home."

41: Swinging in the gondola for higher views

Lots of patience to get photo with flag unfurled on a breezeless day

LOCATION:  Santiagoju

Back on the guided tour trail today and after taking up our "regular" spot in the breakfast dining room it was a 9 30 meetup with @Lisette.

This was a 5 hour walking/driving tour and @Lisette spoke for every minute of that 5 hours with an energy level that would rival the energiser bunnies.  We had to take it in turns to respond and ask questions because it was impossible for just one of us to keep up. I think we got a review of every restaurant we drove by, had the economic significance of every company logo,  reviewed the shape of every quake proof building and had 17 sets of instructions on how to get to the observation deck of the once tallest building in South America - now second to the one in Sao Palo.

We did get a brief pause when we suggested we might go independently to the coast tomorrow. That set off a string of very sincere and very concerned warnings - thinking we may have to reconsider.

In all seriousness, it was a great day. @Lisette had loads to share about the growth and development of the city and country and when we were in the town square, the politics of Chile was fascinating. We tried to follow up with some reading this evening, but so complicated! So much corruption and so many sacrifices by the people - it is amazing that they continue to have so much optimism. When we saw the riot car on the city walk and heard about protests and Molotov cocktails - were grateful it was all quiet today!  Add to that there were no earthquake tremors and no-one tried to steal our belongings especially gold jewellery, including ripping earrings from your ears or charge us 10 times a pirate cab rate - we were having a top notch day.

Gondola and church to start the day in "misty" conditions
First official stop was San Cristobel Hill and a ride on the gondola before the crowds arrived. We did a dash, got the obligatory photos and were soon swinging (much to @Deb's delght) in the tiny pod of the gondola to arrive in time for the mass that was being conducted in the simple church at the Sanctuary on San Cristóbal Hill.

Mandatory pics

Sweeping views of the city from this vantage point and this park precinct that includes a zoo at its base, a pool at the halfway point and this sanctuary at the summit was alive with local bikers and walkers enjoying their Sunday.

Back in the car we were off to the old town precinct we had strolled yesterday and got some context. Visited the presidential palace (La Moneda), Court of Justice, National Congress and former Customs
(now Art Museum) and strolled to reach the Plaza de Armas. This is the heart of the city and is home to the Cathedral, City Hall, Central Post Office and National Historical Museum. Of course, stories attached to each landmark, statue and map.

Broke the tour up with local coffee stop hosted by @Lisette, a bank visit aided by @Lisette and an emergency toilet access with a "thank goodness for @Lisette."

Chocolate treat was gone before I could snap a picture!

With heads spinning, we were absolutely relieved to find a seat in the cone of silence of our hotel bar before settling in to a tense and excitement packed final round of the masters.

Dinner plans were a little muddled because Sunday unexpectedly for us, saw some venues closed. But we did find a roadside table at a local and ordered our very first "real meal" in a long time.

Had a first time experience with a busker with more than a hat. One of the musicians approached our table asking if we would like to make a "contribution of appreciation" and offered us a portable  payment machine. A whole new world of buskers' hats.

Transitioning to solids 🤣😂😅

Dinner finished, we followed in the wake of the security vehicles as they encouraged the entrepreneurs to pack up and call it quits.

@DeLoys are packing up tomorrow ready for a late night escape and our dinner conversation had turned to "next week" plans and home. Wow. It is nearly done.

Can you believe this?

Weird & Amazing Facts About the San Cristóbal Gondola from Co-Pilot

🚡 Construction Oddities

- Built in 1979–1980: Engineers struggled with the hard volcanic rock terrain, which made installing the 12 support towers unusually difficult.  

- The gondola originally featured 72 ovoid cabins, nicknamed “huevitos” (little eggs), giving it a futuristic yet quirky look.  

⚡ Strange Shutdown & Revival

- In 2009, a mechanical failure forced the system to close abruptly, leaving Santiago without its iconic aerial tramway for seven years.  

- Locals joked that the gondola had “gone extinct” like a dinosaur until it was revamped and reopened in 2016 with new cabins and infrastructure.  

🌳 Park Connection

- The gondola runs inside Parque Metropolitano, the fourth-largest urban park in the world (over 700 acres).  

- Riders float above botanical gardens, pools, and the National Zoo, making it one of the few gondolas where you can spot lions and flamingos from the air.  

🌀 Technical Quirks

- Line length: 4.8 km (3 miles).  

- Speed: 14–18 km/h, meaning the ride takes about 20 minutes end-to-end.  

- Powered by an electric bullwheel motor, which was considered cutting-edge in 1980. 

Survival Barometer

Steps 10 517

Weather 27 - picture perfect

Health - gaining control and confidence

For Jesse: still in the Andes riding the gondola in the city. Lots of fun things for kids - zoo, swimming pool, climbing centres

"So many choices every day."

40:Walking the streets on a Saturday in Santiago

 

Cheers, Saturday night downtown Santiago

 LOCATION:  Santiago

Without a doubt, the day we needed. A week ago, this was proposed as a 9 hour day to visit a bird park - thank goodness we had reviewed and cancelled. The 8.30 wakeup, the 9.15 breakfast and the 11 am meetup for an unstructured walk, was a perfect way to enjoy a day in Santiago.

We are in the heart of downtown for this stay - walking distance to lits

We gave had loads of warnings about safe areas, scammers and crime in Santiago but so far not anything that has touched our radar. We had checked with tbe Conceirge to get some advice and instructions for getting around the "mountain" and we were pretty conservative and stuck to very public access routes. Needed to keep everything close and up front and keep the phones away - hence very few pictures. We just strolled.

Was a busy trek - seemed to stumble on something new at every turn - mind you, without @Lisette, don't know what we are looking at. No doubt she can fill in the details tomorrow. 

Found the money exchange and the toy shop that was on @DeLoy's to do list and managed to wander aimlessly aroound downtown  for 4 hours.Watched a fun run, browsed malls and markets, sat for a coffee and picked up a 50% off bargain at a second hand shop fora change of shirt for the ladies. 

Sky cleared as day progressed - bottom right - the stairs we rejected - walked around the "mountain" instead

Markets were a bustling affair.  Music and entertainment,  stalls, food- seems everyone is an entrepreneur here. In fact. Barel a stretch of footpath that doesn't boast a blanket with something for sale.

Fun run - was a big contingent - didn't find out the cause

Settled for familiar coffee - a winner

The market was a mix of all sorts for sale

Celebrating a successful self tour with a "secret pour" .. on the house 

Buildings a combination of old and new.  The Andes always the dominating ring of the skyline. And the poĺutipn/smog/fog cleatef as the day warmed ipp. Back late afternoon to tune into the golf before tumbling out for dinner.

On a soup hunt!

Only criteria - "soup"

Went to the goumet court in the block adjacent to the hotel and did the rounds, asking at every entrance "Do you serve soup?" They must have thought we were crazy and one response was "Maybe in winter." That got us laughing, but did eventually find our meal of choice in "Junta."

Just a sheet on the ground

Security cars come through to "clear" the markets at close time - just pick up your sheet and head out

The walk home was through the jumble of the night trade on the footpaths. It was a mix of dining options that spill onto the street, formal stalls with tables and lights weighed down with handmade goods. After that, wherever there is space left, someone has shaken out a sheet or blanket on the cobblestones and their second hand clothes and shoes are on display for sale! If you don't have enough to look at, there is some performer on the corner, belting out a set. 

Things inside the hotel were also a bit frenetic this evening. They were hosting a wedding.Didnt't see the bride but could hear the cheers and applause. Meant waiters were very few and far between in our bar.

A perfect day, at a perfect pace in Santiago. Finally catching our breath. 

Can you believe this?

🌆 Key Features of Santiago’s Footpath Market Culture from Co-Pilot 

- Everyday Life on Display  

  Footpath markets (often called ferias) spill onto sidewalks and plazas, especially around neighborhoods like Franklin, La Vega Central, and Persa Biobío. They showcase seasonal fruits, vegetables, seafood, and meats, alongside clothing, electronics, and antiques.  

- Community & Social Exchange  

  Markets are more than commerce—they’re meeting points for neighbors. Bargaining is common, and vendors often know their customers personally. The atmosphere is lively, with music, chatter, and the smell of street food filling the air.  

- Artisan & Craft Culture  

  Footpath stalls often feature handmade jewelry, textiles, and indigenous Mapuche crafts, especially in tourist-friendly areas like Feria Artesanal Santa Lucía.  

Survival Barometer

Steps 11 459

Weather 26 and eventual blue skies - no humidity- we love it

Health what can I say - Nornal for here - happy dance

For Jesse: lots of action on Saturday - public ping pong tables, chess and a fun run.

"I could setup up a stall in Santiago on a Saturday night and sell some toys."