Saturday, October 29, 2022

South America Trip - Day 2

Because of the inflight distractions, I think I might actually have gotten about 90 minutes of uninterrupted sleep...  At around 0500 (Santiago time and one hour earlier than New York), I woke completely because the flight attendants were asking passengers about breakfast.  I was (again) pleasantly surprised at the options and quality of the meal (omelet, potatoes, muffin) that LATAM provided for free.  During this time, I kept expecting some kind of customs forms but none ever circulated.  Instead, we ended up starting our approach into Santiago about an hour earlier than I’d expected (0600).  By then, I could see the first signs of rosy dawn and a hint of the High Andes.  We flew straight into the airport and were taxiing to the gate by about 0615.  By 0630, we were parked and I was completely certain that LATAM Airlines is a world class company!  Bonus: my AT&T calling plan notified me (via text) that I had unlimited data, calls and texts while in Chile (score!).  I was soon on my way to Immigration - this required lots of walking.  By the time I arrived at the Customs area, I figured out that the line was much longer than TSA at a busy US Airport.  As a result, it took me almost an hour to weave my way though the "Disneyland-esque" queue but I managed to get my first passport stamp in over 10 years (0730).  There was no time to rest, however, because I then had to retrieve my two checked bags (more walking), check them again (I ended up combining the two of them) for the domestic I had later in the morning (more walking and waiting) and then leave the International Terminal for the National Terminal (much more walking).  By the time I reached the last point, I only had about 30 minutes left before boarding for my next LATAM Airlines flight (to Punta Arenas) began.  I was interested in exploring a bit and looking for a place to take photos of the mountains but never really got a good opportunity.  At one point along the way, I encountered three young Americans who were talking loudly about their planned travels to Antarctica, two through Ushuaia (Argentina) and the other through Punta Arenas.  I later talked to the latter guy (he’d been a few seats away from my on the flight from New York) and learned he was on a later flight to P.A.  He also told me he was working in Antarctica for three whole months!  Since I was short on time, I reluctantly headed towards my departure gate.  Along the way, I was surprised to see several Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks!  I took an opportunity to try out my credit card (and my Spanish) at a small store and found that both worked pretty well (0810).  By this point, I’d figured out that the number of Chileans who feel comfortable speaking English was quite low.  I see this as a bonus, though - it will force me to immerse myself in the language and culture.  I had to drink the soda I’d bought (and the rest of my water) almost immediately because I located Security at that point.  Fortunately (with my limited time), I discovered that it was MUCH easier than TSA but not a joke (it reminded me of pre-9/11 in the US).  After reaching the other side of the queue, I figured out that my gate was at the complete opposite end of the terminal (yet more walking).  I arrived with about 15 minutes to spare before I was able to board the next flight (0845).  What a short, but action packed, visit to Santiago! Once aboard the aircraft (B787 again) and in my seat (last row but got a window in one of only two seats), I emailed the hotel in Punta Arenas and made arrangements for a shuttle from the airport.  By 0900, we were in the air.  I again enjoyed the inflight entertainment center and (for the first hour, anyway) got to see some views of the Andes range.  We got a snack (a “Tribu” bar of cereal and berries) and drink.  Later, I read up on some of the trip details and about Punta Arenas.  I also checked out my electrical power outlet adapters and found one that worked (I was carrying three).  As we began our arrival, the skies cleared and I got to see some more of the Andes, along with parts of the Strait of Magellan - it looked really windy!  The pilots did a great job landing us in what appeared to be extremely gusty conditions.  On the ground (1250), it started to rain...  I found that my WhatsAp had a message from the Hotel Cabo de Hornos, indicating that a driver would meet me at the airport exit.  It took a while to get off the plane and retrieve my bag but, when I left the main area, I found my driver holding a sign with my name on it.  He seemed to be about my age and was quite friendly.  Our conversation skills in each other’s language were about equal but we were able to communicate (mostly about my trip, the weather and local points of interest) during the ride from the airport to Punta Arenas. I saw lots of ships waiting to enter the port, snow on the highest hills and lots of interesting buildings in the industrial areas.  My driver was quite zippy and made very good time.  The terrain, weather and visuals along the reminded me Lajes (Terceira) in the Azores...  When we arrived at the hotel, I gave the driver a tip (1350) and checked into my room.  The desk clerk was the same person who’d been helping me via email and WhatsAp and I thanked him.  He gave me a late checkout on October 30 and indicated some of the hotel amenities.  From the lobby, I made my way to my room and, once I was settled, texted the kids to let them know I was done with my 33 hours (and 6700 miles) of traveling (1400).  I took a much needed bath and looked for bottled water.  Just as good, the hotel had set up filtered water stations in the elevator lobbies on each floor.  I filled up as many containers as I could find because I was quite dehydrated by this point.  After that, I tried to take a nap but this turned out to be a bit difficult because the drivers below the hotel would, at times, randomly begin blaring their horns continuously.  Still, I eventually got over two hours of dozing (until about 1630).  Taking advantage of some time and WiFi, I answered a few emails (and did two surveys, giving 10 out of 10, for my LATAM flights).  I tested out my converter plug again and found that the outlets were different than the one on the airplane - fortunately, I had brought another one that worked.  At about 1930, I ventured out of the hotel and walked (in circles of increasing size) around the south and east side of town.  It was cool out but the wind was strong and made it seem colder.  I found several (closed) museums about the maritime history and connection to Antarctica exploration and a nice gift shop.  I also checked out several restaurants (most didn’t open until 1830) and the waterfront (northern coast of Strait of Magellan).  Finally (1845), I decided to stop for a meal at La Ruta de Darwin, a restaurant with an amazing assortment of dishes.  It took me a long time to decide but I enjoyed one of the local beers (Astral Lager) in the meantime.  I also had some good bread rolls with two different “salsas."  I later learned that one was called pebre (“a finely chopped mix of fresh cilantro, onion, garlic, oil, vinegar, and ají pepper”) and was part of a uniquely Chilean way of eating bread.  The other salsa was fish based but I never heard the name.  Since I had time and the exchange rate was good, I ordered three dishes: empanadas (jamon queso), a fish & chips variant (sandwich merluza) and a soup (Ajiaco Chileno).  All were delicious but, of course, I didn’t have the appetite to finish everything.  Still, it was nice to sample and get a taste of many good flavors.  I obviously had some leftovers with me... When I asked for the bill, I learned that a 10% gratuity was automatically added (need to watch for that).  Subsequently, I successfully navigated through another English-Spanish exchange to pay the bill (1955).  Since I was only at 7000 steps for the day, I decided to do some more walking.  I spent more time on the waterfront and saw lots of black and white birds (Imperial Cormorants) on the old piers. I found a memorial for the 500th Anniversary of Magellan’s voyage in 1520 and lots of signs warning about Tsunamis.  It was starting to get dark by this point so I went back (the long way) to my hotel.  In the Plaza de Armas Munoz Gamero, I found a statue that memorialized the 400th Anniversary of Magellan’s arrival.  There was also a large crowd of young people nearby and they seemed to be angry about something - I obviously decided to depart the area immediately...  In my room again, I figured out how to use the TV (it allowed for streaming services) and did some reading.  At 2200, I was startled to hear more random horns blaring.  Fortunately, they stopped by 2230 and I went to bed, exhausted (fell right to sleep).  Whew!