Another early morning hotel departure to reach Puerto Montt bus station and it was still raining. Even the most beautiful cities in the world look dowdy in wet weather and this town is certainly no showstopper, so the day started with low expectations of us finding its sweet spot. No…
Following the ordeal of our arrival into Valparaiso, when it came to the morning of our departure we wisely made the decision to catch a taxi to the bus station. At one point we were attracted to the idea of taking one of the funny old trolley buses across…
You know how we love a guided walking tour when we arrive somewhere new. It’s a wonderful way for us to learn about a place we’ll be spending time in, of the history and social structures. And we see things we’re unlikely to if we just wandered around…
I had read on some travel sites that Valparaiso makes a good day trip from Santiago. How wrong were those reviews! Valparaiso in 3 days wasn’t nearly long enough for us to absorb the energy and atmosphere of the fascinating port city. We arrived into Valparaiso…
A friend told us about an Australian woman she knows who lived in Santiago for 2 years with her husband and teenage son, and she hated every day of it. She felt unsafe and feared being mugged, hardly leaving their secure, gated home. Her husband had a work contract…
It was a very late night around 10 years ago when we were pondering with Sarah the meaning of life, the importance of love and the value of travel. Sarah was high on the euphoria of a recent visit to Brazil and she was weaving her best magic…
One of the first things we look out for when we travel to a new place is the local walking tour. The guides are energetic, funny and well informed. They're often likely to be young students, passionate about their hometown and keen to share their knowledge (and political opinions) although…
