Day 32 -- Santiago, The End.

That errant passport turned up late last night, which let me get a good night's sleep.  This is described as a "boutique" hotel, and one such feature is that they don't have a breakfast room.  Rather scattered around the lobbies etc. are small tables with chairs or beanbags or lounges.  You order your breakfast at the snack bar counter and it is delivered to wherever you choose to sit.  I much prefer the traditional buffet where you can serve yourself the quantity and variety you want.  However, a nice little difference.

Was down for a half day City Highlights tour.  A disaster from the start.  9.30 pickup arrived at 10.  The group of about 20 were 70% Spanish speakers, the rest Australians.  Apparently the bus had to wait 20 minutes at one hotel to round up the customers.  The guide spoke Spanish most of the time, and when she got to a bit of English it was so heavily accented as to be almost unintelligible.  However I did get see a number of places not visited when I was first here.  We strolled quite a bit of the historic centre, and although it was chilly 12C, it was quite pleasant.  Hundred of bike riders out and about, many of them families with young kids enjoying themselves.  Stores all closed, so it was a bit of a ghost town.  The Spanish speakers had no concept of being on time at meeting points:  without exception the guide had to go looking for them so we could move on.  

Then came the highlight of the morning.  At the fishmarket there was an attempted coup.  Several of the Spanish speakers demanded that we stay and have lunch in one of the cafes there.  They claimed it was 1pm and time to eat, and the bus could wait.  The guide was quite flustered, and there was much shouting and gesticulating.  Finally a guy from Sydney stepped in and got the rest of us to back the guide, and so the revolutionaries stormed off in high dudgeon never to be seen again!  I hope they enjoyed their fish lunch and the taxi fare back to their hotel.   I settled for a chicken baguette and tea back at my hotel.

And so ends an eventful and thoroughly enjoyable tasting of the South American scenery, cultures, history and peoples.  I give it ***** all the way!

Today's photographic offering can be seen Here.