Getting Settled in Santiago: June 10,2016

We are here! We arrived in Santiago early Friday morning and have been on the go, so this is my first chance to sit down and figure out how to blog from my iPad. So will start with a short post to keep you interested and to keep me from getting too frustrated with technology!

We arrived to a sunny, clear, and warm day. Above you can see the view from the apartment where we are staying. It is located in Barrio Vitacura in the northeast section of the city. Named for a Mapuche chief - the indigenous people - it is an affluent area with tree lined streets. The condo is block from the grocery store and many restaurants. We have yet to explore the nearby posh shopping area, but I am sure that will be on the agenda at some point. We left some room in our suitcases...

Our partners in trade, Axel and Patricia, spent the day with us before they left for the airport in the evening. What a treat to finally meet the people we trade with. Usually we just hear how wonderful they were from our neighbors when we return home. After touring us around the area, we all went to lunch at a nearby seafood restaurant, Miraolas. Easy choice for our first meal: Chilean sea bass and the national cocktail, Pisco Sour. 

They are a delightful couple and we had fun getting to know each other. This will be their first home exchange so we were filling them in on our history of trades. We found that we have a lot in common, including we had each left recommendactions for the same favorite Peruvian restaurant, La Mar - ours on the Embarcadero in SF and theirs is just down the street - Google has confirmed they are both one of six international locations. 

Our overlap time also involved Axel helping me book our side trips. We will be in the Lake District (south) for 4 nights (June 16-21) and to San Pedro de Atacama (northern high desert) for five nights (June 23-28). We have already explored the city, hiked in the Parque Metropolitano, taken a day trip to the coast and consumed more Pisco Sours. So, more details will be on the way!

Will leave you with some photos of "our" beautiful home for the next month.