Drummer boys and Caiprinhia

Well I got my steak, served with some spicy mash and an excellent bottle of Cab.sav. Being out with a bunch of journalists the conversation was pretty up beat and we had a good night on the Bohemian district of Santiago. Including a round of 'best used press phrases' and an advanced session of 'exotic descriptions for Milton Keynes'.

Early on we were entertained by two street musicians, two young gypsies whirling around playing drums on their backs, producing a latin beat, similar to the foot-stomping rhythm reminiscent of a World Cup crowd.

A few Pisco Sours and Caiprinhias later, we explored more of the area, much to our shame, we ended up in an Irish Pub with the original name of 'Dublin'.

Santiago is over 20 degrees Celsius during the day but the expected weather in Ushuaia is barely above freezing, especially with a wind chill factor. In sharp contrast, (journo-soundbite fully intended) Ushuaia is a city of just 68,000 people, more of a frontier town than a financial metropolis.

Heading south, Punta Arenas next...yes that is how you spell it.

Louay

Santiago

Santiago. The Chilean capital and home to nearly 5 million people. Santiago lies at the foot of the Andes, the highest mountain range in the world, outside Asia. It is thought of as one of the most cosmopolitan of cities in South America.

First impressions? Smart med-style cafes and skyscrapers but they are in sharp contrast to the shanty towns near the airport. Santiago is a modern metropolis but this is most definitely a third world country.

Not much time to explore Santiago and to be honest, a hot shower and flaking out in the hotel room, after 15 hours in the middle row of cattle class, was the right move.

Tomorrow morning, we fly 1500 miles further south to Ushuaia, the southern most city in the world and the gateway to The Beagle Channel.

Off to dinner, definitely going to be a steak and some Chilean Cab Sav.

Louay