Day 2 ... what a wonderful day it was!!

Started off much better then how the day before ended!! I found a bathroom that no one really uses and claimed that as my own for getting ready. So nice to just take my time and make myself feel half decent again 😊

I then headed out for my free breaky in the hostel, first food since the plane after my no dinner debarkle. It was pretty average ... jam on toast!! But it was free!!!

Then I got picked up by Stamps tour to be taken to Vina Del Mar, Valparaiso and the Casablanca Valley. This tour cost around $123aud.

This was definitely a worthwhile adventure!!

I saw the beautiful flower clock in vina Del mar as well as the Moai gifted from Easter Island to Chile. This is a beautiful resort town! Would be lovely to come back to in the summer.

Then it was on to Valparaíso. This was my favourite!!! The colourful houses, the street art and all the stray dogs that the locals look after, as well as the water views, made this place just beautiful!!!

The houses are colourful so that the drunken fisherman when they would return home at night in the dark could find their homes!! Not a bad idea I say 😊

Valparaíso is a unesco world heritage listed area and for good reason!! The art all over the walls also attracts artist from all over the world. It makes this place even more beautiful.

Next stop was lunch, it was an expensive one. Around $40aud for a pisco sour and some garlic chilli prawns. However it is a must to try Chilean seafood when in Valparaiso and it did not disappoint.

I enjoyed this lunch with the 7 other people on the tour. I met a lovely American Italian girl who was telling me all about the things I should see in Italy when I am there later in the year. She also helped me translate many things to the waiter. Including do the prawns still have their head on or faces on them? Lucky the answer was no for that one!!!

The other thing she helped me translate was why is nobody understanding me when I try to ask for a soy hot chocolate 🤷‍♀️ Turns out soy in Spanish means ‘I am’. So I’ve basically been saying to all cafes that I am a hot chocolate haha! No wonder I always have to resort to plan b of a green tea!! Might try this one again tomorrow instead saying Soya as she has taught me now.

Then It was onto the Casablanca valley where we stopped at veramonte organic wines. Here we got to try a savigion Blanc and a carmenere, both local Chilean wines. They were lovely and can’t complain about the view with the beautiful Andes in the distance either🍷

It was then back onto the bus to head back to Santiago. A nap was needed as I was so tired from the jet lag of being up from 330am.

I then asked the guys to drop me off at Lastarria street where I had been recommended from both my walking tour and then Valparaiso’s tour to check out jose Ramon for sandwiches!! They get served with a knife and a fork as they are so massive. I got the chickpea one and it was delish!! Then it was on to try some local ice cream. Stuck to the normal cookies and cream after taste testing their popular rose flavoured ice cream, but it wasn’t for me. This place is in the top 25 best ice creams in the world!! Only two doors down from Jose Ramon.

It was then onto a lovely stroll home and an early night since I was so tired.

Once again I’m writing this with jet lag but this time at 5am so it’s improving as we speak 🤞

Time to pack my bags now and head to Buenos Aires. And the good news is that the air b n b Shelley helped me book with her phone number has just been approved. But first stop is to Milhouse Hostel Hipo. Bring on a fun few days in Buenos Aires, with a sneaky trip to Iguazu falls and possibly uraguay thrown in their too.

Now to go see if I can find an Australia bar in Argentina or at least somewhere to stream state of origin when I arrive in Buenos Aires. Go NSW!!

Until next time, I’m going to work on not telling waiters that I am a hot chocolate anymore 😊