Santiago. Chile

After a few unexpected delays to our flight the Captain and Admiral reached the final city destination of their adventure getaway. Deja Vu, back to where it had started 30 days ago Santiago Chile.

The Captain felt a bit of emptiness, he really did not want to come to terms with the fact that their time abroad was coming to an end. A sense of sadness was coming over him and it was evident to the Admiral, who was doing her best to keep his spirits up.

After a silent and long taxi ride they reached their accommodation for this leg of the journey. Predicting that the sads would be overcoming them, they had booked a nice hotel to end the trip on. It turned out to be a real winner, approaching the driveway the lobby appeared to be grand. Large statues outside and inside, a bar area and a lovely staffed reception desk they looked forward to checking in and finishing the journey off in style.

The Captain and Admiral went to check in, the Staff advised them that there was a three day celebration taking place in the city this week for the National Day celebrations. He mentioned that throughout the city there would be huge Fairs and festivals going on. This was epic, they took down a few details and became super friendly with the staff, it was at that point that for the first time on this trip, the Captain dropped the “Oh we are on Honeymoon” line.

It was super effective. The Captain and Admiral were upgraded to the Honeymoon suite and assured by the front desk manager that he will be sending some treats for the couple.

It was a bit of luck shining through. The suite was fantastic. Complete with a lounge room, with a view of the city.

They would have loved to relax and spend time at the hotel, however with the delays and the check in tango taking some time, they had to rush and get ready. The Cadets they had met in Argentina at the Argentine experience where to catch up with them today for drinks and a big closing farewell ceremony as they were to fly out the day after.

Trying to figure out how to fix up their SIM cards they quickly got ready, with time and language not on their side they were unable to fix their phones and decided to fly blind and venture out to party. They headed towards the Pio Nono district. The consistent readers of these logs would recall that name from old adventures of Santiago. This indeed was the same place that the Captain and Admiral had gone last time they were in town and had a wild night smashing Pisco Sours and Terremotos.

After stopping for a sneaky Taco Bell dinner they met the cadets at a bar where they had started drinking already. On the table lay half a glass of scotch and when asked about it the Cadets said that was one standard drink. It was going to be a crazy night.

The Crew bar hopped from one place to another, having a compilation of Mojitos, Daiquiris, Piscos as well as a few Terremotos. Needless to say, things got pretty messy. At one bar they sat outside and a drug dealer came over to sell them Hash Cookies, he tried hard to sell them, at the end he even pointed out that the cookies had a smiley face on them! A great sales tactic, the crew were tempted but they refused, instead continuing to drink their body weight in spirits. The night ended abruptly just as the Pino ice cream of the second terremoto reached the bottom of the glass. They bid farewell to their new found friends and wished them a safe onward adventure.  The clock was hitting 3am when the Captain and Admiral stumbled back to the hotel. They entered the room only to find a bottle of Champagne and Chocolates waiting for them on the lounge room table. It looks like the hotel had delivered the goods.

A very drunk Captain made a call and decided that before they slept they needed to finish off the champagne. This call was a very stupid call, they gagged and almost vomited several times before getting three-quarters through the bottle of doom. It was not long before both of them collapsed and passed out.

The last nights concoctions had not only boosted the Captain and Admiral to nirvana, it had also left a crater sized hole in their heads when they woke up. Feeling extremely rough. hungover and borderline ill they arose to a shimmer of light coming through the heavy curtains. When the Captain checked the time he imagined it would be close to 6am, he was gravely wrong, the time almost hitting 11 am. They rushed (as fast as they could) and got ready for breakfast, reaching downstairs just as they had started packing it all up.

After a big breakfast, the Captain went upstairs and was ready to pass out. However with some motivation from the Admiral he arose from the ashes and they headed to the Bicentennial Park where they were told they would see some Flamingos!

They started the long walk, estimating it would take 2 hours to walk there.  Extremely hungover they slowly made their way there, stopping frequently along the way for hydration or just rest. They walked along the main roads, along the parks and statues, trying to soak in as much of Santiago as they could. As they walked they crossed the Peru Embassy from which an ambassador was leaving. To avoid getting in the way of the Ambassador’s car, which was perched on the footpath leaving the embassy, they walked behind it. Just as they walked behind it the sirens started going off, lights flashing and alarms blaring. As a reflex both the Admiral and Captain ran as fast as they could. Freaking out they felt like throwing up. This was not the ideal cure for a hangover.

After about 1 hour of constant walking the Admiral and Captain had a great idea – Why not use one of the motorized scooters that were littered all over the city to scoot to their destinations? The scooters could be hired using the digital hire apps such as Lime, Bird or Grin, However the Answer to that rhetorical question was simple – Because the Admiral had no balancing abilities.

This however did not stop them. Adventure life was now a way of life for them both. They decided to attempt to scoot the remainder of the way.

This was humorous and fun for the Captain, whilst the Admiral feared for her life. They stopped every 2 minutes, in which the Admiral had a panic attack, screamed, laughed, cried and aged by 5 years. It was like a rollercoaster without straps. They scooted along the city parks for about an hour and finally a very freaked out Admiral alongside a gleeful Captain reached Bicentennial Park.

Ditching their Scooters they explored the park, it was a nice park with families out flying kites, dogs playing and as well as a few lakes scattered along its stretch. They walked across in search of the infamous flamingos.

They found the colony of flamingos towards the back of the park, feeding through hooked beaks, balanced on one reedlike leg with the other bent forward at an awkward angle.

Catching the stare of a flamingo is slightly unsettling. The bird’s unblinking, reptilian eyes contain beady black pupils within a bright yellow iris, and the creature can be both fascinating and unnerving to look at.

After taking a few snaps of the reptile birds they started to feel unsettled and the time had come to leave. With some reluctance and some dedicated prayers to multiple Gods from the Admiral, they decided to scoot back.

The prayers seemed useful as the Admiral’s crash count only reached single digits.

The relieved duo reached the hotel after having a pitstop for shopping and were told by reception that for National Day the city had a few Fonda’s or Fairs running. When the Captain inquired further about these the reception desk told them that they involved heaps of drinking meaning heaps of drunk citizens, loads of food, dancing and music. The Captain had a meme flashback as he thought to himself  “Shut up and take my money!”

When the Captain asked where these fairs we located reception gave the location of two, but advised them not to go after dark, and if they did, to leave all belongings behind as they thought it was dangerous due to the intoxicated locals.

They informed them of the biggest one and reiterated that they did not recommend they went, especially after dark. The potential opportunity to party and get drunk with locals was too tempting for the Captain to forgo.

After a much needed (and first ever on this trip) pool and sauna session, they got ready to head to the big Fonda at O’Higgins park. This being the one they had specifically been recommended not to go to. They caught an uber and were dropped off with some Spanish instructions thrown at them on how to get there. They zipped up pockets and braced themselves for the madness to ensue.

Herded like cattle they followed a huge crowd towards a gated entrance where they had to buy some tickets to enter the grounds. Utilising the Admiral’s now superior Spanish skills they were able to buy some tickets and enter the grounds.

They entered along with a swarm of people not knowing what to expect. Inside they walked past the infant zone and family zones and were soon confronted with music, food stalls and makeshift bars. Hundreds of stalls selling the infamous Terremotos  they continued along, and amongst the now continuing stream of bars they saw a stage in the distance. As they walked towards it and the music became louder, it was not until they were amongst a huge crowd that they looked up and as far as they could see there were people dancing, singing and drinking. It was huge, unlike any fair they had seen before. Comparable to the size of Tomorrowland. They observed all be the people had a terremoto in hand alone with what appeared to be a stick or a tree branch full of meat. They continued through the crowd this time towards the smoke in the air, unable to stop themselves from dancing as they reached the food section. Here the landscape contained barbecues full of meat and bbq professionals armed with branches and utensils. It was crazy. Meat sticks everywhere.

They continued to walk along and exploring the stalls full of food, drinks and now some carnival games. Coming across a game in which you needed to take an electric wand across a guided path without touching the sides. The Captain believed the Admiral would smash this game, he motivated her and asked the vendor how much, speaking in Spanish he used gestures to indicate 3 tries and that they’re were 2 versions, one in which you get an electric shock if you touched the side and one which you didn’t. The Admiral, the hero that she is, opted for the one in which you did get an electric shock. She started guiding the wand across, only to be shocked twice instantly.  She continued the third time, and beside the stress and the several onlookers that had gathered around her to spectate, the Admiral successfully completed the task! She won a giant Chicken teddy for her efforts!

They celebrated and bought some Mojitos that were served in Viking cups, some Papas Fritas (French fries) and ate with some locals discussing their adventures using hand gestures as the locals spoke at them in Espanol.

Impressed by their efforts and feeling a little tipsy they decided to leave the madness and head back. En route to the exit the Admiral chokes on a lemon seed only with the Captain frantically yelling at her not to embarrass him with her coughing and spluttering, in front of the partying crowds and escorting police officers. After a brief interlude for the Admiral to recover they escaped the Fonda grounds.

The fair was an epic experience, something both of them were lucky to be part of and escape unscathed without any items stolen.

Counting blessings and not keen to take on the city again they went into hermit mode and ordered uber eats. Another adventure assured them when uber decided not to play ball and the driver got lost. A Spanish and English uber battle, although entertaining in hindsight was frustrating for a hungry duo. Three uber drivers later they ate their cold food and passed out.

They woke up hungover and scattered from the night before, fondly recounting the arguments they had with Uber eats. This was going to be their last day as they were to fly back later that night. The feels was getting deep into the Captain, he did not want to head back home and their time was coming to an end soon.

The duo had breakfast and got ready, today’s focus would be to complete any shopping they needed to do before heading back.

They stepped outside and started walking to the shopping Strip they had seen before. They noticed as soon as they left the hotel that the city was eerily quiet, there was hardly any cars on the road and all the shops had shutters drawn, there also was no for traffic. They walked along the ghost town, just to see more of the nothingness they walked past. Everything was shut. Much to their disappointment and unsurprisingly the shopping strip was all shut. The whole city seemed to have a hangover from the night before. Disappointed they caught an uber back to the hotel.

At the hotel, the Captain and Admiral had a discussion with the reception and informed them that everything was going to be shut as it was national day and no employees could work on that day. When asked if anything was open they suggested that there was one place and that was Dominico Park.

Dominico Park was a shopping village that was located about half an hour away from where they were staying. Desperate to take back some more souvenirs the pair headed there.

Unexpectedly and to their delight, Domenico Park was actually open. Unfortunately though the Park also was known for its expensive artisan crafts. The Captain and Admiral wandered around the small village and looked at some very expensive but very nice handicrafts. After discovering that there was nothing in their budget they decided to visit the other Fonda that was recommended by reception a day earlier. Coincidentally it was only half an hour by scooter from where they were. With some serious convincing and nerves of steel, the Admiral was game enough to risk her life and jump on the vessel again.  They scooted to Alberto Hurtado Fonda. this Fonda unlike the one they had visited the day before, was much more family friendly with less emphasis on drinking and stealing, and more on stage shows and activities. There was a horse show going on as well as a handicrafts market and a cultural show that had traditional dances on stage, the thunder even had military representation with an army store and some tanks and other related paraphernalia in one section. Much like the one they had seen before it was enormous with thousands of people. The Captain and Admiral the grounds once again, seeing a ton of people still drinking terremotos despite the time being early and carrying meat on branch sticks. Satisfied an exhausted they headed back to the hotel for one final time.

As one final Hoorah and a last holiday activity they decided to go for a final sauna session. They strategically planned how to dry their clothes and packed their bags in silence and left the honeymoon suite, leaving a quarter bottle of champagne on the table.

They headed downstairs and ate at the hotel restaurant which, although was rated very highly and had a famous chef, had very mediocre food.

The Captain and Admiral then checked out of the hotel and within minutes were on an  Uber to Santiago Airport. Hoping to finish off their trip and the last of their Chilean pesos, with some last minute shopping, the airport gifted them a final disappointment, with most shops shut and the ones open with mediocre and overpriced items.

They said their final goodbyes and with heavy hearts,memories and experiences that one could only dream of they boarded the vessel back home.