"A Change Via Chile" Texaspeyton's photos around Santiago, Chile

A TripAdvisorâ„¢ TripWow slideshow of a travel blog to Santiago, Chile by TravelPod blogger Texaspeyton titled "A Change Via Chile" Texaspeyton's travel blog entry: ""All travel has its advantages. If the passenger visits better countries, he may learn to improve his own. And if fortune carries him to worse, he may learn to enjoy it." ~Samuel Johnson I arrived in Santiago on March 30 via Iquique, a coastal Chilean city that - from the view from the airport - consists of sandy mountains that are situated approx. 400 meters from Pacific Ocean, giving you the feel as if you were on a desert planet in a Star Wars movie. The larger (7mm people in the region) city of Santiago was quite different, however, with a much more modern feel than any other I had visited thus far, with a thorough transportation infrastructure (namely their Metro) and a clean, safe feel throughout. This would be my first stop on my journey where I would stay for more than 1-2 nights. I immediately took advantage of the opportunity to unpack, re-inventory and spread out in a (convenient for me due to low season for tourists) three-bed room at Hostal Casa Grande (greeted by Claudio-the owner-Pavlo and Raquela, all who would be very kind and helpful throughout my stay). The hotel is on the border of the old, traditional neighborhood of Providencia and the much more Bohemian one, Bellavista, offering the best of both worlds of Santiago, and just a walk from the Baquedano Metro. My roommate for most of my stay ...