Late in 2018, my husband turned 70 and we reached our 50th wedding anniversary. We treated ourselves to this trip to celebrate in style. I personally cannot speak highly enough about the whole experience. From day one we were amazed at the culture, the beautiful people and the spectacular scenery in every country we visited. As this was a non-English speaking continent, we decided to go with a tour company. After a few inquiries we settled with South American Tours www.southamericantours.com.au  They work with Condor Travel in South America. I would highly recommend this tour company. Our liaison with them was all via email, they were extremely helpful, versatile and obliging while planning the trip. They were also honest with the advice they gave. Once arriving in SA we found each individual guide was friendly, informative, always on time and immaculately presented throughout the entire trip. We really could not fault them.

Part One Santiago-Valparaiso-Quito

• Flight Sydney to Santiago Chile is approx. 14 hours no stops, crossing the international date line.
• Santiago is  the capital of Chile. The official language is Spanish, and the currency is Peso.
• Avge width of Chile is 120miles, length is 3230miles. Population is 15,400,000-36% live in Santiago.
• Highlights- Experiencing a new culture, The variety of architecture, the uniqueness of  Galapagos.

We arrived at Santiago airport tired but excited and a little wary. We had been given some tips on the potential dangers of arriving in a foreign country.

There are several exit gates, so we followed the crowd which turned out to be a mistake. This was where the dodgy taxi drivers hounded the passengers for a quick dollar. We anxiously scoured the crowds looking for a tour guide holding up our name. Unfortunately, this took a while and a few tense moments. Once we returned at the correct exit, we saw our guide and were immediately relieved. We were whisked away to a comfortable vehicle and an easy, although busy drive to our hotel. We were then left to our own devices for the afternoon/evening to discover a little of the area where we were staying.  We quickly settled in and took off to pound the pavements. Such a vast difference to what we were used to. It was a busy town, with many churches, alley ways, old buildings crowded into every available space.Horns honking frequently and the driving was at the least erratic. We noticed electrical cables dangling outside apartment windows with no apparent destination. Windows with broken shutters, some with curtains flapping in the hot air and washing dangling from the ledges. Following our crude map we eventually came across the massive, large city square. The meeting and resting place of all the city dwellers.There was a long corridor of eating places on the side and a massive area to congregate. We were led to believe, after lunch it was common for the workers to siesta on the benches in the square. Hence what we thought may have been the homeless were just those surviving the normal work day. We could understand this as pounding the pavements in the heat of the day is quite draining. After wandering for a few hours, we headed back to our hotel for some much-needed food and rest. The following day a walking and driving tour of the city was booked in, showing us the different aspects of the new and the old, the rich and the poor. Up to San Cristóbal Hill for a panoramic view of the city and its vast array of old and modern architecture. A very informative tour with plenty of time left in the day to explore the many parks and museums of Santiago. That evening we found an area nearby made up of tiny alleys and small streets housing a multitude of cafés from which to choose . Finally selecting one, we scoured the menu to find a few words that we could recognise sufficiently to be able to order a meal. So far, we were doing ok as far as choosing our food and drink. It was early days though and our knowledge was very limited.   

The next morning, I awoke feeling little unwell. Was it the sip of water I had or that apple I pilfered from the foyer, I am not sure, but my stomach was feeling a little queasy. However, our car was ready and waiting and so we departed on time for Val Paraiso. Unfortunately, I remember little about the drive as I was very desperately trying to prevent the unleashing of my breakfast all over this very clean car. Thankfully I was able to hold off until we reached our destination. A quick visit to the restroom seemed to help. The residence, namely La Sebastiana, was the home of the Nobel prize winning poet Pablo Neruda. This unique three story building set high on the hill was worth the visit. The stories and artefacts displayed, portrayed a very quaint and artistic personality. Afterward a drive through the colourful labyrinth of hills, which make up Val Paraiso was special and entertaining. It is a university town full of creative people, displaying their art on many of the buildings. We were then left to meander down the hillside and to experience the uniqueness of the funicular railways (two counterbalanced carriages permanently attached to opposite ends of a haulage cable). We then travelled with our tour guide to Vina del Mar, Chile’s fashionable beach resort for lunch and a walk around the town. Our last afternoon and night finished with another great meal sitting on the sidewalk with some wine and street entertainment. An early night due to an early flight the next morning.

Quito is the capital of Ecuador which has a total population of approx 14mill. Language spoken is Spanish and Kichwa.

Quito is a city where modern architecture meets the beauty and the strength of colonial buildings. On first arriving it appears a little old and poor but when you look more carefully the creativity can be seen everywhere. After settling into our hotel, we took a walk around the nearby streets and parks. Quite modern and everything you may want is available. We went to the large impressive museum, there was a couple of very interesting exhibitions and the grounds are quite beautiful. We then wandered through the expansive central park looking at the artworks and the street performers all within a few city blocks of our hotel.

The following day we were guided by car and foot to the older side of Quito, visiting the well preserved colonial centre. We first stopped at the Virgin of the Panecillo, because whether religious or not it is something to behold. The view from the top shows the whole of Quito and beyond. Moving onto the tourist hotspot you are greeted with magnificently well preserved, grand buildings of intricate 16th century architecture. The Plaza de San Francisco is a huge area for the people to relax and mingle surrounded by churches and and many highly distinguished buildings. It has a party atmosphere and a great place to rest your tired limbs. Further on, a highlight was the “Church of the Society of Jesus” the interior richly decorated with gold ornamentation. It is overwhelming and one feels quite humble in its grandeur. Walking up and down the streets and alleys we saw some beautiful quaint little streets, dotted with flower pots and colourful flags. Continuing on, we came across plenty of cafes, boutique shops, more churches and the occasional park. Many hills later, we arrived back at our hotel pretty exhausted.

More walking the next day to see the “Basilica del Voto Nacional” the largest neo-Gothic basilica in the Americas, building began in 1892. A magnificent church with Gargoyles and spirals reaching to the heavens. Ken tells me the view from high in one of the spirals, reached via a dodgy looking bridge of scaffolding, and a steep ladder to the top, was worth the effort.

There is so much more to see and do in Ecuador. If time permits it would be good to stay for longer than a couple of days. That afternoon we organised our washing and packing, as we were off to Galapagos Island tomorrow. This very special place deserves a blog of its own so watch this space for Part 2.