First time to South America

[kiwitripper64]

Day 12
Started with a walk around Palermo then off to AEP for LAN440 to SCL. On arrest AEP we discovered the wonderful LAN check in system. You queue for a machine, then enter all your details and scan the passports. Then you print boarding passes and a luggage tag. A LAN employee then comes and puts the tag on your bag and discusses how we can put overhead hand luggage in the hold for free, we declined 3 times. After this you join another queue to dro off the bag. 6 desks available and 3 staff on with nothing moving. 20 minutes later, the same woman from the bag tag machine jumps behind a dash to take our bag. We have to show the boarding pas and passports and go through the same debate about checking our hand luggage, it’s so efficient that I know QF will soon add to our enhancements.
Immigration was a breeze and we got into the international area of AEP. This is 80 paces long with an expensive duty free and a3 food outlets including that well known Argentina specialty “Outback Steakhouse “ complete with a picture of Ularu,
Boarding again by groups, made redundant by the bus transfer. We were originally booked in row 5, but somehow got moved to tow 12, exit row. The attendant asked us something during exit row instructions and we said Si
She asked again. S
English?
Yes
Have you flown before
Yrs
Ok……..
We arrived into Santiago and while walking to immigration got a red sticker. Oh joy, this meant a random PCR testWe lined up and gave all our details and passport info, then walked down the corridor. Surprise, we get to give our details and passport details again, then get moved to a PCR room. The tester spoke no English but used a phone translated. We were in seperate booths but the consensus between me and Mrs KT is we are free to walk around Santiago and if we test positive we will be phoned and put in quarantine.
On that joyful note we got into SCL and walked all afternoon, had a hearty outside dinner and retire hoping for the best

 

[kiwitripper64]

Oh the suspense. Will the plucky travellers plans be thwarted by the Republic?

 

[kiwitripper64]

Day 13
No messages or missed calls from the Chilean government. Time to check the website. And we are safe. A bit of relief as we had no desire to spend a week in a quarantine hotel and more input here were NO seats to AKL for at least a few days after release date.
We joined a walking tour and discovered why Santiago was a ghost towny. 2 days of public holiday. The tour was good and we got some interesting background. And a tip to go to the central market for lunch and Patio Bellavista for dinner.
Lunch at the central market was outrageously good and cheap. So much fresh seafood.
We walked around to the funicular but the line was huge, so we had a beer and finally got clear sky to see the Andes.
We finished up at Patio Bellavista. This isn’t a restaurant but a large courtyard with lots of colour, sound, shops, restaurants and bars. A last steak and Chilean wine, the we went back to the hotel.
With the flight leaving at 1.40am we got the room for an extra day. It was so nice to go back, sit for 30 min, shower, pack and check out.
At the airport the sign said AKL checkin at E. There was a big line with no premium land. We tried to do machine check in, but the computer said no. I finally found a LATAM person and premium check in is at the end of the terminal.
All sorted, through immigration and security, safely in the lounge. We are back in the senator’s lounge. We aren’t allowed into the premium lounge. I’m not sure of their rules.
But the bar is open and the food looks good.
Hope you enjoyed our account of South America

 

[VPS]

I did enjoy it - thanks

 

[craven morehead]

Very interesting TR with some great photos. Many thanks for making the effort

 

[kiwitripper64]

Home and happy
What would we do differently? Most things worked well. It was unexpected to get a covid PCR coming into Santiago for the second leg. The thought of spending time in an isolation hotel was not appealing.
Flying direct from AKL-SCL-CJC worked with the hotel ensuring prompt transfer. 2 days in Atacama with a guide was good. I think we could have done a 3rd.
With a 1 hour drive back to Calama, a mid morning flight makes sense and an easy pm connection SCL -EZE got to the hotel around 8pm, or as they say in Argentina about 2 hours before dinner I would look at trying to fly to AEP for the convenience.
There was a conference for Mrs KT in BA, so some of the activities took place around this. We didn’t have time to get to Uruguay which was a shame.
We got to Iguacu around 12.00. In hindsight I would have planned this differently, going to the Brazilian side of the falls that afternoon, day 2 doing all day in the Argentine side and day 3 going to Paraguay in the morning, looking around Iguacu in the afternoon and still getting 7 pm flight home.
Or maybe fly into IGR stay a night or 2 then drive to Foz do Iguacu and fly out of IGU.
And finally, who would have thought Santiago would be closed for a national holiday for the 2 days we were there?
It would have been nice to have had longer. Southern Chile and Argentina look amazing. I would have liked to go to Mendoza and bus over the Andes to Santiago. And we haven’t even been close to the rest of this amazing continent. But it was great to get a real trip in post covid.

 

[drross]

Brings back so many good memories, thanks. We left Santiago just as COVID was closing down the world. Very surreal arriving at a hugely busy airport and then 6 weeks later leaving from the same airport but it was basically a deserted airport

 

[petef]

Thanks for the TR doing some of this in January.