Today we departed Buenos Aires, arriving in Santiago, Chile at approximately 2:30 PM. Chile’s time zone is the same as the Eastern time zone in the USA. It is a bit colder here but not by much. When we arrived, it was 70 degrees Fahrenheit so day time seems very similar to Buenos Aires but we are told that the evening will drop down into the lower 40’s.

As we drove into the city, it is obvious that Santiago is in a valley surrounded by mountains. The city is flanked by the main chain of the Andes to the east and the Chilean Coastal Range to the west. On the north, it is bordered by the Cordón de Chacabuco, a mountain range of the Andes. At the southern border lies the Angostura de Paine, an elongated spur of the Andes that almost reaches the coast. The Andes are currently sprinkled with snow. Also, this is the first city where we saw signs that June is actually late autumn with many trees’ leaves having changed color. We passed by Rio Mapocho which splits the city but whose waters were very low.

As we got closer to the area where our hotel sits, our tour guide pointed out that we cannot get lost as our hotel is right next door to Gran Torre Santiago, the tallest building in South America. While I did take the picture on the left as we drove into the city, it does not do it justice so I added a stock photo of the skyline on the right so you can see the incredible height of this building.  I do have plans to go up to the top either tomorrow or the next day as the views from the roof are supposed to be breathtaking.

I walked around a little bit right after getting here but wanted to rest up since tomorrow is a rather busy tour day–city tour in the morning and the wine tasting in the afternoon. So, I ordered room service and have been watching BBC news reports on President Trump with the Queen of England. Surprisingly, very balanced coverage. My room’s views are: