A special treat for the girls

This is Mike...
The girls have decided to fly home and I will continue on to Uruguay by myself to try and sell the car. Since Elise and the girls were flying first class back to the states I wanted them to look their very best so I arranged for the three of them to have their hair styled at Santiago's best Salon, Saloon2, just before their flight. Sierra and Zoe were so animated and visibly happy during their stylings that I wish I would have done this earlier for them. Elise was an old pro and knew what to expect and she even enjoyed it. I guess a half hour scalp massage and shampooing before a cut and style is a good thing.

That is the look of relaxation.

After the shampooing and scalp massage Sierra went to her chair.

A young lady and her salon treatment.

The finished look.

Zoe was relaxed and enjoyed the scrubbing.

There was a DJ playing house music at the salon.

Bliss.

The finished product.

Last to have her hair cut was Elise, the girls hung out with her and had a nice chat.

Never let your guard down

This is Mike...
We love Santiago and as a result we let our guard down and started to use our credit card instead of paying cash like we have been doing all along. We normally would go to an ATM and withdraw our anticipated amount. Our credit card was compromised after only two uses in Santiago, now looking back on it we think the Thai restaurant did it. Those aren't good odds, to use a card twice and have it compromised once. Anyway, just a reminder not to let your guard down no matter how nice something is.

Museo Interactivo Mirador

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We took the kids to the Museo Interactivo Mirador so they could blow off some steam and see how things work. The kids played with bubbles, studied anatomy, made music and so much more. The Museum was packed with local children learning about science. Some of the Chilean kids were enamored with our girls hair and hung out with us for a while. If you are in the area it is a cheap and easy day for the kids and it is easily accessible with the subway system. There is a 10 to 15 minute walk once off the train system but nothing strenuous.

The subway system is clean and efficient.

We promised to take the kids on their first subway ride while we were in Santiago.

A grand piano for the kids.

Sierra was wrapped by a bubble and she loved it.

Zoe loved being inside a bubble which was able to close all the way round her.

This was the engineering section of the museum.

Santiago is a beautiful city

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   As most of you know by now we are not "Big city" people and prefer smaller towns with less congestion. However, as cities go, Santiago is fantastic. It is not a cheap city nor terribly expensive it is somewhere in the middle. The weather is close to perfect but smog can be an issue in the heat of summer. The city has a newer subway system and good bus routes but still suffers terrible gridlock. The people are cosmopolitan and educated and in our opinion less friendly than some other places we have visited. Yet the cities charm, diversity, and cleanliness make it a wonderful place to visit. With wineries just outside the city limits, clean city parks and many free museums to enjoy, Santiago is a user friendly place. If you have ever pondered visiting Santiago I hope these pictures encourage you to do so. Get a rental car and drive through the countryside, as this place has your name on it.      

Entrance is free at the museum of fine art

Neoclassical architecture abounds in the city.

This French cafe borders a playground making it convenient for moms to enjoy a glass of wine while watching their kids kill each other on the playground.

Nice well maintained playground in the center of the city.

Modern skyline can be seen from some of the parks in town.

The walkway up to the zoo was in full bloom.

The girls got to see the elephant splash in the water.

On lunch patrol looking for the perfect outdoor cafe.

Every Sunday, in most Latin American cities, the streets in downtown are shuttered for the exclusive enjoyment of non-motorized transport. The streets go silent and the families come out to have fun and exercise.

The Sunday road closure culture is one of the many aspects of the Latin lifestyle we enjoy

Every Sunday is pedestrian and bike friendly from 9am to 2pm.

The trees are in bloom in spring.

An attractive government building.

Lia and the girls having fun being tourists for a day.

The original firefighter building in downtown.

Old and new blend nicely.

Large mural above the Bellas Artes metro station.

Some of these murals are 60 feet (20 meters) wide and tall.

Coming home with Sushi for dinner

Clean streets, nice buildings, and people on the go.

Outdoor cafe culture is alive and well in Santiago.

Bomb threat in downtown Santiago

This is Mike...
Yesterday a block away, less than 120 yards, from our apartment was a major bomb threat which shut down the main tourism corridor in Santiago for several hours. People evacuated their busy workplaces in the affected skyscraper and filled the streets. Concern and frustration were palpable and many people were talking about Paris at what is going on in Europe. Though this threat had nothing to do with what's happening in Europe I was amazed just how "On edge" everyone was. Cities are particularly vulnerable to this kind of stuff, as one threat, like yesterday can shut down streets and snarl traffic for 6 million people.

People were nice to each other on the street but based on the discussions I overheard they are losing patience with humanity and are very frustrated with the modern world.

Police shut down the streets and I got stuck in the traffic for nearly 2 hours sadly I only had to drive a few hundred yards to get home.

I was impressed with how professional the bomb squad was.

The bomb removal expert in the center was wiped down and checked for residue by his colleagues.

There were multiple canine units on the scene sniffing the onlookers in case the perpetrator was in the crowd watching the mayhem.

Nighttime stroll in Santiago

This is Mike...
Nighttime is usually bedtime in our household but since we had Lia in town visiting we modified our routine a bit. We decided to see the city by night by strolling around the Plaza de Armas and surroundings. The crowds thin out considerably at night but fun is still to be had. There were random gatherings of comedians, musicians and street vendors. At one street music location a Salsa dance occurred. Lia and Sierra started to dance and before you knew it they got Zoe and Elise to dance while I took pictures. It was nice to see them having fun, dancing on the street to curvy passionate music with other fun loving strangers.  

The group of people in the distance is laughing to a comedian's jokes.

Mobile BBQ wagon with chicken strips and hot dogs

Sierra just adores Lia and looks up to her as a great role model.

Dancing and random fun.

The moon above this building was just too cool.

La Bodega Concha y Toro

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The Concha y Toro winery is located about 25 kilometers from downtown Santiago and makes for a great day trip from town. Reservations are a must for the wineries in Chile which is unlike other wine growing regions where you can just show up and indulge. The cost of admission per adult was 12,000 pesos which converts to around $15 US, the kids were free. The admission buys you a tour of the grounds, tour of the cellars, and 3 generous pourings of vino.
   One of the more special aspects of the wine tour was our visit to Concha y Toros premium wine locker or cellar. The Casillero, is their 170 year old wine cellar which is massive even by today's standards. In the late 1850's the casillero was stuffed with wine and thus a possible target for theft, and that is when a legend was born. It was then told, the Devil lived in the cellar and watched over the wine. The legend grew over time and later became the name of one of their signature wines, Casillero del Diablo (locker of the Devil). For us, visiting the winery was a trifecta, the kids enjoyed the legend, the adults enjoyed the wine, and we all enjoyed the lunch.

An inviting archway into the family compound.

The manicured grounds of the winery.

The girls love roses.

The residence is approximately 40,000 square feet (4,100 square meters) with 22 bedrooms.

Lia loved the wine tour.

The Cellar had a nice light show while explaining the legend.

El Casillero (the locker) with a silhouette of the Devil on the back wall.

The exclusive wines are aged in the locker under the watchful eye of the Devil.

A wonderful lunch at a great winery.

The working vineyard.

These young grapes just starting out in early spring will one day make delicious wine.