Paging Passengers Smith and White-Smith

We made it to Toronto easily enough but had barely enough time to move from Gate 132 to the International Departure Gate 172.

We stopped at Starbucks for a hot drink for the plane and got to the waiting area in time to hear the message in the title. We were the last two passengers to get seated. Just in time...

The trip was long but uneventful.

We arrived in Santiago at 11:30 AM and after explaining our bikes a few times got a taxi into the city. For much of its route the highway followed the Rio Mapoche. There were squatter communities along the banks and piles of burning refuse. There are mountains on all sides.

We arrived fairly quickly at Hostel Rio Amazonas, a nice spot. We did a bit of unpacking and walked to the Bellavista area. There we met a Fench couple on a year long cycling tour with their four children ranging in age from 3 to 11. The parents are riding recumbents, one a tandem, with two trailers and a child seat on the single.

We ate at Galindo, a restaurant serving traditional Chilean food. Karen had white beans, red pepper and pumpkin with beef. I hadcorn pie with chicken and beef. Afterward, we had great cafe con leche.

Returning to the hostel, a van pulled up and I thought I recognized one of the occupants. I asked him if he was interested in getting a coffee. He was shocked. Mike (see above) plays basketball with my next door neighbour, Dick Miller, and can be seen at Local Jo (product placement) on weekends. Mike is here working on a Chilean Habitat for Humanity project.

We put our bikes together, got scrubbed up and met a classmate of Ryan's, Erin, and her mother, Martha. We had Pisco Sours (highly recommended) and had m0re Chilean food.

Tomoorow we have a city tour by bike.