One very long day
The morning was bleak and wet, the lingering storm leaving no chance to capture any images of Sydney’s skyline. Fortunately, the path between the hotel and the airport was fully undercover.
Check-in at Sydney Airport was smooth, and with a three-hour wait before our flight, we had plenty of time to relax and watch planes take off and land. Once aboard the Boeing Dreamliner, we settled into our seats, lucky to have all three seats to ourselves. After a slight delay leaving Sydney, lunch was served, and we made ourselves comfortable for the 12-hour journey ahead.
Time seemed to slip away as we crossed time zones, landing in Santiago at the same time and on the same day we left Sydney. It was a strange feeling to realise we hadn’t lost any time during the flight. We breezed through all the entry requirements before retrieving our luggage, though we did encounter an odd moment at the airport.
As we were leaving the baggage claim area to meet our transfer driver, a local police officer stopped us. He asked whether there was a bike in our bike bag and inquired about how long we planned to stay in Chile. After an unusually long pause, he simply told us we were free to go.
Shortly afterward, we were approached by an airport concierge. Though both of us were a little defensive after the police encounter, he was professional and showed his ID before assisting us in finding our driver. It’s always disheartening to face such behaviour, especially from law enforcement. It’s moments like these that can make it hard not to generalise, but we remind ourselves there are good people everywhere—we just need to be mindful of the few who are not.
As we made our way to the Hyatt, a 45-minute drive through Santiago gave us a glimpse of the city. We commented on the surroundings, trying to gauge the cost of things by the billboards and buses we passed, all while silently praying we’d make it safely through with what appears to be very relaxed road rules.
Upon checking in and enjoying an extended nap, we stepped outside to get some fresh air and take in our new location. After working out the exchange rate, we braced ourselves for the inevitable “number of zeros” when it came to prices. Dinner at the hotel restaurant was a delicious affair—though at 62,000 pesos (around $90).
Tomorrow, we’ll be out exploring the sights of Santiago.
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