Santiago Is.

I arrived at my host´s house, Miguel, yesterday and was very grateful for the meal that his mother put on. Chicken and rice never tasted so good! I lay my head down for a nap at 5.30pm and didn´t wake til 9am this morning.

I had my first shower since the day before I left Australia, and had a breakfast of cereal, eggs, fruit and coffee! Miguel showed me the city today, helped me get an adapter for my Australian plugs (it cost 370 Pesos, roughly 50 Australian Cents.. And they told me Chile was going to be expensive??) and we visited the cemetery. The cemetry had everyone from past presidents to virtually unmarked graves covered in rubbish. Some graves were just bones, in a small box, in a wall with hundreds of other people. I have some great photos which I will post when I have more time on a computer.

Like the cemetery, the city itself has a great contrast between how the rich live compared to the poor. I have seen some mansions here, but on the way into town from the airport there were slums, shanties that house entire families.

We are now using free internet in the library at Miguel´s University, looking for details of a gathering of couch surfers in the city tonight, where we can sample some fine Chilean beer and wine, which is of the highest quality!!!