Santiago, Chile

We began the day with breakfast in our cute little B&B and then hit the streets for more sightseeing. First we went to the center of the city which is a huge pedestrian only group of streets with everything from stores, kiosks, government buildings and the main courthouse. We spent a few hours there wandering around and had coffee in a sidewalk cafe. We took the very crowded Metro there and back. We also went to the central market where they sell fresh fruits and vegetables, meat and fish as well as clothing and home goods. This is where the locals shop.

After a little rest back at the hotel we continued on to the Macabee Center which is a huge sports and cultural complex where we spent the rest of the day watching all the many activities and speaking with the members. Jerry insisted he could beat most of the guys. He is dreaming! It was also lots of fun watching the little kids' activities. That only made us miss our grandson even more.

After another Metro ride home which was extremely crowded, we had a lovely dinner at the local hot spot for night life. The Beach Boys music was playing till the local live band came on. The food was delicious and the band was loud!

Tomorrow morning we will do some more sightseening and then head for Vina del Mar in the afternoon, by bus. This will be a flat ride through the Chilean wine country. No more switchbacks.

We've been walking miles and miles everyday and are looking forward to a little rest on the ship. We love it but we are getting a little tired. We eat late and get up early and are on the run for the whole day. No early bird dinners! We also don't see many old people around. Can't figure out where they are. More to come.