BACK TO SUNNY SANTIAGO

MONDAY 6th JUNE

  Well I said it rained last night, and when I looked out this morning it was still wet and cloudy.  But gradually the clouds dispersed and I was able to see the surrounding mountains and they had snow caps on.  Obviously up there it fell as snow.  As the morning progressed the skies cleared and it was quite warm again although a few clouds hung around the mountains, you could clearly see the snow.

  Having written some postcards to the kids, I had totally failed to find a post office to buy stamps and post them.  So taking my courage in both hands I asked the man at the front desk "Donde esta correo?"  He seemed to understand what I wanted, but his explanation was lengthy and totally beyond my grasp.  I followed the direction he had pointed in with faint hope of success.  My pessimism was not ill founded for I still found no sign of a post office.  I went into the Bank of Chile and extracted some more cash - the e-mail from the Tupa Hotel in the Easter Islands warned me they did not take credit cards, but whether that only referred to the taxi from the airport, or the complete stay was not clear.  I thought it best to have adequate reserves on me.  Upon exiting from the bank I saw a couple of office workers having a fag, one of each sex.  I broached them with my question, precacing it with an "Excusate".  "Correo, ah Plaza de Armas".  Now that I knew the location of and set off for said location.  Upon getting to the square, I ignored the cathedral, that wasn't going to be it.  But just around the corner, there it was "Correo de Chile"!  Well stone me,I had previously mistaken it for an opera house or theatre.  Certainly Wembley Post Office never looked anything like this, nor come to think of it, neither did the post office in Oakhurst.  But one thing never changes wherever in the world you may be; massive queues!  I eventually got my stamps and posted the cards.

  By now it was really warm so I thought I would take a further look around the Plaza de Armas.  Knowing Bridie and Angela's propensity for popping into any church they came across, I thought, well maybe, I shouldn't miss out on looking in at the Cathedral of Santiago.  I went in had a look around and sat down for a spot of quiet meditation.

  I then took in a carving in the square that had previously eluded me and then carried on to a cafe in the corner.  I asked for an "Inglese" menu and duly got one, but all the main courses were in Spanish! However I

was able to order a banana split and a cappucino.  The split came with three large portions of ice-cream, vanilla, strawberry and peach, lashings of cream, bananas and a cherry.  The coffee too came with whipped cream on it and was certainly one of the best coffees I've had in a while.  On the other side of the square was what looked kie a bandstand, but when I got closer I noticed it was populated by chess players.

My path homeward took me past my supermarket, but I had no occasion to step inside this time.

  I then strolled back to the accomodation, and checked on the e-mail, washed some socks and sorted out some packing.  I then set off about 8.00pm for dinner.  I found the Bombay Cafe open, but it turned out not to be an Indian Restaurant, but rather a coffee shop.  I wandered around quite a while without finding anywhere that really grabbed me, in fact I wasn't that hungry after the whopping banana split, and in the end decided I had walked enough and dived into a cafe, where I managed to ordered a ham roll with molten cheese and a beer.  I also bought a cake that I took home to have later.

  Alex came on line and we had a chat, and usefully he told me that Equador deals in US dollars.  Also they have no national post office.  He had tried to send a birthdaycard to his grandmother and was told that it could be done for $80!  I shall have to save my postcards from Equador for posting from Peru!