We loved Santiago! Although the air is unfortunately very polluted, it is a really cool city with some pretty good vibes. Surrounded by the Cordillera de los Andes, the city is big and impressive with a mix of modern and old buildings. We stayed from the 27th to the 29th of May in the district Lastarria, a peaceful area with many restaurants and walking distance from the centre of the city . We walked around Bellavista, a vibrant district full of restaurants and bars that turn into clubs at night, with huge terraces, cheap alcohol and loud Reggaton music all over the place. Italia district is also very nice, more quiet with plenty of cute colourful shops and café, really nice for a sunday walk. The panoramic view from the top of Cerro San Cristobal is amazing and allows to take in the immensity of the city.
But most of all, we’ve had a unique experience in Santiago thanks to Carles, the brother of one of Adrien’s working partner, who is a helicopter pilot and gave us a free ride over the city and the mountains.
Adrien had reached out to Carles when we arrived in Chile to get a few tips on the city. Little did we know that he would make it an obligation for us to go on a helicopter ride with him. Carles picked us up on Sunday afternoon with his girlfriend Pilar, her brother and her grandmother, the most adorably cute lady, and he took us all up in the air for the most majestic view over the snowy Andes. Although I can’t say that I am particularly comfortable in a helicopter (Pilar’s grandma was probably the most relaxed of us all), this was absolutely amazing and we can’t thank him enough for this experience!
And it that wasn’t enough, Pilar invited us afterwards for coffee and cake at her mother’s place where we joined a family reunion. Everyone was incredibly welcoming and gave us all advice they could on our next destinations, Valparaiso and San Pedro de Atacama.
Again, thank you so much to Carles and Pilar! And please, send us your grandmother’s cake recipe!
TheLittleVoyage 
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