re: Santiago, Chile- who has been?

I went in December 2010, and I would move there tomorrow if I could make it work. 45 minutes East are the mountains, and 45 minutes East through the wine country is the beach. It is great.

Santiago is just like any other big city...good and bad parts of town. I stayed in the Provindencia District which seemed like a decent part of town. I dont remember the name of the hotel. I felt safe walking around. The train seemed safe enough. We used taxis most of the time.

Even though it will be Winter, I would drive to Valparaiso/Vina del Mar. The beach is nice to see...the water was freezing during December. The way the colorful town rolls down the mountains into the Pacific is pretty cool.

We flew South to Villarrica/Pucon. The scenery down there is great. Pucon is similar to Lake Tahoe, a small village at the base of Mount Villarrica, on a very large lake front. We climbed the volcano during the Summer, but it is a ski resort in the Winter. There is a casino in town to keep you busy after eating at some great small restaurants. We stayed at the Hotel Huincahue, it was nice and centrally located. Pucon was a little on the high end, but I really enjoyed it.

We didn't go East to the Andes, but I am sure you will have a blast...I am ready to go back.

Pro tip: It is not like Europe, speaking English is not common. Know some basic Spanish to get around.