Santiago, Spain... er... Chile
writing from Cusco, Peru

Glad to be off the Navimag, Bella and I hopscotched north to Santiago (by bus), then Lima, and now Cusco (both by plane).

A few photos and thoughts from Santiago. We took the bus from Puerto Montt to Santiago with Natasha, new friend from Navimag, and a surgery resident from UCSF. Her family is from Goa and Pune -- so we chatted about international health, the diversity of Patels, and wine. The three of us toured the city a bit the next day -- very mellow. Stopped at a hostel´s cafe during the day to grab a cup of coffee, and learned it was run by a group of Hare Krishna converts. I guess you can leave the subcontinent, but the subcontinent never leaves you...

Santiago felt 2 hours north of Madrid. Very modern, very cosmopolitian, with bicycle lanes, well maintained parks, and a compelling art scene in the Bellavista neighborhood. Two photos we picked...


Walking through downtown, we felt a bit underdressed -- like strolling the Champs Elysees in ripped jeans and a concert T-shirt. Even the street signs reinforce the business chic dress code. Check out the woman´s stylish hat and flashy skirt!


We took the funicular up Cerro San Cristobal to get a panoramic view of the city. The smog lightened a bit for us and we could actually see the Andes cradling the metropolis below us.