Santiago, Chile

So here I am in Santiago Chile typing, in my hotel room, creating my very first blog. Part travel journal, part letters to my friends, relatives and colleagues I'm writing off the top of my head sharing thoughts and insights as I go. My friends always tell me that they live vicariously and so I'm finally getting my act together to document a bit more about my experiences. As The Crow Flies is all about where I've been and what I've been up to. At least I hope. (That is if I can ever figure out the technology!)

With the Andes mountains as my backdropfor inspiration, Santiago is as good a place as anyway to launch from, right?

I came here to speak at a conference for Travel Writers and Destinations. Not a bad place for a conference! Although the hotels here are located a bit far from the happening part of the city, and the city is not the easiest to navigate -- you mustn't let that stop you. Santiago is a city on the move. It is in transition -- so if you like to be the first to do something it's a must on your travel list.

My favorite places have been:
-Zully a marvelous restaurant which is not just about food, but stories. The owner is a US expat who loves Chile and it shows. Every room of this historic house is different. You will not have the same meal twice. I believe the owner, Joe Westrate, could single-handedly change the shape of Chilean tourism and that is just what he wants to do. When you visit do not miss the roof or the wine-vault area. With the food you can not go wrong. It is some of the city's best.

-Los Domenicos is one of the best artisan markets I've been to. The prices are fair, but don't expect a whole lot of bargaining. Still you can come home with native handicrafts from jewelry to art, sophisticated ponchos to copper-ware.

-Eat the ice cream! Not that it's ever really a bad idea to eat ice cream, here it's particularly good and cheap. For 600 pesos you can get a heaping serving! The gelato here is as good as in Italy. Take it from me. Yum!

-Hotels There is a district, somewhat far out from the city center, which is where many of the hotels exist. Especially the business hotels so get ready for some cab rides or learn where the nearest Metro stop is. You may need to take a fairly long walk to get there, be forwarned. I'd like to mention in particular the Ritz Carlton Santiago which has the distinction of being the most affordable of all the Ritz hotels. But you'd never know it. I particularly loved the bar, so very Ritz Carlton with 12 different variations on the national drink, the Pisco Sour (a chili pepper pisco sour, one that is made from avocado, a ginger and honey option and more.) But it also has the best happy hour around on Thursday and Friday nights with a DJ, incredible food, and good drink prices at their bar/restaurant 365. The pool and gym are among my favorites in this category as they're at the top of the hotel in a domed area filled with light and city views. The heated pool, wifi access, lounge chairs all make it hard to want to leave -- work, swim, work, swim... You get the point. The beds are also worth the mention as they offer a great night sleep in cushy comfort. Mmmm. Another hotel worth mentioning is the recently renovated Grand Hyatt. It is built in a clever cylindrical shape and allows for really roomy well lit rooms. I'm not always a fan of the central lobby courtyard but here it works. The rooms, gym, and facilities are all top notch. The pool and waterfall, the restaurant, and the gym are all terrific features as well.

-Wineries. You'd be remiss not to sample the wines and make the trip to either the Maipo or the Casablanca wine valley. I personally loved the relative newcomer Matetic which also has a stunning 3 bedroom hacienda that you can rent out. (They do small weddings, if you know of anyone in the market...) It's run by a husband (he's the chef) and wife (she's the winemaker) duo who pack quite the punch. The wines are quite tasty -- especially when sampled at the state of the art facility built into the mountain side. The view is magnificent and serene. You won't want to leave. Except maybe for a trip to the restaurant down the road, which is all organic and serves lots of local specialties. The ceviche was outstanding! The setting is stunning, and while it could use a few more years to have more mature plant growth it's already worth the drive. (About an hour from Santiago.)

Chile is an amazingly vast country. Did you know that from top to bottom it is the distance from Washington DC to San Francisco? Impressive. From Patagonia to Easter Island, Valparaiso to Vina Del Mar there is so much here to explore.

What I've found so far is that I haven't had nearly enough time! I will come have to come back.