Chile...(I know it`s not pronounced "Chilli" but I sound like a gimp when I say "Chil-eh")..help me!

Due to Chile having something vaguely resembling a developed economy and quasi-western prices a lot of backpackers tend to limit their stay in Chile to a night or two in Santiago before a long-haul bus into Argentina. Because I`m a glutton for punishment I decided to take the financial hit & explore Chile a bit more and I`m glad I did. It`s a country of vastly constrasting environments (from modern cities to desert to glaciers), super-friendly people and more than a few interesting sights along the way...I liked it so much I ended up spending Christmas there although spending Christmas day on a beach in 30 degrees was a slightly unsual experience..

This monument in Santiago is dedicated to the "Pueblo Indígena" (Indigenous people), who originally populated Chile and has been quite a contraversial piece as it shows the broken face of a Mapuche man symoblising the bravery of Chile`s native people.

As you can see, in Santiago Christmas is brought to you exclusively by Coca Cola...

After a couple of days in Santiago I fancied a few days at the beach and caught a bus up to nearby Valparaiso (Chile`s Cultural Capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and Viña del Mar (a seaside resort town which has attracted huge investment in recent years)

View of Valparaiso from above (..well from as high up the hill as I was willing to walk)

Vina`s "ascensores” (basically urban outdoor lifts used by locals to negotiate Vina`s many hills) which date back to 1883

Valpo`s local scouse population open up for business..

Vina del Mar, the garden city

Testing out the camera`s timer function in Vina with Sole & Connie

The beach at Vina..looks lovely but your wobbly bits will not thank you one bit if you take a dip...it`s fuppin freezing!

"Big Wave" Surfing with Blake in Pichelemu

At the foot of Mount Villaricca, Pucon..8am. If only I knew then what I know now..what a tough day`s trekking

Views as we ascend...and ascend and ascend...

At the summit...finally, fit to drop at this point

P.S. The highlight of this trek was actually the descent where we were able to slide down 90% of the mountain on your arse at a ridiculous speed on a piece of plastic vaguely resembling a skinny hot water bottle..I`d highly recommend it (although be prepared to find ice and snow in some very unusual places afterwards)

View of a lovely mountain (the name of which I have no clue)

Hate the game, don`t hate the playa...

Celebrating Colo Colo`s 4th Championship win with some crazy, boozed up locals...some things are just universal

The fish in Chile is savage...

"Don Sergio" our lady-charming (apparently according to the man himself there are "many ladies who call me the Don", sausage-c0cked, wannabee-restaurantour bus driver...A legend

Sampling the huge Christmas feast Sergio prepared for us in Puerto Varas

P.S. "The Don" has his sights set on opening up a Chilean restaurant in Dublin so keep an eye out for him..the man can cook!

The Don doesn`t let some giant lemon slices get in the way of telling us how many chicas he has had in the last 2 weeks and just how fertile he is..

Just for the record I did spent the majority of Christmas day on the phone to home listening to various version of "The Fairytale of New York" on a loop...sob

Puerto Varas...30 degrees...Christmas Day...surreal

En route to Argentina...just some pesky border guards left to outwit

Views of the Andes from a Bus..perhaps the most visually stunning bus trip I`ve ever taken (I`ve yet to get the no. 3 bus out to Ballyphehane but it`s on my to-do list)