Chilling in Chile

Getting to fly Santiago is great, mainly because like the other South American flights, it's an all-nighter in both directions. You sling some drinks and food, people sleep for about 8 hours, you serve them a breakfast, and then you land. The downside, is that like the other South American trips, we just get the day layover, or lean-over, as we call them. You arrive in the morning, sleep all day, then fly home. A great way to rack up 20 hours of flight time, but not much else.

The weather on Sunday was overcast, but I managed to snap a photo outside the hotel, trying to capture the Andes mountains. You can just make it out.

The hotel does offer us a free breakfast, with everything from omelets to order, to fruit and cereal. After a date with an Ambien, I woke up at 5pm and went down to work out (still on the health kick, now down about 12 pounds). A quick shower and then a rendezvous in the lobby for pick up.

I got a bottle of Pisco for my friend Tricia (10 years ago, Chile was the first place I used my travel passes, to visit her while she was studying abroad) and a magnet for my friend Carla in Duty Free.

I got stuck with first break, which I don't particularly enjoy because I am usually not tired enough to sleep (on even numbered flights, even numbered positions get first choice, odd numbered flights, odd positions get first choice). We were flight 940 going home, and I was position nine, so I got stuck with first break. I managed to sleep for about 30 seconds I think.

We served Pastel de Choclo for dinner, a Chilean delicacy made of ground corn and basil. Even for a coach meal, it was pretty good.

We had one gentleman onboard who looked like an extra for the movie Outbreak, coughing and sneezing. He probably has bubonic plague, which means I probably have it now.