Spectacular First Impression, Chile.

Finally, the day has come! I have landed in Chile at the Airport in Sanitago, and have spent my first day in a foreign country (excluding a small trip to Niagara). So far, so good. First, I should mention the flights. I slept through both. Like a rock. But there was still an experience worth noting... my first view of the country. Life through my eyes is a bit... blurry. I wear contacts/prescription glasses and without them everything is a complete haze. When I was woken during the flight to Santiago, the first thing that caught my eye was a blob of an extremely bright rectangle of contrasting blue, orange and pink. I was terribly confused. Putting on my glasses, I then realized what caught my attention. It was the sun rising over the horizons of South America. Gorgeous! In the next ten minutes, all I could do was absorb the scenery. On both sides of me, mountain peaks of coppery, gritty, earth. We descended into a valley between these topographic marvels, where a fog  was laying over everything, forcing me to patiently wait to experience the country from the ground. We landed and that is when I realized that I was in somebody else's homeland. Humbling. Everything went well in the airport:  nobody lost luggage, no problems with customs. The bus ride into Vina del Mar showed even more that the country had to offer over its various and changing terrains. We reached our hotel, settled in and were off again. To lunch! I was starving, nothing since an airplane breakfast at who knows when and it was now around 2 PM local time. Our first experience of food in Chile was at the Tiki Taco Bar. One delicious shrimp taco later, the jet lag hit me and I just about passed out on my plate. Thankfully, after a long wait, we were walking and that revived me to see the country again. I saw my first view of the Pacific Ocean, walked past a few stray dogs, entertained ourselves with the street performers... more good experiences. Now, were already making plans for our first night, but for that, I will leave you til tomorrow! Yes, Mom, I landed safely and am fine. Jess, hope everything is going well in Germany, dying to hear about everything!! Gracias!