Santiago, Chile

[ihpguy]

I'm taking the boyfriennd(?) there next week.

Anybody been? Fun things to do? Vineyards? Valparaiso?

I wanted to go to the Atacama as well. But I was afraid of sleeping at 2500meter elevation and the sights in Chile and Bolivia are at over 4000meters.

[msclelovr]

I've spent two long weekends there, once with an Argentine boyfriend and once alone. I found the city interesting but dull in terms of nightlife.

Society is noticeably more conservative in Santiago than in Buenos Aires or Rio de Janeiro. By this, I mean in terms of gay equality and easy acceptance. I did not encounter any homophobia but I noticed that in our hotel rooms, we always had two beds made up even though I had specified in the reservation that we wanted one kingsize bed. Although we pushed the beds together at night, after housekeeping had been, they were always separated. I gather from Latin American friends that this is quite usual for two men checking into hotels in Chile.

I think Valparaiso is charming and well worth a visit. I too would like to visit the Atacama desert but I feel it is too far from the capital to visit unless you have a week in Chile.

[ihpguy]

Thinking on 4 nights in Santiago, and then to Vina, Valpo and/or mayba Vale Nevado