Text: Peter Johansson
Editing: Christer Lundstedt
Photos: Christer Lundstedt, Peter Johansson
Videos: Christer Lundstedt
Thursday 8th of August
08.18 It is a chilly winter morning in Santiago. We have woken up at the hotel Conde de Ansurez (http://ansurez.cl). The room phone stands white and quiet on my bedside table. My cell phone is next to it and just as quiet. It's time to get ready for this day's escapades. It will be the last full day in Santiago, well also in Chile and South America.
09.10 Just a moment ago we stood on floor 3 waiting for the elevator. It came, the doors slide up and there was a man with a white telephone handset with a cord in one hand. We went up with him to floor 4 and then down without him and his handset down to the entrance floor for breakfast.
09.32 We finished our breakfasts and went upstairs again. We wanted to get some things done before today's activities. The door to our room was open and the cleaning staff was inside. We sit in the armchairs by the elevator and let the skilled cleaners work in peace and quiet.
09.50 It is clean and neat in the room again. They really do a good job. We will now try to get something sensible done.
10.24 With a process that can hardly be called smooth, we swapped seats on the flight and checked in for tomorrow's journey home. For a while it was only possible to move Christer. As if by magic it was possible to move myself too.
10.37 Now we're ready. We have brought forth a city map, our bands for the tour bus and also the headphones. Now we will first travel to the bus's first stop in the east of Santiago.
11.07 Since the BIP-card to the metro could not be loaded in a vending machine, we went to a kiosk. Now we're going east towards the end of the red line.
14.19 The bus tour has started. We just made it. Why wait? We travel with the red bus from Turistik. The bus journey is estimated to take about two hours.
16.46 Our next mission will be to find a suitable place for a coffee break. There's supposed to be some Starbucks places up ahead on our walk.
Friday 9th of August
Everything we need for our tour through Santiago.
The metro brought us to Las Condes.
Christer is crossing the street near Manquehue station.
Peter is writing down some notes at Parque Arauco mall.
Peter is awaiting the lunch.
Pizzas in the sun from Trattoria Rita.
Peter in the tour bus from Turistik.
Montecarmelo Centro de Artesanía Nacional.
The bus arrives at the entrance to the city zoo, Zoológico Nacional.
Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes.
One of the stops on this city tour.
We have reached the heart of Santiago, Plaza de Armas.
Pedro de Valdivia in a stone version on Plaza de Armas.
The presidential palace, La Moneda.
Universidad Católica.
Taxi cars in Santiago.
Plaza Baquedano.
At Plaza Loreto you can see a fountain and the church Parroquia Nuestra Señora de Los Angeles.
We are visiting the small restaurant Las Delicias de Quirihue.
The last dinner in Chile.
08.21 I have for the last time in a while showered here in South America. I wonder when it will happen again. At the moment, there are no fixed plans for a new trip to this continent. However, we have unseen countries such as Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana and Suriname. We also want to see more of Brazil. Well, now we're about to start moving for sure.
09.38 There was not much drama around breakfast. Now we will slowly put the possessions in the right backpack. They're going out to travel really far from today. 10.05 The times of waiting are here. We're ready to go, but we still don't. 10.47 It has not yet fully occurred to me that I am actually going home today. I wonder when I'll get that insight. Insight or not, fact is, we're going home. 11.25 So far, everything has gone well today. Check-out and payment at the hotel, a short metro trip to the station Universidad de Santiago as well as the purchase of tickets for the airport bus with the familiar company Turbus. It's really hot on the bus, but it's going to be okay. It's not a long trip.
Peter is getting ready for the long trip home.
Christer is surviving a bus trip to the airport. Apparently a sauna was included in this bus ticket.
12.01 Our bus has reached Aeropuerto Arturo Merino Benítez, the international Airport just west of Santiago. Now begins that classic stroll we do at airports. First, there will be check-in, then the display of passports followed by the security checks.
12.44 The bags are sent away, Chile has let us out and we were not dangerous to have on board. Now we walk around and examine what options exist regarding a meal, a lighter lunch before we are going to travel. 13.01 Two glasses with Heineken beer have been served. Soon the burgers will be brought here too. The place that serves us this is Heineken Star Lounge. It is one of many restaurants around a small square here at the airport. 13.28 It was definitely not a meal to remember but beer is always delicious and we just needed something satisfying at an affordable price. 13.50 We treat ourselves with a last Chilean visit to Starbucks Coffee. Now the name of the cup matches what I'm actually called, Peter. It took a lot of visits before this happened.
Peter is writing at Heineken Star Lounge.
There is always time for a Starbucks visit.
Christer looks shocked. It is the correct name on Peter´s mug.
14.28 OK. The appearance of the plane at check-in on the internet does not match very well with reality. We clicked/placed ourselves next to a wall to avoid seats in front of us and right in front of us are seats. All our work for nothing. We once again travel with Air France.
15.10 We sit alone on our middle row and have moved a seat to the right. We're lucky, all the seats aren't booked on this flight. There is more space than we first feared. Now our plane no longer has contact with the ground. 16.28 There are 11 hours and 48 minutes left to fly. It's pretty smooth to fly. My GT, gin and tonic, was excellent. Soon there will be food, maybe pasta, maybe chicken; it will for sure be wine. This will probably be the last note with local Chilean time.
Saturday 10th of August
CHANGING TIME ZONE 02.00 The time has come to switch to French time, that is to say, Central European time. Soon we will leave Brazil and once again fly across the Atlantic. 03.45 Now half the trip is made and it actually goes reasonably well. I wonder if I will be able to sleep. 08.23 Lights come on in the cabin. I slept well. Soon we will be served a breakfast. What else can you serve at this time of day?
FRANCE
10.15 Touchdown! We are back in Europe and at the airport CDG, Charles de Gaulle, north of Paris. It took around 13 hours to fly here from Santiago. Soon it's time to wander between the gates. It's great to travel and see the world but not entirely wrong to be back on this side of the Atlantic again.
11.20 We are on our way to the next terminal, gate and flight. It's no hurry and actually pretty nice to walk. I think it's a good idea for us to move before we sit down again. 12.37 It's warm in here at terminal 2F. Once in the men's bathroom, we were asked to go out again. It was time to clean the place, we had to turn around. When that visit is over, we'll wait.
Tired and not so tired passengers at Paris CDG airport.
We finally found a place to sit down.
Restaurants on two floors but not much decent food anyway.
13.11 A decision has been taken, a decisive decision. We need food in some form before we fly home to Sweden. We will now find out what is offered. What opportunities do we have?
13.56 The hunt for food took us to restaurants with French delicacies, restaurants with a health profile and restaurants with a lack of seating. Why should it be so difficult to serve a simple meal to hungry passengers? Instead, soda and a cheese/ham baguette each were bought in a kiosk. 15.54 Air France's budget airline Joon will take us home the last stage to Sweden. Once on Arlanda airport there will be a break in the journey home. 17.12 We calmly and quietly travel towards home soil and the Fatherland. I dare to say and write this, but travel goes wonderfully smoothly. Experience tells me that the times we have been pleased regarding success, something less pleasant has happened later.SWEDEN
18.36 Now we are at the luggage belt in terminal 2 at Arlanda airport. Is our luggage on the way? What do we do if it comes, get some food or go straight to the hotel?
19.20 With our luggage by our sides we now sit on classic ground, the restaurant Alfredos (https://www.alfredos.se). It's expensive for sure but we need food. 20.00 We are pleased and cheerful. We are preparing for the next movement. Now we are outdoors, breathing Swedish air and waiting for the shuttle bus which will take us to Connect Hotel a few kilometres away.
Peter is walking from Terminal 2 to Terminal 5.
Christer is having a late dinner at Alfredo´s.
Our room at Connect Hotel Arlanda.
21.06 We were checked in by a man with long painted nails and feminine voice. Our last hotel for this time is as previously written Connect Hotel Arlanda. We are not far from the hotel where we stayed when we came home from the Basque Country, Spain in April. Then we stayed at First Hotel Arlanda. There is no significant difference in the hotels here in the area. The number of the room is 140. It was nice to take a shower away the travel dust on arrival.
22.02 In England, the first preliminary rounds of the FA Cup have just begun. It is as it comes to us the end of a long journey. It'll be nice to sleep in a bed.
Sunday 11th of August
07.03 It has been great to sleep here at Connect Hotel but I could for sure have slept even more. Now I have to wait with the sleeping. It's time to go home. The last small stage of this long journey remains.
08.18 Our breakfast was as it usually is at a Swedish hotel. Nothing extra and nothing wrong. It included options for all diets and allergies. 08.47 Now we are waiting for the shuttle bus to take us back to the airport. I think we're the only ones here who don't drag on a cabin bag. Under a tree and at some flowers lies a black white bull statue, is it Ferdinand? Next to us is some kind of electric cabinet completely open. 09.05 The shuttle bus has picked up us and two Chinese travelers. I have a hunch that they have spent the night here at the hotel.
Christer is enjoing a Swedish hotel breakfast.
Is it Ferdinand?
Connect Hotel, Arlanda.
This should be closed, or?
Some last words by the tracks.
09.31 We got off at Terminal 5 and have now moved underground. Soon our next means of transport will come. That will be the last joined trip this time.
09.53 We are on board SJ's train which will take us further north in the country. 12.04 The two travel companions and several others are now between Hudiksvall and Sundsvall. Until now everything has gone according to plan. 13.00 After over seven weeks together, Christer's and my paths have now parted. It has been an amazing and eventful journey and experience in South America. The only downside is that it has been a bit cold in some hotel rooms. Now it will be a little preparation time for both of us before we re-enter the teacher roles on Wednesday. The travelers and backpacks will then rest until the next adventure kicks off.
Christer is walking along Norra Kajen in Sundsvall.
You can see 57 photos from August 8 in this photoalbum.
You can see 12 photos from August 9 in this photoalbum.
You can see 9 photos from August 10 in this photoalbum.
You can see 11 photos from August 11 in this photoalbum.