After a very long day of travel, it was a relief to finally touch down in Santiago. It was 7 in the morning when we arrived, very chilly, and not yet light out. However, everyone in our group was chatting happily and glad to be off the 8 hour plane ride. I was wrapped in my Bath & Body Works lambie blanket and imagining the film of bacteria that surely enveloped me after our lengthy travels.
We all got in line to pay the $140 per person entrance fee into Chile, and after only a few people made it through the line, the credit card machines went down. That wouldn’t be a problem, except our company had given everyone a pre-paid Visa card to pay the fee with, and not everyone had enough cash.
Things became more frenzied as, those who HAD cash (and they ONLY took American dollars – not Chilean pesos), realized that not only were credit cards no longer accepted, but only PERFECTLY FLAWLESS American dollars were accepted. In other words, there couldn’t be the slightest tear, fold, or mark on any of the bills else they were refused.
The atmosphere in that room changed quickly.
When it was our turn to pay, we watched as one by one our bills were declined by the teller: a tiny tear here, a little wrinkle there. And the second plane had just arrived carrying the rest of our group, so now the line behind us was at least 100 people long.
Matthew was furious, and asked what we were supposed to do if they don’t accept credit cards and don’t like our cash.
The man behind the glass shrugged his shoulders and, in broken English, replied, “NO SOLUTION.”
Then my husband flew into a little bit of a rage and, through my teeth, I asked him to please calm down lest he be arrested before even officially entering the country and starting our vacation.
So how did it all work out, you ask?
Well, a gaurdian angel in the form of another member of the group walked up to us, pulled out a bill fold full of crisp hundreds, and asked “how much do you need?”
I don’t know how the other people got through, but somehow, we all did.
It was pretty much a nightmare! Welcome to Chile, right?
Anyway, the rest of our time in Chile was mostly without issue, minus my little cold, and here are a few more pictures from the trip!
Around downtown Santiago…
There were stray dogs EVERYWHERE. It was so sad.
I thought this was a pretty cool picture… a reflection of the old in the new…
We ate at this restaurant. It had “Chocolate” in the name. It was yummy.
This was a steak. It was legit. 
People in South America don’t mess around when it comes to coffee. It is STRONG stuff.
We walked around this fun, colorful neighborhood…
Mango gelato. A pleasant way to end our Chile recap, no?
Next stop, Buenos Aires!
I really, really loved it there, and can’t wait to tell you a little more (including about the flood and the blood spatter in our hotel room).
Fun times.
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