Cycling Chile/Argentina '04 | Santiago Index Day 57
Day 58: Santiago Helado, One More Time

Bought packing tapes and packed in the morning. Our flight to Miami would leave at 8 in the evening.

Hostel won't take credit card and I had to find an ATM several blocks away. When everything was set and ready, we spent some time at an Internet cafe. It's hard to believe we had left home for two months. There won't be more snow on the ground. But would our friend squirrels in the backyard still come back?

When we arrived in Punta Arena, we had no idea what to expect. We were blessed with some of the greatest mountain biking and were blasted by the relentless Patagonia wind. We could've slowed down to spend more time on cycling and skip most of the city scene. But, until we've seen it, we still wanted to see. It is unlikely we want to spend more time in Santiago again, but for cycling the Carretera Austral, even with the wind, the ripio, the rain, we would come back in a snap.

Before our taxi came to pick us up at 5PM, we made one more trip to the ice-cream parlor. Brian told the girl we were leaving for the US and came especially for her ice-cream. Hidden from the store manager, she offered more than we should take.

We escaped the city before rush hour. We sat in the same gate waiting for our flight. But different from two months ago, now Ancud, Candelario Mancilla, Dulce de Lache, El Calafate, Fitz Roy, Guinda, Jefe, Lago O'Higgins, Moreno, Puerto Natales, ripio, Santiago, Torres del Paine, Tortel, Vilparaiso, Yungay ... were not just words to us anymore.

Adios Chile. We appreciate all the fond memories and experience.