Our trip to Chile wouldn't have been complete without a visit to the capital, so towards the end of our stay we decided to visit Santiago. We had 4 days to discover what the city was all about, so we set out to visit the main attractions, sample Chilean food, and explore various neighborhoods on foot. We may not have been able to see it all, but the following is our experience in the city. For anyone planning a similar trip, here's a look at 20 things to do in Santiago de Chile on your visit:So today we are visiting Santa Lucia hill. This is actually an extinct volcano right in the middle of the city. It is 69 meters tall and we're going to go check it out. Santa Lucia is an urban park smack dab in the middle of Santiago and it’s a popular hangout in the afternoons and weekends. The hike is a pleasant one with lots to see, including fountains, spiraling staircases,defensive forts, sprawling gardens, and cool lookout points. Lastarria is a neighbourhood located just east of Santa Lucia hill and it was once the bohemian hub of the city. Today it is very popular with tourists as it offers an outdoors flea market, an international mix of cafes and restaurants, and live music. And now we're going to take you to what we think is the best ice cream shop in town. It is called Emporio La Rosa. Lots of great selections and we've been coming here almost every single day we've been in Santiago. So that says something. A little bit more than we'd like to admit. Yes. Let's go in. Sam, you got your favorite flavor. Want to show us?Yes, dulce de leche, right here. Dulce de leche. Let's take the first bite. I mean they gave such a generous portion here that not only do we get a cone but we also get a cup as well. So it doesn't melt and overflow. I really like that idea. They should do that in more places around the world. Okay. Are you having a moment there?That is divine. You know what, you know what really makes this dulce de leche flavor so good. Especially at this place is that it is a little bit salty. Normally it is just really really sweet but there is this kind of little tinge of salt that just makes it awesome. That is unusual. Love it. Love it. So I got some ice cream as well of course. So this is actually raspberries and mint. So, I'm not a huge fan of mint but I really like raspberry. Now that is an interesting combo. I've never had that before. What can you taste more?The raspberry or the mint?Definitely the raspberry?Yeah. Not too much mint?The mint is a very subtle aftertaste. It just makes it a little bit more refreshing. So yeah, I'm a fan of this one. I'd recommend it. For panoramic views of the city, ride the funicular to the top of San Cristobal Hill. You can catch the funicular at Pio Nono station, and either pay to stop halfway up the hill at the zoo, or ride all the way to the summit. Keep in mind that the lines tend to be a bit longer on weekends, especially as you approach sunset. Okay, so we rode the funicular and we made it to the top of San Cristobal Hill. And you get some pretty cool spectacular views. You can see the Andes and they look like they're within reach. I know, it almost makes me want to go climb them but I'm a little too lazy. I think we'll go get food instead. Another time. So it is time for a little afternoon snack in Santiago. Today we're at a restaurant called Galin do and we're going to be trying a dish that is called Chorrillana. And this is a lot like a Canadian poutine. Now if you're not too familiar with Canadian poutine that is kind of like when you get some French Fries with gravy and cheese and other ingredients over top. So this is going to be similar but with a Chilean twist so we're waiting for the food to arrive now. Well as you can see the food has arrived and the funny part is this is listed as an appetizeror a starter for one person. If you have a look at that, that is enough to feed two grown people. I think Sam and I are going to struggle with this. It is our main. It is our main. For two. Definitely. Alright Sam, so it is time to give us the tour of the plate. Yes, so before I tuck into this tasty little treat I'm going to explain what we've go there. So we have tenderloin, onion and scrambled egg on top of those french fries. It is actually a little bit different from the first time we tried Chorrillana because that had a fried egg on top and also sausage. Yes. But this has a lot more meat. This is a very generous portion. So dig right in hungry boy. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Yeah. Enjoying that?Oh, yeah. Wow, those are like really tasty onions. You can tell they've been marinated in something. I think they're caramelized. Yeah, caramelized onions I think. And the french fries are a golden perfection. It is just going to be an awesome filling carb loaded delicious little treat. So we've had this dish a few times since we've arrived in Santiago and no two Chorrillanas are the same. This one is different, I mean it has no sausage or hot dogs and that was our first experience trying Chorrillanas. And also this one has scrambled eggs instead of fried egg on top. So it is kind of nice that you can always find a bit of variety when you go to a different restaurant. And I think I am ready for my first bite. Got a little bit of everything in there. Mmmm. Wow. That meat is tender isn't it?It is tender. It is tenderloin, so it should be tender. It should be tender. Wow. That is nice. In a way it is kind of nice that they only have the beef and there is no sausage because like this is a really good cut of meat. It is very juicy so the flavors really come through. You don't have too many competing tastes. Yeah, you don't need a whole lot of ingredients with this dish. Not when it is done well. Plaza de Armas is the heart of Santiago’s historic centre and it’s not a bad place to do some people watching. There are lots of benches under the cover of palm trees, and the place is buzzing with activity no matter the time of day. Hi, pup. You're getting a massage. Are you enjoying your massage. You have a nice smile pup. The Metropolitan Cathedral is located in the historic centre of Santiago overlooking the square. The construction you see today dates back to the year 1800, since previous cathedrals were destroyed in earthquakes. When it comes to sunsets, Santiago knows how to put on a show. The best-known spot in town for 360 degree views of the city is Sky Costanera, with an observatory that is open from 10 am to 10 pm. Alternatively, you could enjoy the free views from one of the city’s residential skyscrapers like we did. Since we were renting an AirBnB apartment for the duration of our stay, we had access to our building’s rooftop terrace and the views were pretty spectacular. And a way to cool down here in Santiago is to go and get yourself a Pisco Sour. This is a really refreshing drink. Basically, it is a pisco brandy which is a grape brandy and then you combine that with citrus juice and there is egg white on top. And if you can see this there is a little bit of a brown kind of caramel color. It is called bitter. That is bitter, exactly. So let's try this out to see if it is good. Salut!Yeah, that's real nice. Very refreshing, very sweet but also quite tart as well. Santiago’s Central Market is the place to come for the freshest food. Inside the market you’ll find butchers and fishmongers - it’s okay to skip that part- but if you continue your exploration, you’ll find rows of restaurants serving up everything from grilled fish to ceviche. We really like our ceviche, so we found a place serving exactly that. (Music Playing)Parque Forestal is a park that forms a long stretch of greenery along the Mapocho River. It’s a nice green escape in the middle of the city and we noticed it was really popular with couples who were just lounging around on the grass. Palacio de la Moneda is the seat of the President of the Republic of Chile. This is where you can come to watch the changing of the guard, but keep in mind that it only happens every other day. We just missed it!Just underneath Palacio de La Moneda, you’ll find Centro Cultural Palacio La Moneda, whichis a cultural centre featuring exhibitions, design shops, and a small selection of cafes. It’s a nice place to cool down and check out some art if it’s a really hot day out. So we found this empanada shop. It is called Zunino and it was packed. It is probably about one thirty right now so the line really was stretching out of thee stablishment but we managed to place our order. We ordered one cheese empanada and one pino empanada. What is kind of unique about that place is that is all that they do. They only have these two varieties. You either get your pino beef or your cheese. So it is a very small selection but I think that means they really know how to make a good empanada. Alright, and I'm having the cheese one and it is still piping hot. This looks really cool. I can tell that the pastry, already before biting into it, is going to be really flaky. Yeah. Mmmm. Is that the cheese one for real?Or is it beef?Oh, yeah that is the cheese one. Oh yeah. I don't know how you can tell. And you know what?This is really good quality one. Like you can tell just from. If you can get close up in on the pastry here. The attention to detail of the pastry like it is just so flaky, lots of layers, buttery and is just melting right in my mouth and then that gooey cheese. Oh, that is just a winning combo. Alright, so I tried the cheese ones. The cheese one was really tasty. Now time for Pino. Mmmm. Have a look in there. Juicy. Look at that. So, this one has beef, onions and olive. That I've got the pit in my mouth right now. Excuse me. And it also has egg but I haven't bitten into that part yet. So like it is really nice and juicy inside. It is still warm. What surprises me though is the size. Like when we made our empanada video in San Pedro de Atacama like those were massive empanadas. They were almost like bigger than like a main course plate. But these are more snack sized right?Yeah, I would say they are about half the size of the ones we had in Atacama. Um, so yeah I kind of like it because I struggled to finish those big ones. Like the ones we had in Atacama were really good for sharing but this is like a good individual size. So it is not going to ruin your lunch or dinner so long as you have it as a snack. Mmmm. . . hmmmm. And the quality?It is really good. Look at those onions. Ooh. So apparently there is a bit of a craft beer scene here in Santiago. And Sam, you've just been sampling everything you can. Yeah, there really is. Well, it has been really hot in Santiago lately so in all fairness to my defense. Excuses, excuses. But this is really good quality craft beer. Um, a lot of the ones I've been having have actually tasted a little bit like grapefruit,so I'm interested to see what this one over here tastes like. Do you remember the name of it?Schopp. What kind of chopp?This is amber. Amber schopp. Alright. And it does have a little bit of a grapefruit taste. Why does it taste like grapefruit?I don't know. That is the way they make craft beer over here. They've got some kind of secret here in Chile. It tastes good. Bellavista is a neighborhood located just northeast of the city centre. It’s a cultural hub with lots of theatres, cinemas, cafes, museums, and restaurants. The most famed home in the neighbourhood is La Chascona, the home of the famed Chile anpoet Pablo Neruda. Unfortunately, no filming or photography is allowed inside the premises. When it comes to art, you have a few choices. Just across Parque Forestal, you’ll find the National Fine Arts Museum focusing on Chilean paintings and sculptures. And then directly behind this museum, you’ll come across the Museum of Contemporary Art,which focuses on pieces from the turn of the 19th century. Last but not least, you can wander around the small neighbourhood of Paris-Londres. This neighborhood features cobbled streets, restored mansions, and it’s a nice little walk if you’re in the area. And that's a wrap for the Chilean capital!We hope you enjoyed this Santiago travel guide and that it gave you a few ideas of things to do, places to visit, and Chilean dishes to try in the city. As always, if you have any suggestion of things travellers should add to their Santiago itinerary,feel free to share those with us in the comments below. So, hello from Valparaiso. That means paradise on the valley. We have a few days to explore the city and we're planning to do most of it on foot. Yes, and most of it is going up hills as well. And there is so much cool street art here. So we're going to be taking a few different walking tours while we're in town. Today we're doing the first one which should be an overview of the city. And it should be fun. So we're going to take you on a little guided tour of Valparaiso. Yee-haw!To say Valparaiso is a bit hilly would be an understatement. The city is a maze of steep inclines which means the best way to get around and save your legs for sightseeing, is by riding up and down the funiculars. It might seem a bit daunting considering some of these are well over a hundred years old,but they still do the job. And this is our friend the pup who has joined our tour. She's the official bodyguard. And she knows where the funiculars are located so she took the stairs instead. Hi, pup. You're sweet aren't you?Yes, you are. Yes, you are. Yes, you are. How was it?I survived. Hahaha. Hi, pup. Hello, friend. Hi, friend. Hi, friend. Hi, friend. Someone is busy filming. Yes, this is the kind of place if you're a photographer you do not put your camera down. No, not for one second. If we can offer one recommendation for visiting Valparaiso, it would be to join one of the free walking tours towards the beginning of your stay. This is a great way to get some background history and to familiarize yourself with the various neigh bourhoods. The local guides know where to find the best murals, so consider this a scouting mission. You can always come back with a bit more time to explore the area with your camera in hand. Alright, so Sam we have been walking around Valparaiso for about an hour and a half or two hours. What are your first impressions so far?Well, my impressions are you should always give a place a second chance. Because where we were staying, on the flat part of the city, is a little boring. Not super exciting. A little boring for sure but once you get up on the hills it is a whole different city. Apparently, there are 42 hills in the city and we're just exploring it for the first time today. And my first impressions are so much better now that we're seeing this cool part. It is so colorful, so artsy and lots of fun to check out. Exactly. Another thing we really enjoyed about our walking tour of Valparaiso, was the company of all the dogs. Valparaiso has a lot of strays roaming the streets, but we found the dogs to be super friendly and affectionate. We also noticed locals feeding dogs in the park and homeowners leaving water bowls out on their doorstep for strays. As for all the dogs following us, our guide told us that the strays already know his routine and they are always there to meet him at various points along the walking tour. We had pack of 7 at one point during the tour. We're having a little food break. I think we're going to try some empanadas. And I see that they have shrimp ones on the menu. Shrimp and cheese empanadas so those should be really tasty. So snack time. Your first deep-fried Chilean empanada. And this one is stuffed with cheese and shrimp. Yes, cheese and shrimp. And this is my first time to ever try one with shrimp so this is an exciting moment. And they were cooked in oil. These were deep-fried so they're probably still a little bit hot. Oh, the cheese is so gooey. I have a nice big piece of shrimp too. This is honestly one of the best empanadas I've ever had. This is incredible. And we're been walking around for a long time. Yes, and I skipped breakfast so that may be a factor in what I'm saying here. Okay, let's get a closer look then. Let's see. Oh, ooey gooey but can we see the shrimp. Okay, it is kind of in there. Nice. Nice. So it is a little early in the morning but we're trying our first Chilean Pisco. Is it sour?Is the pisco sour?You know, it is a little sour but I mean it is also quite sweet. It is kind of nice. Like sugary and lemon-y. It is almost like a syrup. It is a little thick. Have some. So it is day two in Valparaiso and today we're going to do a bit more sightseeing. We're actually revisiting the area where we were yesterday because we didn't get enough pictures and video. Yes, and the light is fantastic this morning. Normally here it doesn't get sunny until like maybe four or five PM. And we have blue skies today. Hive five!So these are the famed piano steps and it doesn't look like it when you're going down but I'll show you as soon as I reach the bottom. Piano steps. Okay, so next up we're about to ride the oldest funicular around. This should be exciting. Yes, and this is how we've been getting around this part of town. Going up and down the funicular. Because otherwise it is really steep. Hopefully it won't be too rickety. This one is from 1883. So this one is definitely more rickety than the last one we rode. There goes the other one. So we weren't really planning on doing a boat tour today but we have blue skies, the weather is great and we finished our walking tour near the harbor. So why not?Yeah, why not. Let's do it. We hopped aboard, it is 3000 Chilean Pesos per person. It should give us a different perspective of the city that is for sure. Yeah, and it is going to be a thirty minute ride. So it should be fun. The harbor tours depart from Muelle Prat as soon as they get a boat-full of passengers. During the outing you’ll go past container ships, tug boats, and navy vessels, plus you’ll also have a guide on-board to point out sights along the way. If you’re lucky, you might even get to see some sea lions basking in the sun. So still catching my breath from the last hill we finished climbing. Right now we're visiting the neighborhood of Bella Vista. This is where the open-air museum is located. This is basically a collection of little streets and lanes with lots of street art and color fulmurals. So we're going to be walking around and checking out the art. So it is day three and we kind of had a bit of a change in plans. We were originally planning to do another walking tour. Yep. But it is a really sunny day so decided to have a beach day instead. So we'll be taking the train over to Vina del Mar. Getting some seafood, some sunshine. So just mixing it up here and we were hoping to go this place before we left so I think we made the right decision hopefully. Viña del Mar is a super quick day trip from Valparaiso. The two cities are only 8 kilometers apart and you can easily get there with the above ground metro system that runs along the beach. It’s only a 15 minute ride, and it’s quite the change in scenery. Whereas Valparaiso is colorful, artsy, and gritty, Viña del Mar is a bit more chic and modern. That being said, while we enjoyed our day trip to Viña del Mar, we were really glad we decided to stay in Valparaiso as we felt it had way more character. Yes, are you cute pup?Are you cute?We made it to the beach. And we're soaking in some rays. It is still a little bit windy because it is early in the morning so I've got my scarf on. But I think the day is going to warm up. It is 25 degrees. There is no reason for you to have a scarf on right now. It is chilly. Just saying. Just saying. And yeah, it is kind of cool here. It is really different from Valparaiso. Lots of condos and hotels along the beach. Lots of seafood restaurants. Yeah, it couldn't be any different. You can tell this is kind of like maybe a popular weekend destination for people living in Santiago or nearby. It is less artsy and more upscale I would say. So our time in Valparaiso is coming to an end. What are your final thoughts of the place?Yeah, that is a wrap from here. I loved it here. It was one of the coolest cities that I think we've visited on this entire South America trip. Yeah. What was really unique for me, obviously was going up to the hills and seeing all of those artsy gritty neighborhoods. It is a city I've never been to before. Like I backpacked in 2010 and this is somewhere I didn't get to go to. Finally a new destination for Sam. Yes, a new place for me. A lot of these places on this trip haven't been new for me so this was a little bit extra special. And so I really loved it here and I would highly recommend you come. And the views are so cool. We have to show you the views from our balcony. Look at that. You get to see the hills, the colorful hills. Bye Valparaiso. After close to a month travelling around Chile, Sam and I hopped on a plane to visit Easter Island, known locally as Rapa Nui. This was the closest we were ever going to get to this remote speck in the ocean, which also happens to be the southeastern most point of the Polynesian Triangle. We gave ourselves one full week to explore Isla de Pascua, and what follows is a travel guide of our time there. We hiked ancient volcanoes, stood face to face with the moai, watched spectacular sunrisesand sunsets, and road tripped around the island while wild horses ran alongside. It was an incredible week and we hope this video will inspire you to plan your own visit to Easter Island. DAY 1So it is our first morning on Easter Island. How excited are you?Beyond excited. This is incredible. This is a place I never actually thought I was going to visit in my lifetime. And we're going to start off the day by climbing a volcano because why not. That's how we roll. Let's go. This is the beast we're planning on tackling. Right in front of us. That is an extinct volcano crater. Right ahead. We have dogs leading the way for us. Which way pups?Lead the way pups. We just witnessed an animals in the wild moment. We have two dogs who have been following us since we left the town and they've been walking along keeping us company. And then one of them saw a chicken and it decided that's going to be my breakfast and it just went for it. Caught a live chicken, the chicken died and the dog had breakfast. So, that is country living. Country living. That is what happens. (Dog panting)(Dogs lapping up water)Rano Kau is 324 meters tall and it is located on the southwestern tip of Rapa Nui. We hiked all the way from town, and because of it’s gradual incline, we found it to be a relatively easy activity. That being said, we would recommend doing it early in the morning, since there were very few shaded areas along the way. We made it to the top. Woo!Yes!I feel like we've earned it. There is ways you can cheat by taking the car. We could drive up to the top like a whole bunch of people have done but we were up early and we walked to get here. Feeling accomplished. The Rano Kau crater is a protected area so you are not allowed to climb into it, however,you can get some really cool views of the interior by standing along the rim. Here’s a little fun fact: because the crater is sheltered from the winds, it has developedits own micro-climate and it also has vegetation you can’t find elsewhere on the island. So we've reached the top of Orongo but the hike is not over yet. The trail continues and apparently we're going to get some really cool views of tiny little islands just off of Easter Island. Like little islets I guess you could say. So let's go. Let's go. Orongo is a village and ceremonial site located just past the Rano Kau Crater. Unfortunately, it started pouring rain shortly after we reached the site, so we didn’tget to visit, but we made plans to return later that week. That evening we made our way into Hanga Roa to watch the sun set from the harbor. There were lots of surfers out on the water, and the waves kept rolling in and crashing against the rocks. Meanwhile we enjoyed the show with ice cream cones in hand. DAY 2So it is Sunday morning, 9AM right now, and we are going to Catholic Mass. This was a suggestion by our host who is renting us the cutest little cottage. She said this is mostly for tourists so I'm not really sure what to expect but we were a bit curious so we're going to go check it out. (Music, chanting and praying)So that was a pretty cool church service. It was unlike any I've ever been to before. It was pretty cool because a lot of the songs they sang were actually in Rapa Nui. It wasn't in Spanish. Um, and also just the clothes they were wearing. Like I don't really know the terminology for this but the Priest had like feathers on his head and some dogs made it in as well. Yeah, dogs came in to the service. Lots of music. We also had kind of like a lay, I don't know if they use that word here or if that justis in Hawaii. He had like a flower necklace he was wearing. So it was pretty cool. It was nice seeing the culture and how that is incorporated into the local church service. So, if you happen to be on the island, on a Sunday you can check that out. After attending mass, we hopped over to the artisan’s market located just across the street. Here we found all sorts of souvenirs, including: miniature moai statues carved out of stone and wood, as well as postcards, magnets, and jewelry. After the market we took a walk to Ahu Tahai, which is a ceremonial complex that holds 3different ‘ahus’ or platforms with moai. Perhaps the most famed of the three is Ahu Ko Te Riku, which stands out from the rest because it has restored eyes. Having already visited Ahu Tahai by day, we still made it a point to come in the late afternoon. The complex is just a short walk to the north end of town, and it also happens to be the best place to catch the sunset on the island. From this spot you can watch the sun paint the sky all shades of persimmon, pink and gold, before finally setting behind the moai and then dipping beneath the ocean. Day 3So day three on the island and look at what we just got. Our official Rapa Nui stamps. How cool are those?Very very cool. Best souvenir ever. So we just finished renting a car and that calls for a road-trip around Easter Island. So our first stop is Rano Raraku. I'm probably butchering the name but I think that is the sight you've been most excited to visit. Yeah, this is a place we've been really wanting to go to and I can't believe it took us until what day three. Day 3 to actually do it. But yeah, there are hundreds of Moai here. Many of them unfinished. A lot of them toppled over. So it is pretty cool to just walk around and see so many of them up close. Yes, and we've got the car for 48 hours so there is going to be a lot of road tripping left to do. Yes. Rano Raraku is yet another volcano crater found on the island, and it is also the site of the quarry that supplied the stone for the hundreds of moai that can be found onthe island. The quarry is believed to have been in use for a span of 500 years up until the early18th century when activity ceased. It would also appear that this site was abandoned in a rush since many of the moai here are unfinished. So right now we're heading inside the crater of the Ranu Raraku volcano. And there is a lake in there. It basically looks like a wetland. It is pretty cool. Quite green. So yeah, have a look. If you can see. There it is. And there is Sam filming in the background. Awesome. After seeing the moai scattered on the slopes of the volcano, we took a little detour and hiked into the crater. This area is home to a lake with reeds. We also spotted wild horses and a few moai inside the crater, which was quite unexpected. From there we continued on to Ahu Tongariki for a quick visit. This site is home to 15 moai, making it the biggest ‘ahu’ on the island. Okay so it is almost sunset and we're driving back to a spot that we've already been to before and that is Orongo. And we're going to get some nice views of the crater from there and I think sunset should be pretty spectacular. We'll be looking out at the ocean. Woo hoo. Day 4Well good morning. It is day four on Easter Island. Sam how are you feeling?Grumpy?Did you sleep well?Grumpy, a little bit tired still. But we're up for a very special reason. Yes, we're here to watch the sunrise. So we drove back to the 15 Moai where we were yesterday. And it should be pretty spectacular. The sun is starting to break-through so we're going to show you that. The best place to catch the sunrise in Rapa Nui is at Ahu Tongariki. We made the drive in the dark and we arrived just as the sky was beginning to show its soft morning colours. It’s also worth noting that when we visited in March, sunrise was happening at 8:20 a. m. ,so we weren’t up that early. So we are back on the road. We freshened up, had our breakfast and right now we're visiting Ahu Akivi. And these are the only Moai on the whole island that lookout to sea. So that is pretty unusual. So it is not the best time of day for light but hopefully you can see them just over there. There is seven of them here. We keep coming across wild horses. Right behind me. So cool. (Airplane noises)It is time for ceviche. It is actually like three or four in the afternoon but we're hungry and we love this place. It is our favorite spot on the island. So let's go in. Making new friends. I think the pup wants ceviche. It is waiting for our order to arrive. Don't you. Yes, you like your fish. You like your fish. Can you see all of this?Our ceviche has arrived. This one is Sam's and looks like his has shrimp. Mine is strictly local fish. Catch of the day. I couldn't tell you what the name of the fish is but it looks amazing. We've got rice, sweet potatoes, salad. Let's dig in. That's good. I just love the lime and the cilantro that they've put on this. It is amazing. My favorite. So that was a pretty fabulous meal, wouldn't you say?Yes, we're full. But never too full for ice cream. Waiting for your cone. Three scoops. Three scoops. I would like to point out that Sam ran off with his ice cream and he left me to pay for everything. And this is probably our favorite spot to eat. They have awesome artisan ice cream. Uh-huh. And it is really good value. Like it is not expensive and the taste is amazing. Absolutely amazing. Do you know what flavors your are having here?You've got three flavors. I've got mint, I've got Malpaga. Malaga which is like rum and raisin. And the other one was Torrone something. I can't remember what that is. It had hazelnuts in it. You're having a hard time keeping the camera up. You're so excited to eat yours. I'm having a raspberry ginger. And I better start eating because it is melting. One of the best decisions we made on our trip was to rent a car so that we would have the ability to explore all of Easter Island. On one particular afternoon, we hopped in the car and decided to drive the full island loop. We got to enjoy landscapes, the waves crashing along the rocky shores, and we also encountered many wild horses!If was one of the highlights of our visit. So we are finishing off the day with a trip to Anakena beach. And Sam just loves the beach. So we had to come here. Yeah, I love it so much we're coming tomorrow. Just for her. Day 5Meow. Good morning. It is day 5 on Easter Island and it is actually our last day with a car so we're trying tomake the most of everything. So, back at the beach. First up, back at the beach. Yes, back at Anakena Beach. We were here yesterday but we thought we'd come and get some pictures. And next up we're going to head back to the Orongo Crater. Or no, to Orongo village because last time we were there it started pouring rain andwe had to run back. So we didn't get to see much over there. So we'll be driving there next up. Fingers crossed for better weather. Mmmhmmm. So next up we're visiting Puna Pao and this is where the Pukao were carved. And those are the red stones that you see on top of a lot of the Moai. And they are not sure if these were meant to resemble top knots, turbans or hats. But you can see them off in the distance. Puna Pao is a quarry with red volcanic rock, and although it is much smaller than RanoRaraku, all of the headpieces that you see on the ‘moai’ across the island came from this very spot. Later in the day we finally made it back to Orongo, where the rain held up!The village consists of round-walled buildings made out of flat stone, and there’s a trail hat winds through the entire village. So it is nighttime here in Hanga Roa, Easter Island. And this evening we're going to a cultural dance performance. It should be fun. Let's go check it out. (Singing and dancing)Day 6And now it is time for a tour of our little cottage here on Easter Island. Yeah, this is our last day here and we thought we'd just show you the house. We've had a really low-key day. I mean it has been awesome. We've been able to have such good weather on this island. And we've like covered basically everything we wanted to do so this last day we've really done basically nothing. Well, it was pouring rain this morning. It was. We couldn't go anywhere. I mean, that is part of the luck we've had though. We haven't had rain except for on the day we didn't need to do anything. Alright, so time for the house tour. Lead the way, sir. Up the steps. So this is a kind of basic accommodation you can find on the island. This feels like house hunters international. Living room. Here is the living room. Yes, followed by the kitchen. The dining area. Here we have the kitchen which is a little messy at the moment. And our messy humble abode. This is the bedroom we've been staying in. So yeah, the beds. We've been staying here with my parents and they have a room over there. The fancy room. And we also have a little bathroom. Tada!Hello!Um, yeah. So accommodations on Easter Island are very basic and a little pricey. For this cottage we paid 830 US dollars for the week. Yeah. And that is pretty standard. Yeah, exactly. So if you come here, if you don't have a huge budget this is the type of place you're likely going to be staying at. Yeah. Day 7Ciao Rapa Nui!Ciao. So sad!First class. But we never get to sit in first class. And just like that our week on Easter Island was up!Rapa Nui is one of the most fascinating places we have ever visited, and we loved getting to explore every inch of the island. Now it’s over to you. Have you been to Easter Island?Is it a place you’d like to visit?Let us know in the comments below. Good afternoon from the town of San Pedro de Atacama in Chile. We've been here a few days taking a few different day trips to visit volcanoes and lagoons and see flamingos and doing lots of cool stuff. We've seen lots of wildlife, we've seen some amazing landscapes. And now we're going to show you the town. It's actually quite small and there isn't a lot to do but if you're taking tours from here you're going to end up spending a bit of time in San Pedro so yeah let's go take a little tour. A little walk around. Sounds good to me. Bienvenidos a San Pedro de Atacama. Si!And this place is pretty cool because in the distance, in the background you can see volcanoes. You have volcanoes right over there. Let me run out to the street. There. So next up we're going to take you down a street called Caracoles. And this is like the main street in the whole town. This is where you can find ice cream shops, bars, restaurants, tour operators, laundry places. Whatever you could need and that is over this way. This way. This way. Come. What are your overall impressions of the town after having spent a few days here?Yeah, it's a decent place to hang out. This is not the kind of town where you come to linger. It's a launching pad for a whole bunch of other activities. You can also go to Bolivia to do the Uyuni salt flat tours as well. And you can also cross over to Argentina to go to Salt a which is what we're going to do tomorrow. Yeah, so come here book a tour, take some trips and eat well. Yes. And our last stop of this little tour of San Pedro is the main square. Yes. This is where you'll find live music and lot of dogs running around. Yeah, some live music is happening as we speak. And that is a wrap from San Pedro. We are now finishing things off with a few clips from Carnival because 'yes' we're inthe thick of carnival season. Ciao. Ciao ciao. Good morning everyone. Today you'll notice I'm not traveling with Audrey or my parents. Yesterday we did a marathon session of 13 hours of tours. So understandably they are back at home resting. But today I'm going to go out and show some different areas in and around San Pedro deAtacama. And these are different from what we did before. We're going to be focusing on lagoons and the altiplano and we're also going to be visit in ga Salt Flat. So lots of cool stuff planned for today. Something else I've really enjoyed about the tours here is the fact they've all left really early in the morning. That's been awesome for photography because of the nice soft light in the morning and also great for spotting wildlife. Ah, estoy llena. Breakfast was awesome. I'm totally stuffed. Today we had omelettes and we also had bread and we had Carlitos again so it was a really good meal and now we're ready to move on. On both days of our tour we decided to go with a company called Grado diez - Grado 10. And I thought I'd share the thought process behind that. So number one the vehicles are a lot bigger than the typical ones plying these roads. A lot of the vehicles that you'll see on these tours are little minivans and they tend to have problems sometimes on these off-roads. So taking a big truck was really good. And the other reason we decided to go with this company too was because of the awesome windows on this vehicle. This is like a safari truck so you know the tour cost a little bit more and we did get a few extra things. Like we had a really nice breakfast, we had on the first day we had pancakes, we had really nice juice, coffee, bread. And today we had omelets. I've noticed on other cheaper tours you get a lot more of a simple breakfast. It is just like bread and maybe juice and that is it. So this was a really good choice for us. It cost a little bit more but you know sometimes the extra comfort is worth paying for. Next up is the flamingo reserve. Time to go spot some flamingos. Something about the tour today to really keep in mind is that the elevation does go above4000 meters above sea level. So that means that altitude sickness can be an issue and also getting a sunburn is very common in this type of weather because you're up so high, so you really really need to slat heron that sunscreen. Alright, so that marks the end of the tour. The highlight was definitely the flamingo reserve and the salt flats. Well the temperature sure changes quickly here in the Atacama desert. When we went to visit the geysers this morning we were freezing. It was so cold and this afternoon we're planning to tour the Valley of the Moon and we are melting. Like seriously, it must be like high 30's maybe even low 40's in Celsius. I feel like it's Samuel a la parrilla. His first Spanish joke - Sam on the grill. Haha!So our first stop on this afternoon tour is called Piedra del Coyote and our guide was saying this was like the iconic postcard shot that you see on all of the guidebooks and it is pretty impressive. Voila!Into the deep dark cave. Actually it is not very big and it is very deep or very dark but it is a lot cooler than out in the desert. So, I'm happy. This is a time where I wish I was 5'6 not 6'1. This is spooky. We're only seeing shadows. And darkness. We should have brought a flashlight. Should have brought a flashlight. We're like little ants in a tunnel. Yes, except that I'm an ant that is way too big for this little ant tunnel. The Queen ant. I'm the queen ant. I should be out enjoying paradise somewhere else. That was kind of hard to film. We weren't expecting to crawl through a tunnel. Yeah, it started off too easy. And we're like this isn't even a cave. And then it became hardcore caving. And it was pitch black and we didn't bring flashlights. But the best part about this was that it allowed us to cool off. It was so hot before we came in here. The end is nigh. The end is nigh. No, seriously though. This is our final stop. We have to climb a dune or some hill. It is going to take us about 30 minutes. Once we reach the top we get to watch the sunset. Woo!And then we get food back in town. Feed me. Yes, and what you don't realize is this is our second tour of the day. This is going to be our second video coming out but we did all of this in one day. We started at four AM and right now it is what?Sunset, sunset time. Let's go watch the sun. And that is a wrap for our Valle de la Luna tour. We are tired, hungry and ready to get a rest. Ciao!Well, somebody looks all bundled up this morning. I know. Good morning from the chilly Atacama desert. Yesterday, we arrived in San Pedro de Atacama and we booked a tour to visit El Tatio geysers and we had to be up at four in the morning. It was a really early start and now it is probably around seven but it is still freezing but I'm told we're going to get chocolate pancakes plus we're going to see some pretty cool geysers so it should be a really fun outing. I think you're holding out for the pancakes. Pancakes. So apparently this it he highest geyser field in the whole world. And according to my Lonely Planet there should be around 64 geysers although our guide did mention there is closer to 80. So who knows maybe there are new ones sprouting up. And you look ridiculous with your blanket which you stole from the vehicle. Stolen blanket. Stolen blanket alert. It is so cold. Okay, yesterday when we booked the tour we were told it might be close to like zero degrees. Maybe even 10 below but I didn't believe it because it was so hot in the town. So I'm wearing leggings and I have an alpaca sweater and a wind-breaker but it is not enough. It is not enough. I want to jump in one of the geysers. They look really warm. You go do that. Okay. Well, well so this is not your first visit here Sam. So, can you tell us how does it compare coming back a second time. Well, my first time I came here I was incredibly dunce. Okay, I came wearing shorts and I didn't even have a sweater on. I thought I was going to die of hypothermia. So this time I am more well prepared but even so my hands and still cold. Let's see. Outfit of the day. Sweat pants, I got my alpaca sweater, I've got my jacket and I've got my mitts. So kind of toasty. Sort of kind of. Relatively kind of compared to last time. Yes, very toasty compared to last time. It is not really like hot but it is nice. Hahaha. So what are you doing Sam?I'm warming up my frozen fingers. Mmmm. Urrggghhh. So this is our sweet ride in the background. Yes, this kind of reminds me of something kind of like a hybrid safari vehicle in Africaand something we'd take up to Churchill Manitoba to look at polar bears. Yes, it is kind of like a monster truck but for tourists. So how is it?It is so nice and warm. This has been the most relaxing part of the trip so far. I do not want to leave. Although breakfast is tempting me. Chocolate pancakes. Chocolate pancakes. Breakfast is soon to be served. We have some cake and dulce de leche and tea and coffee and juice and the pancakes are being made and there is cheese. So it should be tasty. Yes, please. I'm hungry. Cheese, yes please. Tell us about that delicious breakfast we just polished off. Breakfast was awesome. It was worth the wait. I don't think we ate until around nine thirty so we were hungry. Like we started this tour at four in the morning. So five and a half hours before food. So what did we have?The highlight was by far the pancakes with dulce de leche. Yes, and we had grilled sandwiches with ham and cheese. They've like Carlitos. Yes, and cake and what else?Tea, orange juice, coffee, so we're well fed and ready to hit the road again. Yeah. So now we have twenty minutes stop in a village called Machuca. And there is a new part and an old part to the village. The older construction is over a thousand years old so we are going to go find some of those ruins. There is some churches out here as well. But apparently the civilization has been here for over eight thousand years so that is along time. That's impressive. Oh look at you. Look at you so sweet. So sweet. Look at those little eyes. Oh. We can get some pretty cool snacks in this town. Tell me all about it. Yes, if you're in the mood for a tasty treat there is meat back there and it is not just any kind of meat. It is alpaca skewers barbecued right behind me. Yum yum are you going to get some?You know what, normally I would but I'm so full from that pancake breakfast. I had over 4 pancakes. Four and a half actually. Woah, the truth comes out. The truth revealed. You're a flamingo today aren't you?I'm waddling like one too. Actually flamingos don't waddle. But the cherry on top of the cake here for this tour was getting to see flamingos. I was think you know what maybe we're not going to get to see them but right at thelast stop yes we get to. And we're now at our final stop of the tour. We're checking out this really cool gorge that is really green and yeah it has beenan awesome tour. We saw some amazing landscapes, lots of wildlife. We ate some tasty pancakes. So yeah, if you're ever traveling around Atacama this is a really fun tour to take. Well good morning. As you can probably tell from the sunglasses and t-shirt we have left Bolivia and we areback to much warmer weather. Yesterday, we crossed over to Chile and we are visiting Arica. Which is actually a border city which sits between Chile and Peru right at the very top. So yeah, we're right by the beach, warmer weather and yeah today we're going to go out and explore. So we should probably tell the story of how we got to Arica. Ha, yeah. It was a pretty good one involved in that. First off, we'll say that that bus ride was one of the most scenic we've ever been on. Absolutely incredible coming from La Paz to Arica in terms of going from a high altitude destination all the way down to sea level. Yes, it was supposed to take about 7 or 8 hours. Yeah. And it took over 15. Almost six hours at immigration. It was probably honestly the biggest gong show of an immigration I've ever seen. They had one immigration officer processing all of the people on the bus, so they were literally hundreds of people in line. And yet they had other immigration officers like sometimes two or three just checking out one car. Like it just totally didn't make sense. And there had just been a strike in Bolivia a few days ago so they had just opened the border and there were hundreds of people who wanted to get across because they had been waiting for days. Yeah, but anyways part of the adventure so we arrived last night exhausted but now we've had a good night's sleep and we're excited to explore Arica. Yes, the city looks great. So one of the coolest things about arriving in a city and having no plans is that you just encounter all of these random things. And there appears to be a market setting up right now. Yeah, it is still a bit early. About eight in the morning or so. So it is just getting started but I think it is going to get busy later on today. So this looks to be like a vintage market where they're selling used clothing. Although I did see some booths that were selling plants and teddy bears so I guess you can find a little bit of everything here. And it looks like we've come across yet another market. This one is more like a farmer's market so they are selling fresh produce. Let's go through. So we went to the farmer's market and you walked away with a piece of electronics. Yes, so every country has different electrical power outlets. Uh-huh. But Chile takes the prize for having one of the strangest. Check this out. That's three prongs. Three skinny little prongs. Yeah. So we were having trouble plugging in this morning so this was a really timely find. For under a dollar. We are at the bus terminal buying tickets for our next destination. Want to tell us where we're going?Yes. San Pedro de Atacama. And what is funny is we went to a bus company called Atacama and they do not go to Atacama. We had to find another one. Which bus did we go with?Ah, I think Tour. Tour something. Tour something?I forget but we have tickets. We've got our tickets. We're going. That is the main thing. Night bus. Yes. Cocina Peruana. So as you can probably tell from the sign we are having Peruvian food in Chile. But don't worry. We are planning to eat Chilean food while we're here. It is just you know Peru is so close and we love Ceviche and we've found this restaurant so we had to go in. And Aji de Gallina. Yes, let's go in. So tell me about that fantastic meal. That seriously was fantastic. I don't give a lot of restaurants an A plus but I do for this one. Authentic Peruvian food done at a high level. And that is a wrap for Arica. We didn't make it to the beach. No, or any museums. Or any major landmarks as a matter of fact. But I mean that what our stop here was all about. Just resting, buying tickets to San Pedro. Yeah, and we got to see flea markets and some other things. We had good food and that is all we really wanted to experience. Now we're on to a new destination. Yeah, so great impressions from the city. We would definitely recommend it as pit stop. And yeah, Arica was fun.
