A Week in Argentina – Part 3: Santiago, and our 2nd trip to Hell (SCL)

Previous Trip Notes
A Week in Argentina – Part 2: Copa Airlines Business Class ORD > PTY > SCL
A Week in Argentina – Part 1: The Setup & Arrival to Hell (ORD)

The alarm came quick and early. We had ordered room service the night before, to arrive a few minutes after we woke up. We mostly ordered for NSPpeanut, thinking her love of pancakes might start the day off on the right track. No such luck. She was, understandably, still exhausted. And wanted more sleep. We dragged her out of bed, and despite a little crankiness, she was a trooper. Sadly, the only chilly weather for the whole trip was supposed to be on this first day. The altitude of Santiago, coupled with a spring cold front, pegged the weather at the high 30’s until 9am. We hadn’t packed for that type of cold. We met a group of fellow travelers and a guide/host at Mercado Central at 8am, and NSPpeanut was not happy:

Mercado Central – Santiago, Chile

Our guide was excellent, and gave us a history lesson as we traveled through the market. We passed rows of fish, meats, and vegetables, buying all of the ingredients to make our meal.

Mercado Central – Santiago, Chile

Mercado Central – Santiago, Chile

Mercado Central – Santiago, Chile

Mercado Central – Santiago, Chile

Mercado Central – Santiago, Chile

Mercado Central – Santiago, Chile

Mercado Central – Santiago, Chile

Mercado Central – Santiago, Chile

We had booked a market tour and Chilean cooking lesson through Uncorked, and I highly recommend it. The guide was excellent, and the hosts at the house where we prepared the food were fantastic.

Uncorked Lunch Table – Santiago, Chile

Uncorked Chef, Cooking Lesson – Santiago, Chile

We made a few different dishes, from shrimp and avocado to traditional pork empanadas:

Uncorked Cooking Lesson – Santiago, Chile

Uncorked Cooking Lesson – Santiago, Chile

Uncorked Cooking Lesson Chef Table – Santiago, Chile

Uncorked Cooking Lesson and Wine Pairings – Santiago, Chile

The hosts even brought out their two year old to play with NSPpeanut:

Little Chef – Santiago, Chile

A New Friend – Santiago, Chile

One of the people in the group grew up in Mendoza, where we had a flight to that afternoon. We chatted about the airport, and how long in advance we needed to arrive to the airport. One of the Uncorked hosts offered to drive us to the airport for a nominal fee, so for the sake of convenience that’s what we did. We arrived at check-in roughly 75 minutes before our flight, only to be told that they had already closed down the checked baggage for our flight. My Spanish skills are mediocre at best, but figured out through our communication that while they usually close check-in 60 minutes, they decided for some reason to close it early for this flight. They said it would be no problem taking our bags to the flight, where they would gate-check them. Easier said that done. We had too many bags for the number of people. And to get through security, again, with a stroller and car seat bags – in an airport where it is nearly two miles from check-in to the gate, was extremely painful. We did manage to get to the flight, gate-check our bags, and even had just enough time to grab some McDonald’s fries for the little trooper. We sat down in our seats, took a deep breath, and were excited to land in Mendoza, to relax for nearly a week, in the same city, and in the same hotel.