All Good Things Must Come to an End

Well our time in South America is finally coming to an end. We leave tomorrow for Toronto and will be home Thursday afternoon (that really puts it into perspective how far we are!).

I can tell we are coming to the end of our trip because we are slowly starting to run out of things: toothpaste, face-wash, leave-in conditioner, lotion, deodorant, etc. I want to avoid buying new products because we’re just going to have to leave them behind (our luggage is already overweight). Knowing this, I’ve been trying to use less of everything, and I’ve realized it’s totally doable. This is something I want to continue doing when I get home. Using less of everything not only saves money, but is less wasteful overall.

I’ve also realized you can live off the basics when it comes to food (for breakfast & lunch at least). We are currently in Santiago, Chile and are staying in a small suite with a little kitchen. It kind of reminds me of being in a trailer (it’s cozy!). Because our kitchen is so small, and we are only here for a few days we bought basic groceries: bananas, eggs, oats, raisins, yogurt, milk, lettuce, peppers, avocado, carrots, tuna, salt, and a whole chicken. There is a Starbucks next to our hotel (I was SO pumped when I saw this). I know it sounds pretty basic, but it’s all you need for healthy breakfasts & lunches. We actually had the chicken with a salad for dinner one night, and had leftovers for lunch today – healthy, easy & yummy.

Sticking to the basics in Santiago is easy, especially when it comes to produce – it’s AMAZING here. We did a bike tour (with La Bicicleta Verde) on Sunday morning, and one of the stops was the farmer’s market –  it was my heaven.

All suited up and ready to ride - the helmets were mandatory!

There were fruit & veg stands as far as the eye could see, and the produce was fresh, local (no chemicals!) and CHEAP. You could buy 2 lbs of grapes for $1 US! A 1lb bag of avocados was only $2!

They also had so much selection – any produce you could imagine, and it was really good quality. You could also buy specialty items like quinoa, chia, flax seeds, and avocado oil – all for really cheap.

Me - in awe of all the produce & the prices!

The tour treated us to a delicious snack at the market: fresh raspberry juice & baked local pumpkin cakes topped with chili sauce made from local spices – incredible.

Santiago has amazing seafood and a fish market where you can buy fresh salmon, tuna or sea bass any day of the week at really reasonable prices.

The city is beautiful as well. It’s surrounded by the Andes Mountains, and there is a big park running through the city that you can use to walk from one end to the other. They have beautiful historic buildings, and a bohemian neighborhood called Bella Vista with colorful murals throughout.

It’s also really easy to stay active in this city. Yesterday afternoon we hiked San Cristobal Hill, and there were so many locals biking, running & walking the hill – an amazing way to stay in shape.

It took us over an hour, but it was a beautiful hike and earned us a cold beer at the end of it.

We also treated ourselves to some local, fresh seafood. We went to a fabulous restaurant called Azul Profundo and we ordered the Ceviche to start (raw fish that is marinated in lemon & onion, which cooks the fish using the acid from the lemon juice).

 For my main, I ordered Salmon with Quinoa Risotto – DELISH, and healthy!

I wish we could spend a bit more time here. That being said, a couple nights ago John and I were eating dinner on our balcony, and I noticed that my water glass started to shake. Than the entire building started to shake, along with our TV, lamps and bed. It was really scary to be in a situation that you can’t control. We are fine, but I googled it after, and it was actually a 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit Chile’s coastal town. Needless to say, I’ll be ready to leave in couple days before the next earthquake hits.

Since we started travelling on January 4^th I calculated that I’ve slept in 10 different beds…I’m ready to sleep in my own bed again. And in one week we are heading to Jamaica for my little sister’s wedding! Bed number 11 – here we come!

*Photographer: my amazing hubby