Arriving in a new country is always kind of daunting, especially when you have just stumbled off a 12 -hour flight and still have the sleeping pattern of a country 10-time zones away in your mind and traces of yesterdays in-flight meal on your lap.

I neglected researching much of our first point of entry into South America but arriving in Santiago is an absolute breeze. I’ll give you a simple step-by-step guide of wha to expect in Santiago.

1. Fight your way off the aircraft. You have been virtually completely stationary for over 12 hours. The person occupying the aisle seat didn’t wake up for 87% of the flight and you were far too polite to wake them just to relieve your bladder. DVT is still a risk. You don’t want to die out of politeness (unless you are British). Get moving. Give bad looks to those who take longer than 3 seconds to retrieve their baggage from the overhead locker. Push children out of the way. Do whatever it takes. Get off the aircraft.
2. Ok you’re off. The next step is obvious. Find a restroom. Impatiently line up. Give bad looks to that lady doing her makeup. Who has energy to prettify themselves after 12 hours of confinement in a metal box in the sky. Not you. Wee and get out. Entering a country is a race. You don’t want to be last in line in immigration.
3. Your Australian or Mexican? Hahaha. Line up to pay your ‘reciprocation fee. Fork up $117US
   Aussies, or $24USD Mexicans. Glare at the other nationalities strolling past you.
4. Walk past the duty free shopping area. Glare at shop attendants trying to sell you vodka. Does it look like you need a vodka right now? Probably. Anything will help at this stage. Just don’t fall asleep before passing immigration. That might look bad.
5. Line up in immigration. Glare at the people that were .34 of a second quicker than you and got in line first.
6. Finally reach the front of the line and meet the friendliest immigration officer ever. Like seriously. Ever. He will probably even give you directions to get to Santiago. He’s like a beautiful authority figure/tour guide all in one. You haven’t even entered the country yet but you love it.
7. Have your bags scanned and fruit confiscated.
8. Stop glaring, You’re in Chile!!!
9. Taxi drivers. Taxi drivers everywhere. But don’t give in, there’s a bus. If you tell them you need the bus the taxi drivers will actually direct you there. Yes, you are refusing to take up their offers and they are helping you. Why is everyone so nice? You will become suspicious. You will concoct conspiracy theories. You will slowly descend into insanity.
10. The taxi drivers have shown you exactly where to wait for the bus. For only $1.500 CLP ($2.50US)
    you will find yourself in one of Santiago’s main metro stations. Talk about convenient.
11. Your hotel is probably near a metro stop. Ours was. The metros were quick and far too easy. You
    are sill suspicious. The niceness and convenience of this city is far too overwhelming.
12. Stumble into your hotel. You probably smell really bad and don’t take any comments on your appearance too seriously. You’re a survivor. You spent 12 hours in a metal box covered in your own crumbs and you made it all the way into town for the low, low price of a bad coffee. It was an epic journey but you did it/ Congratulations. Here’s an empanada for your effort.
13. Please – Have a shower. You need it.