Snow in Santiago, Chile

Santiago is known for great skiing with Portilla mountain a short one hour trip from the city. My trip however, was in the middle of their summer. I did not expect snow, but if there was this much snow in the summer, winter skiing has to be outrageous. Perhaps the next trip.....
Chile is known for its excellent wines, fruits and vegetables that are regularly shipped to the US, but the country itself remains somewhat of a mystery to most Americans. Chile wasn't open for tourism until 1992 and it has a lot of catching up to do if it wants to compete with other South American countries like Brazil and Argentina for American tourists. During my entire stay in Chile (8 days) I met only 2 American couples and very few locals who spoke any English. It felt like a great adventure into uncharted territory. Thank goodness the primary language of Chile is Castellano (Spanish) rather than the Portugese spoken in Brazil. I remembered some of the Spanish I learned living in Los Angeles, especially the important words concerning food, drink, and bathrooms. (What does it say about me that I can order a beer in 10 languages??) Luckily, I had my pocket size Latin American Spanish English dictionary from Lonely Planet, which I highly recommend. It has Castellano and Portugese as well as two remote mountain languages you may need in South America.
Couldn't wait to experience this wonderful new country......