Santiago’s geography has shaped its character, preserving a cosmopolitan feel and a positive personality.
The buena ondo feel continued as dinner was served early in the flight. LATAM had just introduced their new Economy cabin menu for its long-haul international flights and I was eager to sample. There were three choices available: I opted for gnocchi with parmesan sauce, sautéed mushrooms and pesto with a glass of Gandolini Las 3 Maria Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon 2012, to complement – it was “Muy delicioso!”
After dessert, I began to reflect on just how just far south Santiago is from New York City. Adjusting my east-to-west, North Star orientation, I pondered the idea that my flight would be almost as long as the number of hours it took me to fly JFK to Cairo a few years earlier. At a notch above 5,100 miles, the distance to Santiago is just shy of my journey to the Land of the Pharaohs. Contemplating this as the plane went dark, I fell asleep.
When the sun rose, everyone was awakened for breakfast. We would be landing in Santiago in six more hours, far below the equator and 693 miles south of the Tropic of Capricorn. Raising the shade, I was impressed by the beauty of the snow-capped Andes Mountains. Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport, aka Santiago International Airport (SCL), awaited.
This story is from the July/August 2018 edition of Business Traveler.
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This story is from the July/August 2018 edition of Business Traveler.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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