note: gps location is santiago, chile

today i had another meeting with another innovation organization. there are so many government committees pushing for innovation…but when i ask if they know of any innovative mechanical engineering companies, they’re at a loss. maybe i’m just too early in the process (…although a perfect time if i were more ambitious and chilean). it’s a little bit frustrating, because every day i’ve had a meeting…and each meeting ends on a promising note….but usually results with another meeting, instead of somebody saying ‘yes, you should consider company x’ or ‘no, chile has nothing to offer you’. i’m gonna give this gray area till monday, and if there’s nothing concrete, probably move on (probably south a bit, since the mountain pass up here is currently closed due to snow).

this afternoon i walked around the newer part of santiago. it’s quite different, featuring newer buildings and trendy bars/restaurants. part of my meanderings were in search of a good bakery. after hunting down a few red herrings, i came across a restaurant that sells whole wheat bread. it was good, but nothing special. i’ve got a few more names to check out tomorrow on my way to cajon del maipo, where i’ll stay for a couple days before returning to santiago. i also met a german couple who have been going around argentina, chile and bolivia for the last 9 months in their camper — they were able to provide some good recommendations of places to see….although the big question now (assuming i don’t find a job here) is where to cross into argentina:

option 1: cross from santiago to mendoza. the pass is beautiful, goes by some good ski resorts and is close by. however, it’s a high-altitude pass (3,500m) and at times is closed because of snow (like today).

option 2: drive further south a few more days and cross down into bariloche. this option allows me to see some more nice parts of chile and argentina, plus the cross is at a lower altitude (1,500m). however, it will extend my trip a week or two and apparently the weather is pretty miserable down there (rain, snow, cold)…none of which are too good for the sentra.

some pics:
-an interesting oil candle…the wick doesn’t float, but is inside a bent copper tube.
-a modern building
-bambu (where i got my bread)