Hello:

     This is bulletin #5 with information for the Symposium on Systems and Models in Forestry to be held in Punta de Tralca, Chile, March 4-7, 2002. All bulletins are published at the "News" section of our web site http://www.dii.uchile.cl/chileforest2002

     At this time we want to provide you some useful information about getting to the airport to hotels, public transportation, food, emergency phones and so on.

     NOTE: I will be away on holidays, February 4-24. During that period please contact Solange (solange@dii.uchile.cl) on organizational matters and Bob Haight (rhaight@fs.fed.us) on program matters. I will be in touch with them by phone.

     Best regards,

     Andres

     General Chair
aweintra@dii.uchile.cl

Useful Information

* Transportation:

- From the airport to hotels you should take either an official taxi, which you book at the airport desks (it costs about US$17). There is also available a transfer service where you share transportation with other people, but they drop everybody at their hotels, which costs about US$8.
- At the hotels area, one way for transportation is Metro (the subway service, http://www.metrosantiago.cl), with a very good and safe service. You can also take taxis.
- From the hotels to Punta de Tralca, where the symposium will take place, we will provide participants a bus which will pick you up at the 3 hotels we recommended.

* Food:

- Even though water is drinkable, it is suggested to foreigners to drink only bottled water.
- We also recommend to not eat lettuce.
- About fish and seafood, you can enjoy a variety of dishes, but we suggest you avoid raw fish or seafood.
- Restaurants around hotels area are very good quality and ready for tourist.
You can ask at your hotel front desk for suggestions.

* Emergency:

- In case of emergency when you are in Santiago, you can contact orgnizers on the following phones:

	Andres Weintraub (General Chair): 233-3263
	Solange (Organizer): 779-7076 or mobile (09) 910-9842

* Shops:

- In Santiago there are 3 major shopping centers about 15 minutes from the hotel area. You can also find grocery stores and individual shops close to hotels, some of them tourist oriented, offering high quality Chilean wines and hand crafts (lapizlasuli and copper).

* Temperature:

- The Symposium will take place late summer, with sunny days and nice temperatures: for Santiago the max 26-28 ºC / 75-83 ºF, and for Punta de Tralca, located by the seashore, the max is 20-24 ºC / 65-72 ºF. In the evenings it gets cooler, bring a sweater.

* Electricity:

- Chile functions with voltage 220.

* Money:

- Current exchange rate is 1 US$ = $680 chilean pesos
- As you may arrive to santiago on weekend, where no mony exchange office will be open near the hotels, we suggest you to exchange money at the airport or at your hotel, with a small extra fee.
- At the Symposium we will provide money exchange but only for small amounts.

* Payments:

- You can pay everything with credit card, except the Symposium registration, which can be paid with cash or check.

* Hotels:

- Main addresses and phones for hotels in Santiago are:

·Apart Hotel Aconcagua
  San Sebastian 2711 - Of 201, Las Condes - Santiago (near to 
Tobalaba Subway Station)
  Sta. Magdalena 68, Providencia - Santiago (near to Los Leones 
Subway Station)
  Tel / Fax: (562) 231 7261 - 234 2809 - 335 0810 - 335 0809
  e-mail: aparthot@entelchile.net
  http://www.aconcaguaparthotel.cl/

·Los Nogales Hotel
  Los Nogales 741 - Santiago (near to Los Leones Subway 
Station)
  Tel: (562) 353 1000 (contact: Mr. Marcelo Oyarce)
  Fax: (562) 334 8894
  e-mail: reservas@losnogales.cl
  http://www.losnogales.cl/

·Panamerican - Providencia Hotel (ex-Aloha)
  Francisco Noguera 146, Providencia - Santiago (near to 
Los Leones Subway Station)
  Tel: (562) 233 2230
  Fax: (562) 233 2494
  e-mail: resaloha@panamericanahoteles.cl
  http://www.panamericanahoteles.cl/