<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><FONT SIZE=2>In a message dated 4/3/2002 9:10:46 AM Eastern Standard Time, BlaroliaAOL.COM writes:<BR>
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<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">The Monte del Gozo albergue is by no means a convenience hotel, despite its<BR>
impressive facilities. It is, simply, an albergue; a significant number of<BR>
the beds are<BR>
bunks, although there are many semiprivate rooms, and some private, given to<BR>
older pilgrims, or pilgrims with children, or married pilgrims. </BLOCKQUOTE><BR>
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While the facilities are impressive and the dorm rooms are good, I would not recommend staying there for two reasons: First, it is a good distance from the center of the city although there is good and frequent bus service as I recall after my one night there in June 2001. Second, they cater to teenage school groups and have a disco going until the wee hours of the morning. The blaring loudspeakers disturbed everyone in the refugio. I would avoid this place despite the cafeteria, laundry, snack bar, etc., which are really nice. Even people used to snoring in refugios could not put up with the noise. The place is enormous and caters to all kinds of tourist crowds. You would be much better off staying in the center of Santiago at a modest hotel as I did. Howard Mendes, NYC</FONT></HTML>