Santiago
CHILE
The Amazing Town of Santiago
By AARON
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
The last time I sat at a computer to write for our blog, I had just gotten back from my first Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro. Now, another Carnaval and almost a year later, I find myself back in front of a screen, unemployed (or, “a man of leisure” as one of Lyndi’s passengers so eloquently put it) and ready for some more traveling.
Set to embark on our first vacation together since deciding to live in Cusco, Lyndi and I celebrated with a bottle of wine at the Cusco airport, as we headed out to the capital of Chile and a week’s worth of skiing and snowboarding.
Right off the bat, I fell in love with Santiago. Unlike some of my pet peeves in Peru, the people walk at a normal pace, there are trash cans and recycling everywhere in the city, and the city as a whole seems to take a certain pride in itself and its people. Oh, and did I mention that you can drink the tap water here? A MAJOR bonus while traveling in Central and South America.
Lyndi and I arrived around 1am on Wednesday morning at the Santiago International Airport, and due to the time, were forced to take a taxi to our hostel in Barrio Brasil. Due to its extremely high ratings and proximity to the center of the city, we chose Moai Viajero Hostal as our base of operations for the next 3 days. We were not let down as the staff there are spot on, and are always willing to help you out with an air of confidence and sincere willingness. Our first day was spent by taking in the sights of the city, and getting our bearings. We also had to get our Paraguay and Brazilian visas for our upcoming trips. Throughout the city of Santiago, there were cafes, restaurants with patio seating, and modern amenities everywhere. The streets were lined with modern cars ranging from a modest Ford Hybrid, to BMWs and high end Peugeots – a testament of the country’s economic stability and wealth. The first day was ended with a night out at the movies (Inception), and a dinner at a local restaurant in Barrio Brasil where we shared a pork roast as big as my head and a huuuuuge plate of mashed potatoes. Needless to say, I was in heaven.
Day two was spent taking in the city’s unbelievably convenient Metro out to pick up my Paraguay visa, followed by a leisurely walk back to the center of town, pausing at times to take in the sites, walk through the parks, and play on the random workout equipment posted in various locations throughout the city.
On the third day we decided to head out to the fish markets, located in Mercado Central, and eat some fresh seafood. I must say, the wine was pretty bad, not just by Chilean standards, but the seafood was amazing. I had a lightly battered salmon and Lyndi had a local dish called Paila Marina (a light broth loaded with fresh seafood and fish). Following the seafood lunch, we decided to go visit “White Jesus” (Cristo Blanco), in which every big city seems to have one of these overlooking their city. Normally, the statues provide a beautiful overview of the city they watch over, but this time, we never made it up to there. Instead, we got caught up at the zoo in Santiago.
Located at the base of the hill leading up to White Jesus, this zoo boasts animals such as spider monkeys, camels, penguins and kangaroos; not to mention white tigers, a hippo, a polar bear and a pride of lions! Being the animal lover I am, I had a great time, and Lyndi even enjoyed herself, especially amused by a monkey who seemed to love imitating an ambulance siren, no further than 6 inches from our faces with only a chain-link fence to separate us. On our way back, we stopped to buy some more clothes for skiing, stock up on some libations for the upcoming week at the ski resort (which proved a smart move as everything was outrageously priced there), and finish the night at Las Vacas Gordas – a touristy, yet really good steakhouse near our hostel.
I would like to say that we packed it in early that last night, since we had to get up early to head to Ski Portillo, but instead we decided to break into one of the bottles of rum we bought, and enjoy many a drink with our hostel’s employees. I would feel bad, but hey, it’s vacation right?
The next morning, we woke up and left around 9am for the bus station, saying our goodbyes to the hostel and already making our reservation there for our one night in Santiago on our return from Ski Portillo. Even though we were heading out for more fun and a week of skiing/snowboarding, I couldn’t help but feel a bit of sadness in leaving this new city. Santiago exceeded my expectations in every way, and returning to it for that one night after Ski Portillo would only confirm this further.
