Pictures of the Week – Sights of Chile
I loved Chile from a 3-month stint there 20 yrs ago before I went back in Dec 2009. I have written about what I saw, did and felt in other entries in my blog so I won’t repeat myself, but I continue to long to go back even after spending all of 2010 in Chile… Why? Well, take a look below and read my other entries about Chile (http://ilivetotravel.wordpress.com/tag/chile/)
Near the Lagunas Altiplánicas
Penguins in Punta Arenas
Tourists REALLY enjoying the Torres del Paine scenery
Near the Salar de Atacama in the Atacama desert
The hills of Valparaiso! Steps and foniculars!
Skiing in Valle Nevado right outside Santiago
Great summary of the juxtaposition of old and new in Santiago: the Cathedral and a building across the street
Scenery from the Cueva del Milodón in the Chilean Patagonia
Saving the best for last… What I really miss is seeing this just about every day I was in Santiago…
Exploring Santiago de Chile – Highlights
Where to start my thoughts on Santiago… Maybe I will start with the practical. Where to stay in the city.
Santiago likely offers many places to stay in every budget range so I will leave that part to other websites. What is harder to get from a hotel/accommodation website is the various parts of town. Life is very different in Santiago depending on which sector you stay at. The closer to the mountains, the less traditional things get and the more U.S.-like (if that is a fair comparison which it may not be). For example, the eastern suburbs sport the fancier and more standard malls, like Parque Arauco (expensive but an interesting place to hang out on weekend afternoons people-watching!). The closer to the centro, the more colorful and traditional the city becomes. The centro will tend to be of more interest to someone wanting to explore and get to understand how Chile is unique and how Santiago evolved over time. No matter which end of town you enjoy more (notice “north” and “south” did not enter this discussion), one thing you can be certain of is that the majestic Andes will be your faithful compass as you move around the city…
The Andes are a great backdrop to Santiago
Santiago offers some really interesting sights, starting from the imposing like Cerro San Cristóbal which one can visit by taking a fonicular or by hiking it. The views of the city from there are unparalled. But, to me, the best part of Santiago is the part that you walk around and discover on your own. West of the centro but still in the centro are very picturesque neighborhoods like Concha y Toro (yes, named like the winery) with old buildings with architecture of the period and also some still bearing the marks of the February 2010 earthquake. Walk around early in the morning when the light is best and bring your camera if you want some really neat shots. One Saturday morning, I hired a taxi to drive me around to whatever the driver thought was worth seeing. It was a great way to view Santiago from a local resident’s eyes and gave me many great photo opportunities!
Earthquake damaged building in the Centro
Other parts near the centro, like near the university, are great areas to walk around during the day. Sit down somewhere and watch life go by. Perhaps even chat up a local – I have never been disappointed at the thoughtfulness of their opinions be them political, cultural, or otherwise. In fact, taxi drivers in Chile have helped me understand the events of 1973 much better than any history book as they lived that history.
Near the centro is the Mercado Central. This is a place to be observed and discovered with just about all senses. Walk around the seafood stalls and marvel at the freshness and color of the catch. Stop at one of the local places and have lunch and perhaps a pisco. An experience!
El Mercado Central
Some Unlucky Fellas
El Parque de los Domínicos is an arts and crafts market in Santiago on the east side of the city where many artisans still make their crafts and then sell them. It is a historic site and worth seeing (the metro drops you right there on its last stop) even if you can find better bargains elsewhere.
The Bellavista district is the home of Pablo Neruda’s home, many artistic murals, nice architecture, and some good eateries. It is also home to Patio Bellavista which felt too forced for me but it may be to your liking as it has a good amount of open dining areas and shops. I prefer to spend the time outside of PB in the neighborhood proper (Santiago Colonial was a good choice for dining).
And that gets me to dining… I had plenty a good meal in Santiago, whether Japón or Osaka for sushi; Cuero Vaca, Don Carlos or Ox for beef; Tiramisu for pizza, etc. I have a whole list and if you are interested, just drop me a note and I can send. Again, lots of local input in building the list and I greatly enjoyed hitting as many of them as possible. Rarely disappointed and plenty of repeat-visits to the ones listed above!
The question for someone coming to Chile to explore the entire country is how much to spend in Santiago. Yes, it has some very good dining but so do many other cities, so is that what makes it special enough for you to linger longer?
A Year On… A Final Trip to Chile
It will almost be a year to the day since I traveled to Chile for the first time in 18 yrs. I was expecting an infrequent trip there in the year to follow due to work but a couple of months in, the game changed and I got to practically be based in Santiago for most of 2010. The surprise was pleasant for the most part, except I had not planned to live far from home for so long, even if I did get to come home for long weekends at least twice every month. Now, I have one more trip down to Chile of a few weeks before this chapter of my life closes…
It is important to note that I had wanted to stay in Chile back then. I enjoyed it so much. But without too much on my resume yet, 24 yrs of age (meaning “too green”), and no easy way to figure things out (no Internet!), I just went back to the U.S. when the project ended.
Seeing Santiago after 18 years was a strange experience. I was able to recognize places from my life those 3 months around 1990-91 (my apt building, work, Brannigan’s on calle Suecia, the McDs by Parque Arauco, and the old parts of town among others). But, of course, 18 yrs in a good economic climate bring about lots of change. I recall back then a skyline littered with cranes of high rises being built. Well, by now, I am happy to report they finished the buildings… and then some! Sanhattan did not exist when I was there – not in its current form, at least. The area around Parque Arauco and Parque Arauco itself have been developed beyond recognition. I got to re-connect with friends from those days there and while their lives of course had changed, the friends were pretty much as I remembered them (physically and personality-wise).
I got to sample numerous excellent restaurants from a list built up by recommendations from a couple of choice people who clearly know food. I have hit just about every recommendation except for some. By now, with 3 weeks left in my assignment, I am more interested in eating at my favorite places than discovering new ones. Tiramisu and Cuero Vaca (http://www.cuerovaca.cl/) rank up there in my book (good eats!). I will be eating there again for sure! [Check out this review of Tiramisu at the NYT: http://tinyurl.com/2fcbum7]
Of course, I got to be in Chile on or around key events in its national history: the earthquake of February 27, the national elections that made history, the trapped miners, the bicentennial, and the national soccer team making it to the 2nd round in the World Cup. Wow, what timing, don’t you agree??
I got to sample the Atacama desert, hop over the Andes to Mendoza, and explore more of Valparaíso. Hopefully, before I return, I will also get to see Tierra del Fuego and the key sights down there – Torres del Paine, the Magellan Strait, the Perito Moreno glacier, and a few other sights. Places left to see or see again include Valdivia, Puerto Montt, Puerto Varas and neighboring towns along the area, and the lakes crossing of the Andes to reach Bariloche. Had work stretched into January, I would have been able to add them to my “itinerary”. But with work wrapping up mid-December, I only had time for one destination before coming home for Christmas. So I think I chose well with the trip to Tierra del Fuego.
Now, I need to focus on the hardest week of work in the whole year, then stabilize things before I move on. I am thankful God granted me the opportunity to return to a land that I love and to have made it for a long stint so that I got to internalize it all. Now, I am ready to leave Chile behind knowing I can always come “home” but ready to focus on my life in my real home…
What Makes All the Difference on a Business Trip…
I am sitting on the 22nd floor of my hotel room in Santiago wanting to catch up on my writing and talk about my trip to Valparaiso, Chile, catch up on earthquake impacts to a trip to the lake district, and other discoveries about Santiago. But I’m too distracted. Too distracted with work. With getting to the U.S. for most weekends and hurrying through keeping in touch with those I love back home. With planning a vacation with a cousin to Bulgaria and Denmark with a 1-day trip to say hi to a friend in Sweden.
But what is compeling me to sit in front of the PC for yet another 1/2 hour is wanting to talk about those people who are strangers to you for the most part but who make your time away from home -at a hotel in another city other than your home- get as close to “real” as you get when on business trips.
I normally haven’t had my own access to the “special” lounge at my regular Santiago hotel (Marriott) but get access normally by going with colleagues who do have access. Of course, after this week, I get access on my own right because of reaching the 50 stays in one calendar year. Anyway, through past visits, we have met some of the staff at this special lounge. Some are strict about the rules that say at 830 PM the wine and other liquor is retired from access. And then there are those employees who seem to get that we all don’t just come to another country on business because we work 9 to 5 and have the luxury to get back to the hotel between 630-830PM to enjoy the special treats…
Those employees who realize that the key to great customer service is about making us, the weary travelers, have a sense that we can get that one (or two…) free glasses of wine at a lounge so we can sorta feel maybe we could be at home. Don’t get me wrong, I still have sat in the lobby and paid for drinks when able to go to the special lounge at the “right” hours – the scene at the lobby can be quite interesting. So I am not just after a free drink or two or three or… But going to the lounge does also give you contact with other human beings who recognize you and through the small talk make you feel you are not just a stranger, a number, a credit card at this hotel.
So, to these folks I say, salud. You are doing an awesome job and I hope your employer, Marriott, realizes that you are doing more to retain my loyalty than even the ability to use my points gets them. Emilio, Katherine, Baruk: may your employer realize the value you are to them and I wish you the best. Thanks for helping us feel not totally away from a place like home. You guys are piola.
Santiago Visit Continues – Lucky Me
So, I came back to Santiago after 18 yrs. That was 3 weeks ago. I went to the US and then I turned right around to come down to Chile! Crazy? Heck, no. I don’t mind coming to this town and country! I am traveling here for business but seldom is business travel the vehicle to get back to a place I want to keep coming back to…
On the first trip, I traveled 3 hours south of Santiago to an area right outside of the town of Curicó.
Why Curicó? Well, my friend’s son was competing in the national championship of Chilean motocross, of course! I have never been to a motocross race before and it was definitely a fun event to be at. But the best part was the drive down there with the Andes to my left and the lesser range of mountains to my right. The views were great. However, though I stayed in the shade most of the time, I got quite sunburnt unintentionally. One has to remember that the sun here hits harder!
That first week, most of my free time was spent with fellow co-workers on the same trip as me. But I did get to sample two great local restaurants, one in Bellavista and the other, well, in a part of town whose name I can’t remember. The former was a seafood place in a very artsy-bohemian part of town named Bellavista. Pablo Neruda’s (former!) home is located there. Also, that is the place where you go to go up Cerro Santa Lucía for great city views (on the less-smoggy days…). Bellavista is practically littered with cheap bars and eateries where lots of young people hang out as well as better dineries and an area called Patio Bellavista with good shopping and more places to eat and have a drink. Azul Profundo, the name of the restaurant on Constitución 111, was simply outstanding. The seafood, as pretty much anywhere here, is quite fresh. http://www.flip360.cl/ver_local.php?id=1035&ver=panorama&idPanorama=1035&categoria=51
I then was taken another night to a Peruvian restaurant called La Mar (actually, a ¨cevichería”) on Nueva Costanera (http://www.biggi.cl/4DCGI/Noticia466). It seems Peruvian restaurants are the bomb these days not sure if because more Peruvians live here or just because. This was a classy place with very cleverly designed indoor and outdoor seating areas. You can go there for sure and sit outside and people-watch (both in the restaurant and also those who walk down the streets). It is located in a very nice residential neighborhood and I highly recommend their food!
I am staying at the local Marriott (OK, this is not a backpacking it kind of trip! it is a beautiful building! As I was looking for a pic of the 40-story hotel, I found a Spanish wikipedia entry that says the building can stand an 8.0 earthquake – I will sleep well tonight!) where 3 weeks before I came, a small bomb was found and detonated outside. It is a little weird because I don’t associate Chile with crime like that. So, I remain undisturbed about it. The hotel has a good sitting area downstairs where in the evening between 7 and 9 PM they have happy hour with free hors d’oeuvres. I have once or twice opted to go for pisco sours (yes, more than 1!!) and these hors d’oeuvres for dinner. Don’t get me wrong, there is FINE dining in this city for sure. But after nights of going out, it is nice to just camp. The added bonus is that it seems that locals like to come to this happy hour so you get to be with locals though you are at the hotel. I have noticed that every night there are several groups of local women who apparently choose to meet here to have a night out at one of the nice hotels in town. I do not exaggerate, these women look like upper class folks who meet here for kicks (it isn’t a cheap place so my observation is likely not off the mark).
Next to the hotel there is a very nice mall called Parque Arauco. It has the usual types of stores but also a great outdoor area with many restaurants. El Otro Sitio, a Peruvian (!) restaurant, was quite good and reasonable in terms of price. In these Peruvian restaurants, ceviche is typically the draw, as only Peruvians can make it – phenomenal stuff!
Alright, I intend to think about what these two quick back-to-back trips have meant to me and I have to say that the main conclusion is how awesome it is that today I feel as strongly as I did 18 yrs ago that I love this city and this country.
Fast Forward Santiago, Really Fast
I arrived in Santiago de Chile this morning to a different airport and entrance fees than in 1991. Why charge an entrance fee of $132 is beyond me (yeah, yeah reciprocity; that’s what you call it when you don’t want to admit you are just as capitalistic as everyone else…). And why not have it a surcharge on the price of the plane ticket and make me stand in another line after landing is WAY beyond me. I thought Chile was more modern than that. Maybe it is indeed a piece of Europe in South America after all… After standing in line for about 20 minutes, at least I was able to use a credit card to pay – of course, in the line I had to listen to cheery, chatty tourists from my own country yap away when all I wanted was silence to slowly wake up (no coffee in me yet)…
It was neat to see a friend I had not seen in about 15 years who then drove me into the city proper on a highway I did not recognize. We didn’t have to go through the city streets in order to make it to the opposite end of town where I used to live the 3 months I lived in Santiago way back or where he now lives. A nice highway running by the river is a welcome change. And, boy, was there change in store! While Santiago was to me quite livable a city back in 1991 and not lacking in terms of places to go, eat, and shop, today’s Santiago is a much more modern and livable place than I remember. Fast forward indeed 18 years!
I barely recognized parts of town that used to be my stomping grounds. Yes, that is to be expected after 18 years but there was so little that actually was like I remembered to leave me floored. Parts of town like Sanhattan and El Bosque are way more developed than they used to be by the building of centers of business. Parque Arauco is similar inside but a whole new invention outside (though I recognize the McD’s I used to eat at after playing racquetball!).
Busy Av. Providencia was barely recognizable too! Storefronts and restaurants of course change even just a few years apart. A pedestrian alley here and a residential street there did look very familiar but so much has changed… The building I used to work in is there (the company is not), the building I used to live in is there (though no longer an apart-hotel). Sections of town like Bellavista or Calle Suecia are still there and still retain an air of what I remembered – whew!
All in all, the residential areas that I used to know still have that quiet air around them. The people are still interesting but not obnoxious. After eating at Eladio’s in Calle Pio Nono in Bellavista, I can say the food is: still excellent. And after a good bottle, I can say the wine: still good. I still would not mind living here after all this growth and change!
But the one constant that truly tells me I have come back is the mountains at the edge of the city. Those mountains with the snowcapped tops that used to greet me every morning when I would wake up are still there and like will be there way after I am gone. I have come “home” after all.
Back to Chile
It has been a while since I write on the blog. It has been a busy time as I have been on job search. But, that period is coming to an end and, lo and behold, my next job will start with a business trip to Chile.
Lo and behold for many reasons. One, though the job is in the States, my first day will take place visiting the Chilean operations of the company. Two, I could only have dreamt that my next job had an international angle to it but it turns out it produces that angle from the get-go. And three, I worked in Chile back in 1991 greatly enjoying the place, the lifestyle, and the people and, yet, I never got to go back (I did try). It has been a long 18 years and I finally get to fulfill the desire to go back. Will El Tallarin Gordo still serve as good a meal as it did back then (I do know it exists still thanks to the Internet)? Does Pollo al Coñac still exist in Lo Barnechea? Will I get to visit Los Dominicos again to make some purchases of Chilean arts and crafts? Does the Pizza Hut near the offices where I worked still exist? Does Coppola still serve wonderful ice cream? (notice most of these are about food!)
I do not have to wonder about re-connecting with my friends as we managed to re-connect after that odd period between 1991 and the late 90s bridging over the period when people did not have emails or laptops to the new highly connected world of today with email, Facebook, Skype, etc. I will get to see my friends and, by now, their kids. I also hope to do at least a quick drive-about the old hangouts for memories’ sake. Always healthy for me.
I do expect Santiago to be totally transformed. I was there in the aftermath of Pinochet as Chile was beginning to come of age after the close of 2 decades of Pinochet. Chile was under a construction boom at the time and I hear that boom kept on going years after I left. What was new then (e.g., the Hyatt) will be rather old by now.
I long to eat palta York. Drink a Chilean pisco sour. Eat one of those Chilean sandwiches whose main ingredient is mayonnaise, then the bread, and then a filet of pork. Oh, and Chilean wine, of course. I long to see the amazing Andes, which greeted me every morning when I woke up as my bedroom faced these magnificent mountains and I left my curtains open at night so I could have them be the first thing I saw every morning…
With these random thoughts I wrap up this entry. I will certainly write more once I am there and share my observations and reflections of a city likely transformed since I last saw it. Yet, I hope I will feel as if I were going back home after a long exile…
If anyone has recommendations of good places to eat these days from hole-in-the-walls to nicer places, please share. Though I won’t be able to spend time sightseeing per se, drop your suggestions on that too as it may help others! Vamos po’!
My Short Life in Santiago, Chile
Getting to live in a country other than your own is always a great learning experience and a great way to expand how we understand how different and how similar human being can be. This entry is more of a trip down memory lane than a travel journal: talking about my 3 short months living in Santiago, Chile while on assignment for work there. It was a prolongued visit that made me feel I was a true resident of the city.
Santiago in 1991 was not as developed as I hear it is now; or as I heard it was developed even 10 years ago for that matter. But it was a city that was bustling with business and construction back then as it re-entered into full-fledged democracy.
I lived in a nice area of town called Providencia where we had been found accommodations for our stay in an “apart-hotel” near Las Condes. It was a good part of town for us as it had many conveniences nearby and we could walk to work (a 15 minute walk).
Traveling before Cell Phones Were Common…
In 1991, some things about living abroad were not as easy as they are today. For instance, we had no cell phones (we had one in the office but it was one of those you installed in a car except we had it on top of a table in our conference room; our client was one of the two mobile phone companies in town). ATMs were not in use back then there (at least those connected to the international networks) so we had to trek to el Centro to go to the local Amex office to have them withdraw money from our bank accounts back in the U.S. and then exchange it for us into local currency. I remember the lunch hour treks downtown and all that time spent. One forgets how convenient ATMs are since we are used to them! Keeping up with family and friends back home meant regular mail (now we call it “snail mail” but back then there was nothing to compare it to) or $2+ per minute phone calls.
OK, Now to Food…
In Santiago, I had fantastic meals. It has been too long and 1. memory fails and 2. places may no longer exist or be as good. I clearly recall enjoying a restaurant called El Tallarin Gordo [good eats] in Bellavista (a bohemian type of neighborhood) (Spanish link: http://restoranteltallaringordo.blogspot.com/2007/05/el-tallarin-gordo.html). Another one, called Pollo al Cognac [good eats], served a dish of the same name that was fantastic (it was located in Lo Barnechea). Finally, a more elegant one we enjoyed (on account only!) was Chez Louis. We also used to go for drinks and lesser meals near the Calle Suecia. I don’t recall if all the places we went for dancing and hanging out were there but Calle Suecia was at least a frequent place for happy hours. Back then, salsa was becoming in vogue and I remember being in demand for being Caribbean and able to fake my way through a salsa song… (I really don’t dance it well at all!)
Things We Did… Besides Work, That Is
As far as sightseeing and the like, the downtown area had very interesting architecture. The Cerro Santa Lucia also merited a visit. 
We did trek beyond to the Maipo Canyon for a picnic and good food. Further afield, Viña del Mar was close enough to Santiago for day visits during the weekend, choosing a seaside restaurant to sit in for a few hours while enjoying the food, the people, the view, and perhaps a good book (and a glass of beer or two or three). Also, wine country is not far from Santiago and is certainly an enjoyable activity (at least for me!). Unfortunately, back then I was too young and not too savvy about my wine tastes. There were also a nice beach we liked south of Valparaíso (its name escapes me), except that the water was FRIGID. Finally, skiing is only 2 hours away from the city. I arrived in Chile just as the slopes closed but still got to visit Portillo which had an excellent setting up in the Andes.
Being that we were residents for 3 months (I was there with another colleague from the US and a few Argentinians colleagues), we also took to more routine activities like playing racquetball at the local, public “clubs” where you paid a nominal fee for a booked court; or mountain biking in nearby parks.
I would not call Santiago a place one goes for tourism as a destination like Paris, London, etc. (though it can be part of a bigger trip and is, certainly, a great starting point for exploring the wonderful country that is Chile) but it is one of those places where I would enjoying living in again.
Anyone out there have ideas on what is more current in Santiago than my comments dating from 1991?
About
Part of the fun of traveling, besides the travel itself, is the experiences that happen along the way. Getting hopelessly lost in eastern France, getting stuck in a public restroom in Versailles, finding a tucked away neighborhood park in touristy Venice, being tossed into a stranger’s car in the Sinai peninsula, discovering the most mouth-watering wines in Mendoza, etc. all enhance the travel experience.
I have a passion for travel and seek to share the experiences and sights with others via this blog. And I hope it also gives others ideas of places to go or dream about going to someday! Other passions include dark chocolate and red wine – for the record!
Follow me on twitter @ilivetotravel or in Facebook www.facebook.com/ilivetotravel and drop me a note about your own travels any time – I love discovering new jewels for future travel opportunities!
My friend Chris, who also loves to travel, and others contribute on occasion to this blog to share their own experiences!
