Trendy neighborhood in Centro

On our drive tour with Deborah, she pointed out a popular arty area for eating at sidewalk cafes in the Centro area. So after booking a smaller and more expensive tour of the huge ConchaYToro winery fo Wednesday, we venture back to centro, checking out the huge amazing performance and art centre (closed Monday, note to come back again) and strolling the streets of Lastarria. At the end of a culdesac we choose a nice outdoor resto and finally find corvina (ses bass) on the menu. You pay $20 for a piece of bass and extra for anything else you want with it! It was nice but...Chilean salad is tomatoes onions and cilantro, very basic, that’s another $8. With 3 beers and a gorgeous plate of house-made ice creams, it’s $50 for lunch. Prices here are similar to Calgary, but you could eat cheaper with the menu del dia and local fare at other places, around $20+ in this area. 

  After a shower and rest, we venture out again at 7:30 back to the gigantic Costanera centre that Ted has visited meantime and wants to check out the food choices. It’s jumping with lots of going back to school shopping. The food court is enormous, lots of people eating junk food, but a series of proper restos also offer a wide variety. A popular Peruvian chain is there, not cheap at all. We stop off for an ice cream and that is enough for us today. I’ve picked up some nice olive oil/oregano crackers Ted loves nibbling.

   Winter is coming here so summer sales are on (lots of crappy cheap stuff) and ski/winter gear is coming in.  I’ve actually bought a nice very lightweight microfiber top cheaper than at MEC here. I wear it home from the mall, it’s cooling down after dark here now, very pleasant.

Feb 19 Exploring our neighborhood

The advice from Santiago-citizen Jorge in Calgary to stay in this neighborhood has been very valuable. Any direction we walk is good and absolutely no safety issues.

 Sunday is a good day to explore. They have closed off several roads just for bikes today. Families are all out cycling around and enjoying their time together. Our friendly hotel hostess Victoria has told us about a good Peruvian resto near here so we stroll to it and enjoy lunch in the garden by the waterfall (and a kids play area but that doesn’t bother us). It’s seafood ceviche, excellent and with salad quite enough for both. Finally we order pisco sours, mine a long drink with passion fruit, both good. 

  But Ted has got his eye on the local empanada baker down the road, so we stop off and buy ham/cheese handy snacks one to eat, one to take) along with questionable pastries and melon/pineapple liquado (iced fruit frappe), stopping on the way home at a little par and to check out the hotel Jorge thought we should stay at. A tiny pool but too far from the metro station really.

  I am learning to buy yogurt, fruit and water at the local supermarket so I don’t need to find a restaurant in the evening again and that is working well. In this heat, we are just not that interested in any amount of food.

  We also have a nice covered garden area here to sit and read.

Our friendly neighbor Deborah’s tour - and tapas

We are lucky to discover our neighbor Deborah (who actually lives here permanently) was brought up in this neighborhood. She takes us in hand to discover her Santiago. First, we find we are living in San-hattan, in the shade of the huge downtown financial district high rises. We had not walked that direction, just north to the metro and into town, so didn’t realize we were 15 minutes away from the largest shopping mall in South America! 

  But also heading east, we are in the ritzy residential areas of LasCondes, Vitacura where the affluent and rich have their palatial homes set up the foothills of the Andes.

  Chile is so narrow you can ski in the morning and go to the beach in the afternoon in winter! Nice pathways for running, biking, etc. run along the parks there, with the golf club and military club (the house built by Allende’s wife and never inhabited) set opposite of another. Gorgeous green and treed areas mask chichi galleries, homes, and all the small businesses catering to the beautiful people.

  We have lunch at the end of the lovely Pirque Bicentennial at Mestizo, a lovely restaurant with open air dining, crisp white shirted waiters and a lovely array food and wines. 

  At 3pm Deborah goes off to her driving job and we decide to walk back through the park. Stinking hot and dodging from tree shade, we all the 1.8km in 32 degree heat and I suffer for it later with a sort of heat stroke I think. But we pass the enormous Costanera Centre Mall and - success - find an Apple store and buy the gizmo ($50) to download my SDcard camera photos to my ipad, my insurance.

  That evening, I have vaguely recovered from the heat, so we walk about 30 minutes to the tapas bar we have found. It serves reasonably sized and priced food in the evenings. And it’s home to what has now become Ted’s favourite beer, Tarahumara - strange because that’s the tribe in N.Mexico that we visited some years back.

Feb 17 No bugs! Or burns

One of the most pleasant things here is - no bugs. We can leave our 2nd floor balcony door open any time and are not bothered by any insects. 

  Even though the sun seems to be blazing down, people don’t wear hats much here! Many women dress very skimpily but don’t seem to burn. You don’t see women baked in the sun looking like turtles as you see in North America. We can’t go out without our sunhats - I also take a headband and neckband that I soak in water beforehand (and add some during the day) just to keep cooler. Female fashions here don’t seem to be panicking about the MeToo epidemic in NA. They seem comfortable with their sexuality and not finding men threatening at every turn. Rather healthy methinks.

Feb 15 Legal again!

  I have discovered that one of the pieces of paper we were given on entry, and since ditched, is actually our police visitors permit, and we cannot leave the country without it! It must be a frequent occurrence because the address to have it replaced is on the tourist map from the official tourist office! I have not told Ted even though I discovered it a few days ago. He would not have slept!

  Today I fess up and we find the office listed. There is a mass of humanity lined up outside and inside in stifling heat, clutching pieces of paper. But we soon learn we don’t have to get into that lineup. Obviously natives of the other South American countries hoping to snag permits to live and work in. Chile.

  We discover the place we have to go is miles away so snag a taxi and pay $34 for a short ride. Another bunch of people lined up outside and sweltering in the sun outside buildings all along the road. But, oh joy, we just fill in a form, no lines, get a stamp on the new paper and are off legally again. Chilean efficiency at best.

  By now we are close to the area we know, but it’s a very hot walk back to the river and central market. We decide it’s time to try the corvina, sea bass, and retire up on the 2nd floor to our fav spot. No corvina today! But they have merluza (hake) which sounds OK. We can only share full meals, they are huge, two whole battered fish with 2 salads, fries, and Ted orders the huge seafood empanada too (OK but very filling). An artery-blocking combo. But 3 huge draft beers wash it all though well. We are getting used to these free pisco sours too.

  Beside us two hefty friendly Chilean guys polish off a huge special seafood soup each and assure us that white wine is the only thing to drink with it.

  Back on the metro, we stop off at the supermarket for a gallon of cold water (we’re not drinking nearly enough here) and some fruit and yogurt, that will be dinner tonight. Too hot for much more.

Feb 14: Velantine’s Day and Wineries

Valentine’s Day is a big deal here. All the guys are running around clutching their little bags and bunches of flowers. Sweet.

  But the big day is a lovely outing for us, a day trip to the wineries south of the city. We hire Eduardo through our hotel to drive us, and my Spanish improves no end as he speaks no English. But he is a patient and careful driver and tells us lots about the city and life here all the same

  Victoria (our hotel hostess) has booked us into two wineries and the first is outstanding. We drive through coastal fog and cool eagerly Day temps and are glad we have long-sleeved shirts, later ditched for the usual 30+ afternoon temps. 

  First we visit Viña Undurraga, where we are the only English speaking people on Marion’s tour. Through the family’s beautiful gardens, vineyards, terroir cave, historic underground caves and finally into a gorgeous dining room, surrounded by family portraits and antique furnishings and carved ceilings. We try 4 nice wines and Ted asks for a taste of the premium SB, a cut above the others. We buy two and a dessert wine, one to drink some evening and one for Victoria, for her efforts. Goodness knows what we will do with the free glasses from both wineries...

  Between tastings, we drive around lovely agricultural fruit and vine-producing farms amid busy commercial towns. Too late for lunch in the main dining room at Santa Rita, we order lunch on the patio overlooking the gorgeous garden and are not disappointed with the beautiful preparation of the cold seafood and mixed salad plates.

  Santa Rita’s tour is much more pedestrian, a huge place producing 80 million bottles a year, versus Undurraga’s mere 20 million!

  We are amazed at the huge bunches of grapes and the sheer volume of those left on the ground after thinning.

  We return to the hotel in 30+ temps in time to shower, rest and wait for it to cool down enough to go out again.

  Later we walk up to the tapas resto, wait a while for a table and enjoy the (smoky!!) ambience of the place. It seems everyone here smokes and they eat a huge amount of corn, so I wonder how high the incidence is of lung cancer and diabetes??

  

Feb 14: Velantine’s Day and Wineries

Valentine’s Day is a big deal here. All the guys are running around clutching their little bags and bunches of flowers. Sweet.

  But the big day is a lovely outing for us, a day trip to the wineries south of the city. We hire Eduardo through our hotel to drive us, and my Spanish improves no end as he speaks no English. But he is a patient and careful driver and tells us lots about the city and life here all the same

  Victoria (our hotel hostess) has booked us into two wineries and the first is outstanding. We drive through coastal fog and cool eagerly Day temps and are glad we have long-sleeved shirts, later ditched for the usual 30+ afternoon temps. 

  First we visit Viña Undurraga, where we are the only English speaking people on Marion’s tour. Through the family’s beautiful gardens, vineyards, terroir cave, historic underground caves and finally into a gorgeous dining room, surrounded by family portraits and antique furnishings and carved ceilings. We try 4 nice wines and Ted asks for a taste of the premium SB, a cut above the others. We buy two and a dessert wine, one to drink some evening and one for Victoria, for her efforts. Goodness knows what we will do with the free glasses from both wineries...

  Between tastings, we drive around lovely agricultural fruit and vine-producing farms amid busy commercial towns. Too late for lunch in the main dining room at Santa Rita, we order lunch on the patio overlooking the gorgeous garden and are not disappointed with the beautiful preparation of the cold seafood and mixed salad plates.

  Santa Rita’s tour is much more pedestrian, a huge place producing 80 million bottles a year, versus Undurraga’s mere 20 million!

  We are amazed at the huge bunches of grapes and the sheer volume of those left on the ground after thinning.

  We return to the hotel in 30+ temps in time to shower, rest and wait for it to cool down enough to go out again.

  Later we walk up to the tapas resto, wait a while for a table and enjoy the (smoky!!) ambience of the place. It seems everyone here smokes and they eat a huge amount of corn, so I wonder how high the incidence is of lung cancer and diabetes??

  

Feb 13: Visit to La Chascona, the Pablo Neruda home

Pablo Neruda, (1904-1972) the 1971 Nobel  literature prizewinner, is a legend in Chile. His 3 homes are part of the Pablo Neruda Foundation and today we visited the first in the fascinating suburb of Bellavista north of the river in Santiago. Built into the hillside of Cerro San Cristobal in honor of his then-secret lover and later life partner, Matilda Urrutia, it is named after his nickname for her due to her red and untamed hair.

  It is a fascinating collection of the many things he amassed during his consular appointments around the world, his books, his serendipitous living quarters - with secret passages and staircases and quasi ship-like characteristics, as he considered himself captain of the home.

  A special portrait of Matilda by Diego Rivera was riveting.

  I could not resist buying a small book of his famous 12 Love Poems (written by a prescient 20 year old Neruda) and a Song of Despair (showing Spanish and English versions side by side to improve my Spanish). I will attempt to learn about him through that as we travel around Chile. 

  We will also plan to visit the other two homes on the coast in and south of Valparaiso.

  Ted found a small cafe in the area for lunch, an eclectic collection of wall writing and good fish soup and salads. Then we wandered in the amazing area of lively and artistic street art, murals and stylish graffiti on the walls and mosaics set into the sidewalks down every street.

  We had planned to take the funicular to enjoy the view from the top of Cerro San Cristobal, but in 35 degree heat, a 30 minute wait in line was not on! Another day. It is holiday time here and many Chileans are visiting their capital city so perhaps once the kids have gone back to school (any time now) lineups will be less - and cooler!

Feb 12 Chile’s beautiful colonial buildings

Off on the cool and efficient Metro, we head to the civic centre of the capital of Chile. It has a business feel to it and is well guarded by handsome, white uniformed guards all around the centre of government. We skip the museums on our first visit to this impressive central area, but the central Bank of Chile building is a gem of beautiful architecture, old fashioned teller booths, a handsome central 4 faced clock. Similarly, the main post office building is also impressive with tiers of beautifully made railings.

  Close to the fish market, we again succumb to the sounds and smells of the restaurants. We return to Richard’s, the free pisco sours, the cold draft beer and crispy salads and tasty mussels. 

  The 34 degree heat is exhausting so we quickly head to the metro, back to the hotel for our siesta until evening breezes cool it all off.

Feb 11 Chile’s arts and crafts centre

Sunday we are up and off to the end of the Metro in this part of the city to the Las Dominicos church and the pueblito (little village) that has been turned into a touristy craft market. Lapis lazuli is a big item here and there are a huge number of jewelers making some beautiful pieces and also lots of unimpressive but not inexpensive pieces too. Beautiful weaving is everywhere, again with impressive prices too. Mostly llama wool but also combinations of llama, silk, cotton, linen in beautiful scarves, wraps and clothing.

  After a siesta, we are off to walk around the neighborhood to find a place to eat. Not easy. Sunday evening, everything is closed down! We finally find an Italian restaurant attached to a big hotel and try the local conger eel which is just like a slab of fish, no bones, quite good

Feb 10. Close to the Andes

With hints from Ali/Rob who spent time here about 5 years ago, we enjoy climbing the steep stairways of Cerro St.Lucia to get spectacular views of the city. Pollution clouds the Andes which are a backdrop to the city. Wandering through residential streets lined with small cafes and eating emporia, we decide we are close the allure of the central fish market and return to Richards for their memorable shellfish soup. The free pisco sours here also go down well! They are very similar to tequila shots, salty and lemony.

  We finally get a better connection to BBC world news, the only English speaking station on TV, and can now hear the results of the Winter Olympics in S.Korea, which have just started.

   We are getting a feel for what we want to do in our 10 week trip here. I cancel some bookings and confirm that we can stay at this hotel whenever we like. With a longer stay, we negotiated a slightly better rate and have been given an upgrade to a nice King room. WE will use this as our home base in Santiago in future.

Feb 9 Chile’s historic centre and colorful central market

We start to explore Chile’s colonial and historic past. Fine grand buildings are scattered around the city. 

  We’ve picked up the BIP cards for the efficient subway Metro system. Everyone jumps up to let us sit down when they see our grey hair, even in the seats not marked as preferential for oldies and the disabled. 

  We discover the central market which is a huge fish market with the freshest and amazing array of beautiful fish and seafood. The market itself was made in England dismantled and shipped here, quite grand. The centre is a huge conglomeration of good restaurants, around the outside lots of more economic places. Food served was probably swimming the day before, super fresh and tasty. Every meal comes with local bread and a fresh tomato salsa which varies with each restaurant. Usually too spicy for me but Ted loves them.

  All around the central market the streets are filled with street vendors selling regular goods as well as tourist goods.

   After a shared seafood lunch, we return to the trendy tapas bar that Ted has found and enjoy tortilla, patatas fritas with way too much garlic for Ted’s liking coming from me afterwards! A pleasant stroll home and sleeping like logs in our nice quiet boutique hotel in the suburbs. 

Feb 8 Becoming Santiago-ans

We are really getting used to living in this nice city except for the excessive heat. Usually just below 35 every afternoon, exhausting. We are certainly getting into the siesta spirit. 

  There is a huge street food market here. Many people seem to live on jobs selling food, gum, iced water on the street, in the subway trains, on the pedestrian malls. We have musicians on the metro cars with amps, singing, playing guitar, two guys one day with electric violins playing classical music. Everyone drops loose change in their collections, people applaud, it is really neat.

  The climate here is mostly nice with cool nights and early days, when we fortunately don’t need A/C. Our balcony opens to a side street so we can enjoy the birds in the trees outside with our door open until the afternoon searing heat arrives. 

  After a main meal in the middle of the day it is hard to get interested in food again later and we pick up peaches and cherries from the street vendors to see us through, with gallons of water too.

Feb 8: exploring Providencia - and first Chilean food

Providencia is a busy central area with lots of outdoor cafes so we stroll a pedestrian street, check out the menus and return there at 1pm. Some shops close here from 2-4 and the lunch crowd gets busy after 1pm. We pick the menu del dia, which is the 3 course economical way to eat. 

  Here in Chile they eat main meal at lunchtime then small meal (once - that is in Spanish!) later. We consider beer sustenance too. But it is wiping us out big time in this 30 degree heat. I try the reneita (pomfret) with frites, which is a mild fish, a passion fruit juice and fruit dessert about $13. Ted had a squash soup, and the local specialty which our tutor Tina told us all about. It’s Pastel de choclo, like a heavy casserole with vicuña or chicken pieces, whole potato, squash and raisins covered in corn and baked. Served with a huge sliced tomato that tasted like one. Then weird ice cream to finish. About $12. And huge 1oz draft Heinekens for $5 each.

  We are doing well with our Spanish. Everyone does NOT speak English here, especially in shops, kiosks, etc. so we are glad we have had ‘Time with Tina’ before we left! I have the Google Translate program and now that I have wifi and cell, we are on our way. But people are going out of their way to help us figure it all out. The Google Map app is invaluable too

  While I siesta after lunch, Ted takes a tour and finds the nearest supermarket for water and Kleenex. What a timely purchase. A bird dropped a huge one on his leg and he had to clean it up with his tissues! Is that good luck or what?? Hahaha

  He has also found a tapas bar with a huge loverly menu but prices like Spain, only double. You can run up $100 of nibbles in no time flat. I wonder how much half a bottle of sherry will set us back there?? Maybe time to start drinking the Chilean wine..

Feb 8 Dodged a bullet - Back in communication

  We get emails from Calgary saying we got out in the nick of time. A huge snowfall Wednesday has cancelled flights, closed Deerfoot Trail and our neighborhood is snowed in. People are not even trying to get to work in Calgary today!  We finally wake up before the poor continental breakfast is cleared at 10am. Then off to explore the area. After getting a ‘free’ SIM card only to find it only works on WhatsApp, we find the excellent Engel store nearby. They don’t sell pay as you go SIMs but you buy it from the news kiosk outside for $5 (including a tiny 100mb of data, 100 free texts and some local calls, to be topped up later.) The young man in the Entel store puts in my SIM card and sets it all up with my same phone number as in Calgary. How easy is that. All with a smile and no charge! But it won’t work in Argentina and is only valid for one month without topping up. But at least we are in the counication business again. I brought my old iphone but don’t see a need yet to set it up for Ted.

FEB 6/7 - HOT CHILE

Feb 6 - Just in the nick of time, we leave Calgary after a dump of snow on the weekend but clear and easy drive compliments of Lloyd/Sigrun to airport for 4pm flight to Toronto. Two hour transfer to AC DreamLiner in Premium Economy which is comfortable 10+ hour ride to Santiago. I slept a few hours, Ted less.
  Feb 7 Flying into Santiago around noon, we are treated to a perfectly clear view of the tips of the Andes and Mt. Aconcagua, highest point in the Americas, stunning. Arrival was simple if long lineups at immigration. Someone on the flight with a dog probably had a harder time! Hotel recommended Transvip for hotel transfer and for US$36 we had a minibus to ourselves and a 45 minute ride to our hotel, in the nice residential area of Providencia, recommended by T&P’s Chilean friend Jorge. We found the Intiwasi boutique hotel in Lonely Planet and it is an adequate friendly hotel, about 10 minutes walk fro the subway and busy shopping, resto, business area.
  We left Calgary in -17 and by morning it is +17 in Santiago, later 30 and humid. But nobody much wears a hat!