Let me tell you a little bit about Santiago, Chile. Founded in 1541 by the Spanish, it is a cities that blends the old with the new. The Santiago center city is older and filled with history. The surrounding comunas or suburbs are newer as can be expected with population growth. It is a metropolitan area with over 5 million people.
The northeast sector near the foothills of the spectacular Andes is where the new money is going to. Providencia and Las Condes are impressive cities in their own right with modern skyscrapers and new high-buck hotels. Las Condes, La Dehsa and La Reina Alta have been the areas of nicer housing, but the wealth continues NE to Chicureo. Land is precious in these areas as beautiful gated neighborhoods keep popping up on the hills.
The southwest sector is the poorest. Strikingly poor at times for me, with large barrios of shanty houses. Graffiti is very common throughout the city, a real eyesore.
During the day you meet many poor people at intersections, offering Kleen-ex, cheap towels, chocolates and other items for sale, along with others who simply approach you for a handout. Women with little kids, and the elderly are the saddest. The health care for the lower classes is insufficient. If you need medical care in Santiago, don´t ask for a hospital. Go to a clinic and have a credit card with you. Medical care at clinics is very good. Many of the physicians have studied in the states and can speak a good bit of english. It is refreshing to see a doctor and be treated with patience. No pun intended. Chilean doctors are very thorough, and it has nothing to do with a fear of lawsuits. Chile isn´t litigious crazy like the states.
An important consideration about Santiago for some people is the smog. The second smoggiest city in the world, after Mexico City. It is mainly a problem in the winter. More and more smog alerts come out requiring one fifth of the registered autos to stay off the road for the given day, depending on the last number on your license plate. Many a winter days smog obscures the view of the towering Andes. It´s a thick dirty haze.
Ah, the Andes. It is a great view to live with on a daily basis. In the area, they peak at over 6000 meters. There are six ski resorts. The drive to the village Farellones is 50kms east, going in a rapid, spectacular climb. The ski/snowboarding season is usually June to October. The skiing is world class. The U.S. Olympic ski team, among others, train here during their summers.
The climate is Mediterranean with long, hot, dry summers. The summer that I spent in Santiago brought only one rainfall. It was heavy and caused some flash flooding. Not a disaster, though. There is one potential disaster that everyone needs to be aware of. There have been four severe earthquakes in southern Chile in 400 years. The last being in 1960, accompanied by four volcanoes and tsunamis or tidal waves. The volcanoes and tsunamis have no direct effect on Santiago. A less severe quake occurred in the early 80´s. My wife was terrified, and it is remembered with respect by those who lived through it. I´ve experienced a number of tremors, but nothing to speak of.
Rio Mapucho runs down the middle of Santiago. The flow rate depends on the time of the year, due to mountain run-off. It provides a nice backdrop in some of the older parts of the city downtown. The center sector is very crowded during the day, 9 am to 8 pm. Chileans have long workdays with a 1 to 3 hour break in the afternoon. Most banks close at 2 pm. The postal system is not used to pay monthly bills. Some bills can be paid for in person at an affiliated bank. Expect lines. ATM machines are very common and convenient.
The currency is the peso, approximately 700 to the U.S. dollar. It was about 500 pesos to the dollar when I arrived, so like getting a 40% raise on my pension. The cost of living isn´t a great deal less in Santiago than in the states. Prices drop rapidly as you distance yourself from the city. Approx. 40% of Chile´s population resides in and around Santiago. Add to that the populations around Vina del Mar and Valparaiso, only 90 kms west, and it leaves a lot of sparse country elsewhere.
The nightlife in Santiago is hopping, going late into the night. It was like stepping back in time walking into the area discos, with smoke and light shows. There are also many bars and fine restaurants. Understand that Santiago is the capital city and the home of the nation´s president and of all the represented embassies. It is a cosmopolitan city that can offer anything for a price. The people on the street are dressed well. People take pride in their looks and in their city. The city streets are surprisingly clean.
Dining is very good. The Pacific is just 90 minutes away, so seafood is fresh and usually cheaper. An unfortunate exception is lobster. Beef is priced OK, but it isn´t up to U.S. standards. I have learned to appreciate seafood and poultry much more since my arrival.
Most of the big hotel chains are represented well. An 18% hotel tax is dropped if you present your passport or visa. The fast food chains are common, as well. The major shopping malls are very much like those in the states, including some of the same franchises.
Chilean wine is world class and a good value, but the national drink is pisco sour. Pisco is stronger, made from the grape residues. It is very inexpensive and it carries a good kick.
Imports are taxed heavily. Electronics, books, cds, etc can be pretty expensive. Bootleg cds and even books are sold on the street for a low price. $4 US will buy a decent quality cd. There is a large selection of the latest music along with golden oldies.
The transit system is excellent. Subways, cabs, and buses galore. Fares are low to accomodate all classes.
English is taught to all students for several years. I have been greatly impressed at how fluent so many people are in English. They are friendly and understanding. There are English language television stations, most notably CNN, along with the Sony Channel that provides prime time U.S. programming with Spanish subtitles. HBO, Cinemax and Cinecanal are mostly with Spanish subtitles, as well.
Aeropuerto Comodoro Arturo Merino Benitez is modern and convienient. Santiago is the last stop for the airlines and the fares reflect it. $800 is a reasonable price from Santiago to a hub city in the states. A flight to India would probably entail some rerouting.
Santiago is a great place to visit and use as a starting off point for further adventures deeper into this extraordinary country.
I will detail the tourist sites in a future review.
I want to end this review by acknowledging how happy I am to be living in Chile, and how wonderful my new family has been. I love them all.
Thanks for reading,
garym