Santiago... have I been here before?
Trip Start
Oct 25, 2007
1
28
36
Trip End
Apr 17, 2008
Santiago,
Chile
Sunday, February 17, 2008
I, on the other hand, found Santiago to be a charm. Perhaps in large part this is due to the fact that I arrived there in the heat of summer when many residents had escaped the dry city heat and headed off for the coast or abroad. Indeed, the streets were unusually calm and traffic-free for a capital of over 6 million people, the (second?) largest city in South America. As a result, the air was rather clean as well, and the weather - perfect, not a cloud in the sky.
Immediately you feel that you have entered a higher order of civilization compared to Chile's northern neighbours
modern art at santiago airport
. I was somewhat shocked to discover that cars would slow down and stop to let me cross the street at pedestrian walkways. And after having spend countless weeks in Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia, the silent traffic was somewhat unnerving - I kept expecting an assault of horns to start honking any minute... but that never happened. I was also surprised at how new most of the vehicles on the city streets are. Is everyone here mighty rich? Why, these cars are so much newer and in better shape than cars along the NY street maze. Oh, wait - that should not surprise anyone. I forgot how well NY cabbies drive (once I got into a cab that scraped along 3 other vehicles in one journey...).I found the service in Santiago - in all of Chile, for that matter - to be the best I have experienced on this continent yet. Waiters come to serve you as soon as you sit down. They are thoughtful to bring you condiments, to ask if you need a refill; and no one ever refuses to serve you simply because they don't have change for you. Of course, there were exceptions, but isn't that the case with anything.
One thing they were right about, though - there really isn't that much to do in Santiago. Save for the heavily restored Moneda building - the site of the 1973 military coup that resulted in Alliende's suicide - and one or two rather modern looking cathedrals; there are few national monuments or sites of historical interest. This said, the two museums I visited - Museo Historico and Museo de Santiago - were fascinating. Their exhibitions were well laid out and labelled, and contributed a lot to my knowledge of Chilean and Santiagan history.
But the real treasure of Santiago are its residential houses, and perhaps a few of its parks
old and new
. It's hard to describe the prevalent architectural style, because there really isn't one. One moment I felt as though I was walking through a San Francisco street, with mulit-coloured houses in immitation Victorian style with wooden facades. The next minute I stop and wonder if I am in Sofia, my home town - so much alike are the cold, tall panel apartment blocks, remnants of the socialist rule. Then you turn the corner and are startled to discover that you have landed in a zone of medieval looking mini castles, complete with grotesque gargoyles and witch-shaped wind vanes. Yet on another street you will find houses in German alpine style, and right next to them - English country cottages. This ecclectic mixture of architectural styles is very endearing and such a pleasure to enjoy on foot, that I hardly used the public transportation system.Oh- geesh, I almost forgot - PUBLIC TRASPORTATION SYSTEM!!! The first yet in my travels (not counting Argentina, which I have already visited once before). This consists of an amazingly modern, clean and timely running metro, as well as trolleys and buses. The metro is really easy to use and really, really fast. The buses are all Volvos and Mercedeses, none of them looked more than 5 years old. They are all clearly labelled and do not emit clouds of black smoke. The drivers actually do NOT drive as if their load consists of a sack of potatoes; meaning you don't need to hold on for dear life once inside - I was reminded of how unlike US and Bulgarian transportation this is.
As many people are aware, Chileans (and Argentines) are a lot more European looking than their northern neighbours. However, what differentiates Chileans - and particularly the youth - is their grungy look. Black is the new black. Hair is cut short at the back, with long bangs at one or both sides. Heavy sixties style make up. Metal and punk band torn t-shirts. Tight jeans with wide unattached belts, with lots of metal pieces adorned on them. Tattoes and piercings galore. Interesting bunch of youngsters.
Yes, I loved Santiago - it reminded me of so many other places I have been to, and of the two places I call home - Sofia and San Francisco. I thought to myself, I could see myself living here, not just visiting. Why, it would feel just like home...
