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Published: September 7th 2007
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Panoramic View of Santiago
Hey there, is that the snow-capped Andes we can see through the haze? We’re finally on our way! Flew out of Sydney late morning on Tuesday and arrived just two hours later in Santiago thanks to the 14 hour time change. Nothing eventful to report on the flight across, apart from a couple of B-class movies, but were most pissed off on arrival to be first through immigration, but last to receive our bags (along with both the first-class passengers!) some 40 minutes later. It appears Santiago has the same socialist bag-handlers as Sydney!
I doubt Santiago would rate as one of the top ten prettiest cities in the world. It is situated in a big hollow plain between two mountain ranges, one of which is the snow-capped Andes, at least we think that is what we can just see through the smog. Visibility is very poor here at present, giving one suspects Chilean athletes a most unfair advantage next year in Beijing!
We climbed the Cerro St Cristobal on a funicular railway (some 500 metres above Santiago) where at the top a massive statue of the Virgin Mary looks over the city (kind of the poor man’s Rio de Janeiro!). As well as looking out over smog, she seems to
Atop Cerro St Cristobal
Things will be okay while Mary is watching over us! overlook a large number of apartment buildings, most of which appear in pretty poor condition. It appears Pinochet and Allende might have plenty to answer for with the economy of Chile, as there appears very little remotely modern construction here. Of interest, there was a variety of flora on show on the way up the hill, as diverse as cactus and wattle bushes. Looks like some Aussies have been over here dropping seeds….
We slummed it our first night in the Crowne Plaza in downtown Santiago, and Joan thought that might be setting the bar for the level of accommodation on the trip, but boy is she going to be disappointed! We then moved to an aparthotel, which is the most common form of more basic accommodation in this part of the world, being just a standard apartment but with a central reception and restaurant.
The Metro is one thing that serves Santiago well. It seems very accessible from most places, and like Tokyo, trains come every couple of minutes, so no need to race for one. But that’s where the similarity with Tokyo finishes - the carriages are old (but in fairness quite clean) and run on
Plaza de Armas
The central plaza of Santiago downtown, with plenty of people just 'hanging around'. rubber wheels. There is a standard fare of 380 pesos (AUD1) regardless of how far you travel, so it is very competitive.
In common with most South American cities, ‘downtown’ is based around a central Plaza, called Plaza de Armas. This is a huge area with an amazing number of people just sitting around. Santiago does not appear attractive to western tourists, as we have seen very few of these, but naturally are unable to identify how many latino tourists are in town. We also strolled around the student area where there are many pubs and nightclubs, most painted in pretty gaudy colours and all looking like they could use a ‘makeover’, but not without character.
We don’t know if it’s going to set the scene for the trip, or it just reflects Chile’s proximity to Argentina, but for dinner last night, we purchased a 500kg steak, which we actually shared, at quite a pleasant restaurant for less than AUD12. If the food remaind this quality and this price, I’m going to have to walk marathons every day if I’m going to make any impression on my spare tyre!
Well that’s it for now, folks. We’ve now
Santiago Cathedral
Flanks the perimeter of the Plaza de Armas. had two solid nights sleep, so we’re just about ready to tackle Ecuador and the Amazon jungle. For those of you who subscribed to our blog, I hope you got the required email advice. As always, any (polite) public comments would be most welcome. Thanks Jill for being first cab off the rank.
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james st .james
non-member comment
old fart indeed
my goodness, i haven't read such a crotchety and negative journal entry like this in a long time. you sound like some suburban SUV driving right-wing american (i know you're australian). if you're so down on santiago, i don't know how you're going to manage in the rest of the continent. santiago is the most modern city on the continent and has the highest standard of living in latin america according to the UN. one reason you didn't see as many "modern" buildings is because you're downtown. downtown is the historic heart of the city but it's not the economic or financial center of the city. this lies east, in the comunas (buroughs) of providencia, las condes, and vitacura. you're not going to enjoy south america unless you become a little more fluid and a little less rigid. you can't hold the continent at arm's length, you need to roll your sleeves up and emerse yourself more in the location. take your cues from the younger travellers, who jump head-first into any location they travel. anyway, good luck on the rest of your travels and i hope your blog's negative vibe is due to the severe jetlag. cheers! james st. james