Santiago, Chile

Mote Con Huesillo

 

If you ask any person, read a guidebook, or browse the net- most sources say Santiago, Chile is simply a “passer-by” city---meaning, you only need 1-2 days there, max. It is unfortunate the capital city of Chile has this reputation because it is most definitely false. I had little expectations of Santiago. After spending a short time there, I immediately thought I could easily spend a few weeks there. Even though Santiago is populated with around 5 million people, ironically, it happens to be one of the quietest and peaceful cities I’ve ever visited. I rarely heard honking or the typical loud noises you would hear in East Village.  Every person I met was so kind and helpful; Chileans are, by far, the warmest people! It’s as if it’s a law to be nice to your fellow citizens.

As I walked through the streets of Santiago, I noticed how there’s no particular architectural style. There’s a mix of European, Latin, and modern buildings that occupy the streets but nothing that chants CHILEAN-style. As my Chilean friend recently told me- Chile is still considered a 3^rd world country (what does that mean anyways? In my opinion, that’s just simply a label…). For being an “uncivilized” country, I was flabbergasted when I saw the intense business and industrial emphasis on the city. I observed countless of citizens walking, talking, and breathing the high-profile, business lifestyle. Goodbye Wall-street, hello Santiago!

We walked through Cerro San Lucia, which is a beautiful park that’s built on a mountain. The paths in the park coiled around the mountain from the bottom to top. This venue was very fascinating because every path led towards the peak of the mountain. It reminded me of an upward maze; and once you hiked to the top (free of the maze) you were able to see some incredible views of Santiago and the Andes Mountains. It was beautiful. (Side note= Santiago is a semi-industrial city that’s situated in the middle of the Andes mountains, so no matter where you look- your view is of the Andes.)

We then walked to Armas Plaza where we saw handfuls of painters and civilians doing their daily activities…we stumbled upon an interesting drink called mote con huesillo…I’m not going to lie it’s the strangest concoction ever: on the bottom of the cup rests the trigo (barley), and the cup is filled with peaches and the juice from a peach fruit cup. (You drink/eat it with a spoon.) I know exactly what you’re thinking, “Gross. Yuck. And is she actually serious?” YES. It was the most amazing, refreshing drink I’ve ever had. (I like weird things, so when I saw this, it wasn’t even a question if I was going to buy it or not. I was the first to drink it, and boy was I thrilled. Amazing.) Mote con huesillo is very popular and the national summer drink of Santiago. People sold liters of it on every corner; it reminded me of all the shwarma stands along 34^th street. It was good stuff.

Oh this was weird—I was walking through the streets and then saw a few surprising signs. I saw Nine West, Hushpuppies, and Dunkin Donuts stores. I was in a total state of shock, mainly, because who shops at Hushpuppies anymore? Kidding, but seriously. I traveled all the way to South America to get out of the U.S., and here I was getting sucked back into it. (I really wanted a strawberry frosted donut, but my rule is that I only eat local foods in the specific country I’m in. So, eating D.D. in Chile wasn’t going to cut it for me.) It was a weird feeling experiencing globalization all the way in Santiago because even Argentina isn’t that “Americanized.” I think the craziest feeling was knowing Santiago has a Dunkin Donuts while Milwaukee doesn’t!

The next day we walked to Parque Forestral where we saw the most appetizing playground. We couldn’t resist. The five of us (Amy finally came) ran to the swings, and acted like kids again. I swung so high I was waiting for my Dad to run under my swing like he did when I was little! Haha! We then headed thru the park and 2 stray dogs kept following us. We named them Chile and Hannah (for purposes only us girls will have to keep secret!). We ended at Central Mercado where lots of produce and seafood is sold. (I bought the most sensational cherries there!) After my delicious indulgence, we headed to Bellavista. This area of Santiago is known as the hippy, bohemian sector---You can only imagine how much I loved it! The streets were extremely charming with the cutest craft markets, cafes, and restaurants.

We eventually made our way back to the hostel and took a bus to Valparaiso where we were supposed to meet up with the boys… 

 

Barrio Paris

View from the top of Cerro San Lucia