BEESANDTOES

Santiago de Chile opened its gates to us as we finally set foot on the South American continent. Upon arrival we were welcomed by Sarah’s childhood friend, Dusami, who lent us her apartment while we were in town. She has been amazing in helping us feel comfortable and ready before hitting the road. Gracias Dusa!

 

Santiago is a very interesting city, full of contrasts. An impressive crown of mountains surrounds this large metropolis of 7 million people yet Santiago's overwhelming pollution completely smothers its surrounding beauty. The wide avenues that cut through the concrete forest of the American style grid-system are saturated with cars while in the calmer, greener residential areas there is a pleasant village-like feel to the city with rows of trees bordering the one-way streets and the houses rarely rising above a couple stories. In the busier central neighbourhoods, 60’s and 70’s architecture apartment buildings give Santiago a faded, rusty look while the growing business district and its tall glass skyscrapers brings a clean new face to the cityscape. 

 

 

The Café Literario, situated in the heart of the Parque Bustamante, stands out like an oasis in the midst of the urban hustle. A modern yet sober two-story structure of glass, concrete and wood, nests a quiet library and working space. With a first-floor outdoor terrace, you can comfortably sip on a hot cappuccino and listen to the songs of the Chilean birds while enjoying a great vantage point on the park. Runners, bikers, skaters, lovers, parents and their children, teenagers just out from school, elderly couples on their daily promenade, all come to the park to enjoy a break within the city. Nearby, the lively Bellavista neighbourhood, home to the San Sebastian University, offers a handful of cafés and bars that run from early afternoon until late at night. Along the sidewalks, artists, young and old, expose and sell their latest creations - earrings, necklaces, handbags, poems, dream catchers… Artwork from as many origins as there are ethnicities.

 

Santiago is very cosmopolitan, to the point where it becomes difficult to make out the Chileans from the rest. There is no specific attribute that defines them. The ones from the North are darker with thick black hair whereas the ones from the middle or south are more pale, still with black (or brown) hair. On top of that there is a huge immigration into Chile from several poorer countries of South America such as Bolivia, Peru or Columbia and even from the strongly crisis-affected Spain. Add the Asian and European immigrants and you’ve got yourself a rich and diverse local melting pot. Two things that probably would characterise a Chilean though is his strong national pride and his love of partying. (We happen to be there for an important football match between Chile and Colombia that naturally brought out the true heart of the Chileans).

 

Despite a very pleasant stay in Santiago, 5 days were enough. The agressive ambient air caused irritations to our eyes and lungs and the hustle of this huge South American capital was not what we left Paris for. Plus, it turns out Chile is very expensive (prices being similar to those in Europe) and as always in big cities, money seemed to just flow out of our pockets. So, having completed all the paperwork for the car and finally discovering our new home on wheels, a fully equipped 1.7 ton beast, we packed our bags, loaded the car and hit the road...