Category: Santiago

We learned five new things about Chile today, so we thought we’d pass them on. They’re from an excellent free walking tour in Santiago that we highly recommend. The same company offers a walking tour in Valparaíso which we plan on checking out.

Before I share, let me tell you what you’re seeing in the photo above. These two street dogs met up with our group across from the presidential palace about 20 minutes into the tour. They stayed with the group the whole time — nearly three hours. The guide said sometimes one of the dogs follows him home. The lighter one in the background went for a romp in the fountain after barking at random people passing by for no apparent reason.

OK, here’s what we learned:

The coffee shops where all the servers are women wearing short dresses? Those aren’t a coincidence! Remember how we went to this stand-up espresso bar where the women wear ultra-short, ultra-tight dresses and it’s mostly male patrons? Chris was convinced they’re the Chilean version of Hooters…and he was right. They are referred to as café con piernas or “coffee with legs.” Some of the racier ones have blacked out windows.

The native people are actively uprising. The Mapuche are the original, pre-Spanish inhabitants of Chile. They are still 10 percent of the Chilean population — and there are areas in southern, rural areas where Mapuche are still in active conflict with Chile.

A law was recently passed to penalize people for abandoning dogs. There are a lot of street dogs in Santiago, but they are relatively clean, well-fed, and many are neutered. People in the neighborhoods take care of them. They’re everyone’s dogs. Still, they are trying to reduce the amount of animal abandonment.

We knew Chile had been under a dictatorship, but we didn’t fully understand the details. And it’s wild to think that it was still going on during our (early) lifetimes. In any case, the 1973 coup ultimately came down to: “the economy, stupid.”

Chile is still rebuilding after a massive earthquake four years ago. There were still a few large buildings undergoing final reconstruction efforts after a massive 8.8 earthquake in 2010.

Now you’re ready to play Jeopardy.

The deliciousness above is a calzón roto, which tastes a little like a chewy donut and is finished with powdered sugar. Notice the artful twist? The perfect accompaniment to your Nescafé.

Other baked goods common in Chile are empanadas de pino, filled with ground beef, hard-boiled egg and an olive. There are delicious sandwich rolls that also have a good chew, as well as these small croissants with a sweet glaze called medias lunas.

I’ve been getting back into beef-eating because there’s a LOT of beef here. Many of the typical Chilean dishes have beef and potatoes. Chris is in heaven.

We visited an exhibit that had salt all over the ground, which made us think we should probably go to Bolivia. It was about urban planning in Santiago in order to reduce economic inequality. One of the strategies is to connect all the disparate neighborhoods with free, open, green spaces. It reminded me of that New York Times story about how upward mobility is most possible when communities have a mix of income levels, and how it’s least possible when rich and poor are segregated.

One of our favorite things to do in new cities is visit the markets and grocery stores. It’s fun to take in the little differences and see what people buy and eat. One thing we saw at the grocery store is yogurt in bags, kind of like what frozen peas come in. The other thing? Mayo in bags. Mmmm…

It is nice being in a new city and being able to play tourist. Check out these flying dogs!

Yesterday, I had a great conversation with a friend Carolyn and her boyfriend who are doing a leap year of their own — which they have dubbed World Tour 2014. (Way to go!) It was an exhilarating conversation both because I love being able to help people, but I was also reminded of how Chris and I felt when planning for our leap year: excited, terrified, and excited.

I just read this article about the four Ps that lead to happiness: purpose, perspective, people and play. And it felt great knowing that what we are doing is helping in each of these categories.

Our purpose is to get outside our comfort zone and think differently about what we value. Every time we are out of our element but manage to get comfortable, it feels like an accomplishment.

Travel is one of the best ways to gain perspective, and I found myself smiling when thinking about some of Carolyn´s questions about full-time travel — the same concerns I had before we left, like putting a career on hold and what to do with our stuff — and realizing that I now have a different perspective on those issues.

Chris and I are getting lots of quality time with our favorite people, each other. The distance forces us to be mindful about keeping in touch with others. If you can believe it, we probably keep in touch with family and friends more now than we did when we were in San Francisco.

And play just goes without saying: we are relaxing, trying new things, exploring new places.

Of course, you do not have to travel for a year to fill your life with the four Ps. Although, it´s probably the funnest way. 🙂 Did I mention that we have a page specifically dedicated to travel inspiration?

I leave you with this room of people working to gain perspective through art.

We made it to the cheese zone… I mean, Chile! This photo is from the cheese section of the market a couple blocks from our apartment.

It’s summer here and roughly 80 degrees in Santiago. We stick out like sore thumbs — Chris because he’s clearly Caucasian and me because my clothing is 100 times less sexy than every other woman’s. Holly is less than pleased about being back in hot weather, but we’re happy campers. We’ll be here for a few more days before heading to Valparaíso and Viña del Mar.

We’ve been wandering the streets to see the sights, eat good food, and run little errands — like getting power adapters and SIM cards. One of the things that’s exciting and humbling about travel is how getting things done is totally different. Fortunately, people are friendly and willing to help — and there are plenty of places to take a break and enjoy tasty meat sandwiches.

Chileans love Nescafe, which is what you’ll find at most places. While it’s not bad, Chris and I were hankering for some espresso. We found this espresso bar, with an actual stand-up bar, that we’ve now been to twice. Most of the staff is women, and they all wear super-tight, super-short dresses. The only female patrons I’ve noticed are also other tourists. So maybe I’m missing something here? Chris thinks so.

We’ve already been drinking plenty of wine and are excited to see more sights tomorrow! If you have any Santiago recommendations, will you please let us know?