24 Pueblito

Barrio Pueblito los Dominicos

I went to a small artistic handicraft village in the Las Condes barrio of Santiago, right next to Los Dominicos Park. I went early after opening and not a lot of tourists were around. Through small windows you can watch how the crafts are made. Anything from stone-masonry, leather wallets, indigenous art or bird cages can be found here. All made by hand and most of the time by those who sell it right in this village. The 19th century low roof houses and small alleys are full of character and charm.

It’s in stark contrast to the metropolitan Providence part of the city where I am staying. Everything is modern and convenient here. Actually there is a convenient store on every block and the metro is never more than a 10-minute walk away. It is also considered very safe. Did I mention they have excellent and actually walkable sidewalks?

As nice as it is it also is pretty expensive. This is the most expensive part of my journey. The next few weeks will be probably the most strenuous on my travel budget. It will equalize a bit once in SEA where I might stay for a longer time. But first I’m off to the southwestern part of the Pacific. I am packing my bags and this time I am preparing for even stricter border controls. My stay (or layover) in Santiago is coming to an end. I found a very reasonably priced flight ticket to Auckland, New Zealand for tomorrow. 12 hours crossing the pacific over nothing but open water? Let’s go!