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!
Chile seems to have a lot more rules at the border than other countries in South America. They are pretty strict about bringing in vegetables — even the famous forgotten and undeclared apple could cost you dearly. Luckily I got rid of all my food in Asunción. The provided meal by LATAM Airlines was excellent for a ~3 hour flight (chicken breast and quinoa). The border guard lady was very serious about my plans in Chile. She said I will have to answer in Spanish and I tried my best, but she switched immediately back to English after that. So I guess there is still a lot of room to improve my spoken Spanish.
I traveled through South America extensively in 2015, but this is my first time in Chile. It really is hard to compare it to any other of the countries here because of its wealth. It’s not the cheapest city to visit and is cost-wise on par with big cities in the US if not more expensive. 8 dollar for a sandwich is on the low end here. But maybe I’m just staying in the wrong side of town. Safety is generally a concern as is always the case in South America. I try to stick to the typical tourist areas.
Big parts of the city of Santiago could just as easily be in Europe. But there’s a distinct vibe here which I still cannot quite grasp that is unique. Maybe it’s the Italian influence? The people I met are super friendly and helpful. The weather is a very nice 32 degrees. The culture and especially the museums are awesome.
Wooden Statues of the Mapuche
The Museo de Chile de Arte Precolombino was recommended to me by friends of my family in Paraguay. I can confirm: It’s a great overview of the pre-Columbian timeline of all the Americas. Some artifacts are sensational, and the presentation is world-class. I enjoyed the part about Chilean pre-Columbian culture immensely. The impressive wing about south Chilean tribes that live in more temperate climates near or in Patagonia stuck with me for the day.
