SANTIAGO - Metropolis in the mountains

Accommodation

Our first accommodation at Casa Ryan was really not bad. The location was great. The price too. For breakfast there was always "Pan francés" with cheese and ham, plus a fruit yogurt, fruit and either egg or muesli as an addition. We stayed about five minutes away from the Baquedano metro station.

Our second accommodation at the Sí-Hotel was moderately great. Our room was directly on the main street (one minute's walk from the Unión Latino Americana station) and we couldn't find the advertised soundproof windows anywhere. Here too, we had to learn to deal with the ceiling confusion: several thin blankets were stacked in the bed, this is apparently the case everywhere here (as we had to find out during the trip). The breakfast was similar; every day there was a roll with different fillings: ham / cheese / tuna mix /... We also noticed that there is always meat (or fish) with breakfast - difficult for vegetarians and vegans...

SIM card

Straight in the central railway station, we set up a Claro SIM card for Pascal. This cost 2000 Pesos and included 1 GB of internet and 100 min calls for 15 days. My own WOM! card for 2000 Pesos had unlimited data for WhatsApp - great for when I wanted to call my family on the move. We landed a mega-deal at the market: four SIM cards for 1000 Pesos. You could choose from several options between 1 GB to 3 GB.

Sightseeing

I mostly explored the city on my own as Pascal had to work and then got sick. The sights will be listed separately (in the menu) in the future.

Transportation

The Metro was definitely my transport of choice. Before you can use it, you have to buy a Bip!-Card for 1550 Pesos. The name comes from the noise the card reader makes when you pay for the 120-minute ride. Some metro lines are newer than others, and these even have a protective wall with electric sliding doors in front of the track to prevent anyone from accessing the rails. The track change from a new to an old metro and vice versa can take about five minutes - the metros depart at different depths and you can shorten the time a bit with escalators. Within the metro, street sales like candies are prohibited, but you'll find many people within the metro station itself wanting to get rid of their junk.

The price for this is 710 to 810 Pesos, depending on the time of day. It's a bit more expensive during rush hour. You can also take the bus, which costs the same, unless you're switching from the metro to the bus or vice versa. In this case, you pay a combo price. It's worth noting that there is WiFi on all buses. For route planning, we used Google Maps. Even in the app, it specifies which bus terminal you should use (these are numbered, which makes orientation a lot easier).

Food and Drink

Right on the second day, we tried the typical Empanadas. In a store specialized in these filled pastries, we managed to score five or six vegetarian versions. Our conclusion, after tasting Empanadas in various cities: It's about the filling. If the dough is too thick and the filling too stingy, it's not a good Empanada! The portions here are really big, even a challenge for a big eater like Pascal. At Mercado Central, we had a meal on men's day in a fish restaurant called Delfín that included an appetizer (soup and Ceviche) and fish for about 6000 Pesos. Delicious! I also tried my first Pisco Sour. Very tasty! The prevailing coffee brand is Nescafé. Pascal and I were lucky enough to experience one of the best ice cream parlors in the world: Emporio La Rosa. Here we treated ourselves to three scoops of ice cream for 4790 Pesos. The price difference here between the scoops is quite large, the more you take the cheaper it gets:

• 1 scoop = 2990 Pesos
• 2 scoops = 3990 Pesos
• 3 scoops = 4790 Pesos
• However, the homemade ice lollies (Bombones de helado) are really expensive: 5990 Pesos.

Cafés and Restaurants

• Caleta el Delfin (Mercado Central)
• Barrio Bellavista / Restaurante Monjitas Spa / El Rey de las Corrillanas (Barrio Bellavista)
• Emporio la Rosa (Parque Forestral)

Flora and Fauna

In Santiago, we observed beautiful birds with green plumage. We also saw common locust trees, Melia azedarach, soft acanthus, jade plants, peach trees and Californian poppy.

Number of Germans in the City

0 observed cases

Interaction with Locals

When speaking with locals in Santiago, people often greet you with "Qué tal" as in "How are you". If you need to get past someone in the metro, you say "permiso". Moreover, I was also addressed by a grandma with "Mi amor". I was warned twice on the bus to put my phone away because it wasn't a safe area. Often, people just sing out in the open and often carry stereo speakers with them.

People Met

Alejandro from Concepción - the cyclist helped me find a shortcut on Cerro Cristóbal when the official roads and paths were closed.

Expenses

On site we bought two caps (15,000 and 5000 Pesos), a pair of boots, and a down jacket for Pascal. We were able to eat relatively cheaply and the prices in the supermarkets were also reasonable.

Standard Stall Offers

In all corners of Santiago, you can buy junk. The most common items are:

• Fruits and vegetables (strawberries, pumpkin)
• Sandwiches
• Meat (cooked on grills converted from shopping carts)
• SIM cards
• Locks
• Fake clothes (Nike, The North Face)
• Ketchup and mayo bottles
• ...

Laundry

At Sí-Hotel we could get our laundry washed for 10,000 Pesos. Pretty expensive and my black pants somehow lost their color afterwards...

Unsolved Mysteries

Almost all people have beautiful bikes here. Some have even mounted a two-stroke motor on their mountain bike so they can deliver food faster from delivery services. When you need to use the toilet, you are given a folded piece of toilet paper by the toilet cleaning staff. Sometimes the central toilet paper dispenser is also installed in the entrance area - bad if you notice this too late;) Toilet paper is not always allowed to be thrown into the toilet; there is a bucket provided for this. Depending on the size of the bucket, you then also know whether the toilet paper may go into the toilet: small bucket = yes, large bucket = no.

The reason is probably due to the old pipes or the sewage treatment plant. A toilet visit costs 100 to 500 Pesos. Another thing that was noticeable: The huge amount of power cables in every street. Pascal is of the opinion that (when one is broken) the cables are simply cut off and left there and a new one is added. Instead of a phone number, almost all stores have the WhatsApp contact on signs. This demonstrates the spread of this commonly used communication tool, which here in Chile replaces both the telephone number (landline) and e-mail.

Currency

1 Euro = 980 Chilean Pesos; 1000 Chilean Pesos = 1,02 Euro

Bus to Valparaíso

We took the Turbus from Santiago to Valparaíso. The two-hour journey cost 13200 Pesos and on the way we could see beautiful vineyards and also many barren areas with burnt trees. Thankfully, the price doesn't change at the last minute like with Deutsche Bahn...