Vibrancy of Vega Market, Santiago Chile

Often, when travelers arrive in a new place, they want to understand the essence of the culture: the smells, sounds, tastes, colors, and heart of the place and its people. The one spot to easily gain a glimpse in just a few short minutes of what Chilean culture is all about is at the mother [...]

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Day 4: Santiago’s cerros, cementerios y cafés

All good things must come to an end. However, we deliberately left some sites unexplored since I had fallen in amor with Santiago and envisioned myself someday living there. A leisurely stroll, or uphill climb rather, through a magnificent park filled out the last morning of the trip. The Cerro (hill) Santa Lucía is a [...]

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Day 3 in Santiago, Chile: Earthquake Cuisine

Ah, Chile.  The images I’d had of what South America might be like were reaffirmed as soon as I set foot in this country. I was growing more passionate and attached to this place with each passing minute. On the third day in Santiago, approaching the town square from la Vega market with exotic fruit [...]

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Day 2 in Santiago, Chile: Bibilotecas and Chinchineros

Our first stop was the Biblioteca Nacional which was a true bibliophile’s delight. As we wandered into the geography room and other ornate meeting rooms, Patrice came to understand my desire to be a librarian. He said, “I’m in shock here. This place has everything I love: maps, Internet access, archives… so now I know [...]

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Day 1 in Santiago, Chile: Ciudad de mis sueños

Flying from Buenos Aires to Santiago was a breeze. My first view of the Andes was breathtaking; I had never seen mountains of such grandeur. Going through immigration, there were only five people in line and both airports were really quiet. After about 20 minutes on a bus we got off in the centro of [...]

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