Santiago Tourist Published in Carnival of Travel Guide #1

Yeah, I submitted my article on Cerro San Cristóbol to the Carnival of Travel Guide #1 and it got in. I checked out the relatively new host site, Travel Hacker, and they have some solid content on there about budget travel, including a bunch of good lists. So check out the blog carnival and their site and enjoy. Chao.

Battle of the Cell Phone Towers

Torre Entel (seen here) is the biggest eyesore I have ever seen. Odds are, you'll most likely see it if you are doing anything in Santiago Centro, but for those who don't, it's located a block west from La Moneda on Alameda (map). Fortunately, there are many tall buildings on the north side of the tower, so you don't have to be exposed to this urban atrocity from too many points in the city. Check out a picture of the Movistar Building, the second ugliest building in Santiago, in my Plaza Italia Article.

Cerro San Cristóbal – Spectacular Panoramic View of Santiago

Although it’s probably on of the Top 5 tourist sites of Santiago, Cerro San Cristóbal is not overrated in the least. The big mound in the middle of the city affords one of the most incredible Santiago panoramas available. Every time I head up, my knowledge of the city has increased, and thus I am able to point out more landmarks, distinguish different sectors, etc. For those unfamiliar to Santiago, the view from up here will let you orient the city in its surroundings: the Andes Mountains and the Cordillera de la Costa.

Whenever someone comes to visit me in Santiago, I take them up Cerro San Cristóbal, and even on smoggy winter days, the view is still stunning. The last time I went up with a couple of friends from Buenos Aires, we climbed as it was getting late in the day and we got to see night fall over the city. Having an amazing panorama and watching it turn from day to night in the course of about a half an hour is a sight that can’t be missed.

Note: The clearest view you will ever get from up here is after a rain, as it reduces the amount of smog in the air. This is especially relevant in winter, and if you do go after a rain, you will have an amazing view of the snow-capped Andes. In the summer, most days should have decent visibility.

The Santiago Zoo is also halfway up Cerro San Cristóbal and can be accessed from the Bellavista Funicular (Zoo hours: Tue-Sun 10am-5pm).

Getting there: There are two common ways to get to the top of Cerro San Cristóbal. You can either take the funicular that leaves from Bellavista, walk-able from Plaza Italia, or the Gondola (Spanish: “Teleférico”) that goes from Providencia, a 10-15 minute walk from Metro Pedro de Valdivia in Providencia.

Bellavista Funicular: From Metro Baquedano (Plaza Italia), head towards the only big hill you see (to the north). The funicular station, as well as zoo access, can be found at the star on this map. Open Mon 1pm–8pm, Tue–Sun 10am–8pm.

Providencia Teleférico: Walking distance from Metro Pedro de Validivia. Ask around for how to get there. I’ll try to get some better information on this site ASAP (update 11/29/07: Directions have been posted below in the comments section). Hours Mon 2:30pm-8pm, Tue-Fri 12:30pm-8pm, Sun 10:30am-8:30pm.

Chileno Reviews My Blog

Well, I asked for it. Chileno recently reviewed my blog and damn if he didn’t let me have it. For those of you who don’t know who Chileno is, I’ve been reading his blog a bit so I’ll explain. Basically he’s a pessimistic, acerbic, and seemingly witty American ex-pat living in Santiago and complaining for a living (if you feel there is a better description, please post it below). I really don’t know what he does, but his blog is entertaining and a good way to get informed about the issues going on in Chile and a good forum of debate (if you think you are well informed). Be careful about posting on his blog though because he doesn’t hesitate to attack, and if you contest him, make sure you cite your sources.

Angel Parra Trio + DJ - Free Jazz/Latin Concert This Wednesday

I just checked out “Saborizante Santiago”, a Santiago events site (in Spanish), and saw that Angel Parra Trio is playing with Bitman for free on Wednesday, November 21, 2007 (thx Roci). I’ve never heard of turn-tabler Bitman, but I do know Angel Parra Trio. Not only are they one of the most legit jazz groups in Chile, they also play a good deal of Latin music, especially salsa and bossa. I can only guess that the added element of a DJ will be awesome. I’m definitely going to this event, hope to see you there.

Venue: Gran Central
Address: Las Urbinas 44, Providencia
Start Time: 10:00 pm
Cost: Free
Getting There: A short walk from metros Los Leones and Pedro de Valdivia. Map.

New York Street Art (Graffiti) in Santiago

Exhibit: “Arte Callejero de Nueva York” (New York Street Art) featuring photography by Leonora Calderón – Open from now until December 23, 2007.

Chilean photographer Leonora Calderón sought out some of the best street art (what some may think of as graffiti) in the Big Apple, and her photos are incredible. Yesterday I went into the exhibit with high expectations (as I love street art), and it more than exceeded them. This is a must-see for anyone interested in modern art or urban culture.

Each one of the 30 or so photographs shown in the small two-room gallery spoke its own message. Some themes included comedic representations of New Yorkers, a huge mural of legendary rapper Biggie Smalls, and various political messages. My favorite would have to be the plump sexualized Lady Liberty held on a leash by a monkey with the face of an all-too-familiar head of state (see below). If that’s not political art at its finest, I don’t know what is.

Getting there: Head to metro Puente Cal y Canto on Line 2 (yellow). The exhibit is in the Sala de Fotografía (Photography Room) on the second floor of Estación Mapocho, the huge building you’ll see as you surface from the depths of the Santiago underground.

Hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 10:30 am – 2:00 pm and 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Closed Mondays.

Cost: Free

Make sure to take one of the free gallery guides, as they have great color pictures of all of the big prints in the exhibit. Estacion Mapocho is also located super close to Bandera (for used clothes shopping), Mercado Central (if you want to grab a touristy seafood lunch or dinner) and La Vega Central (where Santiago goes to buy its produce).

Best Ice Cream in Town - Emporio La Rosa

There's really nothing like strolling around the bohemian neighborhood of Bellas Artes (Lastarria) with an exotic ice cream cone from Emporio La Rosa. This place has both traditional flavors as well as some strange but interesting combinations, all of which are incredible. I've also heard the food is pretty decent, but I haven't tried it (yet).

Flavors that you need to taste (just say "puedo probar xxx" for a free sample):

• Chocolate Basil (Chocolate Albahaca)
• Rose (Rosa)
• Strawberry and Black Pepper (Frutilla y Pimienta)
  

My personal favorites:

• Strawberry (Frutilla)
• Vanilla
• Chirimoya (indigenous fruit - delicious)
  

Price: I can't remember exactly, but a 2-flavor cone goes for about 1500 pesos ($3 US).

Hours: Supposedly Emporio La Rosa is open M-Sat 9:30am - 9:30pm and on Sundays it closes at 2. Despite these "hours" I've gone on a Sunday around 4 and the place was open, so its worth stopping by if its not too out of the way.

Getting there: A 3 minutes walk from either metro Universidad Catolica or Bellas Artes and about a 5 minute walk from Plaza Italia/Baquedano. See map for all reference points.

Address: Merced 291

Awesome Open Art Display – Universidad de Chile, Facultad de Arquitectura y Urbanismo

Want to see a living, breathing art museum? The School of Design at the University of Chile allows its students and professors to decorate their own campus, resulting in an extremely dynamic art environment that constantly changes and improves. The building’s bold marigold façade frequently gets covered with student murals and posters, and each locker on campus has been painted by its individual owner. There are new things popping up every week, including full size sculptures made from all sorts of materials.

I probably wouldn’t have even known about the school had I not been afforded the opportunity to study there. Fortunately, the Geography department is on the same campus, so I get to see the student art display change on a daily basis. The tin men seen here have been a theme this entire semester, and have been seen riding horse sculptures, crossing a pedestrian walkway in Abby Road fashion, and seated behind the desk of a security booth reading a newspaper (it was classic, sorry for not having a picture).

Make sure you go during daylight and give yourself at least an hour to wander the entire campus, as there is something around every corner. I still find undiscovered surprises and new displays all the time.

The campus is open from 8am to 9pm M-F and I’m pretty sure it’s open on Saturdays, although I can’t tell you for sure. Getting there is only a minute’s walk from Metro Universidad Católica. Map. It’s also only a few blocks away from both Plaza Italia and Cerro Santa Lucia.

"The Real Santiago" Published in "Carnival of Cities"

The latest edition of Carnival of Cities, "Food Edition", published my article on Using Public Transportation in Santiago. Obviously it doesn't fit the theme of food, but hey, I ain't complaining. Enjoy.

The Police (the band) Come to Santiago

For anyone who's going to be here on December 5, 2007, The Police (Sting, "Roxanne", the whole shabang) are playing in Estadio Nacional (Ñuñoa).

Although I know you aren't visiting Chile to see globalized popular music, going to a stadium event in Santiago is an experience in itself. When I saw Incubus here... well, lets just say the Chileans are a truly different crowd. You'll have to see for yourself.

Tickets are $30-40 US and can be bought at ticketmaster chile. Although the site is in Spanish, it seems pretty straightforward to navigate. I would buy cancha (field level) tickets (which I assume are for standing only) at 19,000 pesos ($38 US) if you want to get close to the stage. Send me an email if you need help with the website.

Getting there is pretty straightforward: From El Centro, micro number 508 goes directly from Plaza Italia. See animated map. From Providencia or anywhere east of there, get to Metro Grecia (Linea 4), and hop on micro 506, 507, or 510 going west. See animated map. Just say "Estadio Nacional?" inquisitively to the bus driver to make sure that he's passing by there. A cab will be about 3,000 pesos ($6 US) from Plaza Italia, and about 1,000 pesos ($2 US) from either metro Grecia (Linea 4) or metro Irarrazaval (Linea 5).

Bandera - All The Used Clothes You Could Possibly Want

For some reason, I have never seen Bandera mentioned in any English language piece on Santiago. Well I’m about to expose it to the world. Bandera is a street lined with 25 to 30 used clothing stores where you can literally find anything you are looking for, dirt cheap. T-shirts of all kinds sell for 500-2000 pesos ($1-4 US), dress shirts a little more, they have pants, shoes, hats, jackets, you name it. A few stores even have legit used trench coats (the kind you would wear on a freezing day in New York City). I almost bought one that they were selling for 15,000 pesos ($30 US) that probably cost about $200 US new, if not more.

It gets better.

The location of this shopping mecca is only a block away from Plaza de Armas. To get from Plaza de Armas to Bandera, while facing the cathedral, exit Plaza de Armas on the right hand side, following the street named “Catedral”. Bandera will be the first major street that you hit, just turn right and the stores will begin. Metro stations U. de Chile, La Moneda, Plaza de Armas, and Puenta Cal y Canto all provide convenient access, as you can see on the map (you may have to zoom out a little to see the other metro stations). The used clothing stores pretty much line the street from the star north to Metro Puente Cal y Canto. Most stores open in the morning and close around 7 pm. Everything is closed on Sundays. Make sure to wash the clothes before wearing, just in case.

Update 11/14/07 - There's also an amazing pita/falafel place on Bandera, a few blocks south of "Cathedral" on the right hand side.

Using Public Transportation in Santiago

In February 2007, Santiago went through a complete overhaul of its public transportation system and most travel literature on Santiago has not yet accommodated for the change. This article will explain in depth how to get around the Chilean megalopolis using public transit. Riding on Transantiago (the name of the new system) is pretty safe and efficient, even for foreigners. I get around the city almost exclusively on “micros” (buses) and “metro” (subway). The only times I ever take a taxi are if it’s late at night (past 11), and even then I’ll still take a bus after midnight (the metro closes around 10:30) if I’m with friends. However, I don’t recommend doing so if you don’t feel comfortable with the system nor speak spanish. Taxis at night are pretty cheap since there is little traffic.

I understand this is a lengthy article, so if you don’t have time to read it now, I suggest you print it out and bring it with you to Santiago, as it will give you all the information and resources you will need to navigate the city.

Tarjeta bip!

This charge card allows you to get on any metro or micro for 380 pesos (about 75¢ US). Furthermore, you can transfer from metro to a micro or vice versa and not get charged extra, as the fare carries over for 90 minutes from your first point of entry. The card itself costs 1,000 pesos ($2 US) and can be charged in any metro station or any corner store where you see the bip! logo. Sometimes when I go out at night, the only things I carry are cash and my tarjeta bip!

MapCity

Since there is no Google Maps website for Santiago (at time of writing), the equivalent is www.mapcity.cl. However, as a traveler, I know you will not always have access to the internet, and thus the website is not ideal. Luckily, you can buy a great little book that the company publishes and sells at newpaper/magazine stands anywhere in the city for 1,000 – 2,000 pesos ($2-4 US). Just ask at any kiosk if they sell “Mapcity” (pronounced “map see-tee”) and they’ll understand. In both English and Spanish, the booklet itself (pictured) has 153 pages of city maps, a metro plan, and a list of all the streets in the city (like any road atlas) so you can do your own analog Google map search. The book is really better than any tourist map you can buy because it has all of the metro stops displayed clearly on the maps, and you can get to a lot of sites of interest by metro. Unfortunately the information on using the buses (known as “micros”) in Mapcity is less than adequate, and getting to certain sites such as Plaza Ñuñoa, Estadio Nacional, and Parque Arauco will require the use of buses (see “Getting on a micro” below).

Transantiago map and/or website

Transantiago puts out both a website and a free paper map that are essential to the understanding of transit in the capital. The map lists all the bus routes and metro lines and is super user friendly. I get around exclusively by using the Mapcity book and the Transantiago paper map, which I keep posted on my wall. The map can be picked up at any Transantiago information center in the city (note that they all close 6pm weekdays, 4pm Saturdays, and aren’t open on Sundays) or online in nine pdf documents. You really only need 2 to 4 of these map segments, especially the maps of El Centro and Providencia which can be joined by placing them side by side, connecting the red metro line. I would actually say that if you are planning ahead, it’s worth going to a print center and paying a few bucks (or pounds, or whatever currency you readers use) to print color versions of the two map segments in particular.

Planning a trip on the Transantiago website can be confusing, and if you don’t speak a bit of Spanish, I wouldn’t even bother trying. The site works just like getting driving directions on Google maps: you can list a starting point and destination, and the site will tell you how to get there via public transit. In that respect the site is pretty unique, but unfortunately, this site is confusing even for me, and I speak Spanish. So for those of you wishing to try your luck, go to the Transantiago website and then click on “Planifica tu viaje”. Try getting to Plaza Ñuñoa by typing the intersection of Jorge Washington with Irarrazaval (use your own starting destination).

Metro

The Santiago Metro is very clean, efficient, and packed like sardines during rush hours. If you are planning on going in metro between 7 and 9 am, you may have to wait for a few trains to pass because of the packed conditions. Nevertheless, you will have to be aggressive if you want to get on, but don’t be scared. 95% of the time that I go in metro its not packed, the only real times you have to be worried about are if you are going toward El Centro or Providencia during those hours on a weekday.

When you walk into a metro station, there are generally maps of the entire metro network very clearly displayed. The lines are named by the last station that they reach in a given direction, so for example, Line 1 east is named Escuela Militar, and Line 1 west is named San Pablo. Check out this interactive metro map that lets you calculate travel time by metro. So once you know where you are going, just swipe your tarjeta bip! and head toward the line you want to get on. Transferring lines is also simple. When you get off a train in a transfer station, you will see a sign that says something like “Cambiar a Linea 4 – La Cisterna”. Make sure you get on the right direction or else you will be on the wrong side of the platform.

Getting on a micro (bus)

The Santiago micros can take a while to master, but riding them is a skill worth having as they provide access to the parts of the city that the metro doesn’t. The main micros that you will be using are the inter-communal buses (go to more than one zone as defined by the transantiago map), which can be discerned by their color: white with a green diagonal stripe (see photo). The local buses (those that stay within one zone) are painted the color of that zone on the map. Thus buses in Ñuñoa (zone D) are yellow, but depending on where you are staying in the city, you may not need to have to bother with the local buses. Anyways, at each metro stop there is a placard that says which buses should stop there. When a bus pulls up, it has its route # and a list of the main streets it runs posted in its front window in the lower right. If the bus stops, don’t be shy to step one foot on and ask the driver “a metro Baquedano?” or “a Parque O’Higgins?”. If he understood you he should let you know if you are on the right line, but if there is a problem communicating, you may just have to wing it… buena suerte

Taxi recommendations

Taxi drivers in Santiago are notorious for ripping off gringos, so you have to be careful, although I really can’t think of a way to prevent getting shafted. Actually I can, be with a Chilean and only have him speak, haha. Radiotaxis are the safest, they come right to your door after a quick phone call. They start the fare at 1000 pesos ($2 US) and then start charging you at the same rate as a normal taxi, which starts the fare at 200 pesos. The normal taxis are the ones that you see everywhere, yellow on top and black on the bottom. For some perverse reason, fake blonde girls here are called “taxis”, but I can’t seem to figure out why… Like I said, taxis at night should be cheap. The other day it cost me 3,000 pesos ($6 US) to get from Plaza Ñuñoa to Cerro Santa Lucia (in El Centro), so if you start seeing anything more than that on a short ride, start suspecting something. I’ve heard of gringos getting charged between 10 and 20.000 pesos ($20-40 US), but I think if your smart and agreeable, you shouldn’t run into too many problems.

So that’s pretty much it for the guide, if you've made it this far, you are now ready to tackle the mean streets of Santiago. I hope you enjoyed, and please, let me know if this guide helped you or if you feel it’s missing anything.

Creamfields Tonight

The international electronic music festival Creamfields comes to Santiago tonight. The line up includes the Chemical Brothers. Check out http://www.creamfields.cl/ for more info. The event is in Movicenter Santiago and I got to directions on how to get there at the Transantiago website, although they aren't too helpful if you don't speak Spanish. I really don't know if there are tickets left, but I might go check it out.
AJ

The Center of the Chilean Universe – Plaza Italia (Baquedano)

The first thing you need to know if you want to orient yourself in Santiago is the location of Plaza Italia, also known as (Metro) Baquedano. This huge roundabout sits in the heart of the city, with Bellavista and Cerro San Cristóbal to the north, Providencia to the east, Ñuñoa to the south, and El Centro to the west. From what I understand, the name Plaza Italia originated from the statue (northeast side of the plaza) given to Chile by Italy for their 100 year anniversary. Note that Plaza Italia is the point where Alameda (Avenida Bernardo O’Higgins) changes its name to Providencia on the east side. The most blatant feature of the central hub is the Telfónica tower, which is shaped like a ridiculously large cell phone (referred to as La Torre Celular, see photo).

This recent addition to the Santiago skyline (1996) happens to be the tallest building in the city, perhaps in the country. I suppose that Telefónica, one of the largest telephone service providers in Chile, really wanted to make a statement, as you can pretty much see the building from any decent vantage point in the entire city. The bottom floor of the building is a free museum, which is worth a stop if you are passing by (which you inevitably will be if you plan to actually see Santiago). I’ve seen two exhibits there: an abstract art exhibition and a Star Wars tribute, so who knows what you’ll find.

Metro Baquedano is a convenient access point for the following locations: Bellavista, Cerro San Cristóbal, and La Chascona (Pablo Neruda’s house) all found due north of the plaza, just walk toward the big hill and cross the bridge (northeast side of the plaza or left hand side if you are walking from the metro toward the hill). Parque Bustamante, Parque Balmaceda and Parque Forestal flank the east, south and western tips of the plaza.

Note: I almost always hear the plaza referred to as Plaza Italia by Chileans, unless they are talking about going to the metro station, in which case they will say Baquedano. To see Plaza Italia on a map, click here.

What is this blog about?

I've lived in Santiago, Chile for the past 4 months and I can truly say that this city is underrated on the list of top global tourist destinations. The city offers an intriguing history (only having left dictatorship 17 years ago), amazing night life sectors, and a face that can't be compared to anywhere else. Santiago offers what any major developed city in the world would: a host of museums, sites, monuments, etc. But this blog is intended to show you what you really need to see and know to make the best of your time here.

I came here to study and learn Spanish, but I've done more touristy things than you will possibly be able to cover, even with a month here. I'm going to try to share with you all the greatest spots in Santiago, whether or not they are covered in the tour guides. I did actually come here with an English travel guide (Let's Go: Chile), but those things are written from such an outsider's point of view, that you can't really get the Santiago experience (nor can you in any foreign city) if you don't read literature written by a native, or of course, live there. So although I'm not a native, I have lived here a while, I have tons of Chilean friends, and I really think I have enough to share about this great city that you will find useful.

Chao,
AJ