Finally joined up with my travel buddies who flew in from Manila to Sydney to catch a connecting flight into Santiago, Chile. The Qantas flight from Down Under took 12 hours where I hardly had a wink. Shouldn’t complain since my buddies endured another 8 hours plus all the waiting time at the 2 airports for a gruelling 28 hours. By the time we landed in the country’s capital, we were all wasted. But pleasant weather welcomed us in Santiago, named after one of our favorite saints. Hearing and speaking Spanish is both familiar and a struggle for many of us, but the excitement balances all sentiments and dulls the anxieties.
A very manageable walking distance from our hotel is the Costanera Mall in the quiet, posh neighborhood of Providencia. That’s how we spotted La Pikada along with the laundromat we’d use before we move out of the capital on Day 6. The Mall is huge, houses over 300 stores and the Sky Tower which is touted as the highest sky deck in South America. It’s a good place for shopping and some dining. We tried a bistecca and empanadas here before walking back to our hotel. The next day, we explored the city’s Mercado Central. Lunch was seafood in Donde Blanca amid stall after stall of clams and fish varieties from Merluza to dorado to salmon to a new find, Reineta (pomfret). The Resto transformed this assortment of sea creatures to stews, soup, ceviches or simply grilled. Paired well with Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and a red vino. Meatless, on an Easter Week!
We took it real easy the first 3 days. The hotel’s veranda is our designated spot for cocktails starting at 6pm. We exchanged notes especially on where to buy and dine at the end of each day. Dealing with jet lag is a struggle so the first 3 days took care of that. On the 4th day, we tried to cover as much of the city as possible. Still, we managed on a very leisurely pace. Well, it isn’t like we had to tick off all the boxes. We particularly enjoyed the stroll around the park. With an urban landscape as a background, it was refreshing to find ponds, gardens and kids’ playgrounds. It’s the city’s oxygen tank where nearly 40% of the nation’s population work and live.
Then there’s the Plaza Armas. A typical Latino square with the cathedral as the centrepiece. It is the heartbeat of the city from where many folks congregate, many eateries flourish and where many tourists never failed to visit as a must-destination. Buskers abound too, from singers to dancers to jugglers. And so do the resident pickpockets. Just the typical scenario in any capital. Cuidate!
lifeisacelebration 