PlanetEye

For those who like to see the off beat parts of cities then Barrio Patronato is your kind of place in Santiago. To a Chilean, Patronato is the place where you would go to buy textiles. Just about every street in Patronato is lined with clothing shops. While to some this might sound like a great reason alone to visit Patronato, it is the buildings that will catch your eye. Walking through Patronato one cannot help but to stop and stare at the graffiti on the buildings. At first glance, you might think that this is just another run down neighborhood like so many in North America, but upon closer inspection something seems out of place. This is not the traditional or normal graffiti that you have seen before. You start to notice the graffiti has a purpose as each building seems to have its own theme. Then you start to realize that the graffiti looks more like it was put there with an artistic perspective. Something is very strange about Patronato, and it gets even more strange when you find out that the locals are proud of their buildings with graffiti all over them.

You see a few years back a newly elected mayor wanted to spruce up Barrio Patronato, but did not have the funds to do it all himself. Many of the exterior of the buildings needed a fresh coat of paint. So the mayor devised a plan to embrace those who graffiti buildings. The mayor told the people of Patronato that they should embrace these "artists" and give them a place to express themselves. The results can be seen all over Patronato today.

The scheme was really simple. An artist would contact the building owner and offer to paint the outside of the building. If the owner accepted then the owner's building would get a fresh coat of paint, with the artist's touch of course, and the artist would get a canvas to show the world his work. This was great for all involved as it cost the building owners nothing to get a fresh coat of paint and it gave the artists a unique medium to show their work. This has created a very unusual neighborhood in Santiago. So to see a unique side of Santiago and some creative government policy at work, head over to Barrio Patronato.

If you want to get out of the bright lights of Santiago, there is only one place to go, the Alameda Bus Terminal.  The Alameda Bus Terminal is the main bus terminal in Santiago, and it can be easily reached via the Metro stop Universidad de Santiago.  One quick note about this Metro stop, as it is sometimes referred to as Estacion Central.  This is confusing because the stop immediately before is also called Estacion Central and it is the stop for the train terminal.  So don't be fooled by the confusing names, and just remember to get off on Universidad de Santiago and you will be fine.    

The bus terminal itself is street level above the Metro stop, so just follow the signs to the terminal.  Once in the bus terminal you will find the two main and best bus services in Santiago, Tur Bus and Pullman Bus, dominate the ticket windows.  Simply walk around the terminal and look at the destinations and prices on the boards around the ticket windows.  You will find buses going to just about everywhere in Chile, and international routes to Argentina and Peru.  Tickets are easy to buy and relativity cheap.  For example, a round trip ticket to Mendoza, Argentina will cost you approximately $30.  So if you have the city blues just hop on the Metro and head for the buses, and in no time you will be on your way.

Getting from place to place in Santiago is very easy and efficient. The public transportation system here in Santiago can get you anywhere you need to go fast.

First off, most tourist destinations can easily be reached via a trip on the subway. The subway system in Santiago is called the Metro. The Metro has a Red, Green, Yellow, and Blue line. The Red line is the line that most tourist attractions are off of. The lines intersect at various stations, so you can easily get from one line to another. Metro tickets can be purchased in every subway terminal from manned ticket counters. If your stay in Santiago is going to be long and you anticipate riding the Metro many times I would recommend purchasing a "BIP" card. A BIP card is a rechargeable plastic card, much like a credit card, that will save you time as you will not have to stand in line at ticket windows each time you need to ride the Metro. Also all Metro stations have display maps showing the routes, so you can easily check which Metro line you need to get onto. There is also no need to look for time tables as you will never have to wait more than a minute or two for the next Metro.

Your next option are the buses. Here in Santiago the buses have come a long way and are now a reliable source of public transportation. There are bus stops at each Metro stop so transferring from the Metro to a bus or the other way around is not complicated.

With so many reliable and easy options to get around in Santiago you do not need a car. I would also advise against renting a car as parking is hard to find and expensive when you do find it. Also be aware that during rush hour times both the Metro and the buses can be overflowing with commuters as many Chileans use public transportation to get to and from work. But if you do find yourself riding the Metro during rush hour most Chileans will try to make space on the train so don't be shy about trying to squeeze on the train.

One of the first things a visitor to Santiago will notice is that restaurants all appear to be vacant during traditional eating hours. It is not that Chileans do not eat, but simply that they eat at unusual hours. The first thing a visitor should be aware of is that Chileans do not eat breakfast. A Chilean breakfast usually consists of a cup of coffee and a pastry. A bigger Chilean breakfast consists of slices of toast covered with avocado, juice, and coffee. So don't go looking for an eggs and bacon breakfast joint in Santiago, because you probably will not find one. However, if you do need your fix of eggs and bacon, your best bet is to head for one of the American chain hotels, or one of the many higher end hotels.

With little or no breakfast you would assume that Chileans eat an early lunch, but if you were to assume this you would we wrong. If you head out for lunch at noon you will be the only person in the restaurant. The lunch crowd does not start showing up until 1:30 p.m., and at 2 p.m. is when lunch is in full swing. In Chile, lunch is the big meal of the day, and usually the best food deals can be found on the lunch menu.

The next food time is called "onces," which translated means "elevens." Onces is the U.S. equivalent of happy hour. The reason for the name is said to have come from the fact the liquor traditionally drank for this occasion had eleven letters in it. Onces is said to start around 5 p.m., but I have found that the onces crowd does not show up until around 7 p.m. The reason for the late start to onces is because onces usually morphs into dinner. Dinner crowds usually don't start showing up until 8:30 p.m. and by 9:30 p.m. restaurants are full. If you can't adjust to the eating times, have no fear because most restaurants are still open during the more traditional eating times.

First things first, yes, water drains counter-clockwise here in the Southern Hemisphere, and a Chilean dog's bark sounds identical to an American dog's bark.  Who knew given that the Chilean people sound so much different than Americans.  Now on to more important items.  When visiting Chile be aware that Chileans speak Spanish and little else.  Even here in Santiago English speakers are few and far between.  While you will be able to find menus in English, be aware that you are probably in a tourist trap and paying for the English translation.  So it would be a good idea to brush up on your Spanish language skills before a visit to Chile.  But don't fear if the extent of your Spanish is “uno mas cerveza, por favor,” as Chileans are very friendly and will bend over backwards to communicate with you.

Even fluent Spanish speakers should be aware that Chilean Spanish is not easily understood.  I have come across many native Spanish speakers who have told me that it is difficult for them to understand Chilean dialect.  The best way to explain Chilean Spanish is to state that it is a slang language.  Chileans speak fast, drop sounds from words, and have many common slang words and sayings.  

One language rule of thumb to be aware of is Chileans drop the “s” sound from just about every word.  For example, on a recent trip to the local market the cashier told me the total for my goods was “di mil.”  Luckily I knew he meant it was “diez mil.”  Similarly you may hear a phrase like “algo ma,” which is really “algo mas.”  See how this could cause a problem?

Regardless of your Spanish proficiency, Chile is welcoming to foreigners.  So don't let a little lack of communication skills prevent you from a great Chilean adventure.  Besides when you don't know the words, use hand gestures and point, that's what I do.   But always remember to say “por favor” as manners go a long way.