Having never been to Chile and being prevented from visiting last year due to the pandemic, Santiago was a must-stop on our latest swing through South America. It was a natural extension after Peru and my fascination with Pizzao, the Conquistadores, and Pedro de Valdivia (and his mistress Inez de Suarez) march to the south. Several trade publications billed Chile as “a first-world experience” in South America, and that seemed to be the case when shopping for Airbnbs in the capital. The airport in Santiago was easily one of the finest I’ve seen in South America. The COVID protocols before immigration were as strict as Singapore’s, and after collecting the luggage, we jumped into a late-model cab onto a modern expressway into the city center. I’d chosen to stay in the “Central Historical District” as I wanted to see Valdivia’s statue, the cathedrals, and walk in the footsteps of 400 years past. Coming from fantastic Peru, I was sure it would all be right there. As the cab eventually exited the expressway and entered the central district, it was as if a light switch had been hit, and I was sure the driver was lost. The downtown, which had been ground zero for the “Estallido Social” riots in 2020, was clearly still recovering, and Port au Prince came to mind. Roads were barricaded, graffiti covered everything (including my cathedral), statues were smashed, and green spaces were mostly filled with homeless tents. Restaurants (still open) were few, most all businesses would close by sundown, and I was constantly cautioned by service staff about security.
After a few days, the only “first world” reminder was the prices. Having booked the apartment for a month and all but exhausted after a few days with nothing left to see or do in the central historic area, we hopped on the subway and headed all the way north to the Los Condores area of Santiago. Emerging from the train station, another light switch had been hit, and it now appeared we were in Europe. Beautiful streets lined with trees and modern architecture. New cars, restaurants, wealth, and really clean. When I asked some newfound local friends over beers why there was such a difference between the northern and central parts of the city, they blamed the politicians and attributed the absence of graffiti and destruction of infrastructure to the laziness of the rioters around the universities.
That’s how it was—two Santiagos—and that’s how it would continue until the next vote. At least Pedro de Valdivia’s statue in the Plaza de Armas was still intact and I got my photo. Valparaiso turned out to be the highlight of the trip. Located a hundred miles to the west through wine country, the port city was the brilliant center of commerce for the continent for most of the 19th century. Architecturally unique (a UNESCO Heritage Site) and commercially alive, with seafood galore, it’s just a charming and memorable place.
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