Life in Santiago

After 5 days in Pucon, it was time to settle into our one bedroom apartment in Santiago and get a feel for downtown, city living.  Jason had to go back to work on Monday (1/18/16) so the girls and I were left to investigate and do homework (It can't all be fun and games!)  We've learned a few things along the way, most of which we don't have pictures from.

Lesson 1:  Find an important land mark (that's tall and distinct).

Why, you might ask...This building is about a quarter mile from our apartment.  When we are wandering, shall I say, exploring, we know we are close to home when we spot this building.  It may have helped us find our way home a time or two.

 Lesson 2: Understand the flow of traffic and pedestrians.

This picture is missing the masses of people that pass through these intersections between 4-8pm.  Traffic rules which are not followed in small town Iowa or Illinois.  1)  If the cross walk symbol says Don't walk.... you don't walk.  You'll end up run over or honked at. Even if there aren't any cars visible, one may come out of now where and you have given up your right away.  People just wait  2)  If the walk symbol starts blinking...you'd better hurry...or else. They are not like mid-western USA yellow lights.  3) If you are a pedestrian at an intersection that does not have a cross walk, you always have the right of way (or so it seems). The sign above speaks to this truth. In fact, by how closely this is honored, I would guess it is a ticketable offense.   This one gives me problems actually...I've been trained to wait at an unmarked intersection until all cars are clear and not turning and then go when you can.  In Santiago, if you are waiting at an intersection to cross, all traffic WILL STOP!   You are more likely to cause an accident by waiting and get honked at in irritation if you try to wait and wave them through than if you just start walking and assume they will stop.  I'm learning to trust them to stop.   The girls are getting quite proficient at reading traffic signals.

Safely arriving at the grocery store! If you look in the background you'll see (on the left) the building pictured above. That is about a 1/3 of the way between the grocery store and our apartment building.

LESSON 3:  Groceries purchasing will be limited by options, packaging, and man-power.  It was time to get groceries and do our own cooking after a week of eating out.  Although there are many things that are similar, the taste is different of pretty much everything (except maybe Heinz Ketchup).   We are finding the different packaging to be very interesting.  Many more bags than bottles and things that you would expect to be refrigerated are not refrigerated. It has been difficult for Jason to have much variety with his gluten-free diet.

Bags of ketchup and mayonnaise



Eggs-no refrigeration required...We still go home and put ours in the fridge...habit I guess.



Callie was very excited to find these candy eyes.  These were the same ones they used on their gingerbread men that they decorated in Kindergarten with Mrs. Burdick! She was so excited to find something familiar.

 Milk...lots and lots of warm, shelved milk.  Jason had tried a few brands and found one that is similar tasting when chilled and works for cereal and pancakes.  We haven't drunk a lot of milk plain, but are getting used to the boxed form.

Milk in cartons like juice boxes

Callie was perusing the bread while I was looking at something else. She saw this icon and said "Mom!!! Wal-Mart! Wal-Mart is here!"  It's true.  The generic brand at this store, is either marketed as "Lider" (the name of the grocery chain) or is sold under the "Great Value" name we are used to purchasing, both using the same picture icon.   For us gringos, it was nice to find some mac-n-cheese and syrup to remind the girls of home...and nourish Callie with something other than French fries and hotdogs, which has been her staple her first week here.  

Notice the pricing.  Periods take the place of commas, so this break loaf is $1,490 (1.490) pesos. To get a good estimate of what we are spending on things, we divide by 700, so this loaf is about $2.00 is US currency.

Bread! Chile is known for it's bread.  It may be the Italian heritage it has.   This is just a small selection, but these big open bins are available anytime of day and people take bags and bags of bread home.  Bread is a staple in meals and I don't think I've been at a restaurant that doesn't serve bread first.  We have enjoyed sampling it, although we do prefer to buy in the morning when it is fresher.

LESSON 4:  Don't purchase more than you can carry home and everyone helps!    The first day the girls whined and complained all the way to the store.  (It's so far! My legs hurt! It's hot! You get the idea).  I'm glad to say, they are willing walkers now and have accepted that we walk to anything within a mile of our apartment.

It is interesting how much they have learned about the culture and city living, but can't articulate what it is exactly they have learned.  They do know that Mom and Dad don't pay for taxis, even when your legs are tired....so you better just keep walking...but they do sometime buy ice cream or let you go swimming once you're "home."
Lesson #5: Toilet paper does not go IN toilets.  There are trash cans in every restroom and toilet paper (if you were lucky enough to have it provided -which we were in nearly every place we went) did not go in the toilet.  If you are traveling the countryside, be prepared to pay for the privilege of using the banos.

Step by step process for using the bathrooms and keeping them clean (limpio)...Which I will say, wherever our travels took us, no matter what state of repair the facility we used, it was always clean.  The Chileans we have met in our adventures took great pride in cleanliness.