Life has been unbelievably busy since coming back to Chile. Its week six and I’ve finally found a few hours to myself to open my laptop and catch up on everything. After a few weeks in a hostel, starting my new job, meeting old friends and making new ones, finding an apartment and settling once again into the Chilean way of life, I finally feel like I’m beginning to get my feet on the ground.
I was eager to both visit old haunts and discover new charms of the city. To get lost in the mazes of Sunday markets surrounded by brightly coloured fruit, the smell of barbeques tickling my nose whilst I listened to the sellers shout above each other competing for the lowest prices. To walk down my favourite streets, absorbing the elaborate murals and street art, never quite believing the grand backdrop of the Andes mountains. To eat in my favourite restaurants; sushi, pisco sours, menus del dia. To escape the city hustle and bustle for a day; travelling to the outskirts to go trekking or to visit a vineyard and drink wine in the peace in the quiet of the afternoon sun. To go up to the 62nd floor of Latin America’s tallest building to see the sun set over the vast expanse of Santiago, the skyscrapers below fading into insignificance.
View of the city from Latin America’s tallest building
La Moneda – Chile’s presidential palace
Last weekend was “Fiestas Patrias”, a celebration of Chilean Independence Day. However, the Chileans love an excuse to party, and with most people getting a week off work, the whole 7 days were dedicated to eating, celebrating and spending time with friends and family. Many days of fondas in the parks, barbeques, cueca dancing, empanadas, terremotos, reggaeton music, chicha and relaxing ensued, with Chilean flags stuck in most building’s windows and waving from every other car.
Something I’m never going to be quite able to deal with like a Chilean is the heat. We are supposedly in the transition between winter and spring, but for the last few days it’s been pretty hot, reaching the mid-twenties most days, and it’s only going to get warmer until around April when autumn will begin to set in. I am getting weird looks in the street for not wearing a coat, and every single one of my colleagues today asked me why I wasn’t freezing in a short sleeved shirt. Brits just can’t deal with this climate it seems. To make matters worse, apparently the rooftop pool on my apartment doesn’t open until the 17th of November… almost two months away! If we were in the UK now, an outdoor swimming pool would be heaving in this weather…
Chao for now xx
Chloe in Chile 