Santiago and Buenos Aires

Hey again everyone, and welcome back to A Vida Gringo.  Last week I went over some details for getting a tourist, student and business visa to enter Brazil, so if you're interested in traveling to Brazil, be sure to check that post out.  I'm shifting gears away from Brazil this week, and I'll be going over a recent trip I took to Santiago and Buenos Aires, the capitals of Chile and Argentina respectively.

In order to keep these a little shorter, I won't be going over the history of both countries, rather I will be focusing on the history of the cities I visited.

*Whenever I talk about culture or things I notice, please keep in mind these are based on my experiences and are not intended to misrepresent or offend anyone.  If I say something that is incorrect, let me know and I will fix it. *

CHILE: Santiago and Valparaiso

Chile is a country well known for its biodiversity, well developed economy and modern capital, Santiago.  It has a reputation for being one of the safest destinations in South America, and with places like the Atacama Desert, Patagonia and Rapa Nui (Easter Island) it is a very attractive destination for travelers.  Due to the lack of time that I have for travelling, I based myself in Santiago and was able to visit Valparaiso, the main port along the Pacific Ocean.

History of Santiago:

Before the arrival of the Spanish forces, the region of Santiago were mostly small villages of natives belonging to the Incan Empire.  Before the arrival of the Inca in the area however, there isn't anything of major consequence to mention.

Francisco Pizzaro sent one of his fellow conquistadors, Pedro de Valdivia, to begin advancing south from Cusco and continue claiming land for Spain.  He soon arrived to the area where he would establish Santiago de Chile (the full name of the city).  Unlike other groups of natives, the ones Valdivia encountered were not conquered militarily, rather they cooperated with the Spanish to a certain degree.  After conducting a meeting with some of the local chieftains, Valdivia established the city of Santiago in 1541.

After Valdivia took his forces south, he left Santiago relatively unguarded.  This resulted in a different group of natives sacking the city, but were unable to fully capture the city due to the defenders demoralizing the attacking host.  Santiago was rebuilt, but due to difficulties faced presented by frequent attacks and earthquakes, the city’s growth was slow at first.  In 1607, the Royal Court was established in Santiago, separating colonial Chile from Peru and allowed Santiago became the capital of the new colony.

Following the struggle for independence, Santiago was moved from a colonial capital, to the new capital of the fledgling Republic of Chile.  Due to the need to transform Santiago into a more developed capital, the city underwent a number of improvements during the 19th century.  

During the 20th century, Santiago grew from around 500,000 people in 1902 to almost two million people by 1960.  There wasn't a lot of important events that occurred in the city until a coup d’état ousted the civilian government in 1973.  This led to a dictatorship headed by Augusto Pinochet, who ruled from 1974 until 1990, though he remained involved in the military and politics until his death in 2006.

During his rule, Pinochet's government introduced a number of economic reforms attempting to make the country's economy more free market orientated, which allowed Chile to begin developing one of the strongest economies in the entire South American continent.  Also during this time, Pinochet began moving the government out of Santiago to try and curb its influence.  

After the fall of Pinochet and the reinstatement of a democratic government, Santiago began to deal with a lot of problems due to its high population and air pollution.  Today the city has a population over 7 million people, and during the day, you can easily see the smog covering the city.  The pollution is difficult to deal with due to Santiago's position in a valley surrounded by the Andes.  During the summer, it dissipates quickly due to the high amount of wind they get during the summer months.

General Information:

Money: In Chile, the local currency is the Chilean Peso.  At the time of writing, the conversion rate is around 647 pesos per dollar.

Language: Obviously Spanish is the official language, but the Chilean dialect is very different from any other Spanish in Latin America, so be ready for that.  You can find a small amount of English, but having some basic Spanish phrases will go a long way.

Getting Around: Walking is fine for most of the tourist areas, but if you want to go outside of the central districts, you're better off using the metro. Tickets start around 700 pesos and you can buy reloadable cards if that’s what you want.  

*Uber is technically illegal in Chile.  You can still reserve one, but they will ask you to sit in the front and if you are stopped by police, just say the driver is a friend taking you somewhere*

Safety: Santiago is a very safe city and probably the safest capital in all of Latin America.  However, this does not mean that you should let your guard down.  Use common sense and you'll be fine.  If you take the metro, it is usually very crowded, so be sure to keep an eye on your pockets.  Petty crime is all you should be in danger of though.

Food:  I can't speak to the total food culture of Santiago, but the food I did have, especially the steaks, was very good.  Chile is also known for its wine, with a focus on French style wines.  There are several wine valleys in Chile that each produce different styles and varietals.  The main grape to try is carmenere, which is a unique grape that was thought to have gone extinct in France, but reemerged in Chile.

My Experience:

I arrived to Santiago's main international airport after a 6-hour trip from Porto Alegre.  I arrived around 8 PM, so customs and immigration were very easy to get through.  As an American passport holder, you do not need a visa for tourism purposes (I have no clue about other reasons, so be sure to check that before going).  The only thing you need is your passport (duh) and an entry card that they should give you on the flight.  When you go through passport control, they will give you a slip of paper that acts as a receipt for your entry card.  You need to keep this and present it when you leave the country, I don't know what the potential consequences would be, but I'd recommend not finding out.  

*There used to be a fee that was charged for US citizens to enter Chile.  This is no longer the case.  YOU DO NOT NEED TO PAY ANYTHING TO ENTER CHILE.

Since Santiago is an enormous city, you should research which district you would like to stay in.  For myself, I chose a hostel in the northern part of the city, called Bellavista.  Bellavista is where one of the main universities is located, so if you are a younger traveler, this is one of the better areas to stay, since there is a good number of bars and clubs around the district.  The gem of the nightlife is the Patio Bellavista, which is similar to the outdoor malls that you find around the US.  There are a lot of different restaurants as well as ATM's and smaller artisan shops.

San Cristobal from my hostel

My first day in Santiago was a Sunday, which due to the city being highly Catholic, most of the city is closed.  So, after getting a light breakfast at my hostel, I decided to climb Cerro San Cristobal, which is one of the two hills located in the city, with the other being Cerro Santa Lucia.  To get to the top of the hill, there are 3 options: the funicular which will take you all the way up, driving and taking one of the hiking trials.  I opted to do the hiking trails instead.  It took around a full hour for me to get all the way to the top, but it’s a fairly easy climb.  At the top you will find a statue dedicated to the Virgin Mary.  The top of the hill offers a fantastic view of the entire city and helps provide perspective.

After the climb, I decided to head into the downtown area.  Most of the central part of Santiago is very safe, so you shouldn't have any issues walking around.  I started my exploration at the Plaza Mayor.  Here you can find the national cathedral and a few important museums.  I always feel weird going into a church when there's a mass going on, so I avoided that and opted to visit the National History Museum instead.  Unfortunately for me, the exhibits aren't in English, and my Spanish is worse than my Portuguese so I wasn't able to take a lot away from it.

I then moved onto another museum, which had English translations for exhibits, called the Museo de Arte Precolombia (The Pre-Columbian Art Museum).  This is a must-see in my opinion.  They have amazing examples of the wood carvings, tapestries and other relics not just from the local natives, but also from around Latin America.  

After the museum, I then paid a visit to the La Moneda Palace, which is the Chilean version of the White House.  I then walked to Cerro Santa Lucia.  This hill is different from San Cristobal in that Santa Lucia is smaller and is the site of a former Spanish fort.  The park is free to enter and is a nice place to relax and enjoy the gardens and views.

La Moneda Palace

Mural in Valpo

The second day of the trip, I decided to take a tour to Valparaiso (also known as Valpo) and the Casablanca wine valley.  Valpo is very different from Santiago and is well worth the visit.  Located about 2 hours away from Santiago along the Pacific Ocean, Valpo is one of the main ports for the entire country.  It is also a city that promotes a more artistic vibe.  You will find colorful colonial houses and a lot of really interesting murals and street art displays.  The colonial buildings aren't just in the Spanish style though.  You can find examples of English, Portuguese, Italian and a few French style buildings as well.  This is due to the fact that until the completion of the Panama Canal, Valpo was the main port for goods coming to the Americas.

View of Valpo

After spending some time exploring Valpo, the tour then moved to a nearby city called Vina del Mar.  This is a smaller city near Valpo that is known for its flower clock and niche museums.  I didn't get to spend much time here, but I was able to enjoy some nice views of the ocean from the beach.

The final part of the tour took us to the Casablanca valley.  This is one of the main wine producing regions in the country.  We only had the chance to visit one winery, and honestly, I found the wine to be average.  I need to try more examples of Chilean wine though before I form a proper opinion.

Gran Torre

My last day in Santiago, I decided to explore another area of Santiago.  In the eastern part of the city, you will find the Gran Torre, which is the tallest building in all of South America.  Normally I would have gone up the tower to get some good views, but I couldn't find the entrance, so I can't tell you much more than that.  I did spend time at a mall attached to the Gran Torre, which was probably the biggest shopping mall I have been to.  There were 6 or 7 floors, with a variety of shops, restaurants, a movie theater, etc.  After spending a couple hours exploring the mall, I moved onto an artisan "village" called Pueblitos Los Dominicos.  This is a good place to do your souvenir shopping.  There is a metro stop nearby, so it is very easy and cheap to get to.  Here you can find a lot of different products.  Outside of wine, some of the things that Chile is well known for is: copper work, leather, artwork, handicrafts from the Mapuche tripe, alpaca products and a stone called lapis lazuli.  

After doing some shopping, I retired to my hostel and got ready to switch to Buenos Aires.  Overall, I liked Santiago, but I would probably say that it is better to only stay in Santiago for a couple days, and stay in other cities like Valparaiso, San Pedro de Atacama in the north or Puerto Natales/Punta Arenas since these give access to either the desert or the Patagonia region.

Buenos Aires: A European Marvel in South America:

History of Buenos Aires:

Just a short plane ride away from Santiago is the capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires.  

Just like Santiago, there isn't a lot to mention about the pre-Columbian history of the city.  The Spanish arrived in the area around 1516 and the city of Buenos Aires was first founded in 1536 along the banks of the La Plata.  However, this first settlement was abandoned due to the repeated attacks by local native tribes.  The second attempt at settling Buenos Aires wasn't until 1580.  Due to its access to the Atlantic, Buenos Aires was supposed to be one of the main trading colonies in the Americas, but due to high amounts of piracy in the area, most of the goods were sent overland from Lima.  In order to promote trade, the city began trading with nearby Portuguese colonies instead.

Once trade was able to flow freely into the port of the city, Spain made Buenos Aires the capital of the colonial region of Rio de La Plata.  However, the locals of Buenos Aires (called Portenos), had been exploring the idea of gaining their independence. The independence movement was halted during conflicts with the British, who were trying to gain a foothold in South America.  After the British were defeated, the Argentinians began their war for independence in 1810, after a viceroy (local governor) in Buenos Aires was overthrown.  Formal independence was finally declared in 1816.

During the 20th century, Buenos Aires was considered one of the most developed cities in South America and was one of the strongest cultural cities as well.  This led to a high number of immigrants coming from Germany and Italy following World War II.  The Italian influence is mostly felt in the local food and the language.  Portenos speak a version of Spanish called Lunfardo.  This is a local dialect that combines a lot of la Plata Spanish with Italian phrases.

Buenos Aires remained a dominant city until a the 1970's, when a series of conflicts between left and right-wing factions weakened the government.  The in 1976, a coup led by General Jorge Videla saw the fall of the democratic government.  Under his brutal regime, nearly 30,000 people disappeared, presumably executed by the government.  His rule continued until 1981, and soon after, a new democratic government was established in 1983.

In present times, Buenos Aires is one of the top tourist destinations with major sites like the Recoleta cemetery, French style architecture and well preserved colonial district.

Buenos Aires: General Information:

Getting In: There are two main airports in the city.  The first is the Ezeiza International airport, where most flights from the US, Europe, etc. would arrive at.  The other is the smaller Aeroparque, which is where flights from Santiago, Uruguay, and Porto Alegre will land.

Money: Cash is king in Buenos Aires.   The local currency is the Argentine Peso, which at the time of writing is around 17 pesos per dollar.  If you're eating out, be sure to ask if the restaurant accepts cards or not.  Also, be sure to keep enough cash to get you through the day, there are a decent number of places that don't accept cards.

Language: Argentina in general speaks a different dialect of Spanish than the rest of Latin America.  This dialect is called "La Plata".  As mentioned above, the city itself also has the Lunfardo dialect, so if you want a good way to challenge your Spanish, this is a good place to be.  Because of the number of tourists, you will find a decent amount of English, but just like Santiago, try to learn some basic phrases, and it will go a long way. 

Getting Around: Buenos Aires also has a very good metro system, but walking is a good way to get familiar with the area.  To ride the metro, you need to get a Sube card, which can be purchased at the national lottery offices or certain stores.  You load cash onto the card at these places as well.  These Sube cards can also be used for the local buses.

*Like Santiago, Uber is also illegal in Argentina, so use the same rules I stated above*

Food: The food in Buenos Aires is pretty similar to Porto Alegre, with the focus being on staple foods and parrilla (Argentine churrasco).  There is also a lot of Italian food due to the influence of immigrants, with Buenos Aires having a particular love of Milanese style food (think chicken parmesan or schnitzel style meat).  Argentina is also known for its wine, with Malbec being the king.  

Safety: Buenos Aires is a little more unsafe than Santiago, but as long as you are vigilant, you will be fine.  The biggest worry is petty crime and theft.  During the day you will be fine with using common sense, but at night, be sure to stick to major roads and avoid empty side streets.  If you ride the metro, keep an eye of your things, since it is also very crowded.

My Experience:

I landed in Buenos Aires and had the longest line to go through immigration I have seen.  I should mention that I landed at the Aeroparque airport, so it is smaller than Ezeiza.  It took around 90 minutes to get through, mostly due to the amount of people in line.  To get in all you need as a US citizen is your passport and that's it.  They will ask you what you're doing in the country.  If you are a tourist, they will also ask you where you are staying and when you will be leaving the country.  After that, you will get your stamp and be free to go into town.

*There used to be a fee for US citizens to get into Argentina, this is no longer the case*

The following are considered the "touristic" districts of Buenos Aires:

-La Boca*

-San Telmo

-Centro/Obelisco

-Palermo

-Recoleta

-Retiro

-Puerto Madero

*La Boca is a fairly poor neighborhood that has a strong tourist area in the center, but it is not considered safe to walk into La Boca.  You are better off taking an uber or the bus there. *

My hostel was in the San Telmo area, which is considered the colonial part of the city.  During my first day, I was cautious about exploring as I had heard a few horror stories about the area, so my first day wasn't too interesting.

The next morning, I spent time exploring San Telmo and decided to check out the Mercado San Telmo.  This is one of the main places to shop for local food and souvenirs.  While it is open every day, Sunday is the when all of the stalls will likely be open.  After spending some time appreciating the colonial buildings, I decided to head to the Recoleta Cemetery.  From San Telmo, you can walk like I did, or if you're smart, take the metro.  The cemetery is about 5 kilometers from San Telmo, but because I went the wrong way for about 30 or 40 minutes, I walked around 7 or 8 kilometers in total.  This allowed me to explore most of the city though, and I spent some time in the center seeing the Casa Rosada (White House of Argentina), and the main cathedral.

San Telmo

Obelisco

Recoleta Cemetery

After spending a few hours walking I made it to the cemetery and it is one of the strangest sites I have visited.  It is essentially like a city of the dead.  There are rows and rows of mausoleums, statues and memorials all within the complex.  The main tomb to visit is that of Eva Peron, who is a beloved figure in Buenos Aires.  I went on my own, but it is probably better to go with a guide or a friend who can provide context to what you are seeing.  Once I was satisfied with my exploration, I began the walk back to my hostel.  I was able to meet up with a group of people and got to visit a local parrilla and try some Argentine steak.  Parrillas can be fairly cheap or expensive depending on what you want.  For a group of 6, we each got a steak, shared 3 sides, 2 bottles or wine and water for around 40 USD each.  

If you haven't noticed yet, there is a pattern I like to follow when I visit a city.  I generally like to spend my first full day exploring, the second day (or the middle of the trip depending on how long I'm traveling) and then the rest of the time is spent in the main city.  For Cusco, I went to Machu Picchu, in Santiago I went to Valparaiso and in Buenos Aires I went to Colonia del Sacramento over in Uruguay.  

Getting to Colonia is pretty easy.  It is a short hour ferry ride from Buenos Aires.  You have three companies that do this trip: BuqueBus, SeaCat and Colonia Express.  There are also two terminals that the boats leave from, so be sure to check which one you need to go through.  Since this is an international trip, you will need to go through immigration before you get onto the boat.  The process is simple though.

Once you get to Colonia, it is an extremely pleasant colonial city.  The city was traded between the Spanish and Portuguese and was considered an important town due to its position on the La Plata.  There isn't a lot to do in Colonia other than explore, so unless you're planning on going to Montevideo or somewhere else in Uruguay, you can easily do everything in a day trip.  I spent most of my time just walking and appreciating the simple, yet laid back atmosphere of the city.  

Colonial houses in Colonia

The final day in Buenos Aires I reserved for shopping since Saturday and Sunday are the best days for visiting the local fairs and markets.  I went to a small street fair at one of the plazas in San Telmo where you can find a lot of local leather workers and artists.  Prices tend to be fairly cheap, but try to make sure that what you are buying is good quality.  If you are buying a wallet, make sure that your cards will actually fit.  I made that mistake myself.  I also stopped by a local shop selling alfajores, which are these sandwich cookies with dulce de leche in the middle and dipped in chocolate.  For a sweet tooth like me, it’s one of the best things to get.

Palermo

I then took the metro up to the Palermo district so I could explore some of the parks.  After doing that I walked towards Retiro so I could take the metro back to my hostel.  On the way though, I passed through the Recoleta area again and found an amazing market near the cemetery.  At this market, you need to make sure to have cash.  Some of the sellers will accept cards, but if you don't see a sign that says that they take Visa, then you'll need cash.  The products here are better quality than the stuff from San Telmo.

The next day I had an early flight back to Porto Alegre and that ended my trip through Santiago and Buenos Aires.  Overall, I enjoyed Buenos Aires a lot more than Santiago, and I would highly recommend visiting.  If my colleagues from Mexico are reading, you have to visit.  There are direct flights from Porto Alegre, so there's no reason not to.

Trip Costs:

I didn't divide my costs between the two cities, so here is the totals for the entire trip.  The prices are pretty similar between the two, so divide it in two and that’s probably what I spent in each place.

Flight:                   782 USD

Transportation:     75 USD

Hostel:                   141 USD

Tours:                    175 USD

Food:                     275 USD
Spending:             100 USD

Thank you all for reading.  If you have any questions, comments or have any requests for posts that you would like to see, let me know!

Also, go and check out my friend Sierra's blog as she writes about her experiences in Mexico: https://sierrammoon.wordpress.com

My next post will be next Sunday and I will be discussing some aspects of Brazilian culture that I didn't talk about in my "1 Month Later" article.  Until next time!