Santiago

View of Cerro Santa Lucía

      I hope to continue posting at more regular intervals... Hope you enjoy.

After a few more days of observation I have concluded that Santiago resembles a much more run down European city like Madrid.  People wander the streets at all hours of the night drinking, eating, and being merry.  It also might be that everyone speaks Spanish--- No Chilean.  People didn’t lie to me when they said that the Chilean people are difficult to understand.  Apparently the letter (s) doesn’t really exist, which makes not only the informal form of speaking difficult, but puts a damper on understanding the simple concept of plurals, I mean plural.  Como estas? (How are you?) becomes como estaí, veinte tres (23) becomes bainte tray, and como te llamas? (what is your name?) becomes dklaerifnaodklfnoiajelknmf.  The last one may also be a result of a Chilean person’s need to talk 2000 kilometers/ hour; for my American followers that is 1,243.0081 miles/ hour.

Speaking of numbers, someone wasn’t thinking when they invented their money system.  Who in their right mind pays 500 pesos for an empanada, or 4,000 for a drink…apparently this guy.  The conversion is as follows, 1 peso = .2 of an American penny or 500 pesos= 1 dollar.  I thought we were trying to get rid of a fairly worthless coin, yet they have need 5 of these peso coins to make one copper Abe.  Lets just say if someone asks me how much I earn per week, I respond like a high roller and say, “I make 15 grand.”

Exaggerations aside, there must be 1 million stray dogs in Chile.  At every street corner there is a friendly fella just sleeping, eating some leftovers, chasing taxis- which if you remember from the last post- is not such a bright idea.  They are everywhere, but unlike many stray dogs in US, are relatively harmless, and seem to be just living the dream. 

Speaking of dreams, who wants to stay at home until you get married and make out with your significant other in the park everyday until that fateful day?  That seems to be the norm in Chile. I guess PDA is still only known as an electronic device down here. 

Everything else aside, including the beautiful graffiti overlooking the (euphemistic) untidy city, the people here are very friendly.  Men shake hands, and women, and a man and a woman, kiss on the right cheek when meeting up or being introduced.  An American friend told me, “If this trend is the case, he’ll get more action than he’s had in years. 

Reporting live from Santiago, this is Cody--- Over and Out.

Graffiti in Santiago