After spending 30 days in Santiago, Chile I have compiled a list of 15 things that I have observed, I have been told, or that I have learned from my group of 48 teammates who have lived in different areas of the country.
Due to its geographical position Chile has a unique climatic and landscape variety. From the largest desert in the North, to the rich landscapes of the South. This country is full of incredible people and with plenty of things to do and explore.
Here is my humble list of the 15 interesting things to note and learn before visiting Chile:
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Visa Not Required
You don’t need a visa to travel to Chile. Clearly a very important fact before thinking about visiting this beautiful country. My group has U.S. citizens and me a Brazilian, none of us needed to acquire a visa or pay a fee to enter the country.
Both nationalities are permitted to stay in Chile for 90 days at a time on a tourist visa.
(@lysssssad)
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Spanish Speaking Country
Yes, Chile is technically a Spanish speaking country, but you have been warned chilean Spanish is not the Spanish you learned in school. Be prepared to laugh at yourself, and to learn the “chilean spanish”. It is not difficult, but you need to pay attention to be able to understand and to learn their dialect, ¿cachai?
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What to Pack For The Weather
Chile’s weather is completely different in different regions. In the North Chile is a desert, South you can find Patagonia, the geographical location makes for its weather unpredictable. Pack for a variation of weather, and enjoy what the Andean regions can bring your way.
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Planning
Chile is long, if you look at a map you will get what I am trying to say. It is REALLY long. This feature makes planning very important. If you happened to be based in Santiago, like me, it’s kind of hard to get to other areas of Chile on the weekend because they’re just too far away. This doesn’t mean you’ll never see them, you’ll just have to wait until you have longer periods of time for a vacation!
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Kissing
Chileans are very warm people, so start getting used to giving each other a peck on the cheek when greeting. Yes, every time. Yes, everyone in the room you enter. Just take in the love. It’s the Chilean way!
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The Mountains
The Mountains are everywhere. And if you are like me, get ready to be awestruck every morning when you look up and stand in awe of such beauty. Chile’s Andes Mountains are incredible. They also have some of the world’s largest and still active volcanoes, at a count over 1300.
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Food
The food in Chile is to die for. In the Savory department we have sopaipillas, empanadas, completo hot dogs, pollo con papas fritas… then we have fresh juices, praise the Lord for natural juice… There is always something tasty to be found, and the warm people we talked about earlier, they are more than happy to introduce you to their cuisine.
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Ice cream
Yes, I made a category just for ice cream. One of the funniest things that have happened while in Chile, is to learn how much Chileans love their ice cream. They don’t even consider it “dessert”. Every time my team and I are served ice cream, we have to eat just a little bit of it, because we know that after the important dish that ice cream is, THEN we will be served the desert. So if you like ice cream as well, you’re going to be in good company. Chileans enjoy their tasty treat year-round, they have many ice cream shops featuring flavors based on local fruits and other ingredients.
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PAN
Bread. Bread also deserves its own category. Chileans are the second biggest consumers of bread in the world – WHAT – just behind the Germans. The bread here is AMAZING. And, my team and I have been blessed by daily consuming copious amounts of it at “ONCE” .
(@alysssssad)
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ONCE
Chileans get together at the end of the day to have “tea time”. This extends itself into dinner. So from 6pm to around 9pm they gather around and enjoy eachothers’ presence and some PAN. I will speak for all my teammates, that this has been one of the best things about Chile. `
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La Cueca
The beautiful dance Chileans are very proud of. There are three styles, one that comes from the tribes of the south, one from the central part of the country, and one, similar to peruvian dances which come from the north. La cueca is intricate, full of history and it is beautiful to watch. With a white handkerchief in their hands, the dancers move gracefully saluting each other.
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Atacama Desert
The Atacama Desert is the driest desert in the world, with average rainfall measuring about 0.6 inches a year. I was not able to make it there this time. But Chile, I am coming back for you.
(@marissaurias10)
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Literature
As a Brazilian, I have been lucky to grow up learning about the poets from Chile. Chile is known by “pais del poetas” or the “country of poets”. To of these great minds are Gabriela Mistral and Pablo Neruda, who both won the Nobel Prize in Literature.
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Earthquake Nation
Chile is 100% equipped to deal with earthquakes. The largest earthquake ever recorded – a 9.5 on the Richter scale – took place near Valdivia, Chile in 1960. The shake lasted roughly eleven to thirteen minutes – WHAT?! But, like I said, Chile has a long history with earthquakes and all the buildings are built to withstand tremors big and small.
(I didn’t experience an earthquake, but the facts are true, and chile is beautiful)
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Flag
The colors and symbols on the Chilean flag stand for: white – the snow of the Andes Mountains; blue – the sky and the Pacific Ocean; the star – guidance and progress; red – the blood spilled in the fight for independence.
30 days in Chile. This is a fascinating and beautiful country waiting to be discovered, full of vibrant people just waiting to share their culture with you.
BIENVENIDOS A CHILE!
