Cachai?

The Good, the Bad, and the Chileno - My case for Santiago living.

Santiago children's drawings always have a line of snow-capped mountains in the background, and it's easy to understand why.

Over the past decade, Santiago has become one of the most cosmopolitan cities in South America. It's a good place to call home. The Californian climate makes the stroll down leafy avenues a joy. Crime rates are so low that Santiago is a big city where you can let your guard down. Here are the strong suits, follwed by areas for improvement, and a few curious traits.

LEADING BY EXAMPLE

• Corruption - If you try to bribe the Carabineros you will go to jail. What´s more the cops will even change your flat tyre.
• Friendly Aambassadors - Well-put-together citizens with the patience of sainthood.
• Wifi - Everywhere, including designated hotspots in the metro
• Cycling - The Velib-style public bike system
• Good Produce and Affordable Restaurants - Honest local restaurants where everyone can dine.

The family restaurants seem like 1950s diners from a time that America has bulldozed past into the Starbucks era.

THE NOT-SO-GREAT

Smog - unfortunately a green city is a long way off. The Andes mountains form a tight circle that will trap smog in snugly until major infrastructure changes are made.
Sports - Unlike their sportif Argentine neighbors, few Chileans play sports, greasy food is everywhere and child obesity rates are high.
Drugs - Chile has among the highest rate of pot smokers in the southern hemisphere.
Noise - Chileans are car people. Traffic is unbearable. A lot of improvement is needed to ease congestion if Santiago wants to avoid competing with Sao Paolo and Buenos Aires for worst
Books - Paperbacks are poorly made and expensive, however there is a commendable effort to make books available in parks.

ONLY IN SANTIAGO

It's the differences that make travelling both challenging and interesting. There were no real challenges here in Santiago. It was great just to sit and observe for two weeks. Here are some unique finds.

Overemployed: Businesses seem to have double the employees necessary. Meter maids are an odd example. In Chile, they actually serve as the parking meter who wait on each block. In case you need to park, they will take your payment and look after your car (sometimes).

Slot machine shops - Tacky but very popular, I found this to be an odd key feature on most Santiago streets.

The Segway I-site - When I turned around to a friendly "May I help you?" I thought I was having a chat with a man in an information booth. Then the whole booth spun around and he zipped away on his segway. Necessassry? Why not.