Impressions of Santiago

Santiago doesn't have any "must see" attractions, no famous ancient monuments, no unique natural wonders, no famous architecture or unique cultural scene. But it is a very pleasant and relaxed city to walk around, with a huge selection of places to eat and drink. At least in all the areas I visited, it feels very safe although I did hear stories of people being robbed. During the day there are lots of very visible Carabineros de Chile, particularly in the city centre. I never did get to try one of its famous "cafes con piernas" where, according to what I read, scantily clad waitresses serve coffee to lascivious middle aged men. Passed by and looked into a few but either I wasn't in the mood for coffee or when I was, the Cafe Caribe had only one waitress wearing an outfit that was quite modest by most standards and a few lonely looking men. Come back Hooters; all is forgiven.

The Metro is efficient but crowded and uncomfortably hot at times. Like some of the Parisian lines, the trains run on rubber wheels. I only used the buses a couple of time but they seem a good option if you know where you are going. The "Bip!" card works on both Metro and buses. There must have been a tram system once, since the tracks are still visible. Seems a shame it was closed down

So I was pleasantly surprised by my first South American city, very civilised, full of people enjoying life and where traffic gives way to pedestrians. Yes, it has its fair share of homeless people sleeping on the streets; many of them have set up permanent camp with proper tents. But it is a problem common to most big cities today.