48 hours in Santiago, Chile

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Fifteen years in the past, after I was finding out overseas in Spain, I took my first solo journey away for a weekend. Alone, just because I couldn’t discover a journey buddy final minute, it was the start of a lifelong love for solo journey.

Later, after I began sharing tales of solo feminine journey on my weblog, it was uncommon. Repeatedly, I used to be informed that the world was a harmful place for a lady by herself; I used to be referred to as loopy for exploring alone – usually, mockingly, by individuals who hadn’t traveled a lot in any respect.

Ultimately, I discovered the other to be true. I’ve had the very best experiences, misadventures, and friendships all alone – an training you possibly can’t purchase.

For the previous few years, I’ve been craving to get again to that feeling of discovery of touchdown in a completely new place. There’s one thing so thrilling about stepping off a airplane in an unfamiliar nation whenever you don’t know what’s occurring round you. In that chaos and uncertainty is the place the true enjoyable begins.

Lately, I discovered myself in Santiago, Chile, alone and never realizing anybody, with a couple of days to discover. I used to be on my means from New Zealand to Ushuaia on the backside of Argentina, the place I used to be main my first journey to Antarctica. Air New Zealand not has their Auckland – Buenos Aires route (wah!!), so I needed to fly LATAM for the primary time. Verdict’s nonetheless out on that one.

It felt so good to return to my journey roots, simply to wander and see the place I find yourself. I spent hours getting misplaced within the colourful again streets, testing locations I’ve longed to go to, like Pablo Neruda’s home, and munching on as many empanadas and pastries as doable.

Listed below are some snippets of 48 hours in Santiago, Chile. Take pleasure in!

1. Go for a wander and get misplaced

It has been a very long time since I’ve stepped foot in a brand new metropolis, exploring independently. It’s type of loopy to consider. Earlier than the covid lockdowns in New Zealand, I had created acquainted journey paths, usually returning to the identical locations en path to someplace else. Dubai. Sydney. Hong Kong. I do know them properly.

After a giant energy nap on the lodge in Santiago, I hit the streets round Bellavista, the place I used to be basing myself. In reality, I actually hit the streets. maps on my cellphone whereas strolling, I stepped into an enormous gap in the midst of the sidewalk. It was not an awesome begin to the journey, however it did wake me up from the jetlag. Fortunately nothing was damaged besides my ego.

As a magnet for misadventure, I by no means go away New Zealand with out journey insurance coverage anymore – the peace of thoughts complete insurance policies from Southern Cross Journey Insurance coverage preserve me firm and permit me to completely calm down and revel in my travels whereas I’m abroad. Fortunately I didn’t want it as a result of that may have been a giant bummer.

Realizing my folly, I popped my cellphone away and simply began to wander, like how I used to journey. I’d simply comply with the streets that appeared attention-grabbing and see the place I’d find yourself. I really like the entire unbelievable road artwork and colourful buildings round Santiago. It was the right begin to the journey. Simply don’t stroll and take a look at your cellphone on the similar time in cities the place the sidewalks are something however uniform.

2. Eat all of the issues

I’ve lengthy advocated for attending to know a spot via its meals. I used to be tremendous pleased to leap proper again into making an attempt all of the issues. With solely 48 hours in Santiago, Chile, I knew I needed to plan my meals rigorously to benefit from them. Anybody else do that?

Again on this neck of South America, I knew my first feed can be empanadas. In Chile, their empanadas are referred to as empanadas de pino, and their huge, fats, and generously full of beef, raisins, onions, olives, and hard-boiled eggs. Wait, don’t click on away but; it’s really scrumptious. The right consolation meals. One other dish I noticed in every single place was pastel de choclo, which is type of like a corn pie full of the identical elements because the empanadas. However what I used to be dying to attempt once more have been humitas, that are like freshly stuffed corn desserts wrapped within the husk. So yummy!

I really like studying new meals phrases in Spanish after I’m touring. In Spain, I discovered a lot, however it varies so extensively. I had by no means heard of “pino” or “choclo” earlier than this journey.

3. Go to Pablo Neruda’s home

I’ve liked the poetry of Pablo Neruda for a very long time. Maybe one of many biggest poets composing in Spanish, his work transcends language and is universally standard. In reality, he’s most likely Chile’s most well-known son.

After I studied on the College of Salamanca in Spain after I was 19, there was a wall close to one among my college buildings that had a well-known Neruda quote graffitied on it: “Quiero hacer contigo lo que la primavera hace con los cerezos.” In English, it roughly means “I need to do with you what spring does to the cherry bushes.” It sounds higher in Spanish. However I’ve been a Neruda fan ever since.

One of many three homes Neruda owned in Chile is in Santiago, The chascona. They’re all museums and completely value visiting. It’s tremendous quirky and stuffed with essentially the most superb artwork, sprawling over many ranges the place the indoors and outdoor merge collectively. One other Chilean phrase, La Chascona, refers to his secret lover’s huge curly purple hair.

4. Keep on the Lodge Boutique Castillo Rojo

The journey business may be very a lot discovering its ft after years of pandemic wonkiness, and there’s no denying that the world has modified rather a lot within the fifteen years since I first moved to Spain. As an alternative of calling playing cards, now we have fancy telephones, and we will faucet our bank cards as a substitute of exchanging money.

To not point out I’ve modified too – no extra hostels or huge backpacks, or sleeping on airport flooring for this woman.

I spent ages determining the very best place throughout my 48 hours in Santiago, Chile. I lastly settled on the Purple Fortress Boutique Lodge as a result of it’s extremely charming. And it was superb. Near the whole lot I wished to see. It additionally has lovely outside gardens and an awesome in-house little bar and restaurant. Cash properly spent.

5. Soak within the sundown on San Cristóbal Hill

With out even planning it, my ft one way or the other led me towards a phenomenal hill within the metropolis because the day was wrapping up. With out actually pondering, I knew this is able to be an awesome spot to look at the sundown.

San Cristóbal Hill is town’s largest inexperienced area and public park with unbelievable views. You possibly can take a cable automobile as much as the highest, with many paths and locations to wander round. In fact, there’s a giant statue of La Virgen de la Inmaculada Concepción as a result of we’re in a Catholic nation.

Whereas it’s positively not a secret spot and shall be full of folks, it’s nonetheless well worth the journey up for the views.

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