Santiago....More Than Meets The Eye

Santiago was our first stop, and after almost two weeks in Chile and Argentina the last few days of the trip founds us back in this city.  On our first day here we visited Santa Lucia Hill, a beautiful park situated in the middle of the busy city.  After climbing to the top through a web of trails and steep stone stairs you were rewarded with a panaromic view that on a clear day stretched as far as the mountains.

This little oasis was onced used by the Spanish conquistadors as a lookout point for the planning of the city. Between 1814 and 1817 two defence fortresses were added, La Marcó and Castillo Hidalgo (Hidalgo Castle). Today Castillo Hidalgo is used to hold public and private parties and events. Dinner afterwards was at a quaint little wine bar called Bocanariz in Lastarria, which specialized in Chilean wine. The selection was a little overwhelming but the wait staff was very knowledgeable and perfectly paired our meal with the wines.

The remaining days in Santiago were spent leisurely touring the city. We visited Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino, the largest museum in the world dedicated to the study and display of pre-Columbian artworks and artifacts from Central and South America. Though initially I wasn't planning a visit I changed my mind after all the recommendations, and it was a good thing I did. Some of the exhibits dated back to more than 14,000 years with my favorite collection being Chile before Chile. A sample of pottery, art and textile from the ancient indigenous peoples of Chile. 

Taking a break from the city we took a trip to Concha Y Toro one of the biggest wineries in the world situated just an hour outside the city center. Once there I was amazed at the size of this complex and based on how organized they were it was clear this was going to be a very structured tour. First we went into a sampling room where we sampled a few wines from their Marques line. None of the four wines were that impressive though the Sauvignon Blanc was my favorite. Next we got a tour of the gardens and actually got to taste the grapes off the vines. It was interesting to taste first hand the actual flavors of the grapes that went into producing the wines. Most of them were hard to distinguish from each other though the Gewürztraminer stood out. It had initial flavors of lycée and finished clean. Some of my other favorites were the Resilings and Malbec grapes. The finally part of the tour brought us through to the cellar, famously known as Casillero del Diablo, the Devil's Cellar which was cleverly named to deter the once superstitious thieves from stealing the prize wines.

All in all I thought the whole thing was way too gimmicky and definitely provided an impersonal feel. It paled vastly to the tours we did in Mendoza, which were more personable. Never again will I do a tour scheduled directly through the winery.

Atmosphere: I thoroughly preferred Santiago over Buenos Aires. Many parts of the city reminded me of Shanghai, and brought back a sense of nostalgia. 

Beauty: The view on top of Santa Lucia was a very nice introduction to the city. Though there wasn't a particular part of the city that was "beautiful", overall the city provided a very balanced mixed of new vs old. 

Cleanliness: Despite the numerous stray dogs that wandered the streets, it did not feel dirty. In fact quite the opposite, with the exception of a few sketchy neighborhoods filled with graffiti.

Food: Known for their seafoods, we actively tried to seek out some sushi restaurants. Unfortunately our first experience at Temple Restaurant in Intercontinental was a huge disappointment. The food was mediocre and definitely didn't justify its hefty price tag. The next few tries were slightly more successful as we managed to hunt down some local joints. In general the food of the city was slightly better than average. In addition the local empandas were different than what I'm used to back home. The crust was thicker and not as greasy or crispy. 

People: Overall I thought the people of this city were much nicer and definitely not as aggressive, with  the exception of the central market where vendors harassed us. The city also felt safer and walking at night the massive city of more than 5million people seemed like nothing more than a quiet peaceful town. 

Comments: Before coming on this trip I had full anticipated loving Buenos Aires over Santiago. After all it is a better known city and often described by many as dynamic.  However my experience couldn't have been more different. Everything I expected to love about Buenos Aires I found in Santiago. It was truly a pleasant surprise.

Rating: 7