Armed with a borrowed lonely planet guide from the hostel I started
walking heading towards the city centre aiming for tourist information to get
better maps and recommendation.
Traffic Light Red …. So do I walk and ignore the signs like
in Malaysia or do I wait … I decided to take out the guide book and check my
bearings while silently observing the road crossing culture of Chile. A pretty
girl was looking at me with wide eyed ….. ‘smile’ ……. Couldn’t be more than 24 I
reckon and I smiled back with a polite nod. Back to my book and stole a glance ….
She was still staring like I was a delicious candy mouth slightly open drooling
…..Ok maybe that was my imagination but she was definitely curious and finally
mustered up the courage to speak to me.
I haven’t even started asking the locals for direction help
yet and here is a Chile Girl trying to talk to me. I could not understand a
word though.
Smile, raise shoulder, look blur, look more blur, swing
eyeball left and right …. I had no idea if I was going to be scammed on the
second day in Chile. Pretty girls can be dangerous.
First wavering words of English after many pause came from
her ….. “Tourist?”
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| Art Sculpture at Plaza Del Arms Santiago |
Yes I said and I now know she was a kind and curious soul
that always help blur travellers like me showing them her lovely city. That was
my first teacher and as she walked me to the city centre I got a crash course
of the Spanish Language. With every try the conversation or meme got better and
she was slowly remembering more and more words in English.
I would love to tell stories that the first Spanish word I learned
in Latin America is : -
“Uno Cerveza Por Favor” …… One Beer Please
But that was not really the case. With so many words being
thought while I walked with Stephanie (Yep we manage to exchange name by
pointing and pointing) the very first Spanish word that stuck in my head after
a drunk night was
“Disculpe” ……. Excuse me
She showed me a quick glimpse of Santiago and soon her
mother phoned and we parted ways. I was left at the Plaza del Arms, Tourist
information centre watching her go finding Chile a very friendly country.
Santiago Free Walking Tour
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| Push Cart Street Food |
Just in time after Stephanie left I joined the free walking
tour at 3pm just outside the Plaza. Introduce Felipe our Free tour guide for
the day which earns his living through tips. He gave such a nice flare and
speech it was like a presentation in a theatre throughout the walking tour.
People, travellers like me were very friendly and soon I was chatting in and
out of the whole group within the walking tour. Mostly Germans, a few Swiss,
Finish and Swedish.
Felipe brought us to all the main building in Santiago and
gave us a history with a flare trying his best to keep the tourist interested
in Chilean History. In between even all the small push cart food along the
streets was given its brief history of how the dishes came about and we got to try
the nuts, sweet drinks, and finally took a break in a café. A walking tour with
a break in between. I got the first taste of empanada and the first beer in
South America.
Coffee With Legs
Of all the stories Felipe told of course the weirdest one
would stuck in my head. It was the “Coffee with Legs” type of establishment
which somehow became a tradition. According to Felipe, back then all the office
workers along the office blocks would come downstairs during breaks to buy
coffee and there was this café that only sells coffee with nothing else but
legs.
Girls would dress up nice and formal like suits or uniform
but always, always with miniskirts to show off those damn legs. Hence the term
coffee with legs outlet. They would not sell beer, nor food or anything else
but back in the days says Felipe, every day at a time unknown to the customer
the owner will come out and ring a bell. The shop would close shut with all its
customer in it and the girls would start to strip and dance. And after an hour
when everyone was dress again the shop would open and NOTHING ever happened
inside the café.
End of the tour, 4 hours and all I could say is that the
Free walking tour was worth it and as the suggested tip amount I gave Felipe
his CLP5000.
Then Came the After Party
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| The Beginning of the End |
Some went their separate ways while others suggested going
for a beer. I joined in caught in the flow of things and did not think too much
of it since it was a nice group. Beers in pub must be bought in 1 litre volume.
You can’t buy a 375ml nor can you buy a pint. Big group of 10 ish we drank
quite a bit till the sun set at 9pm and Felipe suggested going for a couch
surfing event. I was tipsy even then and had no idea how to get back to the
hostel. Follow on … to the next venue
The Couch surfing Event Party
So next up was a couch surfing event which I just followed
blindly or rather all of us followed blindly with many wrong turns and finally
ended up in an apartment neighbourhood. I was totally lost. Met more people and
had lots of deep conversation about culture and people and politics comparing
all the countries and just exchanging stories while drinking Pisco & cola a
national Chilean drink. Everyone was getting drunker and drunker. Then when 1
am came naturally we could not party all night at the host place so someone
suggested going to a dancing club.
Dancing Club Party
I was half hearted at this point for I have no idea how I
would be able to get back to the hostel which was across the city. Felipe
pointed out where we are at the map and I was guessing nearly an hour plus walk
so it was basically ignore the problem for now and continue on to the club.
Dancing club …was interesting. It was not a salsa dancing club but more retro
dancing with many many English songs played. More Pisco Please.
Observing was fun for I do not dance but the club had a huge
amount of girls that comes there single and I felt for a moment glazed passing
over the men. I was not sure who was being hunted at this stage, they sure know
how to party in Chile. Somewhere between drinking and observing the girls shake
that ass I needed a smoke and started rolling a cigarette. People suddenly
started walking up and was observing what I was doing. When they determined it
was not a joint of weed but just pure tobacco they left as fast as they came.
One guy lingered longer and asked if he could try one.
Separated with the group …. I was alone with the locals …
The guy needed a light and so did I and was too lazy get it
out from my jacket which was rolled up in my bag so (I didn’t tell him that) so
we went outside looking for a light. Two girls sitting alone just being quiet
and the guy asked them if they have a light. The girl had and entertained us
with her humongous flame lighter. It was nearly 4 inch tall when lighted up.
Naturally all general chatter was in Spanish and soon my skin colour attracted
questions. Spanish talking question address to me. I put on my biggest smile,
shake my head and wave my hand around ….. No espanol I said.
One of the girl Antonia could speak English and hola I had a
conversation. The other two girls barely speak with me but entertained the
Spanish guy instead. Standard questions was fired away to me such as where I
was from, what I was doing in Chile and with each answer Anto eyes got bigger
and bigger. I guess she could not believe an idiot is visiting Chile from so
far away with no plans and speaks not a word of Spanish. I slowly got to know
about her, just turned 18 yesterday …. OMG …. First legal outing in a club and
she wants to be a doctor.
The group found me back eventually outside just smoking and
we left for food. No lunch, no dinner and it was 2 am … everyone was starving
for who knew a walking tour can last so long. Charly Dog we settle on for
supper and boy does Chile knows how to make a hotdog. Layer upon layer of
dressing and top of with tiny fried French fries.
After that it was back to hostel and I was convince at 3 am
with all the drunkards around smashing bottles and being rowdy that I will take
a taxi back to the hostel. Cost me CLP5000 but it was an honest taxi although I
could not speak a word of Spanish I manage to work out the place for him to
drop me off. He drove straight …. Never once tried to detour a longer route.
Just the 2nd Day in South America ….. oh Boy …
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