I felt relieved and liberated to be able to walk the streets again after Guatemala. Santiago Chile looks European, with clean streets and paved walkways. As it was a Sunday, all the local shops were closed. The concierge told me that a shopping mall nearby was opened, so I headed that way.
I had a spring in my step when I walked along the Avenue Provedencia towards the city centre on a slightly overcast Sunday afternoon. Sure, I must be careful but that's true in every city.
The Costanera Center is located in the tallest building in South America, with several floors of shops covering almost all kinds of budgets and brands, and topped by a great offering of restaurants and fast food stalls on the roof terrace. Here, in this temple of commercialism, local brands rubbed shoulders with international names, and I was slightly surprised to see cosmetics brands Mac and Bobbi Brown operating a standalone unit each. As I did not want to buy things and carry them in and out of countries, I did not check the prices.
Finally I decided to eat. There were great choices on the top floor with great prices. I was drawn to a seafood restaurant with huge tanks of fish. And there I had oysters and the most succulent octopus.
This is a good start and I hope it keeps this way.
I had a spring in my step when I walked along the Avenue Provedencia towards the city centre on a slightly overcast Sunday afternoon. Sure, I must be careful but that's true in every city.
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| Avenue Providencia, Santiago |
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| Avenue Providencia, Santiago |
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| Trees were nearly bare in the winter |
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| Bicycles, a sign of relatively safe roads |
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| A flavour of the local style |
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| The escalators at Costanera Center, Santiago |
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| Costamia Restaurant, Costanera Shopping Center |
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| Inside Costamia Restaurant |
