Traveling to Santiago, Chile

[SolaresLarrave]

In a couple of weeks we'll be leaving for Santiago de Chile, for a conference first, and then for some down time and tourism.

I know what I'm taking with, and also what I'm leaving (taking a couple of Leicas with some B&W and color film, as well as my Nikon P7000 for digital shots; leaving my digital behemoth behind for now). However, I'd like to know about places to go just to see people, and about the general disposition (do people mind being photographed? Is that a faux pas? Should I be avoid photographing children, for instance? That kind of cultural thing).

I'll have to lug about my computer this time... so I am not going to be entirely away from RFF. Ain't that sweet? 🙂

Thanks in advance!

 

[Pablito]

I found Santiago to be generally one of the most uptight places I have visited in Latin America, and I have been all over Latin America. Very different even from other places in the Southern Cone. There is a very interesting cultural center at Palacio La Moneda. If you go to the central market, don't eat at the expensive places in the center - try the more humble food stall along the periphery and the outside; food is better and much cheaper. Try to visit Parque Por la Paz, which is on the grounds of the former Villa Grimaldi torture/detention center during the Pinochet regime. The temperment of people is different (more open) when you leave Santiago. Don't miss Valparaiso.

 

[Pablito]

Also, there is a small but exquisite museum of Pre-columbian art in Santiago. Don't miss it!

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Thanks a big lot, Pablito!

Is it really that uptight (as I feared...)? I was in Buenos Aires in 2001, and found the environment strange and paradoxical. OTOH, it was always assumed that my wife and I were married (the fact that she never changed her last name seemed to unsettle them a bit), but then, people were incredibly candid about things in general. Oh, well... every country is a small universe.

Again, thanks for the tips! 🙂

 

[semordnilap]

Yes, go out of Santiago and you will enjoy yourself 😉

Be careful in the Valparaiso hills, for example... It's beautiful but can be dicey if you don't know your way around. The Neruda houses are nice to visit–I went to the one by the sea–Isla Negra I think it's called. And get out of town and enjoy the scenery, as it's dramatic, varied, and beautiful.

Anyway have a great time!

 

[Pablito]

Francisco, Buenos Aires is very relaxed and easy-going compared to Santiago de Chile. At least that was my experience in three trips to BsAs. But then I have a lot of friends in BsAs.

Another truly bizarre characteristic of Santiago is the existence of establishments called "cafe con piernas". This is where businessmen is dark suits all go to be served coffee by scantily-clad young ladies. Totally weird. These places are not bars. No alcohol is served. Just coffee. And they are in the business districts...

I don't know if this would be of interest, but in Santiago, I also went to Allende's grave in the main cemetery. You can also see the grave of Orlando Letelier, who was a diplomat in Allende's government and was killed by a car bomb in Washington DC... at the very back of the cemetery there are the notorious unmarked graves where the disappeared victims of Pinochet's regime were buried.

 

[josh.sa]

Santiago is a lovely city to walk around with a camera, in my opinion. I was there in the summer of 2010 to do research (im a grad student studying latin american history), and while I spent most of my time in the National Library, I did have some time to walk around with my pentax mx and a few rolls of film, and you can see some of the results here.

As a whole, I found the experience quite nice. Pablito has already mentioned a few key historical places to visit. In the general cemetery near the memorial to the disappeared you can also find the grave of Violeta Parra, one of the more important popular singers in the 20th century. Downtown is fairly filled with people walking around, though because of a long history of earthquakes, the architecture leaves much to be desired. I had one bad experience in downtown: trying to finish a roll of film, i took a picture of the outside of a strip club and while i was looking down to wind the film, a guy began to yell at me for taking his picture. i told him i was taking a picture of the building, not him, and that I was heading out for the day. i think he was concerned with his picture being posted with him in front of the place. Other than that, i never had a problem with anything, though Im also not someone to get in people's faces to get a picture, either. The neighborhood of Bellavista (just north of Plaza Italia) is beatiful and definitely worth some time.


If you get a chance to go to Valparaiso, definitely check it out. The hills have historically been a place that the state has worried about, but if you are smart you will be fine; talking with people on the street, they always warned me about certain sections of the city, but I never felt anything but safe. And definitely save some color film for Valparaiso.

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Josh, I just had time to read your note before packing... but here I am now.

In the end, I changed my mind. An impulse buy right before Thanksgiving (a Nikon AF-S 24-120 f4) drove me to pack my D700 instead of my P7000. I still brought one Leica (an M6TTL with a Zeiss 35 f2). I shot my Leica during the first two days, feeling a bit self-conscious. Today, we went to the Centro in Santiago... and this time I schlepped my D700. Apart from being asked for the time and for directions, nobody seemed to care about me. True, the city is quite photogenic but not like, say, Buenos Aires, but people are incredibly sweet and helpful. Now, I don't want to sour my relationship with the culture and haven't attempted anything beyond some touristy shots. I intend to do some hip shots in Valparaíso, however... People here (and especially in the area around the hotel) seem quite... uptight. Charming and lovely, but a bit unrelaxed nonetheless.

Will stay in touch. Thanks for the tips and information! BTW, Pablito, after the earthquakes from 2010, the museum you recommended is closed for remodeling. So are a bunch more. But we'll survive... and we brought our 2 1/2 years-old with, so that adds to the adventure! 🙂