Santiaguino Factoids

Pronounced "Sahn-tay-ah-gwée-nos," that is actually the word used to describe people from Santiago. My using it to describe tasty morsels of information might be a bit out of context, but as I am the author of this blog, I am allowing myself some creative liberties. Without further adieu, here are some things I bet you didn't know about Santiago de Chile:

-Deposit on bottles: Rather than having a comprehensive recycling program, the
supermarkets and "botillerias" place a tax on bottles that you get back when you exchange you bottle of coke, beer, whatever. So for about every 2 liters of beer you drink, you can bring back the bottles and it feels like you are getting one for free.

-Hookers in the paper: There is a section in the paper that looks exactly the same as classified ads. Only instead of a used car or old furniture, the ads list women (in order of price, cheapest to most expensive). Sometimes, if you are lucky, you might be able to find 2-for-1 deals... I'm not really sure what that means, and I don't think I want to find out.

-Law abiding dogs: It's somewhat hard to understand how there could possibly be so many stray dogs living in a city with so much congestion and traffic in the streets. You would think that there would be some sort of critical mass of dogs where each new puppy would be offset by a corresponding squish of another under the tires of one of the throngs of fast moving buses that every day threaten even some of the more attentive tourists. However, while walking back from Cerro San Cristóbal, a few friends and I watched a dog wait on one corner of a nearly empty street until the crosswalk sign turned green, and then waited AGAIN on the next street. It's no wonder Darwin came up with his theory of evolution in South America... Survival of the fittest, indeed.

-The 80s: I haven't yet performed any in depth statistical analysis, but as a very rough estimate, I would say that 4 out of every 5 guys rock a wicked mullet (usually accompanied by some sort of feaux-hawk, "turd-rasta" dreadlocks, or both), and that at least 7 out of every 10 songs played in any restaurant, bar (excluding dance clubs), or gym are from the 80s.

-Keys to the outdoors: as I mentioned in a previous post, the only hiking trails we have found so far required access through a locked gate. So you are literally locked out from the outdoors.

-Healthier NOT to exercise in the winters: I heard, and it has since been confirmed by multiple sources, that in the winter, it is better for your body NOT to run or workout outside because of how bad the pollution is. Not that it's entirely Santiago's fault. Due to some sort of environmental phenomenon known as "Thermal Inversion" (see "Wikipedia," keyword: "Santiago, Chile" for more information), during the winter the smog is held close to the ground, and with the mountains surrounding the city, it has no place to go. One person recommended that if I did want to run, by a surgical mask, and run in a gym with air-conditioning. If I decide to go that route, I'll be sure to take a picture.

-Hotdogs: one staple of every Chileno's diet is the ubiquitous hot dog. However, unlike those found in the stands on the street corners in big cities like New York, these come packaged with mounds of exotic condiments, the most common being mayonnaise and avacado. Perhaps the most recognized form of hotdog is known as an "Italiano" because it is covered with tomatoes, avacado, and mayonnaise (the colors of the Italian flag). If hot dogs aren't your thing, fear not, because you can also get any number of sandwiches "Italiano" as well... Phew!

-McDonald's is the healthiest restaurant in town (see picture above for some gourmet options of Chilean fine dining, including pork chop pizza, fried eggs and french fries, and of course, hot dogs covered in mayonnaise): While I was staying in the hostel in the center of the city, on my way back from running errands one day, I stopped into a little cafe and asked the lady if she knew of any place I could get a salad as a meal (rather than the appetizers comprised of a small plate of shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and your choice of lemon juice or vinegar and oil for dressing). She thought for a while, and, seeming somewhat surprised by her own answer, she politely told me that she could not think of anywhere. "Ok," said I, unfettered by this minor obstacle, "¿Como sobre un lugar donde se puede comer sana?" (How about somewhere I can eat healthy?). Again, she thought long and hard, her face contorting as though someone asked her to think about swallowing a live golddfish. Deflated and disappointed (I can only assume the reason for her despondency was that she so desperately wanted to help me) she basically told me "I got nothing." "No worries," I told her, and headed for the door. Just before leaving, a light-bulb clicked on in her head, and she told me "¡Hay ensaladas en McDonald's!" I, of course, knew there were salads at McDonald's before talking with her. But finding that there were no other good options, I decided to take her up on her advice...The salad I got was made fresh in front of me, with fresh avocados, tomatoes, cheese, and chicken, and it came with an fresh, clean apple as a side. USA scores again. Go Team!

I hope you all learned something about Santiago today. Stay tuned for more interesting, in unsupported, "facts" about Santiago de Chile. And remember, if I wrote it, it must be true.