Different.... but (kinda) the same

We've now been in Chile for 10 or 11 days and... where to begin?

Because I left Chile when I was a kid, I forgot how the people are and didn't know what to expect. I'm finding that overall everyone is nice, polite, eager to help. People also love to laugh down here, tell jokes, have a good time.

A man on the street was selling clothes pins the other day (people sell everything on the street here -- pastries, candy, band-aids... paper Origami figures!). Clothes pins are informally called "perros" or, "dogs" which makes sense because they sort of "bite." Anyway, the old man was calling out "Perros! Buy them here! Absolutely no fleas... these perros are fully vaccinated! Guaranteed!" Another day, on a city bus, a mom was standing at the very back, her teenage daughter at the very front and the two were carrying on quite an animated conversation -- about what to have for dinner that night.

"D'ya think we should have chicken?"
"No way! I'm sooooo sick of chicken... I'll be happy if I never see another chicken face again!"
 "But mom, chicken don't really have faces....!"
"Of course they do!".... and on in went, with everyone on the bus having quite the laughs, especially kids.

Went into Santiago one day last week and loved it! Extremely modern and cosmopolitan. Lots of good looking and stylish women (and yeah, a few men too, if you go for Latin guys which, I don't -- right, honey? ; ) As I've posted earlier, one of my biggest worries was safety, but, from what I've seen so far, Santiago is just like any other big city. Sure, you have to watch your stuff, but, that's what Peter and I did in Paris last summer, what will all the signs warning us of pickpockets, everywhere we went. So, no more dangerous than any other place and for sure far safer than many others.

Another similarity I see down here are the big, wide open spaces, everywhere. Driving down Chile's newer highways, you see vast expanses for miles (actually, kms!). Driving is also extremely safe (another of my worries). Drivers keep to the speed limit, respect signs (for the most part) and will help another motorist, if needed. (We were moving some new couches from Gladys' place in Santiago to the beach last week, when one of the cushions flew out of the back of my dad's pick-up truck. Just after he pulled over, another motorist came by... with the dusty but otherwise fine cushion.)

One nice difference is that everything is about half the price in Chile than it is in Canada! Better than that, they're now having all their end-of-summer sales so things are cheaper yet. Earlier this week I bought two pairs of gorgeous, Italian-made summer wedgies -- for $18 Cdn a pair (in Canada I would have paid 3 to 4 times as much). Carmen was really wanting high-tops, so, I got her a really pretty pink pair for $10 and Nick got some good-quality running shoes for about $25 (at a Bata Shoes store, nonetheless!).

Again, it was a third of what I would have paid at home.

Gotta love that!