I spent part of my first days off in Antofagasta. The second largest city in Chile, 150 kms north from the observatory. It was part of the process to decide where to live for the next year. During my stay at the guesthouse, I had heard terrible tales about this city, about how nothing it had, just a portuary city with its waters polluted with arsenic. I was almost obliged to make my choice of living in Santiago before even coming to the north...
Well, it is not so bad, I was in fact surprised! The city as a whole is surrounded by mountains on the east, by desert on the north and south and by the charming pacific on the west. The center is a maze of perpendicular avenues, built of colourful wooden houses and full of animation on the streets. I would say it has a bigger influence of bolivian and peruvian people than Santiago, but the same fancy people can be seen, just the atmosphere is more of a local fishing town than of a big developed city.
There is one main pedestrian street, full of shopping centers, international fast-food chains, book and music stores. During the whole day, there is street animation, either jugglers, clowns or an old woman singing spanish melodies with an amazingly clear voice. I stayed in a rough but clean hostel, in the center, the bed was to forget, but it only costed me 7 Euro per night. Pizzas are bad, they don't use mozzarella cheese and their concept of tomato sauce is to cut the tomatos in cubes... There was however one restaurant with excellent food and piano nights, 
a bit more expensive but very very pleasant. I had the time to see chilean police in action, chasing a guy on the streets. Poor lad...
Well, in the end I decided to live in Santiago, for the sake of my social sanity. Next turno off, I'll go down to get myself a place I can call home...
Well, it is not so bad, I was in fact surprised! The city as a whole is surrounded by mountains on the east, by desert on the north and south and by the charming pacific on the west. The center is a maze of perpendicular avenues, built of colourful wooden houses and full of animation on the streets. I would say it has a bigger influence of bolivian and peruvian people than Santiago, but the same fancy people can be seen, just the atmosphere is more of a local fishing town than of a big developed city.
There is one main pedestrian street, full of shopping centers, international fast-food chains, book and music stores. During the whole day, there is street animation, either jugglers, clowns or an old woman singing spanish melodies with an amazingly clear voice. I stayed in a rough but clean hostel, in the center, the bed was to forget, but it only costed me 7 Euro per night. Pizzas are bad, they don't use mozzarella cheese and their concept of tomato sauce is to cut the tomatos in cubes... There was however one restaurant with excellent food and piano nights, 
a bit more expensive but very very pleasant. I had the time to see chilean police in action, chasing a guy on the streets. Poor lad...Well, in the end I decided to live in Santiago, for the sake of my social sanity. Next turno off, I'll go down to get myself a place I can call home...
4 comments:
Apesar da tua decisão, é sempre bom descobrir que as coisas não são assim tão más como as "pintam"...
Boa sorte!!!
Acho que qd pintaram um cenário tão negativo foi para te baixar as expectativas.
Depois fica-se sempre mais receptivo aos aspectos positivos.
Gosto do cenário. Por isso, gostaria de visitar o Chile.
Porreiro seria organizar uma escursão aqui dos tugas para te visitar e conhecer o Chile.:)
Isso é que era!! Aluguem um autocarro entre todos e venham que as estradas aqui são boas! :D
Pizza sem Mozzarela?! Onde está a porra da ASAE quando precisamos?
Sou a favor da excursão ao Chile numa camioneta fretada pela Junta de Freguesia, a tocar pimbalhada all the way, e a fazer picnics com sandes de coirato pelo caminho.
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