Santiago (Lastarria neighborhood) February 20-21, 2020

Having walked and subway-ed all over the area of town to the east, we walked mostly west today. We love markets and visiting them is usually a major highlight on most of our trips. Most often we enjoy perusing their offers of beautiful, colorful locally grown fruits and vegetables and flowers. Sometimes the markets include handcrafts but they generally feature fresh fish, seafood, poultry and meats as well.

There are two primary markets of this sort here in Santiago, the Mercado Central and Vega Mercado, both are not too far from the other. It was an easy walk there. We walked through the middle of a long park that follows the canal. The weather was pleasant, as it is most mornings - not yet as hot as it ultimately becomes later in the day. City crews were watering the grassy areas and the trees. A few homeless people lounged about but they bothered no one. We checked our map once or twice but went almost directly there.

Whoa! Complete madness! First, on city blocks just before the markets, the sidewalks were lined with people selling goods laid out on blankets. Much of the stuff looked well-used. .. it was like a tremendous yard sale. Interspersed were people selling water and soft drinks, homemade sandwiches, empanadas and virtually anything anyone might imagine. Some sold nothing but toilet tissue. It was crowded and noisy. A little nerve-wracking! Still we found the actual Mercado Central and learned it mostly sells meat, fish and seafood. The center of the market was devoted to restaurants. Men stood outside each one and loudly invited people passing by to patronize their establishment. We could hardly wait to get out of there. Outside, it was still chaotic. There were stalls everywhere with people selling anything that could be sold. Meanwhile there are department stores and indoor shopping malls all in the same area as well. You can imagine the people and the insanity!!!

I was on a bit of a mission. Our apartment is set up primarily for tourists and not for a couple staying two months. While it is adequate in so many ways, it lacks in kitchen equipment. There is only one small omelet pan, and two pots for cooking. I needed a larger skillet for stir-fry and a flat pan for roasting vegetables or making toast. We searched and searched for a store or stall selling cookware. And try as they might, no friendly stranger we asked could help either. We finally came to a store with plates in the window. As it turns out, it was a re-sale shop. Lord! Well, I shopped and found decent pieces. I can cook now! We walked only two more blocks and found a complete row of culinary shops. Their aisles, walls and ceiling were stocked with cooking goods - I told myself they were for commercial uses but I sure wanted to shop them.

Cooking gear in tow - you have to bring our own bags here - we crossed the canal to visit the vegetable market. Even crazier!!! As much as I love shopping locally grown produce and comparing it to our own, I doubt I ever go back. We are just not accustomed to so much commotion! In addition to cheeses, fruits and vegetables, this market also featured fresh meats, fish and seafood too. Some of it looked inviting like big huge roasts and neatly trimmed cuts. Others were not so good looking, like pigs' heads and bull man-parts. Ugh! I've shopped a lot of markets in our travels but . . . nope, probably will not go back. Still, hours later, that pig head smell is kinda stuck in my nose.

Yes, we were a little overwhelmed with the markets but we also stumbled across some wonderful things. The area just to the south of the Mercado Central is called Barrio Bellas Artes. Several of the city's finest and important plazas and buildings are here. We found the Plaza de Armas, the main square of the city. Nearby is the former Chilean House of Congress building - now the Museo Precolumbino. On our stroll home, we investigated the beautiful building housing the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes. I hope we get and make time to spend afternoons exploring these museums.

We shared a plate of Chorrillana -- grilled steak on grilled onions with french-fries and an egg on top. It was our breakfast/lunch. I will cook dinner here in the apartment for the first time tonight. I have new pans!
Before I close, I want to add a couple a notes about food here. First there are stalls, stands, cafes, restaurants and street-side dining under umbrellas everywhere. And ice cream shops and juice shops too!! They all are packed with customers, day and night. I don't know for sure but it seems most people here do not cook at home but take all their meals out. Ice cream? Oh yes! Ice cream! (Helato!) I cannot say how many people I see chatting in little cafes over ice cream or walking the streets eating cones or ice cream on a stick.

We wonder if food service might be a primary commercial endeavor in this city. For us, while we have found the food we have tried so far to be good; we have not found anything truly outstanding . . . yet.

Oh my goodness! Maybe this is it! Excuse me if this is too much information, but Stan just passed two kidney stones! Thank you, God! Maybe now he can get 100% well. Prayers, please.

So I can catch up on our story up, I'm going to go into February 21. DO READ THIS PART.

With nothing especially urgent on our agenda today, Stan had a plan. He wanted to visit the Santiago Hard Rock Café to purchase his collectible guitar pin—he probably has 50 + he has purchased from Hard Rock Cafés in cities all over the world. They have 180 locations so Stan has a way to go yet. Also he wanted to visit the United States Embassy.

First, we had to lock-in his appointment with Dr. Gambra next week. Ordinarily this could be done online but patients need and RUT number . . . foreign tourists don't have these ID numbers so an in-person visit was on tap. No problem, they took perfect care of setting up the appointment and there were hugs all around, especially since some of the attendants remembered Stan from our visit a couple of days go. I can only wonder why!

Long story made a bit more brief . . .we walked to the Clinica, which seemed like a long walk a few days ago, then walked on the Hard Rock Café in what is probably in the super-duper upscale, high-power financial sector of the city and finally walked on the U.S. Embassy. From our apartment, this trek was about 4.5 miles. It was a picture-perfect day and the sights were interesting so time and the steps flew by.

Stan bought his pin. The Hard Rock Café was at the entrance to a large, fashion-centric mall. Among all the stores available, we found Jumbo - think Target - a store that has literally ever item anyone would need or want at moderate but not Walmart prices. Gosh, we bought dish towels (they like to use a lot of disposable kitchen linens here), more toothpaste, shampoo and essentials. Somehow we felt better buying these items at their inflated prices rather than buying them on the street. The stores inside the mall were bustling with shoppers. Unlike department stores at home, department stores here are thriving. Seems it's a proper way to shop. Of course there is no Macy's or Nordstrom's but big box stores like Paris and Ritual are hugely popular and yes, there are others I've yet to discover.
In addition to our kitchen and bath supplies, we bought a sandwich and a salad to share at Jumbo's and ate our lunch on a bench on the street. It was delightful picnic!

We could not get entrance to the embassy. They said we need an appointment. Stan felt offended. After all, he served in Vietnam. Without a passport emergency (God forbid), however we must have an appointment to enter. We did in fact go online and now have now an appointment in March when our school is finished!! It may not be such a big deal but Stan feels an important need to visit and I've never stepped foot inside a single US Embassy.

We walked all the way home. We think our tootsies trekked about 9 miles today . . . but hey, what else do we need to do?? We enjoyed the day immensely. We stopped at Carl Jr's and drank liters of refillable cups of Diet Coke! What a joy! We bought an almost 100% plastic electric oscillating fan that will cool the jets of any guests staying with us in our little second bedroom that gets no air whatsoever. Yikes!
One final thing. In a very civilized fashion, Fridays are designated "movement" days here in Santiago. Everyone knows about the civil revolutions here that began last October, right? We were advised to stay home tonight.

Yes, demonstrations and riots are still going on here and throughout Chile, but most are reserved for 2 pm on Tuesdays and on each Friday evenings. They are notably more peaceful today than those back in October when 30+ demonstrators were killed or more were seriously injured by police's rubber bullets. People, however, still come out each Friday night to demonstrate and make their voices heard. From our roof-top patio we watched people stream from corner to corner and intersection to intersection to Plaza Italia -- just 4 blocks from us. We saw parades with drums and bands playing and singing revolutionary songs marching down the street outside our apartment. We saw canisters of tear gas being launched at people gathered at Plaza Italia and saw firetrucks launch water cannons at what might be dangerous crowds. We saw black plumes of smoke from burning tires riding up and masquerading buildings. We saw two vandals, probably not at all in tune with the movement, but simply taking advantage of the moment tthrowing rocks, rying to break glass of something -- anything! Tonight it is windows of the Catholic University across the street from us. Very sad! I hate that!

While we have never, ever seen anything like this, we empathize. And please know, Stan and I are completely safe in our apartment 10 stories and 4 or 5 blocks away from the heart of activity. We are notafraid. We are not going out tonight. But we clearly see, this country's people have something to say. As it should be. I pray we must never have to resort to these tactics in our home city or country. We, as proud US citizens, have rights and one of the most important is the right to vote. Please consider carefully and critically how your vote is cast and above all, do vote.

The atmosphere tonight is disturbing.