Hello, Beautiful Humans
I’ve been in Chile two weeks now. No, I haven’t posted anything since May 27. Well, notes, yes. Every day, multiple times a day. Does anyone see them? If I’m lucky, maybe 2 or 3 people. Conclusion, either nobody sees them or they are boring as hell. Will leave it at that for now.
What else have I been doing with my time?
Finally, been learning how the Substack platform works. Realized that I should add notes for my past short-story posts. Beat myself to a pulp for not doing that sooner. Still purple in some areas. I’m learning, folks. Go easy.
But kudos for me, I’ve been catching up on reading other people’s work. There are some amazing writers here. I have laughed, agreed out loud talking to my laptop and more. Grateful to finally find so many people I resonate with even if they don’t know it yet.
Oh, and I finally figured out how to set up the landing page or website. Listen, it was like navigating the cockpit of an airplane with a ton of shiny buttons. Which one do I press first? So, it’s not like I’m slacking over here.
Let me catch you up on Chile. Short, I promise.
Almost missed my connecting flight to Santiago, which would have been a total shit show. I was too tired to be angry. Here is what happened.
I like Copa Airlines. Good service on long flights and almost always leaves on time. So, I flew Copa. But my early flight from Medellin left a little late. Landed in Panama for my connecting flight to Santiago with five minutes for me to run to the next gate. Which BTW, was all the way on the other end. Isn’t that how it always happens? I can’t even make this shit up.
I passed by the Voted Best Chocolate Chip Cookie kiosk in the airport, contemplated buying one for like a second. But I couldn’t even spare that one second. Having to choose between buying a chocolate chip cookie voted the best and catching a connecting flight? I was pissed. Please! Wouldn’t you be?
By the time I got to the gate, they had already started boarding. Got on the plane and about 15 minutes later we were in the air. Phew!!! Super smooth flight. Six hours and 15 minutes later we landed in Santiago.
Rental unit nice and clean. Only complaint. It’s damn cold. One small heater that I can roll to the bedroom or the living room. Yep. My biscuits are half-frozen and sometimes I’ve been wearing my NY winter coat over my PJs in the living room. Super sexy. No selfies needed.
FYI, check my notes for the non-professional pics of my strolls around Santiago.
What I’ve learned about Chile in two weeks
It’s the world’s largest exporter of copper. Did you know this? If so, you are smarter than me.
They have the tallest building in South America, the Gran Torre Santiago. It’s 984 feet tall and has an observation deck for you to gaze in awe at the Andes mountains. It’s engineered to withstand major seismic activity. How? No clue, but Chile has 2 architects that have won the Pritzker Architecture Prize, Alejandro Aravena won in 2016 and Smiljan Radić Clarke in 2026. The prize is the equivalent of a Nobel Prize.
Surprised? I was. It’s like I’m becoming a walking encyclopedia now.
Chileans do not need a visa to travel to the U.S. That’s right folks. As of January 2026, it is the only country in South America under the Visa Waiver Program. I’m about 95% sure Chile’s strong and stable economy has something to do with that.
People here are extremely easy-going and very nice. They seem content with life. One tour guide described Chileans as the boring South Americans. No loud honking on streets. Okay, occasionally there is honking, but hardly ever.
Customer service is a thousand times better than anywhere else in the world I’ve been to. What does that tell you?
Prices are displayed on almost everything due to a consumer rights protection law. It’s fudging fantastic. I don’t have to wonder if someone is trying to rip me off with Gringo prices here.
Food in restaurants is expensive. New York price expensive. But supermarkets have decent prices. If you come to Chile, you will either need to make some of your own meals or be prepared to shell out some dollars. Like all of them.
You can buy a brand-new car here for around $10 to $11k, car models that Americans can’t even find in the States. A comparable car in the U.S. would likely cost around $19k to $21k. And just because cars are cheaper in Chile it doesn’t mean they are basic bare bones economy cars. Want proof? Check out the prices for the Hyundai Grand i10 Sedan model sold here. But what do I know, I don’t even drive. I’m a New Yorker. Lived in subways.
Crossing the streets of Chile feels like you are in a movie where everything suddenly just stops. If you put your big toe on the street, buses and cars will make a full stop. Nope, not kidding! This was a whole discussion on the tour I did last week. In Medellin, you better run or get run over by the million and one motorcycles in the streets.
Okay, I’m done. Not because I don’t have more fun information about Chile, but because I’m on the third page and you probably fell asleep around the food comment.
Alright, maybe one last thing, this is lapis lazuli land. It’s their national gemstone.
