Pulso de Santiago

One of the best ways to really get the pulse of a city is simply to walk around.  Those who have traveled with me - particularly if it is a city in a foreign country - know that I walk a lot.  My preferred method of travel is "ir de pie" - roughly, travel by foot.  That isn't ir de pie as in apple pie.  In Spanish the "i" is the hard "e" sound and the "e" sounds like when you say the letter "a" when you start the alphabet.  Ir de pie.  If I need to go a longer distance my preference is by train or subway.  Car and bus are last.  In the last week I've been averaging about 5 miles walking per day and a few times out running at 5 miles/crack.  So I've gotten in about 50 miles...okay, about 80 kilometers...around Santiago, so I have a pretty good handle on the pulso de Santiago - pulse of Santiago.

We don't always have a camera with us in part because (as I'd learn) cameras are petty theft bait, and not all people and places welcome pictures.  However, one particularly restaurante anuncio required a return trip with a camera.

For 2200 Chilean pesos (about $4 USD), you too can have an Ass Gigante.  And for your next question (pregunta), no, I don't know what an Ass Gigante tastes like.

We took what proved to be a bit longer walk than we expected to the Mercado Central (Central Market), where you can find pretty much anything you can think of - most of which you don't want.  This is where I was told about the camera thing after I had taken many pictures.  The thing is that Erin made the comment that some of the vendor areas looked like they sold used items.  Hopefully my camera doesn't some day find its way here without me.

I will say that the fruit and merchandise displays were exceptionally well done.  Interestingly, at least at the fruit stand we stopped at, you can't pick out your fruit.  Tell them you want a manzana abuela (granny smith apple) and they'll pull one out of the back.  Hopefully it is as nice looking as what was in front. I can understand though because pulling out the wrong apple may make the whole display collapse.

There is also some pretty good looking food there.  We ate quite well for about $12 USD.

The one piece that probably strikes the average person de los Estados Unidos is that you pay pretty good money for water.  And when you ask for water you need it "sin gas" if you want regular 'tap' water.  Otherwise you'll get the water with bubbles just like in Europe.  Some day I'll write about a trip to the grocery store where you buy a box a milk that comes packaged up like a big juice box with a date 10 months to expiration - and you find it away from a cooler.

end of post.