Ringing in the New Year in Santiago

Fireworks were lighting up the sky in typical New Year fashion for a good 20 minutes in Santiago, Chile. Yet it was a quiet one this year. A few beers and champagne on the roof terrace of the hostel in what was otherwise a sleepy Santiago. Seems the place to be was Valparaiso and most people in Santiago fled to the seaside town to celebrate.

While in Santiago I did venture on two walking tours, one visiting a few highlights and the other seeking out various markets flooded with locals on New Years Eve and the incredible Cemetery General de Santiago.

The city has an array of dogs roaming the city, my mum will be pleased to hear that the locals and a few organisations look after them all. There are little dog houses in the parks and around the city and people feed and care for them, despite them not having owners. It does still get very scary when they start to bark and chase cars and bikes on the road. I shudder to think how many accidents occur involving stray dogs.

Santiago was an okay city. I don’t hold it close to my heart, but it was a city with quite a bit to see. Unfortunately with the public holidays over New Years I didn’t get to accomplish as much as I would have liked to, but the walking tours were a good way to see a lot. Food-wise, I had a few interesting meals, including this ‘crab pie’ – despite the fact that I don’t like crab, it wasn’t too bad.