earthquakes in chile

Arrival

Before I even got to know Argentina properly, I was already heading to the next country in South America: Chile 🇨🇱

The journey began on Saturday evening at the bus terminal in Mendoza. I had planned the trip together with two Brazilian girls, and we almost missed the bus because we mixed up the departure time.

The entire bus ride over the Andes took about 6 hours, not including the two-hour wait at the border... At one in the morning, we had to get off the bus with all our luggage. First, we went through passport control and then through customs. You are not allowed to bring any fruit, vegetables, animal skins, etc. into Chile, so we had to eat the illegal orange that we had in our backpack before entering.

At 3 o'clock in the morning, we arrived at the bus terminal in Santiago - and were immediately kicked out because we were not allowed to stay there. I had neither Chilean pesos nor internet, but together we managed to order an Uber and safely arrive at the Airbnb. After that, we naturally cuddled up in bed for a few hours.

Day 1

In sunny weather and between skyscrapers, we set off and strolled through the city center. On the way, we were distracted by one or the other clothing store, but shopping is only half as fun without money... that's why we first collected our Chilean pesos at Western Union and then went in search of something to eat (priorities). We found something in a Chinese restaurant that advertised "Venezuelan flavors" and let romantic salsa music fill the air. (Lyrical masterpiece, I know)

Through a free walking tour, we not only got to know the different buildings and squares of Santiago, but also its history. Our Chilean tour guide told us about the Incas, the conquistadors who fought among themselves, the Mapuche, an indigenous people that still exists today, military coups, and dictatorships. In front of the Moneda, the seat of the Chilean government, we could almost catch a glimpse of the president, because on the day of our visit, elections were taking place in Chile. Our tour guide told us that the president lives very close by and that you might even meet him for a beer in the evening, as our guide has experienced himself.

To end this day, we walked to Cerro Santa Lucia, the small hill in Santiago where we enjoyed a beautiful view of the city and its ornate towers.

Day 2

Sleeping in - that would have been nice! On the second day, we dragged ourselves out of bed at 5 o'clock to catch the bus to Valparaíso. After the two-hour ride (during which I couldn't see the landscape because of the fogged-up windows :( ), we arrived at dawn. It was foggy and cold, but still, I had a positive impression of the town, which is much bigger than I expected. We strolled past a large market hall and had a coffee and a vegan cinnamon roll to fortify ourselves before heading to the beach and meeting some other Brazilian exchange students. It was the first time I saw the Pacific Ocean with my own eyes. Unfortunately, it was so foggy that I couldn't identify much besides water (which is relevant when you're at the sea). The seals were more exciting.

We strolled along the beach, and after all the Brazilian girls had taken their photos, accidentally dipped their shoes into the water, and two cyclists collided right next to us, we finally took the metro to the center of Valparaíso. The city is actually known for its colorful houses, but unfortunately, I didn't get to see them because of the weather. Nevertheless, we saw many cool graffiti as we walked up the hill a bit.

Day 3

On this day, we saw Santiago from above three times. Our first stop was the Bahá'í Temple, about an hour outside of Santiago by bus (and then by Uber). The temple was in a very well-kept garden, and we also received a small guided tour and explanation. Basically, all religions are welcome in the temple, the main point is to worship God. (We were more there for the Instagram photos...)

Afterwards, we got hungry and ate another Chilean specialty: Pastel de Choclo. It consists mainly of corn puree, and I have to say that it is exactly my kind of food (I'm a fan of anything related to corn 🌽💕). To drink, we had a Terremoto, a Chilean cocktail. It is very sweet, it consists of wine, grenadine, pineapple ice cream, and some other strong alcohol, and tastes like a lollipop. "Terremoto" translates to earthquake. In Chile, they have them more often than in Austria, and if you manage to drink this cocktail completely, you will experience your very own earthquake (and a sugar shock).

By the way, I already noticed at the beginning that in Chile, there are more cables hanging between the houses, and our tour guide told us that during the last big earthquake about 10 years ago, all the cables were completely torn apart. (Fun fact: In Mendoza, there was also a fatal earthquake in 1861, which completely destroyed the city, that's why all the houses are so low today, and the streets and squares are so wide.)

The second viewpoint was the Teleférico, a cable car where we could leisurely view the city.

We watched the sunset at Sky Costanera, a 300-meter high skyscraper. From there, we could see the whole city and the Andes behind it, and I believe I could have sat there for hours and looked down.

Day 4

On the last day, the mood was a bit tense. One Brazilian girl felt sick, the other was offended... but you can't avoid sightseeing. First, we visited the Museo Precolombino, where I was able to marvel at artifacts from the indigenous cultures of the Americas. After learning so much about the Incas at the university in Austria, it fascinated me to see this culture with my own eyes and in a way "in real life." Of course, other cultures were also present, such as the Mayans or Mapuche, and I found the art objects, which often depicted animals, very beautiful.

Before we started the return journey to Mendoza, we had a hot chocolate in Barrio París-Londres, a neighborhood that has European features.

The return trip was uneventful, except for the passport control at 1 o'clock in the morning, but I was already used to that.