Santander is a Spanish bank with a worldwide presence. Living in Chile, I’ve noticed there are predominantly three banks, Banco de Chile, Santander, and BCI. Today, walking through the downtown, I came upon what seemed to be a union protest outside what I presume was the headquarters of Santander in Chile.
The video shows you the enthusiasm of the protest, and the streets were plastered with pithy cardboard signs calling out Santander for many reasons.
Among the reasons I noticed were: “No transportation assistance or meals at work,” and “$54.000CLP ($100US) starting monthly salary (could you live on that?)” There was also a photo of one of the guys involved in organizing the protest who was beaten up (broken nose, etc) and it was suggested that the culprits were Santander thugs.
You can read all you want about the “Mint Palace” on Wikipedia if you want to learn more about it, but I’m posting this panorama I took today on my blog because if there’s one building you should be familiar with in Chile, it’s “La Moneda.” It’s the White House of Chile.
It’s where Allende died during the coup led by a coalition of Chilean generals on September 11, 1973. It’s where the President currently conducts business, and you can see the bullet marks on the buildings around it where troops attacking tried to take out snipers hiding and shooting from the windows.
I spent July 4th at work…in the Southern Hemisphere. I was disappointed to find the embassy wasn’t doing anything special, but I was surprised by the number of people who extended their well wishes to me for “my” holiday. I think the only other Independence day that I’m aware of off the top of my head is Chile’s; for obvious reasons.
We just had another holiday here on Wednesday. Chile has at least 14 nationally recognized holidays. We were all celebrating some virgin saint. Guests from the States are just as surprised as I am that virtually nothing is open on these holidays. I mean, they actually celebrate them! I the States, about the only times we actually observe holidays, outside the government, are Christmas, and Thanksgiving Day. I think Wal-Mart closes for New Years Day and Christmas. So when McDonald’s is closed on Wednesday, it seems strange.
I didn’t even know I was supposed to be celebrating Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as I was taking my 3 bus connections, I was a little concerned, and trying to figure out why so few people were taking the bus. I thought maybe they set their clocks back already or something, and I didn’t know about it.
I don’t get much time off from work. It’s not that I don’t get much time off from work; nobody gets much time off from work.
Having Friday off, I rode the bus Thursday night to Valdivia. It’s an 11 hour trip. I had to work Saturday afternoon, so I did the best with the time I had.
The bus ride was fairly comfortable, except for the baby in the seat in front of me. I sat in the back, but when they came to check the tickets, I had to move seats…right behind the couple with their loud baby.
Santiago has been cold. The last few days have been especially cold. So I was expecting weather that an Eskimo would be comfortable with. I think it has been warmer here today than it was in Santiago, and I just don’t understand how I traveled eleven hours south and the weather didn’t become colder.
Following the same pattern of travel planning I’ve followed in Mendoza, Vina del Mar, and Valparaiso, I showed up in Valdiva with little idea what to expect except for colder weather (already wrong), more German influence (didn’t notice much of that), more trees (yep), and Spanish forts (yep). Getting a map at the bus station is a good place to start, and from there, I walked 15 minutes to the center of town. A horse drawn carriage riding through the center of town reminded me I wasn’t in Santiago anymore.
Based on comments about the German influence in the southern Chile, I was expecting to find Little Frankfurt, but it turned out to be more like any random section of the suburbs of Santiago. Two story buildings, a few parks, architecture definable by its lack of any creativity. This aspect of Chilean has been explained to me as a result of the strict building codes in order to prepare for earthquakes, but I don’t buy it. I think it’s just easier and cheaper than building interesting looking buildings. I’ve never been to Japan, but I guarantee they have more unique and creative architecture there, and they’re just as vulnerable to earthquakes.
After eating an omelet and being stuck with instant coffee, I walked through the fish market on the waterfront. I’m sure the place was entirely unsanitary, and the overwhelming smell of seafood wafted through the air. Chile has a great variety of seafood, but the problem is that they don’t seem to do much with the seafood. They let it speak for itself, which is all well and good, but at the end of the day, I’d like a few more spices and creativity with the dishes.
Behind the market was the river where roughly 30 sea lions were loitering pining for scraps from the market. It was much better than any zoo I’ve been too. They were right in front of you to watch in the water, and they were prone to fight each other over favorite begging locations and parts of fish flying through the air.
Valdivia is home to a few forts built by the Spaniards hundreds of years ago. They are definitely worth the visit.
Getting away from the smog and noise of Santiago was one of the best parts of Valdivia for me. I like Santiago to a certain degree, but it wears on you after a while I think, and I seem to be constantly congested. This I blame on the smog.
On the way to Niebla, where the Spanish forts are based, I passed by the famous Kunstmann brewery/restaurant. Strangely, it is all by itself between Valdivia and Niebla (half an hour by bus from each other). If it was in Valdivia, I can’t help but believe they’d get more business.
I think taking the ferry from Niebla to Coral (both locations of old Spanish forts), was probably the best part of the trip. Between the two cities is an island populated by people who are connected to the world only by said ferry. The sun was going down, getting cold, and smoke from the hundreds of wood fireplaces in the area was filling the air with a smell that makes you want to wrap up in a flannel blanket and stare at red hot coals.
One day in Valdivia is really about all you need for tourist purposes.
The video shows you the enthusiasm of the protest, and the streets were plastered with pithy cardboard signs calling out Santander for many reasons.
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Posted by Joel
