Santiago Local Customs

Though regarded by some people as disreputable joints, cafes con piernas (literally "coffee n' legs") have become a trademark of Santiago (although these businesses now operate in a few other cities too). Don't confuse them with the more or less traditional coffee shops, where the hostesses go in short miniskirts, and that provide ample, well-lighted spaces where one can sit at a table or at the bar and have a talk, no: cafes con piernas are rather dark, small places, without tables, where girls go in VERY skimpy thongs or G-strings (the further away from the city centre, the skimpier the thongs), and where loud thumping is always played. Girls don't go nude just by a few sq. centimetres of flimsy cloth. They serve not only coffee, but also fruit juices, teas and the like. Prices are the average -or less- than in traditional shops.

Website: www.cafeconpiernas.cl


	Kisses for the ladies	Tip Rating:

By mev1976

on June 13, 2004

Here in Chile we ussually say hello to another person with a little kiss in the cheek. I mean guys say hello to a lady with a little kiss in the check, the same between women, but itýs not common between men, donýt try this you migth by hurt. So guys by nice and kiss the girls but be gentle just on the cheek.


	Kisses for the ladies	Tip Rating:

By IIGUANA

on November 24, 2003

Well, I've got to put this tip again. It's in my Vina del Mar page, but it's something you must know. If you want to say hi to a girl, then give her a kiss on the cheek (the cheek, not mouth or any other place, unless you want your face slapped!). In Chile, we give women one kiss on the cheek to say hi. Girls also say give each other kisses to salute themselves (don't think something else...) Now, if you give a guy a kiss, you'll probably end up dead. So be thoughtful.


	Stray dogs	Tip Rating:

Updated By globetrott

on April 19, 2008

by globetrott, 4 more photos
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Stray-dogs can be found at many places in Chile and this one is well known for living on "Cerro Santa Lucia" and on my photograph you can watch it taking a bath or rather a shower on a hot summerday. The water-sprinkling-system is jumping there automatically from one side to the other and the dog is waiting for the moment, when the water is coming its way... Stray-dogs in Chile are not agressive at all, the only problem seems to be, when they are sleeping in the middle of the street in the pedestrian zone and you dont see them and step on their tail or whatever. (take a look at my last photo: a dog is taking a sleep in the pedestrian zone...)


	Slang in Chile	Tip Rating:

By mev1976

on June 11, 2004

I know that most of the countries have local slang but here in Chile there is one common word that most of chilean people use several times per day. Huevon , it´s not a good word, but we use like part of a conversation in a friendly way or to ofend someone,its very confusing for a traveller to ear us talking using this word for all kind of situations like the sound is very similar to huevo ( egg) . This word evolved to a verb and we ussually ocuppy to form sentences. the real meneaning of this word is from huevas (balls) but it´s very common that someone tell you that is from huevo ( egg), but it´s not true. try to avoid to say this word at least you really speak spanish because maybe you can use it in a wrong way and ofend someone. If you plan to stay in Chile a long period of time I recomend you to buy this book " How to survey in the chilean jungle" a good guide to understand how chilean talk.


	Pablo Neruda & other persons of Chile's history	Tip Rating:

Updated By globetrott

on April 20, 2008

by globetrott,
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Pablo Neruda

Monuments for famous people of chiles history can be found all over Santiago and here you will see a few of my favorite ones : 1 &2) Pablo Neruda was a chilenean novelist who won the Nobel prize for Literature and his former house is a museum nowadays, In Valparaiso you will find another house and museum of Pablo Neruda. 3)Ramon Vinay (1912-1996) Cantante Lirico 4)Salvador Allende, former president of Chile 5)Portales, who-ever that is, in any case it is one of the many monuments in the small park behind the seat of the president


	great murals in Barrio Bellavista	Tip Rating:

Updated By globetrott

on April 20, 2008

by globetrott, 4 more photos
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great murals in Santiago /
Barrio Bellavista

The best murals in Santiago de Chile will be found in Barrio Bellavista, a quarter that is close to the place, where the funicular to Cerro San Cristobal starts and when you take a walk from the citycentre to the funicular you will pass by plenty of them, the best ones are shown in these photographs but there are still a lot more.


	Pisco Sour	Tip Rating:

Updated By SabrinaSummerville

on March 26, 2007

by SabrinaSummerville
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Delicious!!!

Pisco sour is the national drink of Chile. I first tasted it in a restaurant in Puerto Montt further south in Chile and I was hooked straight away. It's a cocktail made from pisco (a local brandy), lemon, egg whites, and bitters. The primary taste is of lemons and it's extremely refreshing. I noted most people drinking it as an aperitif but I'd recommend it any time:-)


	LadyMan ? funny misunderstandings ;-)	Tip Rating:

By globetrott

on April 6, 2008

by globetrott
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Ladyman , chilenean style ;-)

Misunderstandigs - especially those that are obvious - are always quite funny, when taking a walk far away from home. This Lady-Man shop is a simple hairdresser offering service to ladies and men and not what you might have expected ;-) I found this shop in the big complex behind of the statue of holy Santiago.


	Santiago by wheelchair	Tip Rating:

Updated By globetrott

on April 19, 2008

by globetrott
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users of wheelchairs may easily cross the streets and they will in most cases also find ramps to leave the sidewalk. Pinochet spent lots of years in a wheelchair, maybe this fact led to some approvements in this field. In various museums - not only in Santiago - I also saw wheelchair-lifts.