Cafe's become a center of Life!!!

Sowell Family's Travels on Gijima
Skipper: Tim Sowell Admiral Tracy Crew Sean & Alex
Tue 4 May 2010 00:44
The sun was out and we started the day with news that we needed to find a
new hotel for the next 2 nights, we staying in 3 star mid range hotel, and
off I went while the others were at breakfast to case the surrounding area
for possibilities, sure enough we found one 2 blocks away and we then packed
up and moved there, and deposited the first major task of the day a much
needed laundry load after Alex's last couple of days sick.
Next task was to apply for a new US passport for Sean as he would move into
less than 6 months to go in the next month and this becomes an issue in a
lot of countries. So we headed out first to get photos this took us down
town, not far away, but it was Monday morning and a hive of activity
everyone moving about and traffic a clogging pace, but we got a taxi to the
recommended place and found the passport photo shop downstairs in this side
alley, and sure enough it was closed until 11 am (fast start to the
morning!!). So off we went to occupied ourselves and this is when we really
found the social world here appears to center on Café's.
We had noticed over the weekend many café's but down town this multiplied to
what appeared to be every second shop, and then we tried to enter but were
stopped as most are smoking in doors and it is against the law to have kids
in a smoking area. So we were presented with the challenge of finding a
street café, that would serve hot chocolate for the boys. As we went from
café to Café we found that they are where everyone goes you have general
ones and then you have "Café's with Legs" this was interesting as it is a
café where the girls ware very short skirts, I had seen this in bars before
but not in Café's but the coffee is good and it attracts people. (but this
has potential outside Chile) Note we did not see a Starbucks here, I doubt
if it would survive as the local café's serve the purpose and have character
'legs".
We ended up in Café Mc Macs 9this was more like a Star bucks, than a Mc
Donalds) as it was only place we could get kids into, and then we ended up
with hot milk and a slab of chocolate that we had to melt in the milk, it
did the trick and Alex even kept it down today. (He has dramatically
improved today, getting on his feet, eating and drinking, but still weak but
on the improve).
Through out the day we stopped and past café's and certainly this makes the
whole downtown area a very cosmopolitan atmosphere and social, people just
say lets gets a coffee and sure enough they go around the corner. The last
time I had seen this was Italy but even there it did not seem as extensive
as here, but both Tracy and I like it, and it provides a nice atmosphere,
very different from the last 5 months in the tropics.
The other items making change we have worn long pants 3 days (first time in
6 months), and had hot showers for the first time in 2 months (it is too hot
back in the tropics for hot showers so we have cold ones). It is fall here
and the trees are all turning gold and yellow, and leaves line the parks.
We eventually got the passport photos, and then had a challenge getting a
taxi to find the US embassy which we arrived with 3 minutes spare but were
able to complete all forms and interviews, so we can collect a new passport
in a months time when we pass through here on the way to Easter Island. Both
Tracy and I felt very accomplished that we had completed a major task
effectively, this shows the way we run our lives now it is tasks and
immediate satisfaction on completion, or achievement.
We then headed to the big parks along the main river which are golden and
have great kids climbing parks within, these parks are like the big parks in
Sydney and London, where people wander in peace and sit a read under the
trees yet you are down town. The boys loved the parks and fall yellow/golden
leaves, we enjoyed the space and climate as the sun was out but in the mid
20s or 70s f and very comfortable.
So our domestication day in Santiago was completed by us going back in the
streets around our hotel which are all in the university area and eating on
a street café, Tracy went to a local super market, and she is becoming very
comfortable with the area, this is important as this will be our base for
the whole 2 1/2 months with us coming back here a number of times before
venturing out again. Tonight the crowd was out but much more purposeful, and
busy as people were going places, dropping in for a social dinner and wine
(wine here is great, we do not see the best of Chile wine outside Chile in
my experience and I am looking forward towards doing a couple of days
touring the wineries in a months time). Again I keep going back to my years
in Russell Square in London's westend and around the university same type
idea but there they have pubs here they have café's.
My thought of the day (if it matters) :
The key thing which makes the society run like UK and others in Europe is
this socially accepted concept of going to the corner coffee shop or pub, it
becomes an accepted extension of the office or home, we missed that in
California, even in our little El Salvadorian base we have a center a pool
and bar we come to each afternoon to discuss it is accepted everyone gets
out of their boats, people do the same here out of the office or on the way
home, it is quite civilized.
Stayed tuned.





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