Football, food and a certain cocktail stir the passions of the people in Chile’s Santiago and Peru’s Lima, writes
Aaron Leaman.
Two men, old enough to know the rules of respectability, but young enough not to care, stand on a street corner and gesticulate.
From a distance, the men appear to be engrossed in a heated disagreement, flailing their legs and arms in every direction.
But their matching shirts and wide smiles hint at the subject of their discussion.
The pair wear the red jerseys of Chile’s national football team who, the night before, secured a hard-fought 2-1 win over South American neighbours Bolivia.
Those who think New Zealanders take rugby too seriously haven’t seen a South America country mourn or celebrate a football result.
On the night of Chile’s match with Bolivia, it seems every television in Santiago has a gathering of nervous football fans crowded around it.
One of Chile’s favourite drinks, a piscola, helps give voice to the wellnatured crowds.
‘‘Every game of football is important,’’ explains our host Benjamin Garcia, who is showing us the sights and sounds of Lastarria, a vibrant bohemian neighbourhood in the heart of Santiago. ‘‘Even a game on the street matters.’’ Lastarria, one of Santiago’s oldest neighbourhoods, has enjoyed a renaissance in recent years.
Garcia says the neighbourhood appeals to young people, such as university students, because of the cheap rent.
Tourism quickly followed on the heels of the students and hipsters, as businesses saw the potential to transform depilated old buildings into high-end accommodation with character.
‘‘Today if you walk around Lastarria, you’ll see how people in Santiago use to live 40 or 50 years ago,’’ Garcia says.
‘‘Lastarria brings back what being from Santiago really means which is knowing your neighbours. People live here, study in the area, socialise with friends and neighbours in the area. The neighbourhood is a community while being part of a huge city that has 6.5 million people.’’
The area’s nightlife is just as appealing with many old buildings transformed into theatres and bars.
Typifying Lastarria’s revived fortunes is our place of stay, the Luciano K Hotel.
The former 1920s apartment
building was designed by famed architect Luciano Kulczewski Garcia and was recently reimagined as a 38-room boutique hotel by architect Max Noguera.
The beautifully restored building, with its pink facade and multicoloured floor tiles, embodies many firsts.
When it was built, it was the highest building in Chile, the country’s first apartment block, and the first residential building to have an elevator.
The hotel opened in March, 2016, after three years of restoration and is a popular attraction with fans of Garcia’s work.
‘‘Guests come here because they know about history,’’ Noguera says.
‘‘Unlike other restorations where only the building’s facade is kept, we have gone to great lengths to preserve and keep as much as we can, from the elevator, to the marble and floor tiles.’’
One of Santiago’s obvious appeals is its beautiful built environment.
A great place to appreciate this is the Plaza de Armas, Santiago’s main square, and a popular hangout for visitors and locals on the weekend.
Towering above the square is the stunning Metropolitan Cathedral.
It’s midday Sunday as a steady stream of worshippers make their way through its cavernous doorway while high above the street, church bells chime 12 times.
Coming from a country where, by and large, police don’t carry guns, it takes a bit of getting use to seeing armed officers strolling the plaza.
That said, Chilean police have a reputation for being honest and approachable.
The Plaza de Armas is also a popular site for the city’s four-legged inhabitants.
Like a number of South American cities, stray dogs are a common sight wandering or lounging on the streets.
For the most part, the street dogs seem a contented lot, with many sporting donated sweaters.
Perhaps the only overt sign of social disharmony in Santiago is graffiti which mars countless inner-city buildings.
It’s a shame to see beautiful stone buildings covered with intelligible scrawl but credit has to be given to Santiago’s taggers when it comes to finding ways to spray their mark on seemingly inaccessible places.
But if architecture is an expression of Chileans’ soul then it is food which fuels it. At the Mercado Central, Santiago’s fish market, the bounties of the sea can be perused, sampled and bought.
With a coastline measuring 6435 kilometres, seafood is an integral part of Chileans’ diet.
The Mercado Central was originally built to be an art gallery but today is a hub for those wanting to buy fresh seafood or have a sit-down meal at the many eateries inside.
Our group opt for a lunch meal of snapper and delicate crap meat.
As Garcia explains, food is how Chileans express love.
‘‘Every time you go to your mum’s house the first thing that she’ll say is are you hungry? Even if you had bad problems and things are not going really well, you can always have a good barbecue, some good seafood, and all combined with some good Chilean wine.’’
While eating fresh cuisine at a restaurant is a treat, arguably the best way to experience authentic Chilean cuisine is in an intimate home setting.
Providing this niche experience is ‘‘Lastarria brings back what being from Santiago really means which is knowing your neighbours. People live here, study in the area, socialise with friends and neighbours in the area. The neighbourhood is a community while being part of a huge city that has 6.5 million people.’’ Motemei, a cooking studio run by chef Patricio Caceres and wife Jennifer.
We catch a taxi to their home located in the residential area of Vitacura.
For the next three hours we’re treated to a culinary trip via five stations.