Sunday, October 19, 2014

Some final observations from Santiago

During my week in Santiago I came across a number of things that intrigued me and pleased me. I wrote about some of them in my Courier column, and previous blogs. But before leaving Santiago for Europe, here are a few final observations!
Maria Elena and Elke, the two very dedicated and lovely ladies who made my week in Santiago so very special...Thank you!
I liked the fact that architects were much more celebrated...and always put their name on their buildings
I was surprised to see that diesel fuel was significantly less expensive than regular gas...this is not a typical situation
Many of the roads are privately built and managed, and this is how they are paid for...
I'm sure a lot of people would hate this....but I didn't
Shoe shine stands are everywhere...and at less than a dollar to have your shoes shined...
People take a lot of pride in having their shoes shined
Here's an idea for the Flag Shop!
As I began to think that just about everything we wore was made in China, I came across this sign in a department store
In many parts of the city, the sidewalk is a market. I couldn't figure out what was legal and what wasn't but it certainly resulted in much livelier streets
There is a lot of creativity in the city...just look at this automotive garage
There is a very high standard of design and construction evident in many of the new buildings