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