Strange, for example, is that here in the southern hemisphere, the seasons are upside down. Maybe He departed amid the grey European autumn and is now in the most radiant spring. At noon, the Sun is in the North but is already capable of reliably warm you. The atmosphere reminds you to Europe: Spanish arcades, palaces amononados, in the corner a modern building of glass and mirrors next to the neo-clasicista Cathedral. Family also the aspect of the people: do typical Latino? No, false alarm. Santiaguinos seem not very different from the inhabitants of Frankfurt, Rome or London: yuppies rushed in design suits, school girls who laugh out loud, Office workers in their gray uniforms, women managers stepping on strong and with the cell phone glued to her ear. In the plaza, you are in the eye of the hurricane: while two blocks beyond Queen the hustle and bustle of the metropolis, here people falls into the account of wandering, looking through the shoulders of the players of chess or listening to a String Quartet.

The cliche of a chaotic Latin American metropolis is false, here everything happens quiet and civilized. There are no beggars that you ask, nor taxi drivers that touch the Horn, at most a salesman tries it with his cheap jewellery. Or the least extroverted temperament that characterizes e.g. Argentines. Probably, in principle not mean much when talk you Chileans even though you think you know Spanish: here the teachers speak fast and eat syllables.

However, will be followed in conversation with your neighbor’s Bank that is reading the newspaper or the seller that it turns out to be a philosophy student and suddenly, everything changes. Chileans do not bedevil anyone but themselves are curious and interested in the visitor from Europe. Where you come from, where you going? and do you like Chile? are always the first questions.

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