Saturday 19 April 2014

Toppen af Santiago

Første indlæg fra Chile, og jeg vil starte ud med en ting, som nok var det, jeg glædede mig mest til at opleve i den chilenske hovedstad - nemlig den fantastisk smukke udsigt fra bjerget San Cristobal, som ligger i det kvarter, jeg er så heldig at bo i.
Og at sige at det indfriede alle mine forventninger, er en underdrivelse - for hold kæft, hvor var det smukt. Det var bagende hedt (efterår, hvad er det?), men solens stråler gjorde det hele endnu smukkere. De kæmpemæssige bjergkæder der omgiver Santiago, de tårnhøje skyskrabere og palmer - det kan jo ikke blive bedre.

Jeg har været i Chile i en uge i skrivende stund og jeg må godt nok indrømme, at jeg er imponeret. Chile, og endnu mindre Santiago, får jo absolut ingen opmærksomhed i medierne derhjemme og det er nok derfor, at Santiago har overrasket mig på en vildt positiv måde - for jeg anede slet ikke noget om den by, jeg anede ikke hvor stor og majestætisk, den er og hvor meget, den egentlig har - kultur, natur, gastronomi, historie og kunst - der er ikke det, du ikke kan finde her. Det er en storby lige efter min smag - perfekt blanding af lokalt og internationalt, stort og småt - en farverig og pulserende metropol, der uden problemer kan måle sig med Tokyo, London og New York på alle fronter.

My first post from Chile should definitely be the thing I was most excited about seeing before I got here - the most amazing view of Santiago, which is the amazing view you get when visiting San Cristobal Hill in the Bellavista-neighbourhood. My expectations were high and needless to say, it did not disappoint me. The view is absolutely stunning and I sat there for an hour straight just admiring the view. It was breathtaking. The sun made everything look a bit dusty, but it just made it even prettier.

At the time of writing, I've been in Chile for a week and I must admit it - I'm impressed. Chile gets zero attention in the media back in Europe. And don't get me started on Santiago. I bet 90% of all the people I know wouldn't know the answer, if I asked them to name the capital of Chile. I know I couldn't just a few years ago. Maybe that's why Santiago has surprised me in an awfully positive way - because I had no idea what to expect. I had no idea it was so cosmopolitan and so majestic. I had no idea how much there is to do, it has everything - gastronomy, history, culture, art. It's a big city just the way I like it - it's international yet local, it's big yet small and it's colorful and impressive. I'd almost wish it got a bit more attention because it does without any doubt measure up to London, Tokyo, Paris and New York.

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