After a wild experience in Mendoza and a delightful time in Santiago, Chile, I was irritably sitting in the Santiago Airport, unplanned. I could have easily blamed this spontaneous occurrence on the inefficiency of the bus system here in Chile (which would be based on my “American” standards). I could have easily blamed this spontaneous occurrence on the format of the bus ticket I purchased (which failed to list the exact location). I could have easily blamed the company (who’s office was closed when I arrived). Frankly, I could have blamed myself for not doing ample research on transportation infrastructure in Santiago, Chile on the bus infrastructure.
In that moment, the best way I was going to solve my “irritation” and “desperation” was through reflection and consoling my soul with the good that happened, reflecting on visiting the Costanera Center, exploring the contrasts between old Santiago and new Santiago, and viewing the city from top of the tallest building in South America.
1. Costanera Shopping Mall:
If you ever visit Santiago, the second mall I visited was South America’s largest mall, the Costanera Center Shopping Mall, which reminded me of the malls in China—multiple floors with multiple international brands and extensive food courts with exemplary restaurant choices.
Unfortunately, I didn’t visit any of the stores because they were all closed for Easter—I don’t know how to feel about that, but I gave praise for Christ dying on the cross and for saving my bank account on that day! (Amen? Amen.)
2. Santiago City Tour:
On my second day in Santiago—Good Friday—I embarked on an afternoon city tour exploring the cosmopolitan nature of the Chilean capital. First, the (older) group and I (only young adult and only Black) explored the Plaza de Armas, a historical parque, now open to the public.
Following the exploration of this parque, the group and I traveled to the Santiago Cathedral, Post Office, and Municipality of Santiago, a central sector of Downtown Santiago and a hub for the cultural diversity that characterizes Santiago, Chile. Various cultures converged in this center of the city, all relishing in the daily sun and the interactions of each other.
It was definitely an awesome experience of walking through a Cathedral for the first time on Good Friday, as they were exercising various practices to honor Christs crucifixion.
While touring western, older side of Santiago, a facet of Santiago’s cosmopolitan palette that I enjoyed was their ethnic diversity, which is the second most diverse place I’ve visited globally outside of London. Walking by the Government Palace & traditional streets was more meaningful knowing of the ethnic diversity within the city
I always enjoy seeing faces like mine—seeing other black faces. It was an additional pleasure seeing and hearing Asian ethnicities, Indian ethnicities, and other ethnicities prevalent. Seeing faces reminiscent of mine outside of the United States will never become uninspiring and I’m eager to understand more and be more because of our presence on earth.
3. Modern Santiago & Sky Costanera: I ended my Santiago excursion towards the east of the city—an area of town with modern, transformative buildings, such as the Gran Torre Santiago.
The Santiago Tower is the tallest “edificio,” or building, in Latin and South America. A “high”-light of my trip was Sky Costanera, the tower’s observation deck on the 60th and 61st Viewing Santiago from a 360-degree panoramic perspective was “uplifting.”
I’m always intrigued by seeing a city in its entirety and watching the sun set over the city I’m visiting, it’s always an opportunity to reflect on how far you’ve come and how high you have risen and the blessing int hat opportunity.
Out of my irritation and desperation—needing a ticket out of Santiago in hopes of making my flight into another city—I realized that in such moments, it’s not about the blame game, it’s about the game plan. What’s your next move? What’s your next solution? How are you going to solve it?
When trapped in moments of needing to make a game plan or making your next move—you honestly can’t dwell on the good or bad of what happened, but you have to do all you can to get to the good that’s going to happen.
****************
