Taking A Breath

On Sunday Santiago takes time to breathe.  My apartment sits on one of the busiest streets leading into El Centro.  During the week it’s non-stop cars, every one of which has a fully functioning horn.  Every one of them.  Today when I awoke and opened up the curtains and slid open the big glass door overlooking Santiago... nothing.  Not a car in the street.  They closed down Lira street and only a few cyclist were slowly cruising down a street that would normally kill them within minutes.  The word that keeps popping into my head while walking around Santiago is “civilized.”

After the last three weeks it felt like I was finally able to breathe as well.  Friday and Saturday were nerve racking as Melanie had gone off the grid in Lima and forgot to tell her father.  I called Liam Neeson for some advice on how to deal with the Peruvian drug lord that, in my mind, had stolen my daughter.  Lucky for him she had just gone camping.  Before that was the three day bus ride from hell, proving once again that I should not be making travel decisions for myself. Who in their right mind would ever think that was a good idea.  I seriously get nauseous looking at the pictures from inside that bus.

The previous two weeks were Lima, which was wonderful because I got to drink lots of Pisco Sours with my miha.  But it was still a big exhausting challenge figuring out the buses and cabs and dealing with the noise and heat and lack of sleep.

But now it’s Sunday in Santiago, and the city is relaxed and breathing and the streets are empty except for people walking and cyclist meandering about while not getting run over.  I walked over to a different Starbucks because my normal one is closed on Sunday. It was in this city's version of La Rambla called Paseo Ahumada.  It’s a pedestrian walkway full of people and shops and street performers.  Last night, Saturday, it was insane.  This is one of the truly great things about traveling to other cities; the concept of La Rambla.  Every city has at least one.  A place where people go just to be with other people.  I guess we do have mall’s,  but somehow that’s just not the same.  This feels more organic, more human, more breathable.

chau