Santiago is a big city with over 5 million people living in the metropolitan area (la área metropolitana). It is said that 50% of all the people in Chile live in the region surrounding Santiago or in close (cerca) proximity. In a city so large, so modern (tan moderna) and so cosmopolitan, it is easy to see if as just a large impenetrable mass of bustling transit. From the outside (de afuera), it seems like an endless transverse of people weaving in and out of each day, complete with all the constant comings and goings of people in various modes of transportation.
Yet, part of my process (mi proceso) has been to learn the city and to participate (participar) in the various communities that surround the actual downtown and the regions nearby. There are actually 34 communities (comunas) in and around the city, and Santiago is considered both the capital city and a region itself. The names of some of the areas that I have visited include Ñuñoa, Providencia, Quinta Normal, Cerro Navia, Macul, la Florida, las Condes and Puente Alto to name a few.
There are 13 regions that expand from top to bottom (de arriba al abajo) in this incredibly long and slender country, and these regions are somewhat like our states in the US, although uniquely Chilean. From the first region at the top, Region Tarapacá, to the 12th region at the bottom, Region of the Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica, they extend over 4000 kilometers of both shore (la playa) and mountains (las montanas), both desert and rain forest. Santiago is itself also a region and accounts for the thirteenth region in number, although it is known solely as the Metropolitan Region of Santiago.
In getting around Santiago and the local communities, I have enjoyed using the Metro, the bus (el autobus), taxis, taking rides with friends, or just walking through the local areas. I certainly have enjoyed the tranquility (la tranquilidad) and beauty (la bellísima) of living in Ñuñoa, an area that has both a cool sensibility and a family feel. I have also enjoyed visiting the Quinta Normal to work with students, the area of Providencia with its shops, food and art in and around Bella Vista, as well as the quiet and natural beauty of Cerro Navia.
There is so much this great city (esta ciudad estupenda) has to offer in culture and variety, just like visiting the great neighborhoods of US cities, like New York, San Francisco or Chicago. Santiago is a great mix of diversity and adventure, with each side street a chance to explore (explorar) something new and to find places and people you have never seen before. For me, the goal (la meta) is to get around the entire city, but also to respect and enjoy the diversity (la diversidad) that the great city of Santiago, as well as the entire country of Chile, has to offer.
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