Tourist Information Chile - M |
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Mail
Chile's mail works well, if somewhat slow. The regular postage for a letter is 180 pesos in-country, 280 to North America, and 300 overseas. The main post office on Plaza de Armas in Santiago is open Mon-Fri from 9 Am to 7 PM, and on Saturdays from 9 PM to noon, and there are additional post offices in the suburbs. International mail is usually sent by airmail automatically (vía aérea), and it takes 4-8 days to Central Europe; which can be speeded up for a fee (expreso). Important letters and packages should be sent by registered mail (certificado). If you want to have someone send you mail to Chile, ask them to mark "Lista de Correos" (poste restante). The post offices will save this mail for 30 days. Nice postcards can be found at the Museo de Bellas Artes and the Museo Precolombino.
Media
Newspapers
The biggest daily with an extensive cultural section is the conservative, Pinochet-friendly El Mercurio, one of the oldest newspapers in Latin America. El Mercurio Corporation also owns several other papers in Santiago and in the provinces. Other dailies are La Nación (the government-friendly newspaper), La Tercera, the popular La Cuarta, the evening paper La Segunda and the free papers MTG and La Hora. Current and independent information can be found in the online paper El Mostrador (www.elmostrador.cl). And a good overview of Chilean goings-on is provided by the English-language News Review which appears twice weekly.
Magazines
The market for magazines is dominated by gossip zines such as Cosas and Caras; political analysis are found in Qué pasa (liberal) and Ercilla (conservative). Biting satire, but also hard-hitting reporting is provided by the biweekly The Clinic.
International Press
International newspapers and magazines can be found - much more expensive - and with a delay of about two days at some kiosks, especially in the center of Santiago (Paseo Ahumada).
TV
Chilean TV is dominated by soccer, series and entertainment. The evening news are at 9 PM on most channels. Cable is standard in the better hotels, and more than 80 channels from all over the world are available.
Radio
Among FM stations, the fare is mostly music and entertainment; especially popular with young people: Rock&Pop (94.1) and Radio Zero (97.7). News at 93.3 (Cooperativa) and 100.9 (Chilena).
Metro
Santiago's fast, clean and safe Metro has no reason to hide compared to the undergrounds of the world, but so far, there are only five lines. The main line (1) runs modern French trains along the central east-west axis Alameda - Providencia - Apoquindo serving the center as well as the newer business districts of Providencia and Las Condes. At Los Héroes and Baquedano stops, you can change to one of the other lines connecting the southern parts of the city to the center. A single ticket is between 340 and 430 pesos (USD 0.40 - 0.60) depending on time of day; there are single and double tickets (boleto valor, USD 5.00) all of which include transfers.
Money
Currency
The official currency is the Chilean peso (CLP), which uses the confusing symbol for USD ($). Over the last few years, the rate of inflation has sunk to 3%. The exchange rate has exploded following the Argentinean crisis in mid-2001; in November of 2001 it was about 1 USD = 700 CLP; now (2005) it's about 1 USD = 550 CLP.
Spending Money
Take travelers checks and cash in USD (in money belt, see Safety) and exchange money only in official places (never in the streets) or banks (usually worse rates, and only open from 9 AM to 2 PM). Santiago has the best currency conversion rates; several exchange places are located on Agustinas between Ahumada and Bandera (open Mon-Fri 9 AM-7 PM, Sat morning), as well as near Manuel Montt, Pedro de Valdivia, and Los Leones Metro stations. The AmEx office (Turismo Cocha) in El Bosque Norte 0440, Las Condes, Metro Tobalaba, Mon-Fri 9 AM-7 PM, is only worth the trip if you have large amounts in AmEx travelers checks to convert. On the weekend, the larger hotels exchange money, too, but at a bad rate.
Cards
A good alternative is drawing cash (pesos) with your money or credit cards from automated teller machines marked with the Cirrus , Plus or Maestro symbol in all major cities - know your PIN! You have to count on paying a fee (find out from your bank before you leave). You can use your regular credit cards to pay almost anywhere. Only major Hotels and tourists agencies accept US dollars directly.
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