WELCOME TO CHILE! (psst, it is not "chilli")
We just wanted to tell you a few things about Chile, its culture, and a few things to expect so that you are prepared for your trip. If you have any other questions, just let us know!
Geography
From north to south, Chile extends 4,270 km (2,653 mi), and yet it only averages 177 km (110 mi) east to west. Chile reaches from the middle of South America's west coast straight down to the southern tip of the continent, where it curves slightly eastward. Chile's northern neighbors are Peru and Bolivia, and its border with Argentina to the east.
Apart from its formal borders, Chile has four "natural limits" which has kept the country free of diseases and plagues: the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Atacama desert to the north, the Andes mountains to the east, and the fjords and southern ice fields to the south.
Greetings and Farewells
It is customary for people to kiss hello in Chile. In general, women kiss women, and men and women kiss, whereas unless men are very close friends, for them, a handshake is sufficient. The kiss is more of a cheek-contact, where you place your right cheek next to their right cheek, and kiss the air. It is a single kiss, and does not then switch sides. Add an “hola, un gusto” (hello, my pleasure) and then say your name, for an even more Chilean touch upon meeting someone.
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Farewells are a repeat of the greetings (with kisses), but people say “Chao, nos vemos” (Goodbye, see you soon). Some people may hug, but you are not generally expected to. Unless there is a very large group of people or it is physically difficult to get to everyone (if people are sitting across the table), you should take care to say farewell to everyone, particularly the person that invited you.
Chilean "spanish"
Chilean spanish is known for its liberal sprinkling of slang words that can make it seem like the locals are talking in a completely new language. However, once you’re acquainted with some of the key vocabulary used by Chilean speakers, it becomes considerably easier to follow conversations and make sense of what is being said. Don’t forget that you can always ask Chileans to speak slower and most are very aware that Chilean spanish is almost its own dialect, so will likely drop some of the more unusual slang in favor of standard spanish when conversing with non-native speakers.
Lunch, Once (tea), and Dinner
Lunch is the most important meal of the day, and for many Chileans, the most complete meal. It will usually have fish or meat, potatoes or rice, salad, and bread. It’s usually eaten from around 1 PM and is served until around 3 PM (or even later on holidays). It’s wise to eat well at lunch because dinner (as you will soon see) is often much later than what you are used to at home.
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For Chileans who dine (as opposed to just taking once, which is a sort of substantial evening tea), the meal would never start before 8 PM, and often not until 9, or even 10, when out at a restaurant. This is why eating a sizable lunch is important. It’s very common for restaurants to offer pisco sour as an aperitif. You can try one of the strongly-flavored bajativos (digestifs) after the meal as well. Manzanilla (chamomile) and Araucano (a bitter liquor made of several local plants and said to be good for the stomach) are popular choices, but the latter especially is an acquired taste.
Earthquakes
Chile is one of the countries with the most seismic activity in the world. This is a result of subduction (fancy word) of the Nazca Plate and Antarctic Plate underneath the South American Plate, which created the Andes mountain range. This is also why Chile has so many volcanoes (and active ones). The last eruption happened in 2015 with the Chalbuco volcano. Because of earthquakes, Chile does not have many old buildings, as most have been destroyed in the past.
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It may happen that you feel a tremor (“temblor”) during your stay, but don’t worry. Buildings and houses are built with very high engineering standards, so there is nothing to worry about. Just move away from the windows, and if the quake is significant, move under a door frame, which structurally is one of the strongest places to be. Do not go outside, as it could be dangerous with debris or loose construction material falling.
Cueca (national dance)
The Cueca is Chile's national dance, which symbolizes the rooster’s mating dance with the hen. Even around Santiago, and especially around September 18 (the national holiday), you may see women in Little House on the Prairie-type dresses (with shoes that look like tap shoes or Mary Janes) as well as men dressed in full regalia with flat-brimmed hat and dress shoes with spurs. Though you are not expected to dance the cueca, you could watch some videos to get acquainted such as this one with steps in Spanish, or this one, which shows a really good couple dancing. In general, most people will value you knowing what the dance is and appreciating its cultural importance. Bring a white hanky if you think you’ll be tempted to give it a try.
Asados
If you have the good fortune to be invited to a Chilean asado (barbecue), do not think of the saucy ribs and hamburgers from back home. There are two main stages to the Chilean barbecue, which are the choripan, in which small sausages are served in toasted marraqueta (a local roll similar to French bread), and then the grilled steak portion. A traditional type of asado in Patagonia is the Cordero al Palo (lamb on a stick), which is a whole lamb grilled in a metal cross on an open fire for 4-6 hours. Delicious!
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While Chileans are generally loath to eat with their hands in public, if the host comes around with a cutting board full of cut-up meat, this is one place where decorum goes out the window, and nearly everyone will take a piece of meat with their bare fingers.
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Because of South American's love of meat, it is hard to find vegetarian/vegan restaurants, but people are happy to create a separate dish if you ask. Don't be shy!
Customer Service
Customer service is often found to be on the slow side in Santiago.
If you are used to New York-level customer service, then please gather some patience as customer service in Chile is lacking behind the US. This holds true not only in restaurants but also in retail stores, banks, call centers, etc.
In restaurants, you may see waiters hanging around talking and not doing their rounds in case customers want something. This is even more evident when the bar/restaurant is opening or closing.
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A factor for this is that at restaurants you pay a 10% fixed tip no matter the quality of the service. If service is really bad, you can try to give less, but if you’re paying with a credit card, you need to tell the waiter to his face that you don’t want to tip him, which may lead to sore looks, so most people just tip anyway.