John S. Wolfe

The news out of Chile suggests incredible devastation in Concepcion and the villages along the coast. Tidal waves created by the earthquake’s epicenter in the Pacific Ocean hit Chile with great force, lifting vehicles into buildings and swamping low-lying areas. More than 230 Chileans lost their lives.

A contact in Santiago reports some damage to older homes and buildings in the capital. Deaths in the area seem to be because of a collapsed highway on the west side of the city, as one goes to the airport. The airport also was affected. (It took us more than an hour to go through customs on Feb. 13, so its design is familiar to me.)

An MBA class from Thunderbird, the Glendale, AZ. business school, is actually still in Santiago looking to get out. A story in the Republic notes they were to leave today. Ironically, they are staying in the same hotel we used, the Atton Hotel in the El Bosque section of the city. It’s on the east side, in a tourist/business area.

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Before moving onto Peru, I wanted to share a few observations on pre-quake Chile. These seem superficial and trite in view of what’s happened, but here they are:

• The first thing that strikes you about Santiago is how European it looks. The city’s streets are fairly wide and tree lined, and the sidewalks are clean. The architecture is incredible; designers have seemingly tried to outdo each other with unique designs, the use of large hollow spaces in office buildings, different shapes and varieties of glass.

  There are many condo high-rises, with attractive terraces filled with shrubbery of some sort.

  

  

• The public transportation is amazing. The subway is safe, clean, well-lit and free of graffiti. It costs about $1 to ride, and it’s fast. Buses run down major throughfares.

• It was really hard getting used to summer in February. Phoenix in February can be warm and sunny, but this was summer. Temps in the 80s, kids running around because school wouldn’t resume until March 1, and folks strolling down streets and shopping. I wonder what Christmas is like.

  

• The “downtown” area of Santiago is the center city. There is a “Wall Street”-like area and government buildings nearby. The presidential palace has a prominent spot, with plazas in front and in back.

  Seeing the palace, surrounded by multi-story buildings, it is difficult to imagine the military coup that took place in 1973. Gen. Pinochet’s forces grabbed the government from Marxist Salvador Allende and planes bombed the palace. You just ask, how? It’s like trying to bomb the White House – one building in a large city. Allende committed suicide, and a statue of him stands outside the palace.

  

  

• The Catedral de Santiago is an impressive edifice several blocks from the palace. It dates back to the late 1500s and now boasts a Gothic design.

  Whenever I see such grand structures, I’m always amazed how populations centuries ago saw them constructed amidst so much poverty and need.

  

• The best place to see the city is from Cerro San Cristóbal in the Parque Metropolitano, which includes hills just north of downtown. A funicular – those of us who have been to Pittsburgh call them “inclines” – is a vertical railway that takes you straight up the main hill. Midway up is a zoo. At the top is a tall statue of the Virgin Mary and a small amphitheater, where church services are held.

  From there, you have a 270-degree panorama from an Andean glacier in the mountains to the east across the city to flat expanses to the west. A silver dome in the distance is an arena, where Beyonce had a concert while we were there.

  

  

• The Mapocho River flows through the city. It was not flowing much in the summer but what was flowing was a gross light brown.

• Chile is a country with Spanish roots. Very few people spoke solid English, even in the hotel. But everyone was nice and patient.
• Places like McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts, Burger King and Pizza Hut are present.

• Chile, like Peru, seems to have a “full employment” policy. Many Chilean workers mill around, from a young woman standing next to the trash can at McDonalds waiting to throw your wrappers away to men in bright orange jumpsuits that fill gas tanks. I guess it’s better than the alternative.
• We visited the Undurraga Vineyard. Chile places great emphasis on its wine capabilities, and the tour guide at this winery about 20 miles northwest of Santiago explained the subtleties of the operation, from the differences between grapes planted at different angles to the sun to the use of oak barrels from the United States to minimize dispersion of the wines’ flavor. They are known for their Cabernet Sauvignon and their sparkling wines.

• Last but not least, a word on Chilean nightlife. As told to me by my colleagues, the club/bar scene does not get started until midnight, and it’s more like 1 am before it hits its stride. Some classmates went out at 11 and found bars empty. The dancing goes on until 3 or 4 in the morning, which reveals why – when the earthquake struck at 3:20 am – so many folks were quickly out in the streets.

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