Cultural Exploration in Chile, Santiago and San Pedro de Atacama

Cloud State has hired me to help plan a special study abroad version of Span 110. In this version I travel together with a team and spend a week in Santiago and San Pedro de Atacama; these are major townships within Chile. The trip will give us insights on what the overall culture of the country is via the above mentioned towns. This paper is going to give leads on the experiences of any arbitrary tourist looking to travel from the United States to Chile in terms of accrued costs and the best destinations to visit.

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Transportation and Accommodation

Flight Cost and Options

The cheapest flight to Santiago is $366; other options include $369, $ 366, $482, $977, and $1079. The planes involved will land at the Aeropuerto de Santiago, which accords all of the ordinary amenities that anyone would expect from any major airport. The amenities available in Aeropuerto de Santiago come in the name of shopping, dining, free Wi-Fi, VIP and business lounges among other things (Bernhardson, 5). To be rational consumers, it is best that I and my team consider the economy class option i.e. $366.

No airlines fly direct to San Pedro, thus we could get a plane to take us to the nearest commercial airport in Calama. Since our first place to visit will be Santiago, we could use a domestic flight to reach Calama, then take a taxi or a bus to San Pedro de Atacama. Within Chile, three airlines serve Clama, they include LAN, Sky Airline, and PAL.

Public transportation options in Santiago and San Pedro De Atacama

Buses are presently the primary means of long distance travel in Chile, this is after the decline of the railway network. Bus travel from Santiago to San Pedro de Atacama takes about 23 hours and the major bus companies include Semi Cama and Salon Cama.

Lodging options and Cultural Sites

In Santiago, the price of lodging in one night ranges from 12.26 dollars to 274.99 USD. A thousand Chilean Pesos is an equivalent of 1.53 USD. These prices resonate with restaurants located both in Santiago and San Pedro de Atacama. Culturally important sports in Santiago include Sky Costanera, Patio Bellavista, Barrio Lastarria, Cerro Santa Lucia, Catedral Metropolitana, Barrio Bellavista, Santuario de la Immaculada, Centro Cultural Palacio de la Moneda y Plaza de la Ciudadania, La Moneda and Isidora Goyenechea. On the other hand, cultural and historical sites in San Pedro de Atacama include Lagunas Miscanti y Miniques, Geyser del Tatio, Valle de la Luna, Salar de Tara, Atacama Desert, Altiplanic Lagoons and Atacama Salt lake.

Cultural Activities

The one cultural activity that all tourists visiting all of Chile (whether it is San Pedro de Atacama or Santiago), need to do include getting involved in Asado. Asado is an eat out event that revolves around grilled beef along with other various meats. These meats are cooked on a grill called a parrilla, or an open fire.

Food

The ten best restaurants in Santiago Chile include Bajo Llave, El Diablito, Don Victorino, Bocanariz, JuanY Medio, Mulato, Opera Catedral, El Huerto, El Republicano, and Ox Restaurant. On the other hand, the best restaurants in San Pedro de Atacama include La Estaka, Ckunna, and Tierra Todo Naturale. The cuisine that will most common in Santiago and San Pedro de Atacama will characteristically comprise Chilean Creole Cuisine (Chester, 7). These include, Curanto (baked potatoes, chicken meats and sausages), Caldo de Pata, Asado (an eat out event) and many more. For a team of 5 people, 30,000 USD would be appropriate for eating out per individual for a period of six days.

Summary

Through travel, one gets to appreciate the culture of other people. Chile is a country that has a rich cultural history and friendly people. Travelling to the capital Santiago and San Pedro de Atacama is never regrettable. All the same, it is expensive to travel to Chile if one is to get the best of the land i.e. food and travel to historical sites.

Works Cited

Bernhardson, Wayne. DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Chile & Easter Island. Dorling Kindersley Ltd, 2011.

Chester, Sharon. A Wildlife Guide to Chile: Continental Chile, Chilean Antarctica, Easter Island, Juan Fernandez Archipelago. Princeton University Press, 2010.