Chile Forum

I have been lurking on here for about a month and I gotta say seems like a pretty friendly community and I have learned lots, but I am sure there is so much that I won't see coming after this move. So let me tell you my story/plans and you guys can tell me how skrewed I am.

Story:
So I won't lie to you this excursion was planned pretty abruptly. I am 23 years old and recently graduated from University of Maryland with a BA in US History(going for the big bucks). I was planning to move out to California to meet up with my girlfriend who had moved out there the previous year, but just as I was preparing to make that move our relationship went the way most long distance relationships go and I was left my life plans completely turned around. So I was moping at home, wondering what to do with my life, when a friend approached me about opportunities to teach English abroad, and talked me into doing it with him. We both had a decent amount of money saved up so we decided to sign up with the TEFL Academy and travel to Chile to get an 120 hour certificate and then hopefully find teaching jobs after completion of the course. Then about a month ago, right before our tuition was due my friend got an amazing job offer and he had to take it. So this left me thinking about ditching the whole thing, but it was too late I had spent the last couple weeks doing nothing but reading about living in Santiago and I was in love with the idea of moving there. So now here I am a couple days away from hopping on the plane all on my lonesome, should be an adventure.

Plans:
For the first month or so I am going to be staying in Hostels around Providencia while I look for more permanent housing. I have contacted a couple people about craigslist ads for renting rooms in group houses that are filled with a bunch of students similar to me, but decided it'd be better to wait til I'm down there so I could see what I'm getting into. Going to live off my US ATM card as I hear it is very difficult to get a bank account, and plan to use public transit/biking. My Spanish would be described as very basic, spent the last month listening to Spanish tapes, Rosetta stone and trying to memorize the essentials. I am hoping things work out and I can end up out there for around a year, but I understand that theres a chance I could wind up jobless and heading back to the states a whole lot sooner than that if things don't go well. If that were to happen I would be ok with that though, I'm excited to be doing this at all and I'm just going to try to be prepared for the worst, but hope for the best.

Couple Questions:
1. I'll be using a Capital One Visa credit/debit ATM card, I've heard that there are specific ATMs you need to find that don't give you a service charge for international withdrawals, is there a specific US bank that might be better internationally ie: would Bank of America have any advantages over Capital one?

2. Probably going to be using the metro a whole lot, I hear Santiagos public transit is pretty good but really I don't know much more about it, anything glaring that I should know about being a regular metro user? And is the actual process pretty easy, especially for someone whose gonna struggling with their Spanish?

3. I'm an avid bike rider back home, is Santiago known as a bike friendly city? is there lotsa bike theft? invest in a good u-lock?

4. This may be an annoyingly broad question especially from a newbie to the forum like me, but like I said even though I feel like I've learned a ton from this forum I still feel like there is tons of issues I won't see coming. So what were the little bumps you ran into that you didn't see coming and what did you wish you knew before you left?

5. One more question, this might be kinda dumb actually but if I won't be able to have a bank account how will pay for rent, is it normal to just pay your landlord in cash or should I be writing them checks from my american bank? And can I expect that most places will accept my US credit/debit card?

2. Probably going to be using the metro a whole lot, I hear Santiagos public transit is pretty good but really I don't know much more about it, anything glaring that I should know about being a regular metro user? And is the actual process pretty easy, especially for someone whose gonna struggling with their Spanish?

Very very very very simple, could do be mute, and deaf and still use it, maybe not blind lots of stairs

3. I'm an avid bike rider back home, is Santiago known as a bike friendly city? is there lotsa bike theft? invest in a good u-lock?

Good Lock, and lock everythign, seat, wheels, handle bars etc... yes and no is a bike friendly city, just ride on the footpath everyone else does because the drivers in cars are crazy

4. This may be an annoyingly broad question especially from a newbie to the forum like me, but like I said even though I feel like I've learned a ton from this forum I still feel like there is tons of issues I won't see coming. So what were the little bumps you ran into that you didn't see coming and what did you wish you knew before you left?

The most things people in your situation complain about is Money, make sure you really want to teach english, because if you dont, there is not many other options, those who teach english and like it last a long time, those who hate it complain about money and jobs and don't last here...

5. One more question, this might be kinda dumb actually but if I won't be able to have a bank account how will pay for rent, is it normal to just pay your landlord in cash or should I be writing them checks from my american bank? And can I expect that most places will accept my US credit/debit card?

Cash, cash, cash, get a boleta (reciept) as chileans will swear black and blue you didnt pay it even tho you did,
your pay cheques can be cashed at the servipeg or issing bank with a copy of your passport, have a good hiding place for your cash at home...
remember chileans dont have bank accounts either so everythign can be by cash

good luck

zer0nz wrote: Bicycle ... Good Lock, and lock everythign, seat, wheels, handle bars etc... yes and no is a bike friendly city, just ride on the footpath everyone else does because the drivers in cars are crazy

Use the footpath/sidewalk with a bici in Stgo and you run the risk of your first multa, or citation, in Chile. Bicycles are obligated by law to operate in the designated bicycle lanes or lacking that, with the motor vehicles. Just as in the civilised countries. That there is general anarchy in the pushbike community does not alter the law.

Or as the carabineros may explain it to you: Las veredas son lugares destinados exclusivamente para el uso peatonal.

pgchris wrote: graduated from University of Maryland with a BA in US History

Then you are indeed familiar with the expression that the problem with a degree in history is that there is no future in it.

patagoniax wrote:

pgchris wrote: graduated from University of Maryland with a BA in US History

Then you are indeed familiar with the expression that the problem with a degree in history is that there is no future in it.

I hadn´t heard that, but it really drievs the message home!

Craigslist doesn't exist in most of South America. Well, the links on the CL homepage are there, but there's not much content, and what's there often looks like just trolling for wide-eyed foreigners. You'd have more luck on adoos or vivastreet, for example.

For cycling, sections of Vespuccio have cycle lanes in the central divide. Between the smog and fumes I'm not sure it's a healthier option. Otherwise it is pretty chaotic for cycling.

Public transport in Santiago (bus or metro) is very good, but very heavily used. The new wagons on the most heavily used linea 1 make things a little less claustrophobic (wide opening doors, lots of glass). Mapcity provide electronic maps online for getting around (I found google very hit and miss), but their maps are pretty slow.

Hi, welcome to the forum and to Chile!

pgchris wrote:2. Probably going to be using the metro a whole lot, I hear Santiagos public transit is pretty good but really I don't know much more about it, anything glaring that I should know about being a regular metro user? And is the actual process pretty easy, especially for someone whose gonna struggling with their Spanish?

The metro is a great system but extremely busy, especially mornings and evenings. My only advice is that when it is really busy stand by the doors because it can be difficult to get off when loads of peoople are trying to get on. And don't be offended when you get pushed and shoved, just go with it and push and shove back.

pgchris wrote:For the first month or so I am going to be staying in Hostels around Providencia while I look for more permanent housing. I have contacted a couple people about craigslist ads for renting rooms in group houses that are filled with a bunch of students similar to me, but decided it'd be better to wait til I'm down there

You could try these for rentals:

http://www.rastro.com/resultado.html?q= ... &c=348&t=3
http://inmuebles.mercadolibre.cl/depart ... TANA%29_L1

(arriendo is rental and amoblado is furnished. You may already know that but added it just in case)

Good luck! Hope it all works out well for you.

Welcome.....
covering a couple of the questions you raised-
public transportation is good here. metro is the same as any other in the world- every man/woman for himself at rush hour. in between, its pretty quiet.
Buses are plentifull.
You'll need a Bip card to get around. can be bought in loads of locations, easiest is in a metro station. you prepay an amount and simply swipe it as you enter a bus/ metro station etc.

as far as biking is concerned, haven't headed downtown on mine, however if you looking for offroading sites check out Reserva Huinginal which is at the top of Lo Barnechea in La Dehesa. miles of tracks and really friendly crowd up there.

As to banking........assuming you get work with a contract, wage slip etc. try Scotiabank in La Dehesa. they are geared up for expats in that all the staff speak English. The Manager of the branch is Argentinian and very helpful. There number is 02 393 1180 ask to speak to Lucrecia or Rai. The banking system is different to my experiences elsewhere in the world, but the key seems to be you need the ability to show you have an income, having loads of money in US or European accounts which you can transfer in will not automatically get you what you want.

Anyway good luck, and enjoy............................
heaphy

Your photo gives the impression that you might be spending some time enjoying Chilean nightlife, so a caution...

A friend of mine who had spent two years in Iraq came to Santiago alone, staying at a hostel in Providencia. He met two "very friendly" Chilean guys who offered to show him the best bars. A few hours afer joining them, they slipped something in his drink - he woke up a few hours later outside on the street, no wallet, no money. Be careful of overly friendly people (yes, that's sad to say...)

As for bikes, when you get your Chilean ID (RUT) you can rent bikes in Providencia (maybe you have to be a resident of Providencia?). The cost is $8.000 for the whole year, which lets you pick up a bike at any location and drop it off at any other. Check out the website for more info.