We know a guy named Peter (pictured above) who cofounded La Bicicleta Verde (www.labicicletaverde.com) and we went on one of their walking tours that takes people through some of the big markets in central Santiago. Above are some photos Mark took of our walk. Most of these places are about a 35 minute walk from our apartment or a 20 minute metro ride. We'll most likely shop here three or four times a month. Whenever you come, you usually end up leaving with a ton of veggies, etc.. so it's not something you would do every day.
Fish market.
Ricardo (left) offered/forced us to drink what he called Chilean Viagra but it's basically fish juice. It's the broth left over after all the different types of seafood are cooked. It's mixed with lemon juice, salt, and tobasco sauce. It's not as gross as it looks.
Peruvian sauces. The Peruvian woman who owns this stand at the market will put together a sauce for you if you just tell her what you plan on cooking it with. We'll definitely be back here. Chileans generally enjoy and eat a lot of Peruvian food. According to most of the Chileans we've talked to, Peruvian food and culture has added a lot of spice and flavor to Chilean culture.
Watermelons anyone?
It's normally more crowded than this we hear.
This is a fruit called a pepino which is the same word used for cucumber in a lot of places. You can eat the skin and everything. It's similar to a honeydew melon in taste and texture but definitely not in size.
The fruits in the front are called tunas and we haven't yet tried them.
If you're looking at the prices, 500 is about 1 U.S. dollar and the prices are for kilograms, not pounds.
This woman is making sopaipillas which are made from mashed up pumpkin and flour, then deep fried. They're usually eaten with a spicy paste made out of crushed chiles. Very tasty.
Mannequins.
Graffiti.
Mannequins and to the right, Ignacio. He hosts a television series called "Gran Avenida" and they're doing a piece on La Bicicleta Verde so he and his crew followed us around on our tour.
Musician playing for tips.
At the end of a long day of walking, there is nothing like eating a huge amount of pork and potatoes.
At a bar called La Piojera which is very well known in Santiago, they make a drink called the Terremoto (which means earthquake). They also have drinks called Aftershocks and Tsunamis but we stuck to the Terremoto. It's made out of pineapple ice-cream (which you can see is already in the glasses), white wine, and a little bit of Fernet. Not sure if we'll be drinking another one any time soon but definitely worth a try.
You kids rock!
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