Arab Tourism News
Quest’s World of Wonder airs on Saturday 24th May at 07:30 CEST on CNN International
At over four thousand kilometres long north to south, Chile is one of the longest countries in the world. With the Pacific Ocean on one side and the Andes Mountains on the other, the capital Santiago is in the centre, and where most visits start. Here, Quest meets street performers, Chinchineros, a tradition that goes back generations in Chile. He describes them as, “A one man band mixed with Whirling Dervishes.”
Restaurateur and food blogger Felipe Sanchez takes Quest to La Vega Central Market to explore the city’s food culture. Sanchez tells Quest, “If you come to Chile, you have to try our sandwiches, because it’s one of our national emblems.”
Sanchez spent a whole year eating a different Chilean sandwich every day. He says he’s eaten, “more than 2,000 sandwiches” in the last three years. Quest asks Sanchez about why the country has such a big sandwich culture, “I think it’s because, like, we’re a very hard-working class and we need a lot of energy for the whole day.”
Another of Chile’s popular food items are empanadas. While empanadas are not exclusive to Santiago or to Chile, Quest describes what gives this version their unique style, “What’s different here is that they’re baked. And like Chilean sandwiches, they’re huge.” He joins the Calfucura family in their kitchen for a crash course in empanada making.
From Santiago, Quest travels to the coastal city of Valparaiso, once nicknamed Little San Francisco by sailors. Here, artist Guillermo Granke takes him on a tour, stopping to paint Paseo Atkinson, a UNESCO Heritage Site. Quest asks Granke if he ever tires of painting Valparaiso’s vistas, “No, no. Porque siempre differente. Besides, I live for this. It’s my work. It’s my life.”
Finally, Quest and his team head into the Andes Mountains to try out rafting on the River Maipo. The river is fed by a glacier and extends all the way through an Andean Canyon to Santiago.
Quest sums up his visit to the city, “If you only arrive in Santiago, and then move onto more famous destinations, you’ll have truly missed out on the charm that is right here.”
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