How do you know you are on a Chilean beach? It’s easy: most people keep their clothes on. While Brazilians wear bikinis and parade half-naked, Chileans are much more modest. They eat on the beach, read the newspaper, chat and occasionally dip their feet in the cold Pacific Ocean but that’s it. They are basically my mom on the beach.

I don’t blame them. The beach in Viña del Mar isn’t that great. The sand is a bit dirty and coarse and giant pieces of seaweed and jellyfish are scattered here and there, along with some industrial garbage—tires, bolts, etc. There are giant vessels in the horizon and I doubt the water is very clean considering how close the industrial harbour is. The Pacific Ocean is cold and deep here and the waves are huge.

The waters aren’t friendly.

“It’s okay Mark,” I stated the first day. “If we walk along the shore right here, on the dry sand, the water won’t come.”

“How wet are you?” I asked a minute later after a giant wave soaked us both.

“A little bit.”

“Yeah, your pants are wet. Oh well, you can wear my sarong. My fault.”

’Silly mommy, silly beach!”

Waves are big. I hadn’t seen that one coming.

Since few people play on the beach (there was even a sign stating that playing football was prohibited, which is probably why Brazilians and Argentinians don’t holiday in Viña del Mar), entertainment is on the pavement along the coast. Bouncy castles, playgrounds, craft markets and vendors keep everyone happy. The rest of the city is a cleaner and sterile version of Valparaíso with American fast-food chains, a packed mall and several pedestrian streets.

Last year, I had high expectations for Viña del Mar, I was picturing a Pacific paradise. This year, I knew the beach wasn’t great and it was a bit chilly too, but we still managed to enjoy it. Go figure.

Giant seaweed on the beach in Viña del Mar
Giant seaweed on the beach in Viña del Mar
Beach in Viña del Mar
Beach in Viña del Mar
Beach in Viña del Mar
Beach in Viña del Mar
Beach in Viña del Mar
Beach in Viña del Mar
Beach in Viña del Mar
Beach in Viña del Mar
Beach in Viña del Mar
Beach in Viña del Mar
Beach in Viña del Mar
Beach in Viña del Mar
Beach in Viña del Mar
Beach in Viña del Mar
Beach in Viña del Mar
Beach in Viña del Mar
Beach in Viña del Mar
Beach in Viña del Mar
Beach in Viña del Mar
Beach in Viña del Mar
Beach in Viña del Mar
Beach in Viña del Mar
Do NOT play football
Do NOT play football
The town of Viña del Mar
The town of Viña del Mar
Bakery in Viña del Mar
Bakery in Viña del Mar
Bakery in Viña del Mar
Bakery in Viña del Mar
Funny (?) phone booth
Funny (?) phone booth
When everything else is closed, you eat... fries with sausage, something everyone here apparently loves
When everything else is closed, you eat… fries with sausage, something everyone here apparently loves
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6 Comments

  1. Isa February 3, 2016 at 9:07 am

    By any chance, do you wear your wedding ring on the right hand? How funny. As far as I know, only spanish and german people do that!

    Reply
    1. Zhu February 3, 2016 at 9:15 pm

      Yep, I do! I forgot how it started. I think when I was pregnant it didn’t fit right on the regular finger, or it bothered me. Can’t remember. I didn’t change it back after! I had no ides Spanish and Germans wore it this way. Do you know why?

      Reply
      1. Isa February 4, 2016 at 4:30 am

        I’ve been researching for years now an I have no idea why! Wearing it in the left hand makes sense (close to the heart blahblah) but I dunno for the right hand 🙂

        Reply
        1. Zhu February 5, 2016 at 10:59 pm

          Thank you for researching, these little pieces of trivia are fascinating. I like the “close to the heart” explanation!

          Reply
  2. Alan February 4, 2016 at 6:36 pm

    One good thing about the cold is that the Zika mosquito can’t survive in Chile or Canada. This must be frightening for pregnant women in the affected countries. Is there much talk of it?

    Reply
    1. Zhu February 5, 2016 at 11:00 pm

      None! My mum joked about it over Skype the other day and she had to give me the background story.

      Reply

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