Monday, January 2, 2012
Plaza de Armas y Paseo Ahumada, Santiago, Chile
This was the best video I could find about the "tourist track" in Santiago. The Paseo Ahumada is a pedestrian only walkway which was great for people watching, although I it is contrasted with the most abject poverty I've ever seen.
Of course, there are panhandlers/beggars or whatever you want to call them but I saw 2 men who were laying on the ground, shirtless and with their cups out for spare change. What was different about them though were both these men were hunchbacks.
Like hunchbacks so bad they couldn't stand up straight. This was something I never thought I'd see. I don't know anything about the Chilean medical system so I don't know if these men get free medical care and they are just begging for money for booze (this is one case where I can definitely see being an alcoholic) but it was very disturbing and sad.
And yes, I did give them money.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
Wow - It's good to read your perspective on this -- And it's something they won't cover in any tourist video, for sure! Speaking of Santiago, I wonder if you've heard of the places called café con piernas? I just recently read about them in a book - I personally wouldn't go into one of those places, but they said it was something "unique to Santiago". There's gotta be something unique that's more special to Santiago than that ;-)
ReplyDeleteI have heard of cafe con piernas although I didn't see one in person (only on the Travel Channel) but I too wouldn't go in! I don't even feel right about going into Hooter's..lol
ReplyDelete