Fast Meters in Santiago

Adios

We got up early, checked out of our hostel, and walked through the sleepy town of San Pedro for our bus back to Calama. When we got to the station, Brian got us some coffees, which we sipped while watching Sicario on the ride over.

As we were pulling into Calama, we were reminded of how small and remote the town is. It predominantly catered to miners, and for a brief moment, I wondered what it would be like to work there. I doubt that the advertising industry is big in Calama! Hahaha.

After a two-hour flight, we were back in Santiago, and lo and behold, it was already Thursday. More than half my trip had gone by, and I was set to go back home that Sunday.

We tried to ignore that eventuality for the moment and make the most of our remaining time together; I have Brian to thank for a wonderful second go in the city. On the night of our arrival from Calama, we had Peruvian food at Aji Mistico, which is fast becoming one of our favourites in Santiago. For a visitor who's only been to Santiago twice, I've been to an Aji Mistico four times! Hahaha. Then we hopped on a cab and watched Inferno at the Costanera Centre.

Apparently, the excitement of our night didn't end at the movie: In fact, we had the shock of our lives when we got on a cab and watched the meter go nuts for what we thought was such a short distance. By the time Brian called the cabbie out (I can't argue in Spanish) and we told him to let us off, we had gotten billed twice the usual fare–a whopping $40 Canadian–and we weren't even close to Brian's apartment.

It was such a ridiculous experience that we walked home bewildered, frustrated, and downright angry. We couldn't believe it. The most shocking thing of all was the fact that when Brian confronted the cabbie, he had an out for his deception. A "dial-a-friend" of sorts!

We talked to Brian's colleagues about our experience over empanadas the night after, and they were shocked by it too. We definitely got ripped off, they said. Argh! It was and continues to be hard to get over, though it was certainly a lesson learned: Keep your mouth shut! Don't believe what they say when they say there's a "night" rate! It's a scam, folks. It's a bonafide scam! Hahaha.