The economy and who wants to be a millionaire!

I have been asked about prices and the economy. Santiago, like any other HUGE city, has it's rich, it's poor and it's huddled masses yearning to be free. The rich wear very nice clothes, the women walk in expensive boots on bad pavement (you can always tell the Americans- we wear tennis type shoes and have lighter hair) and they always seem to be in a hurry. They probably live in a very nice area, like Los Condes, where we live, in a high rise. The others live in little houses, some out of tin and cardboard, and survive on not much. Laundry powder, for instance, is about $7.00 American for a little box. The nanas here have been known to STEAL laundry detergent, just because it is so expensive.

Food is about the same, and veggies and fruits are available in stores, at open air markets, and from vendors along the streets. Chile imports very little, so whatever is growing is what the people eat. Since all is grown locally, I wash the fruits and vegetables, no matter where I buy them, in a bleach and water mix. Gasoline is expensive, but we really don't drive much unless we go out of town.

We get a water bill, an electric bill, a gas bill and a hot water bill. I don't know what that hot water thing is, but that's just the way it is. We also have cable, phone and internet, which is just about the same as the US.

The subway is a card which is loaded with whatever amount you want, and the meter clicks off about 450 pesos each time you ride, which is less than a dollar. One could actually ride the subway and connect with other lines to various points of town for relatively little money. Just watch your wallet, purse, or anything else of value when you get out too far into the suburbs. I am showing you more money, as I finally HAVE more money in my wallet. The 500 coin is about a dollar, the 1000 peso bill is two dollars, and the rest, again, you guys are math wizards, and can figure those out. A million pesos? Yeah, I can get that!

If anyone has any questions, please lt me know what you'd like to see or hear next. Things that are mundane to me might be of interest to others.