How to Safely Explore Santiago, Chile in Winter on a Budget

Just yesterday, I shared my unfortunate experience of having my phone stolen in Bogota—never would I have imagined that my first post would be about such an incident! 😅 And today, as if fate had a twisted sense of humor, the friend I was having lunch with got robbed right after we left the restaurant. [石化R]💸 When you’re at a loss for words, sometimes all you can do is laugh.

At noon, my companion and I met up with her friend from Santiago for a meal. We dined at a well-known Chinese restaurant that’s a favorite among local celebrities. In fact, our friend even bumped into Zhuang Dafei, one of the “Sanlitun Three Sisters,” though I must admit, I wasn’t familiar with her. [汗颜R] Recently, the place has also been graced by the presence of Wu Jing, Lan Zhanfei, and the Huashao group.

Anyway [呃R], back to the main story: During our meal, we were discussing my recent phone theft, and it turned out this guy had an even more harrowing tale. He had been robbed twice in Chile within just half a year, both times in… (Who could have predicted that the third time would happen just an hour later? [惊恐R]).

After the meal, my companion and I took an Uber back to the hotel, but he decided to walk to a nearby farmers’ market to pick up some vegetables and seafood. He mentioned he was planning to host new colleagues that evening. I even suggested, “Why don’t we drop you off on our way? Walking isn’t safe.” But he assured us that he frequents the area, the market is just a short distance away, and he wanted to walk to aid digestion.

Then, just five minutes later, while we were still in the Uber, he messaged us on WeChat to say he had been robbed [抓狂R][生气R]. Check the chat screenshots for the full, distressing details.

Actually, when we were waiting for our ride in the glass hall on the first floor after dining at the third-floor restaurant, we noticed some idle individuals sitting outside, watching us. It just so happened that he was alone… Unfortunately, in foreign lands, Asian faces often become easy targets for criminals!

Santiago is considered one of the most economically modern cities in all of South America. However, having a strong economy and a robust middle class doesn’t necessarily mean safety. Tourists need to be extra vigilant. Bad luck shouldn’t deter you from going out, but it’s important to stay alert. When a criminal has you in their sights, even if you had eight eyes 👀, it might not help much on the streets of Chile. [话题] overseas safety [话题] Santiago [话题] experience of being robbed [话题] #