So it’s 2019 already! Where did 2018 go?
I celebrated the end of 2018 by having Peruvian food for dinner with some friends and watching the fireworks on TV. It was a nice way to end the year and start a new one.
To go along with the new year, I also got a new passport. Mine was set to expire in June 2019, but I didn’t know how long it would take to get it renewed, so I decided to make it one of the top things on my to do list for the year. After asking for advice online I was assured that it’s an easy process if you go through the US Embassy in Santiago. After completing the forms and getting my passport photos taken, I made an appointment.
When I showed up, I found out that you aren’t allowed to take in laptops or tablets. This posed a problem, as I always take my tablet with me for classes and didn’t know about it beforehand. Luckily I was able to leave it with the concierge at a hotel a few blocks away. After checking my bookbag and leaving my electronics with them, I went inside and took a number. It took about 45 minutes before they called my name, but then everything went quickly. After paying I was told my new passport would be ready in 2 to 3 weeks.
Imagine my surprise when I got an email 8 days later that my passport was ready! I went the following day (without my tablet), and I just had to show my receipt and old passport. They punched 2 holes in it to cancel it, but I’m glad I am able to keep it with all the stamps and visas from my travels over the past 10 years.
The other big news is that subway line 3 has come to Santiago! I’ve lived in Ñuñoa since May 2010, so having a subway line that connects with downtown is something that I’ve long been waiting for. The line also connects with Plaza Egaña and extends to La Reina, which will be beneficial if I have any classes out that way in the future.
For months I had been following the progress of the subway, and it was exciting seeing signs appearing indicating the routes to connect with the new line in the existing lines. In the line 6 trains they had put new signs with the stops for the new line. I woke up so excited to have a subway station connecting to downtown. I went to ride it the morning of its official opening Tuesday January 22nd, but I was greeted by a variety of people wearing suits, some police officers, and a red ribbon draped across the entrance. It turns out that they were having an official ceremony, and it wouldn’t be open until 10. Grrr. I ended up taking the bus (for hopefully the last time) to my morning class in downtown.
This morning I was able to take it, and it was exciting. After so much time It was here! I got on the subway on line 4 at Colon and then changed to line 3 at Plaza Egaña. I found the sign indicating the connection with line 3 and anxiously made my way there. The social media of the Santiago Metro had been teasing people with photos of the interior of each subway, each with its own color scheme. Plaza Egaña’s was a bright red.
After finding the connection and going down an escalator, I came to the platform. It looked just like line 6 with monitors and a glass wall protecting the track. After about a 5-minute wait, the train arrived. It looked just like the line 6 train, and I imagine that the trains will be interchangeable between the two lines since they are both operated without a human conductor.
I arrived at “my” metro station, Chile España, two stops later. This station had a color scheme of light blue, and there were signs up on the walls saying that stores will soon be opening to offer food and services. There were also self service kiosks to buy and recharge BIP cards. The subway station is deep below the ground, and it actually took a few floors of stairs/escalators to get up to the ground floor.
The real test is going to be taking it from Chile España into the downtown station Universidad de Chile tomorrow morning. We’ll see how it goes!
