Clothing:
Spring clothing is recommended. We suggest you to bring your umbrella,
since in Pucón the climate is humid enough.
Time
zone: Chilean Continental standard time corresponds to the time
zone UTC-4:00 (Universal Time Coordinate). It is two-hours ahead of Lima,
Peru and New York, USA. Chile uses a military time of 24 hours (e.g.:
3:00 PM are 15:00 hours).Chile uses the European format for date (day,
month, year. E.g.: The 29 of December of 1980 is 19-12-1980)
Electricity:
Electrical voltage in Chile is 220 volts, 50 cycles (220V 50 Hz). All
electronic devices designed for 110V require a transformer. All portable
appliances, including portable computers, usually have transformers of
high voltage (110V-240V) which are adaptable to the Chilean electrical
system. Some hotels have 110V lines.
Water:
In general, Santiago's drinking water is completely safe for
ingestion. For people who are generally more susceptible to changes in
their environments, we suggest that you drink only bottled mineral water
(you can choose between effervescent water, "natural" or water
without bubbles "sin gas") during your first days in Chile.
This water is commonly found in supermarkets, corner stores and restaurants.
Raw
Foods: It is not advisable to eat raw vegetables, especially
those grown near the ground (e.g. lettuce, carrots, strawberries, etc.),
unless they are bought at established supermarkets, which normally monitor
the sources of their products. Thus, there is a great variety of vegetables
in which you should feel free to partake, as they are guaranteed of having
been watered with clean well water. Established restaurants also offer
this guarantee.
City
Schedules: In general, commercial malls, restaurants, public
performances and public transportation function within the following hours:
Offices |
Mon
to Fri |
9:00-18:00
|
Banks |
Mon
to Fri |
9:00-14:00
|
Commercial
Malls |
Mon
to Sun |
11:00-21:00
|
Supermarkets |
Mon
to Sun |
8:30-22:00
/ 23:00 |
Shops |
Mon
to Sat |
10:00-20:00
|
Lunch |
Mon
to Sun |
13:00-15:30
|
Dinner |
Mon
to Sun |
21:00-24:00
|
Personal Security: Santiago is widely known as a safe
city for foreign visitors, much more so than most other large cities in
Latin America. Nevertheless, it is advisable that you take normal safety
precautions against pickpockets For example, avoid interactions with unknown
people and keep valuables out of sight, or leave these items at home altogether.
|