Every Christmas my family and I take a trip to Chile’s capital Santiago to visit my mom’s side of the family. But this year’s trip was different.
With the pandemic at its peak, my family and I were nervous to make the trip, but desperately wanted to visit my family especially since it had been two years since we had seen that side of the family. My family in Chile was very excited when they found out that we were coming to visit.
Preparing for the trip was a long process. My family and I were required to take two covid tests and had to fill out an affidavit form that allowed us to enter the country. When we arrived in Chile, we showed the police at customs the proof of our negative covid tests and we were able to bypass the two week quarantine when we got to Santiago.
Being in Chile during the pandemic and being able to compare our restrictions and protocols to theirs was also a very interesting experience. Government has placed strict restrictions throughout the country, primarily in the metropolitan area.
In Santiago, residents are required to be in full quarantine during the weekend. In order to make essential trips, such as going to the grocery store or pharmacy, residents must obtain a permit from the police to leave their homes. Even with the permit there are restrictions based on where you need to go. For example, if you need to go to the pharmacy, your permit will allow you to leave your home for up to two hours. The permit that grants you the most amount of time to leave the house is to go grocery shopping — a maximum of three hours.
But despite the challenges associated with the pandemic I was extremely grateful I was able to spend this valuable time with my family in what I consider to be my second home. Whenever I go to Chile, it is not like a vacation, but rather a trip home.
Seeing and spending time with my grandparents, my aunts and uncles and all my cousins is what I value and look forward to the most. Every trip to Chile consists of countless family barbecues, lunches, and afternoon teas. Food pairs with family best, and the pandemic couldn’t change that.
Families will get together throughout the week for lunch and the beloved “hora de te” which translates to “tea-time.” Afternoon tea-time in Chile usually occurs during what Americans would consider dinner time. Everyday around 6pm, Chileans will sit down to have a cup of tea and enjoy some sort of pastry. One of my favorite things to eat during “la hora de te” are alfajores, a common Chilean pastry that consists of crumbly butter cookies filled with dulce de leche, a type of creamy rich caramel confection.
But more than the food, Chileans care about their families—and that’s something that I love and deeply admire about the culture. In their culture, loyalty and closeness to the family is a constant priority. While in the U.S. it may be more common to rely on close family friends or neighbors for day-to-day help, in Chile, family will always be around to help family.
Even during the pandemic, my family found ways to help one another and support one another. Going to Chile during the pandemic was a reminder that no matter the circumstances of life, family must always come first.