Contents
What's a Meta Post?
It's a post about a certain topic that I will keep updating, providing information for travellers and helping me catalogue various things.
Lodgings
This post is about all the places I've stayed on my trip. I'll be writing a review for each one. Hopefully, this can help others who read and come to this part of the world. A post like this also helps me catalogue my trip and keep track of things.
Canada
Montreal
Rustic Room Inn in the Heart of Montreal's Scene
address: |
2020 Saint-Denis St,
Montreal,
Quebec H2X 3H1,
Canada
neighbourhood: Quartier Latin
stay:
duration: 4 days
start: 2023-04-06
end: 2023-04-09
Referenced in:
For our trip to Montreal, Aishwarya found this place on Airbnb running us CAD 121 a night. It was a slick rental. We never talked to anyone in person keyless entry with passcodes to enter the hotel and to enter the room. Speaking of the room, it was spacious, managing to fit two queen beds with night tables and a little "kitchen" area with microwave, electric kettle, and mini fridge. The bathroom was nice and modern, and the shower was huge, but they did have to cut the size of the toilet and sink area to fit the massive shower. That was a little cramped.
The location of the hotel was also great, right on Saint-Denis Street. There were ample restaurants around for all three meals, and we were only a couple of blocks from a Metro station. It felt safe to walk around at all hours in the neighbourhood.
Chile
Santiago
Edificio Geocentro Moneda I
address: |
Tucapel Jiménez 136,
Santiago,
Région Metropolitana,
Chile
neighbourhood: Santa Ana
stay:
duration: 135 days
start: 2023-02-01
end: 2023-06-15
Referenced in:
My home in Santiago, it's the apartment that I rented through Contact Chile in the heart of Santiago. The location in terms of relative proximity to everything cannot be beat. Blocks away from La Moneda and Plaza de Armas. As well, the apartment sits between 2 metro stations that cover 3 metro lines, so you can get going in any direction quickly. There is a grocery store, pharmacy, and 5 restaurants on the bottom floor of the building, with a bottle shop and gym across the street.
I rented the apartment number 1912, a 2-bedroom apartment on the 19th floor. While the apartment was on the smaller side, it had just what I needed. The kitchen worked for 1 or 2 people. The common area was a bit small but it sufficed. I rarely used the second bedroom, only to hold the occasional guest. If I could design this corner apartment without changing the overall footprint, I would eliminate the second bedroom and expand the main living area. But alas, I'm a software engineer, not an architect.
The wifi was fast, and the 24/7 security and concierge kept things safe. I did get some feedback from my Chilean family about the neighbourhood that this apartment was in. They brought up that there is little nightlife in the centre of the city, as when night falls most of the offices around close. I did find that this was true a few blocks to the east, but this apartment building managed to cultivate an ecosystem of small businesses that would stay open quite late and make the area nearby feel safe. It's not Providencia or Las Condes, but I felt okay walking to and from the metro stations at night. If I had to arrive at the apartment after the metro closed at 23:00, I'd elect to get an Uber.
Because the apartment was arranged through ContactChile, they had methods for foreigners to pay without needing to have a Chilean bank account. I paid ~ CLP 565,000 per month plus ~ CLP 160,000 in utilities. This came out to about CAD 1,200 per month. So definitely not the cheapest, but within my budget. Comparing this to a 2-bedroom apartment in downtown Toronto, I got a deal.