The Startup Chile Experience

Will try to upload more pics than words here!

The body will contain the key points needed for travel and to live here, while the comments will contain my day-to-day experiences...

The capital city, Santiago:

 

Home:

  

Workplace:

  

Key points to note from the journey so far: (from India)

• You need a police clearance certificate (PCC) to apply for the visa. Do it at the passport office rather than at the police station. Apply online and take an appointment at: www.passportindia.gov.in
• Some times, the PCC takes 2 weeks or more. So, apply 2 months before your travel date
• You do not need a yellow fever vaccination. But, you will need it if you want to travel to Brazil, etc. once you are in Chile
• Simple doctor's certificate saying you are fit to travel, ECG, HIV and Hepatitis B tests are needed. All these cost 1000-1200 Rs. from any good diagnostic center. Go in the morning and collect reports in the evening
• Travel insurance and your travel itinerary (one way) are needed too, to apply for the visa. Get the insurance from any online service provider like Bajaj Alliance (Options start from 6k). For the itinerary (without actually spending money on booking the ticket), reach out to a good travel agent
• You have to apply for the visa online. Any friend in Delhi can submit your passport and pay the Visa fee (114 USD) on your behalf. And in most cases, you might have to go personally to collect it. Apply at: https://sac.minrel.gov.cl/ciudadanos
• Travel over US / UK needs transit visa. Travel over Amsterdam / Paris / Dubai / South Africa + Brazil / Argentina does not (for transfer time of less than 4-6 hours)
• Book well in advance and search for all possible options. Do not end up spending more than 60-80k for one way journey
• Two bags of 30 Kgs. and a hand bag of 5kg. are allowed. Pack what's necessary. Remember - Summer (days - 32 Celsius and nights - 14-20 Celsius) here starts from Nov and extends till the end of Feb
• The customs does not allow you to bring in any 'seeds' into the country. So - no dals please! Also, you have to declare any food you are bringing in, to the customs guy. Get your own coconut oil if you apply it to your hair or cook with it
• If you can cook, you can buy everything here. So, do not carry tons of spices, rice etc. (I am yet to find upma/idli rava and moong dal, though). There are a good number of Indian restaurants here. Lunch/Dinner for 2 costs a minimum of 1200 Rs. and a max. of 2500 Rs.
• Do NOT convert your rupees to USD at the airport. It costs a bomb. Do it somewhere in your city of residence, 1-2 days in advance or when the conversion rate is good
• Your mobile network doesn't work in Brazil, Argentina or Chile. You will need a local number. Choose Claro, or Movistar or Entel. Calls, SMSes and data packs are very costly, though (8-10 Rs. per call/SMS and Rs. 300 for 20mb data). Most metro stations, the airport, all cafes have free wifi. Use that for data
• Search for your accommodation before you come here. I used compartodepto.cl and the startup Chile facebook group / dashboard. You can live in a hostel once you arrive here and then search for an apartment, but that will cost you a lot of time and money. Stay in and around Providencia (use google maps). Shared apartment with your own room and bath will cost 400-600 USD. 
• You can use airbnb.com to search for temporary or long term accommodation, but it is very costly and Startup Chile doesn't accept airbnb invoices.
• Locals here speak only Spanish. No English at all. So, learn some basics on duolingo.com before you come. Note down the basic phrases / words you need before you land here. Continue learning even after you land. Give it 30-45 minutes a day
• Everything except supermarkets and food joints are closed on Sundays and public holidays. Every day, they close by 6 p.m. (including money exchange shops)
• If you land here post 6 p.m., it would be tough to convert your dollars into Chile pesos. But, you can use your debit / credit cards to pay or to withdraw local currency. 1 rupee is 8 Chile peso. 1 USD is 510 Chile peso (as of Nov, 2013)
• Take the VIP Transfer (cab) from the airport. Costs about 700 Rs. to the city
• Take a dip! card at any metro station to travel here by metro and buses. It is all pretty convenient. You can use Google Maps to great effect. Footpaths are huge and it is very convenient to walk
• Every place you want to visit has a unique number and street name. Just type it into Google maps
• Lider and Ekono are the bigger neighbourhood supermarkets. You also have specific groceries that sell Indian. Don Harry's in Manuel Montt is one
• New Horizon (Merced, opp Lider) is the cheapest and the best Indian restaurant
• Cost of living is high by Indian standards - 80 Rs. for 500ml cola, 100 Rs. for onions and tomatoes, 60 Rs. for a litre of milk, 70 Rs. to take the metro or Bus from anywhere to anywhere, etc. Indian groceries cost 3-4 times more than in India. Olive oil, pastas etc. are 2-3 times cheaper, though. So, have enough cash in your bank account till Startup Chile gives you the first lot of the funding by the end of your first month here
• Save invoices/bills and proof of payment (your bank statement) for everything, or you won't be able to claim it back. You have to be extremely organized, systematic and disciplined to benefit from the program