Last week, a friend who I hadn't seen in a year invited me and another friend over for Friday night; he invited the beer and we would take care of the food, just a light appetizer. Since I had some time, I decided to go to a cheese store to buy an assortment of cheeses.

Usually, when I want to buy cheap cheese, I go to Quesos Arturito in Mercado Central, where you could find, at least until a couple of months ago, half a pound of Gouda, Chanco (a creamy semi-hard Chilean cheese from a town called Chanco), Mantecoso (high-fat cheese that looks like butter) and other similar varieties between CLP$999 (US$1.51) and CLP$1.190 (US$1.80). Half a pound of Cheddar used to cost around the same, and you could find half a pound of goat cheese, which is usually more expensive than any other cheeses since it's more rare, for CLP$1800 (US$2.72).

In the mornings I work at Estación Central district, close to Estación Central railway station and several intercity bus stations. It's a very popular area and highly commercial, where you can find anything you can imagine wholesale: clothes, toys, garments, dry fruit, pastry and baking supply stores... There's a street full of pet stores, even a open market in a short alley, that I'd never seen before; there are hens! Yes, hens clucking, quite noisy. Herbs, grains, etc.

Estación Central is also known for its several Chinese stores, currently there are whole Chinese malls and galleries. But I could tell you in more detail in another post, I think.

I asked a coworker who knows very well the neighborhood where I could find a cheese store closeby, so that I didn't have to "take the trip" to Mercado Central. She wasn't very clear in giving direction, but she mentioned something about cheese stores in Salvador Sanfuentes street, something about a business called Codipra, and several other references. She said you could find low-priced cheese in that area, similar prices to La Vega. I went to Codipra, a business that sells mainly poultry products; indeed she was right, they had cheese, but not cheaper than CLP$1500 (US$2.27). I looked for the cheese stores and didn't find them; I hope I have more luck when I go back there some day.

Cheeses and the effects of inflation

Indeed, half a pound of Gouda costed $999, and one type of Chanco costed $1190. All of the other cheeses were over $1350 (US$2.00). I checked in other stores in the market and found more expensive prices. I went back to Quesos Arturito and asked for half a pound of that Gouda. The clerk cut a piece and said "Ok, it's $1350". I complained: "But I asked for half a pound, that one that costs $999". He looked with a sour face, as if I told him I've drowned his cat. He took a piece and stated "$1250". I didn't want to make a whole deal of $250 (US$0,38) so I took it. I bought several other things, Azapa's Valley olives, bell pepper-stuffed olives, and a pound of coconut oil; a couple of months ago costed $6320 (the cheapest I've seen it, around US$10.00), now increased to $6.990 (US$10.58).

Before going home, just curious, I went to a supermarket. I verified that cheeses in Mercado Central are still cheaper. The cheapest cheese costs $1700 (US$2.60) for half a pound.

Of course, in general, prices tend to increase. My mother-in-law works at a supermarket and she sees how prices on basic goods rise non-stop every day. I know maybe it doesn't seem much to you and I probably must sound like miser, but when you start to add things up, your money buys you less as time goes by. You have to consider that the minimum wage per hour in Chile is around the same I paid for that block of Gouda cheese. It's a pity to see how, little by little, what we call "Picadas" in Chile, places to eat or buy "Bueno, bonito, barato" (good, nice and cheap), cease to exist.

I don't like to think like that at all. It's having a scarcity mindset. Sometimes I can't help it. But I prefer to see things otherwise. I rather feel grateful that I have enough money to "spoil myself" once in a while with some things, buying cheese, olives and appetizers can be a luxury for many people. When I was a kid, yellow cheese was something you bought on a special occassion, like when you had family or friends invited over. You didn't buy it everyday like our Quesillo, a Chilean cheese made by curdling milk.

On the other hand, I was indeed expending less by going to a friend's house instead of eating out in a restaurant or going to a bar. Finally, even when lifestyle in Santiago is expensive, inflation is quite low if you compare with other countries in Latin America. I've been told that in Brasil, Argentina or Uruguay, for instance, prices are impossible these days.

Mercado Central

Anyway, since I was already there, I took a walk around Mercado Central to take some pictures to share with all of you steemers. Mercado Central is an interesting place, picturesque and a tourist attraction, where you can purchase fish and sea food to prepare at home, or grab a bite in some of its many restaurants. The most typical are Donde Augusto and La joya del Pacífico, "the duopoly" of Mercado Central. You can eat delicious food in any of them, especially seafood dishes: Paila Marina, Chupe de mariscos, fish cooked in many ways with a variety of side dishes to choose (my favorite is conger eel with french fries), king crab, Chilean abalones, etc. Or you can have a hearty Chicken stew, Cazuela de ave, or a Beef stew, Cazuela de vacuno, or any meat dish. Prices go from $10.000 (US$15.00) to $15.000 (US$22,70) per person including beverage.

Strike a pose!

Videogame music cover band

It was also a nice surprise to hear this band playing outside the market, in front of Puente Cal y Canto station. They are called Jazztick, and they play jazz version of videogames soundtrack music. Awesome!

If you want to see more of their videos, I leave you their Youtube channel and their Facebook fanpage.

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Thanks :)