It is a mistake to think that all Spanish speaking cultures subscribe to the laid-back attitude often characterized by the expression, manaña, signifiying 'we'll get to it later.'
Chileans tend to be punctual. In my experience when a meeting time is arranged, that is the time at which people will arrive. Whether it's a dinner party or a taxi pick up, people tend to be "on time." Certainly it's not the British philosophy of 'if you're not early, you're late.'
My experience has left me with the impression that Chileans don't tend to linger on or hang out for hours. This does change a little as one gets farther from Santiago. Santiago is a big, crowded city and it takes on the personality of any major city center. Things are a little more rushed. People tend to be quicker with appointments and then move to the next task of the day. There isn't a big siesta in the afternoon. But as you move south, life relaxes a bit. Stores close for a period in the afternoon and people tend to take longer lunches, etc. Overall, I find the pace of life in Chile to be familiar for Americans.
As a traveler, I would recommend counting on people and businesses to operate as scheduled. People will meet you when you agree to meet; buses will leave on time. You can count on schedules being accurate. When meeting with friends and acquaintances, be on time or as close as possible - a little bit early or a little late is always forgiven; but too much more and it would be considered rude.
This is just another way that Chile is so comfortable for visitors. It's always great to have something that feels familiar while on a big adventure.
My experience has left me with the impression that Chileans don't tend to linger on or hang out for hours. This does change a little as one gets farther from Santiago. Santiago is a big, crowded city and it takes on the personality of any major city center. Things are a little more rushed. People tend to be quicker with appointments and then move to the next task of the day. There isn't a big siesta in the afternoon. But as you move south, life relaxes a bit. Stores close for a period in the afternoon and people tend to take longer lunches, etc. Overall, I find the pace of life in Chile to be familiar for Americans.
As a traveler, I would recommend counting on people and businesses to operate as scheduled. People will meet you when you agree to meet; buses will leave on time. You can count on schedules being accurate. When meeting with friends and acquaintances, be on time or as close as possible - a little bit early or a little late is always forgiven; but too much more and it would be considered rude.
This is just another way that Chile is so comfortable for visitors. It's always great to have something that feels familiar while on a big adventure.
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