Hi All: I am moving to Santiago Chile in early January and was wondering if any of you seasoned travel vets and/or Chile experts have any advice for me.

Can I drink the water?

Is Providencia a good part of the city to live in? (My internship is providing me a free apartment in the area)

How is the social scene? I am young, 23, and would like to meet as many Chileans as possible. I have lived in Panama, and am wondering how it compares to that wonderful isthmus.

As far as voltage goes, should I buy a converter in Chile or before I leave the U.S.?

I will be living in Santiago for 7 months, during which I will be interning at the Chamber of Commerce and attending La Univ Catolica. If anyone has general comments or specific answers to any of my questions, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks!

The water is fine, though my tolerance is higher than some. Providencia is generally pretty nice. Probably upper middle class. I have walked through several times and always felt safe and comfortable. The university is also nice if it's the one I am thinking of. On the river Mapocho near Bellavista. Big, modern, busy. In a reasonably central area. Bellavista is the big bar area. Not really my bag, so I can't say how good they are. Went one night during the week and things were pretty slow. Weekends are jumping. But it can get sketchy around there at night (and even feels a bit odd during the day) so just watch yourself.

But actually, you should post your questions in the South America forum. In Flyertalkland, Latin America is Central America. You will get more answers if you repost in the other forum.