We Such Contrasting Experiences In Santiago Chile
We had such contrasting experiences in Santiago Chile. Some experiences provide great discoveries about the food and culture in this South American city. And others were some of the less pleasant things that come with a big city. It was hard to know if the positive memories countered the less positive ones.
Our cruise to Antarctica with Silversea Cruises started and finished in Santiago. So in all, we had about 5 days to explore this city.
We enjoyed a great luxurious stay at the the Ritz-Carlton Santiago and enjoyed many of the special events offered by the hotel. But the excellent customer service that saved us when we were robbed in Santiago may be what we remember the most!
We had a lot of sights on our plan for our stay in Santiago. We saw several of the main tourist spots. But fires in the region destroyed the visibility. So many of the viewpoints we wanted to visit came off our list for this trip.
Santiago was the first spot we explored in South America on this trip. But not the last. We definitely took some reminders away with us.
Time In Santiago On Our Cruise To Antarctica
When we booked our Antarctica Cruise, we were interested to learn that we started and finished in Santiago. Silversea Cruises used this as a marshalling point for all guests before we flew to Puerto Williams in Chile and boarded the cruise ship. As usual, we chose to book our own flights. We had points and status with Air Canada. And we heard too many bad stories about all cruise ship company air travel arrangements.
It was always great when we booked long flights from Toronto as direct flights. We compared flight options and prices. We were happy that in February, Air Canada had one direct flight a day each way between Toronto and Santiago.
Our initial plan for Antarctica took us to Santiago with just one night stay. We worried about travel delays so added two additional days in Santiago to the front of our plans. We paid the change fee and a nominal cost for the difference in air fares. But we slept better with a little buffer in our travel plans.
After the cruise to Antarctica, we were flown back to Santiago. We enjoyed another full 2 days and nights. And then we headed for a stay in Buenos Aires for more South America adventures.
We explored before and after our cruise and found so such contrasting experiences in Santiago Chile.
Flying Into Santiago
We checked and re-checked the entry requirements for Chile as part of our planning for our Antarctica cruise. Our check-in with Air Canada took our Covid vaccination certificates. And we downloaded and completed the Chile agricultural SAG forms before we left home. When we visited Chile, that was all that was required to enter and travel around the country. Antarctica had no further requirements.
Our plane boarded at almost 11pm at night so we really wanted to try to sleep as early as possible. Since our Air Canada Business Class ticket included access to the outstanding Air Canada Signature Suite, we planned to arrive early and have a relaxing dinner at the sit-down restaurant in this lovely lounge.
With clear weather in Toronto, our airplane was on time and departed with only a quick stop for de-icing. Dinner was served quickly and then the lights were dimmed. While we slept fitfully, we managed to grab a few hours of rest. After a quick breakfast, it was almost time to land in Santiago. A pretty easy way to get all the way to South America.
We heard about long lines and slow processes at the Santiago airport. But we were pleasantly surprised. We were prepared to figure out where to get an Uber at the airport but decided to take the taxi offered as we exited security.
The taxi driver was disappointed when we told him we were good to check-in to the hotel as soon as we arrived. We were sure he hoped to sell us a tour for a few hours. But in no time we were deposited at our hotel and began our relaxing start in Santiago in Chile.
Our easy travel to Santiago was generally not one of the contrasting experiences in Santiago Chile
A Luxury Start At The Ritz-Carlton Santiago
Silversea Cruises used different hotels in Santiago for their hotel stays. For our cruise to Antarctica we were booked into the Mandarin Oriental Santiago. But when we added some extra days at the beginning of our trip, we booked rooms using our Marriott Bonvoy status at the Ritz-Carlton Santiago. We sure loved the pampering with our Ambassador Elite status. And on this visit we tried our first STARS experience provided by our new luxury travel agent Tully Luxury Travel.
We were expected at the hotel and our upgraded suite was ready when we arrived. A tasty amenity and a bottle of wine waited in our suite. We were delighted one day when a hand-made Ritz-Carlton lion was delivered!
After we unpacked and were ready for our stay, we headed out for lunch. We planned a late lunch so we could skip dinner and be ready for an early bedtime. While it was very hot in Santiago (about 35C or 95F), we chose a table on the outdoor patio at the Estro hotel restaurant. Camillo welcomed us and walked us through the menu choices. He made sure we got a great local lunch. And helped with breakfast choices the next day.
After a slow leisurely lunch we returned to our room. When we explored the hotel, we found a large rooftop pool with hot tub. With an outside patio space.
The excellent customer service at the Ritz-Carlton Santiago provided one of the contrasting experiences in Santiago Chile. We were glad we booked to stay at the only Ritz-Carlton hotel in South America.
A Pisco Sour Master Class
A knock at our suite door at the Ritz-Carlton Santiago brought an invitation to attend a private Pisco Sour Master Class. We tried a Pisco Sour on our first visit to Chile. But a private lesson sounded like the perfect way to learn more about this iconic local drink.
Lukas did an amazing job walking through the steps to make a classic Pisco Sour with a tasty sweet foam on top. He put 3 shots of Pisco to one each of simple syrup and lime juice. Powdered egg white was added to help form the sweet foam on top after a vigorous shaking. Of course we stopped Lukas several times with questions.
Our first drink was served in a traditional short clay cup. But for pictures, Lukas went back through the preparation process so we would video it. And the Pisco Sour was served in a more flattering champagne flute.
With our drinks in front of us we relaxed in the Lobby Bar and Lounge and listened to live music by Jueves. We do love when we get to experience special Ritz-Carlton experiences on our travels. A tasty way to begin our relaxing start in Santiago in Chile.
Learning More About Local Cuisine
We loved learning more about local food and drink. So when we were approached and asked if we wanted to enjoy a private chef’s dinner at the Estro restaurant, we were delighted to accept. We had no idea what to expect. But we knew we were in for a local treat.
Each course presented by Chef Gabriel and Jihad was served with 2 wines for a pairing. And throughout we tried some new liquors too.
Dinner started with an empanada filled with tender beef. To eat with the empanada we had chancho en piedra. This was like a salsa but much finer cut and with less spice for us spice wimps. We got a huge amusé bouche serving! Chile has over 4,000 miles of coast so we were not surprised at the great seafood we got. Our appetizer was three scallops with an avocado with garlic paste on crispy quinoa. Each scallop was topped with pickled papaya. Every unique part of this dish was tasty.
The main dish had a corn cake top (Pastel de Choclo). The corn on top was cooked with sugar to form the topping. Under the corn topping we found a tasty beef mix with small quail eggs. Served on the side was a Chilean salad (tomato with onion) that we were told to put into the middle of the corn cake. We nibbled at each part of this dish to taste each part separately and then marvelled at how well the flavours mixed. But we must admit that the huge size of this dish defeated us.
For dessert we got a specialty of Chef Gabriel’s. The Leche Navala (snowy mountain) was a massive soft meringue in a very sweet creamy sauce. It was so good and unique we know we will never try to match this anywhere else! But the garnish on this desert was dark chocolate flake. When David told Restaurant Manager Javier how much he liked chocolate, Javier returned with a signature Ritz-Carlton chocolate cake with a mountain of dark chocolate flake on the side. Both great ways to finish a perfect local meal.
We loved the great selection of dishes we had for dinner. The varied local flavours and foods gave us delightful contrasting experiences in Santiago Chile.
So Many Local Drink Experiences Too
We started our meal with a different version of a Pisco Sour than the one we had the first night. Fabian’s Pisco Sour del Campo replaced the simple syrup with honey and added ginger to open up the honey. This simple change brought a very different taste to the classic drink.
We also learned a bit more about Pisco. In Chile the Pisco is traditionally aged in oak barrels and had a yellow hue. Pisco in Peru was typically double distilled in stainless steel and was clear in colour. But we were also introduced to the Lapostolle Pisco XO that was aged in Cognac barrels and had a ruby tinge. We learned so much about Pisco on this trip.
With each course the local Chilean wines were selected to offer different pairing options. We started with two different Sauvignon Blancs with the starter. With the main course we tried two different red blends with totally different taste profiles. With the dessert we tried both a rosé sparkling wine and a Chardonnay that was perfect.
Not wishing to stop with the education about local drinks, Jihad introduced us to Ramazzotti. This was a hibiscus liquor. We tried it straight, with soda and then as a spritz. The spritz was much less bitter than a traditional Aperol spritz.
We ate, drank and chatted for almost 5 hours. Chef Gabriel, Jihad and Javier were patient with our hundreds of questions. We learned a lot about Chilean food and drink. This lovely Ritz-Carlton experience was a relaxing start in Santiago in Chile.
Hotel Stays With Contrasting Experiences In Santiago Chile
For our cruise to Antarctica, Silversea used the Mandarin Oriental as the hotel in Santiago. We moved from the Ritz-Carlton and checked into this larger hotel. After we did the Silversea pre-cruise check-in, we were free to relax. Unlike our stay at the the Ritz-Carlton, we waited for hours and only got our room after we checked several times.
The Mandarin Oriental Santiago was a large resort with a big centre outdoor pool area. While we waited for our room, we found a table outside at the Senso restaurant for a tasty late lunch.
After we were settled into our room we went for a short walk in the neighbourhood and saw a very different part of Santiago. But we continued to find the variety in the outdoor art.
Our breakfast the next morning was set conference style with the rest of the people that departed for Antarctica that day. And we gathered later in the same room to depart for the charter flight.
When we returned to Santiago after our cruise to Antarctica we had another short stay at the Mandarin Oriental. Our low expectations about the hotel on our return visit were proven correct. So we departed early when we got a guaranteed early check-in with our elite Marriott status back to the Ritz-Carlton Santiago.
Short one night hotel stays are never our favourite thing. Two short stays at the Mandarin Oriental Santiago sure gave us contrasting experiences in Santiago Chile.
Contrasting Experiences In Santiago Colourful Art
We found the area around the hotel to be very walkable. On our visits to Chile there was always colourful art everywhere. So it was not long before we found some great outdoor art. Statues of the walking man seemed to be everywhere. There was always something to look at as we wandered.
As we wandered we searched for good spots to stop for coffee. We even found a great spot with a view of the fun statues.
The colourful art in the streets gave us contrasting experiences in Santiago Chile.
We Wanted To Get A Panoramic View Of Santiago
As we landed in Chile we were surprised we had no view of the nearby Andes Mountains. There was a thick haze over the city. When we talked to the staff at the hotel they told us the haze was smoke from nearby fires.
When we originally planned our visit to Santiago we had many high points on our plan – the Sky Constanera Viewpoint, Cerro Santa Lucía and Parque Metropolitano (also known as Cerro San Cristóbal). Cerro Santa Lucía was actually the remnants of a 15 million year old volcano. A winding path went to the top. Parque Metropolitano was a vast urban park and the largest in Latin America. To get to the top we could take the bus, funicular or cable car. At the top the Virgen de la Inmaculada Concepción statue towered over the city.
We really wanted to start our visit with a panoramic view of Santiago and then wander to explore what we saw from above. A meandering path from the Ritz-Carlton Santiago gave us our first view of the building. We went to the waterway and found the Sky Constanera building. At 300 metres up, the Sky Constanera Viewpoint was the highest point in South America.
We entered the Constantera Mall and found the directions to Sky Constanera. A very honest ticket agent discouraged us from going up. She said that from above there was no view of the Andes or the city centre. The top was above the haze level and everything was hidden.
Occasionally we saw the Cerro Sanat Lucia through the haze in the distance. But it did not encourage us to visit.
We were sad we missed some great viewpoints on our visit. It reminded us of the sand dust we found in the air when we visited Dubai that eliminated most panoramic views.
The things we saw close up were lovely. But the haze gave us contrasting experiences in Santiago Chile.
A Shortened Visit To Tourist Spots In Plaza De Armas
We found so many great sights on our visits to Chile. So when we returned to Santiago after our Antarctica cruise we wanted to explore some of the local sights. We were there on a weekend and quickly learned that Uber service on the weekend was almost non-existent. After a discussion with the hotel concierge, he suggested we head into downtown on the nearby subway. He even loaned us his transit card to top up for our travels.
We were warned several times about street thieves on our stay in Santiago. So for this trip we left our large camera behind and travelled very light. As always on subway systems, we were careful in crowds and vigilant during our subway rides and transfers at one station. But we arrived safe and quickly at the station for Plaza De Armas.
There was much we wanted to see as we wandered in the area. The Santiago Metropolitan Church (Metropolitan Cathedral of Santiago de Chile) dominated the square. This neoclassical cathedral with baroque features inside and out was free to visit but not open when we were there. The current church was built between 1748 and 1800. Previous versions were destroyed since the 1500s by earthquakes.
On one side of the square we saw the bright yellow Museo Historico Nacional. And the artistic Correos Chile. This was a historic central post office and national monument.
We meandered a little further from the main square and the crowds disappeared. We strolled slowly along the street and stopped to look at the National Congress and the Tribunales de Justica. In retrospect, these almost deserted streets should have worried us.
As we walked we went past the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art (Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino). This was a spot we wish we had more time to visit.
Heading Back To Plaza De Armas
When we headed back towards the main square we still had a few things we wanted to see. As we wandered we stopped to take pictures with our iPhones. But we were careful. Only one of us had our phone out at a time and the other kept watch. We just shook our head at people who held their phones way out with only two fingers holding onto the phone!
But even being experienced travellers and being extra careful, we figure we were targeted in the Plaza De Armas square.
As we headed towards the subway, we wandered along the pedestrian street. It was a little more crowded so we took extra care. A colourful building drew my attention. I backed up against a building so I could not be approached from behind. And I put my iPhone up on its lanyard and kept it close to my face for the picture.
Getting Robbed – The Ultimate Contrasting Experiences In Santiago
In the blink of an eye, a young man raced past me and grabbed my iPhone ripping it from my hands and the lanyard. Stunned I watched him race off. And then David sprung into action and started chase. David chased the thief for 4 blocks. As he ran along, helpful locals threw things at the thief to slow him down. They did not like the reputation for theft that their city was known for.
A policeman on a bike joined the chase and called for support. On the 4th block, the thief threw down my phone but was stopped by the police. And minutes later the police car showed up. Guided by locals I followed David’s path and caught up with him. In time for the police to escort us both to the local police station. The thief was taken in another car.
We did not speak much Spanish so I quickly got onto my Marriott Bonvoy chat app and notified the Ritz-Carlton Santiago in case I needed some help with translation during the police reporting process. I was surprised and delighted when Maria from the Ritz-Carlton Santiago came to the police station and helped us with several hours of painful process. This was certainly customer service above and beyond the call of duty.
All while we went through the painful reporting process, the thief was processed a few feet away from us. My high end iPhone pushed the theft over the “petty theft” line and was considered a more major crime. We later learned that the thief was kept in jail. And luckily we did not have to be present when the case went to trial. Our detailed statements and the police presence at the take down was enough.
On our first visit in Madrid we were robbed and I lost my iPhone, money and identification. Getting my phone back meant we lost nothing but our sense of security. This certainly created contrasting experiences in Santiago Chile.
Such Contrasting Experiences In Santiago Chile On Our Antarctica Adventure
It was great to plan time in Santiago in Chile when learned our cruise to Antarctica started and finished in Santiago. We always found so much to see and do on visits to Chile. This trip, we explored some of the city on two short visits. Some things were quite fascinating like learning how to make a proper Pisco Sour. But other things like being robbed were reminders about travelling in a big city. We sure got contrasting experiences in Santiago Chile.
We were still glad we added time in Santiago on this visit to South America. But we still have much to discover on a return visit. There were some great day trips we also missed on our first trip.
When we left Santiago we flew to Buenos Aires and spent 10 days in Argentina. We were excited to discover new gems.
We were a bit surprised by our contrasting experiences in Santiago Chile? Did you have highs and lows too?
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Wow – sorry to read about the incident with the iphone. Luckily you got it back. Apart from that – it seems you had amazing food experiences in Santiago de Chile. We love the Pisco Sour in Chile – it is actually the only drink we prepare at home sometimes!
We did have a great mix of experiences. And we were happy the iPhone incident did not ruin our visit. And we sure did eat and drink well!
I read this post with great interest since not only would I like to visit Santiago de Chile, but a trip to Antarctica is high on my wishlist, too. And yes, I’ve learned a bit about the city – reminds me a bit of Buenos Aires, am I right? – but mostly, I’ve seen tons of incredible food! This carpaccio, the glossy chocolate dessert and this and that – it’s just amazing. How were you guys able to move around after those feasts?! Well, I guess a travelling couple does what a travelling couple has to do….Good for you, you guys are my idols when it comes to enjoying the good life!!
We sure did enjoy some amazing food and drink on our stays in Santiago. The Ritz-Carlton Santiago ensured we got some great experiences on our stay. We went to Buenos Aires after Santiago and our less than positive experience sure put us on guard before we arrived. Despite this we will return to Santiago one day. And hope for clear skies so we can get some of those great panoramic views.
Well done David for doing such a great job chasing the thief! I’m sorry that happened to you, but glad you got to see the good side of Santiago too. Duly noted about the Ritz Carlton Santiago being fantastic!
David sure saved the day when he got my iPhone back. And maybe taught the thief a bit of a lesson. But it did not hamper us from enjoying the many experience we had in Santiago. And yes – the Ritz-Carlton Santiago is a great hotel choice if you want to splurge.
Getting robbed is never a fun experience. We’ve had it happen twice on vacation. Lucky that you got your phone back.
We were being very careful when we went into the main square in Santiago after being warned. But even being extra careful, a slight slip of attention caused an issue. But glad we got the phone back. Luckily we still enjoyed a lot about this interesting city.
So sorry for the experience of being robbed. Sounds as though your experience was otherwise delightful.
Our visit to Santiago was an interesting mix of experiences. Most were great and we did not let the robbery ruin the stay.
The meringue looks delicious. And I love Pisco!
We sure did eat well on our visit to Santiago!
The Ritz looks really pretty and Plaza de Armas looks stunning! Being robbed is definitely never a good experience. So sorry 🙁
So many great experiences in Santiago. Sad to have those great memories marred by a bad character. But it could have been much worse.
This is interesting. Getting to warm Santiago after the coldest Antartica sounds interesting. Ah, the room at Ritz Carlton looks absolutely pampering. Upgraded suite and a bottle of wine are perfect combo indeed! OMG, you sold it to me at the roof top pool with hot tub! I’d love to try the local liquors. I agree with you, Museum of Pre-Columbian Art is a place I wouldn’t want to miss too. Street thieves is a bit scary. Oh my God, your story is crazy! I’m glad that you’re ok, you got the phone back, the police got the guy and the hotel staff went beyond their duty to help out….
It was indeed a wild set of experiences from amazing to downright scary. A nice city to visit but one to be careful in.
That hotel and food sold me on putting this on my bucket list! Thanks for the great read ❤️
We would highly recommend the Ritz-Carlton Santiago and would go back with no qualms at all!
How terrifying to be robbed! You definitely experienced some highs and lows and very contrasting experiences in Santiago, Chile. It looks beautiful!
We were glad we had so many great experiences in Santiago to balance out the bad.
All of the food looks so amazing. I love the Ritz Carlton and the hotel looks beautiful. I’d love to check out Santiago and I think it’s great that you made the most of it before and after your cruise.
We were so glad we picked the Ritz-Carlton Santiago for our visit before and after the Antarctica cruise. So many great experiences.
So sorry about the robbery! It’s so sad certain places are known for it and we do our best to avoid it and it still happens. Good to hear you got your phone back and that the rest of the trip went well. The hotel experience certainly looks amazing!
We too were very glad that the robbery was not successful even if it did freak us out a lot. But the other great experiences in Santiago helped to balance out the stays.
How scary! But the hotels looks amazing (even the Mandarin) and so does the food. I hope I get to Santiago de Chile sometime in the not too distant future.
Despite the bad experience, we did enjoy our visit to Santiago and will go back. Chile is a wonderful country to visit.
So much to see and do here! An Antarctica cruise is one of my dreams so great info to have for future planning. Love the colorful art!
We were surprised by how much we found to see and do in Santiago on our two visits. A great starting point for an Antarctica cruise.
That’s so scary to read! The hotels look stunning though! I’d love to check out Santiago one day. Thanks for sharing all your travel experiences it was very insightful!
Our scary theft experience did put a bit of a damper on our visit to Santiago. But there were so many great experiences in the city and the great Ritz-Carlton Santiago that it balanced out a bit.
The Ritz-Carlton lion is so cute, I had no idea they did that! It’s good that you kept your wits about you when traveling around, but sad to hear you were robbed nonetheless. I am honestly blown away by the service of the Ritz to come and assist you with the police, and I applaud you for pushing through this tough time. Getting robbed is a very violating experience, sad to hear it has now happened twice.
We were so happy we booked at the Ritz-Carlton Santiago. We had some great experiences at the hotel. But it was great to be able to rely on them when trouble came our way.
I was in Santiago a couple of times as well (and at two different hotels). The neighbourhoods do vary and have a different vibe. The food was amazing and we found lots of variety.
It was good to have two different stays in Santiago on our visit. Very different experiences.
Oh no! I am so sorry to hear about the theft of your phone. That puts a big damper on your trip. Sounds like the Ritz-Carlton is the way to go when visiting Santiago. Good to know.
We were very happy we stayed at the Ritz-Carlton in Santiago. They were helped to ensure the overall experience in Santiago was amazing.
I’m sorry to hear that you got robbed in Santiago. David was amazing to give chase, I’m sure the robber wasn’t expecting that! Plaza de Armas looks amazing and I enjoyed reading about your trip here. It’s good that you still had a good time in Santiago even if though you had an unfortunate experience in the end. It was good of the lady to also be honest about the view from the top.
We were really impressed with how many local people stepped in to help David on his chase for my iPhone. I am sure that helped with the recovery. And really left a great impression on us! We will definitely go back to Santiago and hopefully not miss the views from the heights.
I read this post with bated breath wondering what the contrast was going to be from the beautiful hotel you stayed in, the delicious looking food and my favourite the volume of street art and art pieces on display around the city and then I got to the awful part of you being robbed. What a horrible experience and it sounded like you were so vigilant and took every precaution you could to prevent such a crime. I am glad the perpetrator was apprehended, kudos to David for chasing him, thankfully nothing bad happened to him during the chase. One thing I pulled out of that was that the crime was deemed more serious because the IPhone was a premium one. How bizarre. Even though it must have been a traumatic time and you probably remember it for the wrong reasons I think Santiago does look incredible and somewhere it is probably wise to just observe rather than take photos (although the temptation would be huge!).
We really did have an overall amazing two visits to Santiago. Next time we will be extra cautious when we are out in known areas for theft. The successful outcome did help to not mar our overall impression of Santiago.
I have visited Santiago a few years ago, and stayed with a friend. I explored the city with her, and fortunately nothing bad happened during my trip there. I can only imagine how stressful it must have been to first think that you’ve lost your phone (which for me is my life) and then to spend hours at the police station. How nice of the hotel to send someone to help with the translations.
My iPhone is indeed my life too so it was that loss of information (and risk of issues from theft of information) that caused me far more concern than just the financial loss. But happy to see the thief was caught and maybe learned a lesson. We sure got a reminder and it made us a bit more cautious as we explored other hot spots in South America.
Loving all the chocolate desserts! That’s my kind of vacation 🙂
The food was definitely one of the great experiences in Santiago.
Seems like you began the experience well till you had the awful experience of losing your phone. I am glad though that you were careful about taking only one out at a time and also, for leaving behind the expensive camera. Glad though that you found the hotel staff helpful enough with the help at the station. Indeed the contrast of human experiences as well as the place itself.
We were happy we had lots of great experiences in Santiago until the phone was taken. At least that ended happily. Loved the great spirit of the local people to help with troubles.
Santiago is a fantastic destination, and I’m sure you had a great time experiencing everything it has to offer! I’d make sure to sample their traditional foods like empanadas, pastel de choclo, and seafood delicacies, and I wouldn’t forget to try their signature drink, the Pisco Sour. The Ritz-Carlton, the hotel where you stayed, seems to have a wonderful atmosphere where you may rest to the utmost. I love that Santiago has something for everyone, whether you’re interested in visiting museums and art galleries, trying out regional wines, or admiring the gorgeous Andes mountains.
There were indeed so many great reasons to visit Santiago and we sure had some great experiences to balance to not so good ones.
I am so sorry to hear about the robbery. I am glad that you got your phone back but that must have been really scary. I got so nervous when you said that David chased the thief.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful experience at Ritz. It was nice that the hotel staff assisted you during the policy report. These are indeed contrasting experiences but I am glad that you still found the silver lining and enjoyed the trip. 🙂
We were delighted with our stay at the Ritz Carlton Santiago. And the customer service we got when my phone got stolen was extraordinary. So glad we had so many great positive experiences to balance the less pleasant experiences.
I still need to get to Santiago! Thanks for the inspiration 🙂
There are lots of great reasons to visit Santiago. Just be a little extra cautious.