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By Chris Maclean

People who visit Chile may notice both the overabundance of parks throughout Santiago city, as well as the massive number of indiscreet couples who flock these parks every day. Take a stroll through Parque Forestal and you will be provided with a glimpse of Chilean "park" culture laid out in a romantic setting.

Parque Forestal runs along the south shore of the Mapocho river between Baquedano and Bellas Artes metro lines. This central park was planned by the French landscape designer Jorge Dubois in 1901. Like much of the architecture in the city, the park has a very French style, romantic feel to it. It also has much to offer the kaleidoscope of passerbyers who journey through it everyday. Although surrounded by two main roads, one can escape from the city sounds by taking the paths in the middle which are decorated with different historical statues and monuments. The massive fountain on the east end, when really looked at, is quite a detailed and meaningful piece of work. There are also numerous different species of trees clearly marked and labelled for the aspiring dendrologist.

In addition to statues and monuments, a massive children's playground also lies along the central corridor of the park. Particularly during the weekends, the parks are full of families, and laughing and frolicking children. The trees and the performers (there is a puppet show every Sunday) provide a wonderful, if illusional, escape from the smog that hangs in the Santiago air.

Yet the romantic feel of the designer's intentions and the Neruda-esque affection that pervades Chilean and Latin American culture in general wins out. Paths are adorned with lampposts and there is an obvious over saturation of park benches for the lonely hearts, amores and children to sit on and observe either Cerro San Cristobal which overlooks the park and the Mapoche, or escape into the grass and tree harmony.

The overabundance of benches and open grass space means that couples are often rampant throughout the park. Like most of Latin America, locals do not generally have their own "space" to be with non-married loved ones. As a result, parks have become their sole refuge. This provides for interesting sights. While public displays of affection (popularly termed "PDAs" in North America) are taboo up North, it is not uncommon to see couples engaged in openly affectionate behaviour here.

For the 7 million Santiaguinos who suffer from smog and the struggle of living in a "concrete jungle" as well as a lack of privacy for themselves and their loved ones (young adults often live at home until marriage), parks like these are their only refuge.