Arriba El Cielo! Arriba! The bartenders would yell throughout the night. After my first trip to a discoteca like El Cielo, I will never forget the bass thumping the walls next to my ear as I walked up the stairs to the heart-pounding techno music blaring above me. I am not the discoteca type, but when in Rome, do as the Romans. Discotecas aren't really the thing in the States, I guess, but in Latin America, that is thing to do. If you do visit a Latin-American country, then you must set aside at least one night for the discoteca. If I hadn't gone to the discotecas, I would have felt like I had been to Paris and not seen the Eiffel Tower. I'm not an expert on clubs or discos, but El Cielo did have a fun atmosphere. There were two levels. The first level had a band the first half of the night, then around 2 or 3am, when things get rolling in South America, everyone moves upstairs to the techno room. Sometimes there was a cover, but if you know your Spanish, then you might be able to work your way out of it. The drink prices were around $5, but they also had cheaper specials. There are many other clubs lining the waterfront, and you will be able to tell which ones are popular. Be careful for pickpockets late at night in this area.
I'm not saying discotecas are for everyone, but I think those who don't go are missing out on part of the Chilean culture. I mean, where else can you eat dinner at 10pm, take a nap till midnight, go to a bar for a couple hours, go to the discoteca literally till the sun comes up, buy a greasy hot dog as you are walking out of the doors at 7am, and take a crazy bus ride home and sleep till lunch.