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Published: November 15th 2006
Santiago Cityscape
If you look close you can see the white tips of the mountains behind the smog. Really, those are mountains.Gaining a day by crossing the international dateline isn't as easy as it sounds, Chilean officials did not help make passport control a speedy affair so after two hours of queuing we only gained two hours on the day. I managed to watch three movies on the plane so I count that as a good result. I got to practise some Spanish with the bus driver who had clearly been waiting since our landing and it turns out I understand more than I thought I would. Arrived at hostel at 3:30ish and went for a short walk about the local area, to the supermarket and ate. Great day.
13 November, Monday... Determined to do more today and make the most of my time in another continent we got up early and at about 1 went for a walk about the city centre to take in some of the squares and cathedrals and soak up the atmosphere. I quite like the city, I think it has a nice feel to it. All of museums were closed on a Monday so we stuck around Plaza de Armas and visited the Palacio de la Moneda (Presidential buildings), Cerro Santa Lucia
Plaza de Armas
Everyone was playing chess, it was quite odd. (a big hill with views over the city, of the Andes and the smog). It was quite amusing that on the day we'd bought the ingredients to make spag bol in the hostel the manager announced it was going to be a free spaghetti night. Oh well, spaghetti two nights running I suppose it will be.
14 November, Tuesday... Well, the museums should be open today... and they were. We went to the Pre-Columbine History Museum, I think Columbus rather than Columbia, where they have hundreds of artefacts from the Mesoamerican and Andean civilisations including Maya, Inca and Wayuu who still practise the ceremony of burying their dead then digging them up a bit later to remove the skin - I suppose it takes all sorts, who knows they may be onto something. Very interesting and cool museum, no photos allowed though. Following that we walked to Parque Forestal (not a beautiful park but a tree lined street) and checked out what the guidebook called an impressive building in the Palacio de las Bellas Artes, it looked to me like most other colonial style buildings but then what do I know. It was a pretty lazy day really. We
spent the evening planning, or trying to plan, our route around South America or at least to Brazil. Nothing firm decided but we'll head to Valparaiso tomorrow and think about things. I then spent a heck of a long time on the internet updating my blog so I hope someone reads these last two entries.
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guaton loyola
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chilito lindo
glad you've been enjoying your time in satiago. i love the city. your picture labled as the palacio de bellas artes is actually not the museum. it's an art school. though it's part of the same complex, the museum is actually on the other side. both were built to mark chile's 100th anniversary in 1910. valparaiso is great, i think you will enjoy it. you can take the valpo metro to easily get to viña del mar if you like. enjoy the rest of your trip!