San Vicente is somewhat like Huntly. Except it doesn´t have a power station, is half the size, and even lacks the McDonalds. Well, really it´s nothing like huntly, bar that you would not want to stop at either for a holiday.
San Vicente does have a tourist office. It displays the lovely photos of the attractions of San Vicente; the town square, the historical church- but seeing that the tourist office is in the town square, and next to the historical church, well then, you have already found those gems. And if you ask the guy working in there what´s there to do, he´ll point you to Rancugua or Sewell. But matey, I´m in San Vicente!
For the first few days, Rod, Nathan, and I, were all crashing at Christians. Then Nathan left to return to the United States, and Rod returned to Pichilemu or Concepcion, or where-ever, and so it is now Christian and I kicking around here. Christian is waiting for his school to start, and I´m waiting of Paola to get here, so we can head for Peru.
Paola ate some bad shell fish in Brasil and now might have Hep A. So she left Pichilemu the
These little kidieswhere performing tradional dances in the main square in Rancagua. With National Day on Sep 18 tradional dancing and Rodio displays are everywhere and on every channel.
day before I did, for Santiago for treatment, and I haven´t heard from her since. So I´m waiting for her here, just kicking around.
Anyway, we went to Santiago for 3 days, for a change of view, and found Paola had gone back to Pichilemu, so I knocked around Santiago, while Christian sorted out stuff with his school.
Well, I visited 5 museums in 2 days, and am now all museumed out. But I now have the Museo Historico Nacional, the Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino, the Palacio Cousiño, the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, and the Museo Arqueologico de Santiago under my belt.
I´ll tell you about them ´cause I have nothing else to write.
The Museo Arqueologico is small, but free, but is not much point going to if you go to the Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino. The Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino has a really good collection of stuff covering all of central and southern american culture and is really worth going to. You can´t take photos and has a heap of gaurds making sure you don´t, but that just means you need to be more creative when taking shots on the sly.
The end of the affair.A day of tragedy when the Vegemite finally ran out and there´s no chance of finding any on this continent
The Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes has some nice work in it by Chileanos, and good international collection as well. But I think I liked the Palacio Cousiño the best. It´s the former home of the Cousiño family, who lost the home (and silver mine, coal mine, that paid for the house) through not paying their taxes.
Anyway, I´m now back in San Vicente gearing up for the National Day, which is a fairly big day on the social calender here. Drinking pisco sour and dancing, ect, and flying kites, of all things.
Civic prideThere´s a law in Chile that says that on Indepenence day (Sept 18)every house and place of work must display a Chilean flag or pay a fine.
Cross section of the houses hereMost of the houses here are of mud brick. Which ain´t too bad a material except they don´t frame the houses well, so everything sags after a few years.
Mud brick factoryThis little enterprise is in "Indian city", which is what the locals call it, but there ain´t any Indians.
The Protector of the Chilean ArmyChristian and the Virgin of War (I don´t remember what her name was, but she was a virgin). This statue is the protector of the Chilean Armed forces.
I think they could have picked something a little
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O´Higgins fought hereBernando O´higgins fought in this church against the Spanish in the battle for Rancagua, during the war of Independence. It´s the only remaning building from that period in the town square.
Chile vs Brasil in soccerWell, we were all excited to watch Chile play Brasil in soccer, but when Chile were down 4 goals to Zip inside the first thirty minutes, well, that completely cleared out the room.