Santiago and Valparaiso

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Sorry so far behind on the blogs.

Santiago is a lot smaller than I thought it would be. Almost all the museums I wanted to see were closed but I fortunately found a lot of smaller museos and galleries. I went to visit the Virgen on the top of Cerro San Cristobal, I planned to take the funicular, but it was being repaired. I ended up climbing to the top with a nice Argentinian plant biologist. I visited a lot of Santiago mostly on foot. Its a very walkable/ bikable city. They even have bike crossing lights!

About two hours by bus from Santiago is the city of Valparaiso. As soon as anyone found out I was from San Francisco, they told me to go to Valparaiso because it's so similar. I see what they were saying, arts, hilly, foodies, expensive, and a temperate climate. But Valparaiso has something SF needs desperately, ascensores! Little elevators on cables to pull you up the hill. Visited casa de bellas rates, first floor was more like casa de boring rates. But the freaky basement more than made up for it. Also went to the famous poet Pablo Neruda's house. Met a very nice, refined, Dutch man and we shared 2 bottles of wine (just like in SF). But the best thing that happened was when I wandered into a restaurant and the chef made me a special vegetarian meal. He made a truffle risotto out of trigo (wheat) and a parsley quinoa. He came out and told me how he made it. I guess he's famous (and cute!).

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Photos

Santiago: plaza de armas
This statue was a gesture to the Mapuche people of Chile. There's still a lot of conflict between the government and the indigenous people.