ANtarctic Adventure

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No tapas, no empanadas but a lovely polo dish and a great Chilean dark beer, Kunstmann bock. I forgot to mention the temp in concorse J of the Miami airport. IF YOU EVER HAVE TO BE THERE, BRING MITTENS, EARMUFFS AND A BLANKET. According to the ground personnel and the restaurant servers it is always like that. I didn't fully warm up until I landed.

My hotel, The Orly is a boutique hotel in the middle of the Providencia district, one block from the Metro. While small, my room is comfortable and clean, the bath spotless.

After breakfast I headed to the ATM and then the Metro. The subway stations are decorated with art, the trains clean, quiet, timely and CROWDED! It is the best way to get around to the area I wanted to see, the Plaza de Armas.

First stop was the Cathedral of Santiago. I arrived just in time for the Rosary and for confession. I was momentarily tempted to test the Priest's Engligh but decided to let the building stand for another hundred years.

The building is vast but quite dark with few windows and those high up and of stained glass. The side aisles were lined with small alters and while the main alter, while ornate, could not hold a candle to the ones in Spain. There was a life size Nativity scene of beautifully carved wood with a small stuffed lamb snuggled next to the manger. Very Sweet.

The next stop was to be the Precolumbian Art Museum but I found myself at the National Congress building. I was not permitted inside the grounds but they were lovely with flowering trees and a fountain. Still I plugged on to see the Museum but I just couldn't find it. Instead I headed back to the Plaza and visited the National Heritage Museum, located in a lovely building where Chile had it's first congress. The exhibit traces the history from precolumbian through today and was surprisingly informative although completely in Spanish.

Unlike Europe where nearly everyone speaks English, here no so much but I have been able to communitcate with hand gestures and a smile. It usually works. Being old helps as folks appear to be more patient.

The touring office was located next to the Museum and I found out to my dismay that Precolumbian Museum and the Museum of Santiago were both closed for renovations. I had walked by the building over and over again without recognizing it.

Stopped in Starbucks for a Frapachino and then explored the Plaza.

It was founded in 1541 and is still center for people to gather and visit. There is a statue of the Spanish Conquistador padro de Valdivia and a wonder very large pre columbian head. Trees offer shade and there a barrows of flowers all around. Today there was a chess match going on. I and one other woman were the only feminine viewers. There were plenty of pigeons, one person obviously down on his luck, tours in various languages going by and lots of benches to rest on and watch the passing scene.



With the temperature over 90 and having walked for about five hours I headed back to the hotel for lunch ( a sauteed mushroom salad) and a Pisco sour. Pisco, a grape brandy, appears to be the national drink of Chile and it is very very strong. The sour is made with pisco, fresh squeezed lemon juice, sugar and a dash of bitters.

Time for siesta and a cooling shower.

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