The Hills of Santiago

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had a wonderful dinner last night at a vegetarian restaurant that is right up my alley. They were out of the quinoa salad, so I ordered the house burrito. See photo. It was very tasty and there was fresh salsa in the little dishes - one was mild and one was hot. This morning I took a free walking tour of Santa Lucia Hill which is located practically across the street from my hotel. The guide showed us around the sights on the hill and told us about Santiago's history in the process. There is an impressive Neptune Fountain. See photo. And a view of the tallest building in all of South and Central America (See next photo - it is the tall building in the distance on the left). After the tour, I walked over to another hill here in Santiago. It is called San Cristobal and has a funicular that goes up to the top. It was busy with families today, but this didn't seem to phase the dogs that hang out nearby. See photo. A large statue of the Virgin Mary stands at the very top of the hill (see photo) and the site was visited by John Paul II when he visited. In fact, I rode up in the same funicular car that he did - there is a plaque commemorating the event. The views from the top are hampered by the smog. See photo - the little green patch in the middle is St. Lucia Hill where I was this morning. I am now back at the hotel bar enjoying another pisco sour and making plans for dinner. I will blog again tomorrow.

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