Exploring the City

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Hola!

On the second day of our trip we ventured out from Barrio Brasil and explored the greater Santiago metropolitan area, primarly the congested Providencia and the bohemian Barrio Bellavista (pronounced Be-yell-vista). I was very excited to visit Bellavista as i knew it was the Santiago home of Chilean Poet and activist Pablo Neruda. After successfully using our basic spanish to purchase a ticket and unsuccessfully attempting to use what is actually a very efficient underground train system, we disembarked at Baquedano station. We headed across the horrible city river where we found ourselves in Bellavista. The province is spread out at the foot of the beautifully named ´Cerra San Cristobal´ upon which a statue of the Virgin Mary purveys majority of Santiago and the snow capped Andes. We wandered around this patchworked neighbourhood for a while and eventually located ´La Chascona´ the home of Pablo Neruda. The facade of this house has now been painted with a likeness of the author and visual interpretations of his wonderful poetry. I was in the same stomping ground as the great Chilean master and was in my element. After another spectacular day we bought a ´Mate Yerba´ (pronounced matta sherpa) cup and bag of tea, this is a traditionally south american beverage and a peice of culture I was keen to bring home with me, we came back to happy house for afternoon siesta.

Later that evening we invited two other American travellers to dinner and drinks at a dark restaurant under the hostel. I have unfortunatley taken up the habit of smoking with a glass of wine every evening as the culture seems to lend itself to it - a lame excuse, I know. I wish I could fit everything in but I hope everybody is gathering a rather nice picture of Chilean landscape and culture.

Ciao!

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Comments

[Moulds]

Glad to hear you have taken up smoking again, this is good news.