Day 16 … exploring Santiago

Today was our full day in Santiago. When we met Rosa and Rodrigo last night we had agreed to start our day at 10.00. So after a lovely sleep (for some) we were up and dressed and down to breakfast at around 8.00. We had done some washing as well before leaving our room (ah the chores never end). I retaped my toes ... doesn't matter what shoes I wear I always get blisters when we travel!

We had already decided to head out for a morning walk to explore the neighbourhood before Rosa and Rodrigo arrived. So for a good hour we wandered around the area which is known as a Pedro de Valdivia. It is a relatively newer area of Santiago and is where the main hotels are located. We wandered along the street watching the shops opening, the queues waiting for the bank to open, along beautiful tree lined boulevards, past street vendors before venturing towards the river.

The river … Mapocho is more like a canal (or a large drain) than a river. It is pretty sad to be honest. It needs some love and Ian and I want to send some officials to Seoul to have a look at Chunggyecheon Stream! Whilst the river is a bit sad, there are beautiful parks that run along beside it with walkways, large trees, gardens and exercise equipment.

We stopped to visit the Biblioteca Municipal de Providencia … the local library. A quaint little library with a somewhat old collection and a large study area upstairs. The signs asking for “silenceo” were evident throughout which made us a little sad as we are used to active vibrant spaces. We then headed to the Teatro Oriente … a beautiful theatre. Unfortunately it was closed but we may pop back tonight to have a look as it is showing a horror film marathon this evening!

We then headed back to our hotel to find Rosa waiting for us in the lobby. She was a tad surprised that we had already been out and about. She had told us there would be a lot of walking today … pfft … we had already done 5km! Rodrigo arrived and we headed off for the morning’s tour. As in other days … we will list each one to save the get in, drive, get out, walk … repeat!

The Central Market … the Vega Central de Santiago is a massive fruit, vegetable and produce market that all the local markets attend to stock their produce. It has over 1,500 vendors selling every type of fresh fruit and vegetables from all areas in South America. There is also a large Chinese section for the Chinese immigrants and a similar selection for the Peruvians. It was a bustling place and whilst Rosa wasn’t all that familiar with it Rodrigo led the way showing us things and explaining their uses.

The Fish Market … if you know me well you will know that I am NOT a fish person but this market was worth the visit. The building itself is incredible and is a marvel of steel. The smell of the fish was not overpowering (well maybe a little) but the range was extensive. People were there buying their fresh fish, shellfish and the heads and bones to make fish stew.

Ian here. We then progressed to Plaza de Armas for the main part of our city tour. This central square was where the first Conquistadors settled in 1541 and it can lay claim to having been at the heart of (non-indigenous) Chilean history for nearly 500 years, all the way up to the troubled times in the 1970s and 1980s. Our journey through the years was aided by Rosa's depth of historical knowledge and unique personal experience. Part Scottish part Chilean, as a 19 year old she came out to Chile with Amnesty International in 1990 and spent several years working with human rights lawyers and local families who were trying to track down loved ones who had been "detained and disappeared" by the military dictatorship. She bravely did her job, stood in the front line of protesters, was occasionally arrested, filed court papers and comforted grieving families. Her story was enough to bring tears to our eyes, let alone the loss of thousands of innocent people who 50 years later have never been found.

Rosa has also been working in Santiago pretty much since that time in various roles, so a quiet word from her to most of the security people at the official buildings and we were quietly ushered inside for a quick look around.

The first part of the tour took us through the part of the square that was the market, stables and armoury. The original jail, the courthouse and the governor's quarters. The original buildings have gone ... destruction of colonial heritage, earthquakes and fire ... and replaced by buildings from the late 18th / early 19th century that were statements of sophistication and cultural excess.

Next stop the Metropolitan Cathedral, a stupendous building in the neoclassical French style. Soaring ceiling, 150m+ central space, statues, stained glass, monuments, prayer rooms, etc. We arrived to find a mass commencing, people in the (external!) confessional, the crypt where past Dons are buried and quiet reflection in a side chapel. Amazing.

Next door, accessible from the square, but also through an inconspicuous door in the church, a quiet courtyard where people fleeing prosecution from the 60s to the 90s were offered sanctuary by the Church. For all its ills the Catholic Church in Santiago stood firm under fire.

From there it was a meandering path through city streets and buildings to the Plaza de la Constitucion and the Presidential offices and government buildings that were bombed by the military in the 1973 coup. We passed from neoclassical to Art Deco to 1960s modernism. Saw the "Palace of Junk Food", modern museums, old marketplaces and Cafe con Piernas (Coffee with Legs). Our original itinerary had us stopping here (think Hooters with coffee), but that was a hard 'No' from us, and having glanced in as we walked past ... probably not our scene.

Final main stop was the Supreme Court, another of Rosa's old workplaces as she futilely filed Habeus Corpus motions on missing people that were all refused. Another grand building from 1870 showcasing steel framework, classic mouldings and statues of Lady Justice being blind, which she clearly was, turning a blind eye to what was happening in Chile.

Jacqui’s back …

Emporia La Rosa … no it isn’t owned by our Rosa! Our original itinerary had us visiting a bar for a strong cocktail called the Earthquake and visiting the Coffee with Legs cafes. Given neither of us are big cocktail drinkers (Ian … not at all) and also that we didn’t really want to drink a coffee in a cafe with very scantily clad women … Rosa took us for ice cream! We tried some new flavours before Rosa bought us each an ice cream for the road.

And then it was time to say goodbye to Rosa and Rodrigo as we had reached the end of the tour. We were meant to be dropped back at our hotel but they drove us to the base of San Cristobal Hill where we were then on our own for the rest of the day. So with hugs for Rosa and a see you on Saturday for Rodrigo (he is picking us up to take us to the airport) we headed off to explore on our own.

The Funicular … San Cristobal was once a quarry but was purchased by the government and rehabilitated as a park for the people. At the base of the hill is a funicular that began in 1925 … it is celebrating its 100 th birthday this year. We bought our tickets for the funicular (and the teleferico … cable car) and climbed on board for the almost vertical ride to the top of the hill.

At the top is the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is 22 metres tall and has a sanctuary at her base that has a beautiful mural painted on its walls. There are other statues in the surrounding area, a small church to visit, a pathway of painted crosses and piped hymns being played. It is a beautiful spot, very peaceful. As a side note … we can see the statue of Mary from our hotel window … she is lit up at night. And look out for the image of Jesus that looks a little too much like Charles Manson.

The Teleferico … the cable car that takes you back down to the base of the hill. It has two stations and we took the car all the way down to the Oasis stop. As you travel along the cables you can view the city and parks below. We could spy our hotel!

At the base … a quick cool drink (it was about 30° today which was a bit of a shock after the glaciers!) before we walked back to our hotel. The walk took us about half an hour as we wandered past lovely houses, through a sculpture garden (some very questionable sculptures), along the river and then back to our hotel.

Ian again. Having only had an ice cream for lunch we we were looking for a hearty dinner. And we found a small Mexican cantina nearby that served us a delicious meal - mixed empanadas (meat, chicken, cheese), sopaipillas (think pumpkin pastry cake), Nachos Mixtos (meat, cheese, guacamole) and drinks. Which was pretty good going when we couldn't speak Spanish and the waiter couldn't speak English. He got a lovely thank you from Jacqui via Google Translate and a healthy tip from me. Last stop the theatre, which has a free 4-movie screening tonight for Halloween - but we passed on Damien I, II and III. Started 4.50pm, finishes 1.10am tomorrow.