Santiago Chile

Santiago, Chile

On Friday, 24th of January we said goodbye to our wonderful host Maria in Valparaiso and headed to the bus station to begin our journey to Santiago. There is no airport in Valparaiso so the only travel option is by road. The buses leave every 15 minutes and we booked the best seats on the luxury Pullman for our trip at the unbelievable cost of $8.00 US each. The trip was around an hour and twenty minutes and from the bus station in Santiago we took a taxi to our hotel at the same cost as the lengthy bus trip.

Our one bedroom apartment was located right downtown and very conveniently situated for walking everywhere we wanted to go.

On Saturday morning we walked around the corner to The Bellas Artes Museum where we met our guides for the free walking tour. (Tours for Tips) The tour was approximately 3 1/2 hours finishing with refreshments and a wrap up in a local restaurant. Included in our tour we were accompanied by another street dog assistant, Lucas, we had a trip on the metro, went to various historical districts, the cemetery, which was quite different from Recoleta in Buenos Aires and best of all the markets. There was more produce than you could ever imagine. The markets are huge and separated by a major freeway. On one side is the incredible Mercado Central, the fish market and the other side of the bridge over the river was the fruit and vegetable market. The colours and the produce were phenomenal. A kilo of strawberries or cherries was $1.50 US. The market stall holders bring their produce from their small farms and everything is very fresh. They are not wealthy people just making a meagre living off their land. However, at the end of the day the produce that is unsold is taken to a very large community hall and donated to the poor. That way no-one goes hungry and the produce, that cannot be sold the next day, does not go to waste. Apart from the fish and the fruit and vegetables are the amazing array of cheeses and meats.

We were located in the Santa Lucia district and at the end of the road was the hill with the castle on top. There was a free external iron elevator that took you to the top but did not operate on Sundays the day we opted to go. However, if you walked to the end of the street you were able to access an entrance and walk up the hill. It was very historical with amazing views over the city.

On Sunday evening we took a Taxi across town to where Fluor have an office and where one of Jim's colleagues and friend is currently living and working. We met Brendan and his wife Colleen at their apartment, where we enjoyed a pre-dinner drink and scrumptious hors d'oeuvres, before heading out for dinner. They have a beautiful apartment with magnificent views out towards the Andes. We spent a very enjoyable evening in their company and were very sad that we were unable to meet up with them again before leaving for Asuncion, Paraguay. A week sounds a lot of time but it flies by so quickly.

On Monday we spent a half day at the Concha y Toro winery. Concha y Toro is Chile's most famous winery and the second largest producer in the world after The Gallo winery in California and produces very fine wines. It is also a major sponsor of Manchester United football club, hence the memorabilia in the gift shop. We toured the grounds of the estate and the vines before heading inside to tour the cellars and taste the wines. We were afforded three different types of wine one white (Sauvignon Blanc), one red (Cabernet Sauvignon) and then the best of all, the Casillero de Diablo. The wine from the Cave of the Devil. There is also a special cave in the cellars with wine reserved solely for the Manchester United football club. Oh to be a soccer player!!!!!!!

On Tuesday we took the Hop on Hop off bus tour of the city. As much of Santiago was undergoing major reconstruction and restoration for its bicentennial this was a good way to see over all of the construction fences. We hopped off at one stop and took the funicular railway to the chapel at the top of San Cristobal hill. This was very different from many of the elaborate churches and cathedrals in this part of the world with its simplistic style of architecture and interior. There were some very large monuments at the top including one of Pope John Paul II. The views from the top were amazing but the pollution here is incredible. Santiago sits in a bowl surrounded by the Andes Mountains and the pollution cannot escape. Later that evening we walked to Mercado Central and had Chilean King Crab at El Galeon.

Wednesday we spent the day in the Andes Mountains. It was a long drive, on very narrow, windy roads but the views were amazing and the topography very diverse. When we reached the top, which in winter is a major ski hill, ($140.00 US for a lift ticket) we were rewarded with the magnificent sight of many Condors flying overhead and also sitting on the roofs of the buildings. These amazing birds, which resemble very large turkeys, fly over the top of the Andes at incredible altitude. However, they must wait for the perfect weather to accomplish their journey. We saw a few adults and many fledglings practising their flying skills. What an incredible day.

Thursday was our last full day in Santiago and we stopped first to see the inside of the magnificent Municipal Cathedral before walking a very long way to the new Museum of Human Rights which was approved and constructed during the first presidential term of Michele Batchelet, whose father was tortured and killed under the regime of the dictator Pinochet. This museum is dedicated to all of the souls who were tortured and killed during this era. It is a very modern museum, beautifully constructed with haunting displays of the atrocities suffered under that cruel dictator. It was heart wrenching to read articles, watch film clips and listen to actual accounts of the torture suffered by some of the survivors, both men and women. We were probably the only non-nationals there and each and every one was very visibly shaken and shedding tears. It was very,very sad.

On Friday we bade Santiago farewell and flew over the magnificent Andes Mountains en-route to Asuncion, Paraguay just like the flight of the Condors but with much less effort on our part...................