The Chilean Museum of Precolombian Art was a couple of blocks from the hostel and has a very impressive collection of artifacts from South and Central America.
This is a quipu, an Inca tool that uses knotted strings for counting and record keeping.
The cathedral on the Plaza has quite a presence, and in the shade at the edge of the Plaza, men study chess moves at all hours. The late summer temperature was in the 80s, quite a contrast to the frigid altiplano.
The next morning, we walked over to the Parque Metropolitano, a hilly strand that's the largest urban park in Latin America, and took the funicular to the top of a hill overlooking the city. A huge statue of the Virgen del Cerro has been standing there since 1905.
The teleferico and a short walk took us to a Japanese garden.
A visit to Santiago would be incomplete without a visit to La Chascona, a former home of the Nobel Prize winning Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. Architecturally imaginative, it reflected Neruda's love of the sea, and had a 60s vibe reminding me of my childhood. Unfortunately, photos can only be taken outside the house.
We headed over to the Chilean history museum, which, though it was recommended to us the day before, turned out to be closed for three years for renovation.
On the way, I noticed this classroom chair in the riverbed. My whimsical imagination, perhaps influenced by Neruda, decided it was some kind of weird after-school detention.
We also happened across a great street performance [video] after lunch at a Peruvian restaurant.
On our last day in the area, we took a tour of Valparaiso, a cultural center and Chile's most important port city. The tour-by-bus method goes a bit against our sense of independence, but it was the easiest and safest way to get around in this case.
On the way, we had a tour of an organic winery. The Chileans really aren't that into wine because German immigrants got there first with beer, but they export a lot. And though we're not into alcohol, the organic methods and permaculture were interesting. They keep chickens and alpacas to create manure, and also raise olives and honey at wineries throughout Chile. Workers are given space and compost to raise organic gardens on the property.
Tiuke hawks are numerous and keep the rabbit population under control.
We wandered through the Bohemian streets of Valparaiso. It was foggy and cool with steep streets and reminded me of San Francisco. It's Chile's main port and a cultural hub, famous for street art.
We toured Pablo Neruda's La Sebastiana house and learned how he entertained friends while watching fireworks over the harbor. He loved to joke around, putting on different costumes between courses of extravagant meals.
But there was some tasteful street art and an impressive monument in the park that straddles the Mapocho River.
We also happened across a great street performance [video] after lunch at a Peruvian restaurant.
On our last day in the area, we took a tour of Valparaiso, a cultural center and Chile's most important port city. The tour-by-bus method goes a bit against our sense of independence, but it was the easiest and safest way to get around in this case.
On the way, we had a tour of an organic winery. The Chileans really aren't that into wine because German immigrants got there first with beer, but they export a lot. And though we're not into alcohol, the organic methods and permaculture were interesting. They keep chickens and alpacas to create manure, and also raise olives and honey at wineries throughout Chile. Workers are given space and compost to raise organic gardens on the property.
Tiuke hawks are numerous and keep the rabbit population under control.
We wandered through the Bohemian streets of Valparaiso. It was foggy and cool with steep streets and reminded me of San Francisco. It's Chile's main port and a cultural hub, famous for street art.
And it has some ups and downs.
We toured Pablo Neruda's La Sebastiana house and learned how he entertained friends while watching fireworks over the harbor. He loved to joke around, putting on different costumes between courses of extravagant meals.
Back in Santiago in early evening, we found a nearby Japanese restaurant and got ready for our final destination, Iguazu Falls in Argentina.
Couldn't leave Santiago without mentioning the Italianos. No, they're not immigrants, but big hot dogs that are a favorite here. There was a continuous lineup of Italiano stands outside our hotel door. I don't understand how they can all exist, but why ask?
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