Santiago puts on free tours for anyone, usually tourists, at the Plaza de Armas and it provides a great site seeing map as well. Antonio, a graduate of English studies, was our guide and showed us the wonderful sites of Santiago. The city is a bustling metropolis of history and modernity. The streets are very inconspicuous in the Plaza as there are no curbs but small cement 'bumps' that line the area. The art, people, music, buildings, and food is overwhelming. It was like being a child again, a whole new world has opened up before me.
We met several other wonderful people on the tour as well: Nikola from Cork, Ireland, Mitch from Sydney, Australia, Kassie from Melbourne, Australia, Cata from Santiago Chile, Keith from Chicago, USA, and Julie from Paris.
It is hard to describe and capture all that was experienced so I have added pictures, but there is much more to tell...
The Mapuche people are the indigenous people that inhabit Chile to this day and are prevalent in Patagonia more so than in Santiago, however they are represented in the Plaza de Armas through the statue in the first photo. The lack of having a mouth signifies the loss of control in the area.
The second photo is of the Chilean Supreme Court.
A building that is the main entrance of the financial district
What appears to be a bridge is actually an Opera House that crosses the Mapoche River.
The statue of Presidente Allende who was overthrown by the Pinochet military coup in 1973. Read about it here--
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/september/11/newsid_3199000/3199155.stm
The Chilean Supreme Court
Our guided tour by Antonio in red with the hat.
The tour ended at Pablo Neruda's house, an ecclectic testament to the Nobel prize winners greatness and curiosity. After the tour had ended the group had socialized enough to realize that we were not ready to part ways. Antonio took us to a very popular place known as Bar La Nona where we conversed and drank Terramotos, a drink with pineapple ice cream.
More to come! Salud!
“Esto sí que es un Terremoto!” Found this on-line about the Chilean drink that "leaves your legs wobbly, like you've just been through an earthquake." Glad to read your post and see you experienced a great tour. Now send us some pics of You, also! It's OK to have a friend or two (in the pic) with you. Love Dad.
ReplyDeleteTu mamá dice estar seguro y no olvidarse de la escuela el lunes. . . and she's glad you're having a great time so far.
For those of you following this blog (friends, family)- and need translation--ask Ryan. . .
PS- found a website that you might enjoy:
http://www.southamerica.cl/Chile.htm
It seems this place is rich with culture and history. Thanks for sharing! You must be busy but keep us updated, I'll be reading. Enjoy all that this experience has to offer, mi amigo! Hasta luego!
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