Mist covered Andes as we drove up to the ski resort
My very last outing while living in Chile was to the Valle Nevado a ski resort located at 46 km to the east of Santiago, the capital of Chile. It is on the El Plomo foothills in the Andes Mountains and was already covered in snow although this was only the start of winter.
The ski slope right in front of the Hotel
Making my way up the ski slope
Im am in the Andes mountains!
I was cutting my stay in Chile short and had so many places on my wish-list that it was quite hard to choose one for my last weekend in Santiago. But I couldn’t leave without visiting the famous Andes mountains. The only way to do this was to go on a day trip up to one of the many ski resorts on this long mountain range.
Trudging through the thick snow
What a view!!
My view while sitting the bench for a rest
Perfect place for a rest stop
Im right on the edge!!
The Andes is the longest continental mountain range in the world. It extends from north to south through seven South American countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
Such a magnificent sight
I got to travel up into the heart of the Andes, 30 miles west of Santiago. Here lies Valle Nevado one of the most modern tourist and ski centers in South America. The route up the mountain, snaking its way through the slippery snow and ice, had more than 40 curves. I stopped noticing the curve boards after number 40 and focused on the beautiful scenery around me.
Love this place!!
On top of the Andes in Chile
On top of the Andes in Chile
On top of the Andes in Chile
On top of the Andes in Chile
On top of the Andes in Chile
The resort, Valle Nevado, includes housing facilities with hotels, shops, restaurants, pubs and bars to meet the holiday and entertaining needs of the holiday makers throughout the entire year, carrying on activities, tours and events both in summer and winter. It is very pricey as it caters to the tourist market. But a warm coffee and crepe after traipsing through the cold snow all morning was more than worth it!
Lunch is served
My view while having lunch
Me in the heart of the Andes ountains!
It was a bright and clear day, ideal for walking through the thick snow up the ski slope to get views of the beautiful mountains all around. Although it was cold you couldn’t walk around without sunglasses as the glare from the snow on this cloudless day was blinding. I would love to come back someday and actually ski or snowboard down these beautiful slopes. But just standing there in the snow among the beautiful Andes Mountains was an amazing experience.
I would love to use these ski lifts next time
On top of the Andes in Chile
On top of the Andes in Chile
On top of the Andes in Chile
Was a great way to spend my last Sunday in Chile before moving to South Africa in 2013.
Santiago is filled with colour and street artWhat a lovely colourful place to live
I found myself in Chile, living in a beautiful city and with a lovely job that I really enjoyed but there was something wrong. As I walked through this beautiful city it felt like I should be somewhere else.
I realized that unfortunately my heart wasn’t in it anymore. I usually see my adjustment in foreign countries as an adventure but this time a bit of the adventure had turned into “work”.
I will miss walking down the colourful tree lined streets of SantiagoEnjoying my last stroll through SantiagoSantiago has introduced me to the world of beautiful street artSantiago was a warm and friendly place to live
My heart has made it clear that its time for a huge change in my life.
I have now left Chile and am now back in the UK from where I am planning my next move. I am thinking that its time for an adventure in my home country!
My last walk through the peaceful streets of SantiagoGoodbye graffiti filled streets of SantiagoI am definitely going to be on the look out for street art from now on
Valparaíso is a jumble of winding streets lined with colourful houses
Valparaiso is a city build on hills
Valparaíso rises abruptly from a narrow strip of coast to cover over 45 steep hills, each a jumble of winding streets lined with colourful houses, post-Colonial edifices, and 19th century museums. I wasn’t going to leave Chile before I had seen this colourful city. Unfortunately this time of the year the weather doesn’t always play along and the day was quite overcast and hazy so the bright colours of the buildings were dulled a bit. This did not take away from the beauty of these oddly built houses that lined the steep hills of Valparaiso.
This whole port city is filled with colourfully painted housesI definitely understand why the whole of Valparaiso had been declared a UNESCO site
Valparaíso is a city, port, and commune of Chile, founded in 1543. Nicknamed “The Jewel of the Pacific”, Valparaíso was declared a world heritage site based upon its improvised urban design and unique architecture. Built upon dozens of steep hillsides overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Valparaíso boasts a labyrinth of streets and cobblestone alleyways, embodying a rich architectural and cultural legacy.
La Sebastiana, Pablo Neruda’s House.
The entrance of La Sebastiana, Pablo Neruda’s House
My first stop in Valparaiso was at La Sebastiana, Pablo Neruda’s House. The contemporary history of Valparaíso is closely related to the well-known Chilean poet Pablo Neruda and vice versa. It was in this city overlooking the Pacific Ocean that, fleeing the noise of Santiago, the writer found a house on Mount Florida with an endless sea-view where he could “live and write in peace”. He called it “La Sebastiana” in honor to its builder, Sebastián Collado, a Spaniard who, after searching for a place from where he could have an entire view of Valparaíso, began to build this house here but he soon passed away. Upon moving in Neruda named it La Sebastiana stating that “even if don Sebastián did not write verse, he was a poet of construction”.
A sneaky peek at the bathroom
On September 18, 1961 Neruda inaugurated the house and invited his friends to celebrate. Ever since then he stayed there for periods, especially during New Years Eve. While living there, he wrote the important works that made him famous and led to him winning the Nobel Prize of Literature in 1971.
I got to glimpse the past inside La Sebastiana. In each of its five stories, with the help of audio guide I discovered the lifestyle and the most glorious and absurd moments of its owner.
This is the view of Valparaiso from the top floor of La Sebastiana, Pablo Neruda’s House.The colourfully painted houses of Valparaiso
Each room was thought out and decorated with a special intention. The site is crowded with dreams and hope. The many ornaments that Pablo collected are part of the great detail that makes this place unique, just like Neruda. From the fourth floor of what used to be Neruda’s room I got an impressive panoramic view of Valparaíso and it harbour.
I continued my exploration of Valparaiso by walking through the winding streets if Cerro Alegra hill. Its name comes from the beautiful gardens adorning the homes in the area, but it was the colourfully painted houses that covered this hill that held my attention. The houses are all quite unique, each a different colour or design to try and adapt to the steep hills of Valparaiso.
Walking through the winding streets of Cerro Alegra hillValparaiso is definitely a very beautiful cityAt the top of Cerro Alegra hill
What a beautiful city to walk through
The streets don’t follow ant set pattern and it’s quite easy to get lost as some streets heading up a hill will suddenly loop and take you down hill again.
In 1996, the World Monuments Fund declared Valparaíso’s unusual system of funicular elevators (highly-inclined cable cars) one of the world’s 100 most endangered historical treasures.
Not only does Valparaiso have colourful buildings it also has beautiful street artWalking through the winding streets of ValparaisoTaking the funicular down the hill
A funicular, also known as a cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other. I was quite excited at the prospect of actually getting to go on one these 100 year old funiculars. It was a great highlight to end this colourful day on.
Love the interesting architecture of ValparaisoLove the interesting architecture of ValparaisoI definitely understand why the whole of Valparaiso had been declared a UNESCO site
Santiago, Chile, on a sunny day after the rains had cleared away all the smog
Taking the funicular up San Cristobel Hill to the Zoo entrance
The Chilean National Zoo in Santiago is located at the foot of San Cristóbal Hill in what is known as the Santiago Metropolitan Park. It was just around the corner from my hostel and a great way to spend a lazy Sunday morning. The zoo is quite small but is home to thousands of animals covering up to 158 native and exotic species.
I caught the funicular half way up San Christobel Hill to the entrance of the zoo. The first furry animals I came across were the lemurs right next to the entrance. The zoo also boasts a jaguar and a beautiful white tiger! It was quite difficult to get a photo of either of them as their enclosure is surrounded by a mesh-wire fence.
Lemurs always make me think of the movie Madagascar!
A glimpse of the white tiger
They do a good job of having many animals that are local to Chile, particularly the Patagonia regions that you won’t find at other zoos.
Rheas
Rheas
Rheas
The rabbit like Patagonian mara
The rheas are flightless birds native to South America. With their grey-brown plumage, long legs and long necks, similar to an ostrich.
The Patagonian mara is a relatively large rodent, somewhat rabbit-like animal is found in open and semi-open habitats in Patagonia. The social organizations have a unique combination of monogamy and communal breeding. Being monogamous, pairs of maras stay together for life with replacement of partners only occurring after its death.
The zoo also holds a large number of foreign species such as lions, giraffes, kangaroos, elephants,emus and a poor polar bear that looked like it was suffering in the heat of the day.
The white-handed gibbon
The white-handed gibbon
The white-handed gibbon
One of the brightly coloured birds in the Aviary
The lar gibbon, also known as the white-handed gibbon, their hands and feet are white-colored, likewise a ring of white hair surrounds the black face. Gibbons are true brachiators, propelling themselves through the forest by swinging under the branches using their arms.
I really enjoyed walking through the large internal Aviary where I had the chance to get quite close to some very brightly coloured birds!
The Zoo Aviary
Brightly coloured flamingos
What a bright orange!!
Little feathered friend
A hamadryas baboon with the snow capped Andes in the backgroundAt the Condor cage
The hamadryas baboon is a species of baboon from the Old World monkey family. The hamadryas baboon was a sacred animal to the ancient Egyptians and appears in various roles in ancient Egyptian religion.
The highlight of my zoo visit was definitely getting to see a Condor, the largest flying bird, native to the Andes Mountains. They are magnificent birds but quite ugly when you get to see them close up. I would have loved to see them spread their wide wings and fly, guess for that I will have to look for them in the wild.
A Condor is a large black vulture with a ruff of white feathers surrounding the base of the neck and, especially in the male, large white patches on the wings. The head and neck are nearly featherless, and are a dull red color, which may flush and therefore change color in response to the bird’s emotional state.
Condor, the largest flying bird is not a very “good looking” bird
The magnificent Condor
Situated on San Christobel hill the zoo has great views of the city of Santiago!
Where the river running through Viña del Mar meets the ocean
My first sighting of a Pelican gliding above the water
While visiting Viña del Mar a small city on the coast of Chile I was captivated by the pelicans I found at the river mouth. Pelicans are very gracious birds as they soar above the water and land without causing too much of a disturbance to the water surface. They are gracious when in motion, moving elegantly on and above the water.
In level flight they fly with their long heads held back on their shoulders and their bills resting on their folded necks, propelling themselves with slow, powerful beats of their broad wings.
In flight the Pelicans look so gracefulThe feet are also used as a brake when the birds are landing on water.
Pelicans surface-swimming in a group
I am not a bird watcher so couldn’t actually tell you if these were the Peruvian Pelican or the Brown pelican, both can be found here on the Chilean coast.
These pelicans were surface-swimming in a group, foraging for fish by driving them into shallow water by beating their wings on the surface. When fish congregate in the shallows, the pelicans simply plunged their heads into the water to scoop them up.
Beating their wings on the surface driving fish to the surface
Pelicans are strong swimmers, as their large webbed feet make powerful paddles. The feet are also used as a brake when the birds are landing on water. When taking off from water they hop with feet together to gain speed.
Pelicans on the hunt….
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I think the one thing that Chile is really famous for is that they produce great quality wine. The best and definitely most enjoyable way to experience Chilean wine is definitely at one of the many vineyards that surround Santiago! I had the opportunity to visit Casas Del Bosque a winery producing Chilean premium wines and famous for its boutique wine.
Casas del Bosque is located 70 km from Santiago and was established in 1993 to be a family boutique winery exclusively oriented to the production of high quality wines. We journeyed through the picturesque central valley of Chile to Casas del Bosque vineyards situated in the Casablanca Valley. This valley is famous for its fruit and cheeses and the perfect place for a boutique winery.
Standing in the heart of the Casablanca Valley
The very modern wine presses used
As it was the beginning of winter the last of the grapes had already been harvested and the vines were already leafless leaving a crisp and cold landscape behind. We were taken on a tour of the winery, learning about Chile’s wines and how they are produced in these marvelous surroundings.
The main philosophy of Casas del Bosque is to produce quality wine using the most updated technology while preserving the traditions of the past.
Casas Del Bosque
Casas Del Bosque
Casas Del Bosque
Casas Del Bosque
Casas Del Bosque
Casas Del Bosque
Casablanca Valley
the striking winter landscape
The grapes are hand-harvested, selecting only the best bunches on a selection table. Then, a second careful selection is made on a vibrating table that allows for the detection of problem grapes, leaves, and pieces of stalk. Although they preserve traditions the grapes are no longer crushed by foot which I suppose can lead to some questionable health standards.
Entering the beautiful and very fragrant wine cellar
The wine is stored in French Oak barrels
Currently, Casas del Bosque has 232 productive hectares of vines and their production reaches 90,000 cases per year. Over 80% of their production is exported abroad.
Their modern cellar has an area of 2,500 square meters holding almost a thousand barrels and a storage capacity of approximately 225,000 liters. This cellar is equipped with a modern temperature and humidity control system, with temperatures between 14-16 degrees Celsius. I would definitely recommend you bring a jumper along otherwise a visit to these cellars could turn into quite a chilly affair.
All the barrels are made of fine grain French Oak, selected by their winemaking team, who chooses them thinking about each of our wines, so each comes from a different cooper, forest, grain, and toast, according to the needs of each wine.
Our guide in the chilly wine celler
White wine barrels
Red wine barrels
Casas Del Bosque wine cellar
Fragrant French Oak barrels
What a beautiful setting for a wine tasting
I could actually smell and taste vanilla in the one wine!
After learning how they produce these lovely wines we got to enjoy a wine tasting in the company of a crackling fire! We got to taste both of their white and lovely red wines that they produce here on the farm. Before tasting each wine you could actually smell the distinct flavours of pepper or vanilla that the different blends contained.
The wine here was absolutely fabulous and if I had more space in my luggage I would definitely have bought a bottle or two to take home with me!!
I did buy some wine-jelly from the winery that I heard is delicious with cheese and olives. Can’t wait to try this out with a couple of friends when I get back home.
Moai Statue in front of Fonck Museum, ChileThese Moai are carved out of solid volcanic rock!
Moai are monolithic human figures carved by the Rapa Nui people from rock on the ChileanEaster Island between the years 1250 and 1500. They are undoubtedly the most famous sculptures of Chile and perfect for this weeks’ Travel Theme of Sculptures.
Almost all the moai statues have overly large heads that are three-eighths the size of the whole statue. It is said that they are chiefly the living faces of deified ancestors.
The production and transportation of the 887 statues are considered a remarkable and physical feat. The tallest moai erected, called Paro, was almost 10 metres high and weighed 82 tons and the heaviest erected was a shorter but squatter moai at Ahu Tongariki, weighing 86 tons.
The heaviest Moai statue weighs 86 tons!!
Though moai are whole-body statues, they are commonly referred to as “Easter Island heads”. This is partly because of the disproportionate size of most moai heads and partly because many are buried to their shoulders.
My first real Moai statue!!The Moai statues are definitely very striking!
Eleven or more moai have been removed from the island and transported to locations around the world. I would have loved to travel to Easter Island to see these majestic statues but unfortunately I didn’t have that opportunity during this visit of Chile.
I got to see my first moai statue at the Fonck Museum, located in Vina Del Mar. This museum exhibits an impressive Moai brought from Easter Island in which stands majestically in the garden by the museum’s entrance.
My second sighting of a Moai statue was on one of the main streets of Santiago. I don’t know if this is one of the Eleven real Moai statues or a replica but it was still very striking.
Moai statue standing on one of the main streets of Santiago
The house is hidden away on a little quiet side street leading off Constitución.
The entrance of the Museum House “La Chascona”
Personally I think that the poet Pablo Nevruda who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971 is Chile’s Salvador Dali for his love of art and eccentricity. Colombian novelist Gabriel García Márquez once called him “the greatest poet of the 20th century in any language.
Pablo lived a very interesting life always traveling around and when in Chile he wasn’t content to live in a “normal” house. He would add on to and decorate his houses in such a way as to turn them into pieces of art. Pablo had a couple of houses throughout Chile which they have turned into museums that you can explore on guided tours. I was quite excited to visit the Museum House “La Chascona” one of Pablo Neruda’s residences located in the very heart of the bohemian Bellavista district of Santiago. The house is hidden away on a little quiet side street leading off Constitución.
The part of “La Chascona” that houses the main bedroom of Pablo and his wife
The house has a definite nautical theme
You can only explore the house on a guided tour but it is definitely worth paying for.
Pablo named the house La Chascona meaning “Woman with the Tousled Hair” in honour of Matilde Urrutia, his secret love with abundant red hair whom he gave this nickname. . The two met while strolling in nearby Parque Forestal, and for years the house served as a romantic hideaway before they married and she became Nevruda’s third wife.
The tours allowed me to step into the extraordinary mind of the poet whose eclectic designs earned him the label “organic architect.” The house has a nautical theme throughout which is quite interesting seeing as it is situated quite far from the ocean.
The entrance to the guest wing of the house
We were led along winding garden paths, up countless stairs, and even crossed a bridge at to enter various parts of the house. The house is filled with countless objects scattered throughout. There are collections of butterflies, seashells, wineglasses, and other odd objects that inspired Neruda’s tumultuous life and romantic poetry. For some weird reason he had an obsession with watermelons and there are countless paintings of watermelons dotted all over the house.
Nevruda loved the nautical theme
Entrance to the kitchen
Garden Patio
Outside social area
Museum House “La Chascona”
Even the door knockers were exquisite
Sneaky photo of our guide and the bar rescued from an old French ship
Pablo’s living room and view over Santiago
When we first entered the house we were greeted by a lovely bar rescued from an old French ship and countless objects given to Pablo by famous artists, such as from the Mexican Diego Rivera. The library is over stuffed with books and there is even a secret passageway that leads you to a bedroom in a tower.
Pablo had a separate social area build in the garden opposite the house and it is in here that we got to see his Nobel Prize medal and other awards that he received in his lifetime.
Walking through Pablo’s garden
It’s a magnificent place, full of alluring visual details which help you understand the artist’s personal world. A visit to La Chascona will definitely set your imagination dancing.
The Weekly Photo Challenge is The world through your eyes. My whole blog is about how I see and experience the world as I travel through it. At the moment my world is Santiago with its tree lined and graffiti filled streets. I think this piece of street art depicts my experience of this city.
This is how I spend a lot of time in this beautiful city, headphones in, listening to some of my favourite jazz music while walking through the peaceful neighbourhoods of Santiago.
It’s autumn in Santiago, Chile so the mornings and evenings are a bit chilly. But it’s sunny and warm during the day, perfect for walking around town. I am staying in a hostel at the moment, not the best place to stay while working but unfortunately the flat I found to move into would only be available at the end of the month. At least during the weekends there are usually some people around the hostel to do some touristy stuff with and on Friday my student cancelled so I had the day to explore the city!
I joined 2 other travelers and together the 3 of us walked through the streets of Santiago down to La Moneda Palace.
La Moneda Palace actually takes up a whole block in the city.My attempt at a self portrait in front of the palace!
La Moneda Palace was built in 1805 and only became the government headquarters and home to all Chilean Presidents in 1845. This Palace was repaired and rebuilt after the bombing and fire during the revolution on September 11,1990 destroyed a huge part of it.
We read in a guide book that you can actually visit the Palace and that all you need is to take your passport with as you need this to enter the Palace.
We soon found out that this information was wrong. The guards at the front door informed us that we would have to book in for a tour and could only do this on their website. A bit disappointed at not being able to enter we at least got to take some photos of the entrance and the guards.
The well guarded entrance of the Palace
La Moneda Palace!!
The Palace entrance
Guard even smiling for a photo!
Palace Guards
La Moneda Palace
Not too happy about being on camera
La Moneda Cultural Center
Located underground right in front of the Palace is the La Moneda Cultural Center which promotes understanding and appreciation of Chilean culture through major expositions, exhibits and activities. Admission is free so the 3 of us walked through the art exhibitions of the center. I really enjoyed the exhibit, it was artworks made from everyday objects and things you would never actually think would work together.
This “painting” is made from pipe cleaners
Close up
Love the texture of the art work!
This “painting” is made from pipe cleaners, something I can remember playing with as a child. I would never have thought that you could actually use them to create this.
Art work created from used stockings
Beautiful and creepy at the same time
Quite striking
This art work is created out of used stockings!! It is dedicated to the woman around the world who have undergone facial mutilation through acid thrown into their faces. It is quite striking.
Plaza de Armas the heart of SantiagoPlaza de Armas is filled with police patrolling
Arriving at Plaza de Armas we were quite surprised to see the place crawling with police officers. Never did find out why they were all there but their presence didn’t hinder us from walking around and taking loads of photos of them.
All over the square they were getting ready for the weekends patrimonial day celebrations which promised to be quite an event. All museums and historical buildings would be open to the public that Sunday and I heard that people travel from all over to Santiago for this opportunity.
Plaza de Armas
Plaza de Armas
Getting ready for a culture filled weekend
Just standing around
The Plaza was filled with policemen
Plaza de Armas
Random Photo opportunities
Having Empanadas at Plaza de Armas
Stopping off at one of the little restaurants that run all along the Southern side of the plaza we had Empanada’s. I love these “pies”. It is close to a pie but the dough is not flaky. The traditional Chilean Empanada is filled with pino, this is ground meat, onion, olives, raisins and a boiled egg! I had an empanada filled with cheese and mushrooms, which turned out to be quite good!
Crossing the river at sunset
The Mapocho River
Sunset in Santiago
Sunset in Santiago
Crossing the Mapocho River at sunset, ready to sit down with a glass of wine and rest my tired feet!
A lot of the buildings in Bellavista district are covered in graffitiA lot of the graffiti is really beautiful!
Chile has long been the center for radical propaganda painting. As early as 1940 leading Mexican and Chilean artists were painting murals in Chile. Now, Latin American street art is as innovative as any in the world and Chile plays a really big part in this.
I was amazed by the amount and quality of graffiti that covered the walls of Santiago. I spent hours walking through the streets taking photographs of the beautiful “art works” that are on display throughout the city.
Chile has embraced an era of new freedoms since the end of Pinochet’s dictatorship in 1990 and made up for some lost time. Most of the contemporary artists and graffiteros in Santiago have their roots in Latin American propaganda murals but are looking forward more and more. In 1991 crews of graffiti artists started to work in Santiago and they even formed collectives.
I havent found one street in this old neighbourhood that doesnt have a painted wall or decorated building
Santiago Street Art
Santiago Street Art
Santiago Street Art
Santiago Street Art
Santiago Street Art
Santiago Street Art
Santiago Street Art
Santiago Street Art
Mural painting is actually encouraged in Santiago
I have learned that it is not only Santiago that is covered in graffiti but the while of Chile, from Arica to Punta Arenas. Chile is at the southwest edge of the world, cut off from neighbouring countries by the Andes and this has definitely influences its cultural eccentricity.
Today outside mural painting in Chile is encouraged from school age on. The city’s street artists have painted Santiago into one of the hemisphere’s best concentrations of what has been called the last major pictorial form of the twentieth century.
I love that the whole block seems to be covered in street art!
Santiago Street Art
Santiago Street Art
Santiago Street Art
Santiago Street Art
I love the brightly painted walls!
I will always remember Santiago as the city covered in graffiti, the city that got me interested in street art!
While living and working in Santiago I walked to and from work a lot. This gave me the opportunity to get to know Santiago and its tree lined streets. This is the route I walked daily from my hostel to work in the afternoons.
Plaza Camilo Mori is in the heart of the bohemian neighbourhood and just around the corner of my hostel. It is named after the well-known Chilean Painter whose house and studio stood here years ago. This huge red house known as Casa Rosa was built in 1923 and is being turned into a boutique hotel.
The bohemian neighbourhood is filled with little cafe’s and restaurants with outside seating
Bellavista Street runs through the heart of the bohemian neighbourhood of Santiago and architecturally offers a very interesting walk. This is also the area that is covered in beautiful street art.
The area is filled with little cafes
Bellavista neigbourhood
Bellavista neigbourhood
The streets of Bellavista neighbourhood
Pattio Bellavista is filled with shops and restaurants
Centro Cultural Montecarmelo is the primary cultural center of Bellavista district
Centro Cultural Montecarmelo is the primary cultural center of Bellavista district. It was formerly a convent which belonged to the nuns of Carmelitas de Santa Teresa in the 19th century. Today this beautifully renovated center conducts workshops and classes in photography, art, music and dance.
Church close to the cultural center
Church close to the cultural center
Church tower
Church tower
Church close to the cultural center
The Mapocho River that looks more like a stream than a riverPark de las Esculturas next to the river
The Mapocho River runs through Santiago and is rarely full or even more than just a stream of water. I have seen it come roaring down only after heavy rains and is soon just a small stream again.
The most peaceful or relaxing part of my walk to work is through park de las Esculturas. This park was laid out after a massive flooding of the Mapocho River in 1982. It was a very creative response to the need to reinforce this area of the river shore. This narrow park has a bicycle path running all the way through it and a winding pedestrian walkway that I follow in the afternoons. There are a couple of statues and sculptures dotted around the park and lend to the peaceful atmosphere of the park. The park runs all the way along the river and offers views of the snow capped Andes on a rare clear day after it has rained.
Public holidays are synonymous with parades in most countries. The 21st of May was a public holiday in Chile, Navy Day to Commemorates the Battle of Iquique.
The Battle of Iquique was a confrontation that occurred on May 21, 1879, during the naval stage of the War of the Pacific, a conflict between Chile and Peru and Bolivia. The battle took place off the then-Peruvian port of Iquique. The Peruvian ironclad ship named Huáscar sank the Esmeralda, a Chilean wooden corvette after four hours of combat.
A lieutenant named Ignacio Serrano boarded the Huáscar on his horse and with eleven men from the Esmeralda but unfortunately Serrano was the only survivor and had received several shot wounds in the groin. This is such a weird battle to commemorate, especially since they actually lost the battle.
Navy Day parade!
In Park Forestal not very far from Plaza de Armas there was a military and Navy parade to commemorate this famous battle. We stood around for a while and listened to the band play but left as soon as all the speeches started. It was quite crowded and difficult to worm my way to the front to take photos. I tried taking photos with my arms stretched over the crowd but this proved to be more difficult than expected, most obvious reason probable being because I’m quite short and cant reach that high.
Lined up and ready to start
Lined up in front of Mercado Central the fish market
Navy Day Parade!
The band!
Just before the parade started
Listening to speeches
Plaza de armas was filled with people and entertainers but what caught my attention were the really awful looking fake horses. They were really strange looking and stood all over the plaza. I figured that they were props for photos, although I didn’t actually see anybody sit on one of these little horses for a photo. I wouldn’t want a photo with one of these fake horses, they look a bit creepy to me.
Very creepy looking fake horses
They were all over the place!
Why would you want a photo with a fake horse?
The outside area of “Coffee with legs”
The streets Paseo Ahumada and Huerfanos were pedestrianized in 1077 by closing 12 blocks off to motor vehicles. These two walkways are flanked by numerous shops, restaurants and commercial businesses. It has a very lively ambiance with people walking to and fro all day.
It is here that I found a “coffee with legs” café. Coffee with legs, or Café con piernas in Spanish, really refers to coffee shops in Chile where the waitresses wear short skirts to serve customers their coffee. There are no tables here, instead people sip coffee standing around the counters surrounding the Italian-style coffee makers and old-fashioned soda fountains. The servers are all wearing very, very short dresses to show off their legs and I am sure all the men are just waiting and hoping for one of them to pick something up from the floor. The high walls are actually covered completely in mirrors, so that everybody can see the leggy waitresses no matter which side of the coffee shop they are facing. This is the first time during my travels that I have ever come across something like this. It was quite interesting and definitely not what I have come to expect from a very conservative Chile.
The inside area of “Coffee with legs”
Coffee with Legs
Wow the dresses are short!!
How do you work in a dress this short?
My first glimpse of the Church of the Blessed Sacrament
Plaza Bulnes a tree lined walkway down the city center
My Navy day stroll took me through Plaza Bulnes a tree lined walkway down the city center, all the way to the beautiful Basilica de los Sacramentinos. Better known as the Church of the Blessed Sacrament which was built between 1912 and 1931. For a church that took nearly 20 years to be built I expect that the inside should be quite spectacular.
The beautiful Church of the Blessed Sacrament
Barbed wire surround the church
I would have loved to explore this striking Cathedral but unfortunately it was locked on this public holiday. I love the Byzantine style of this church although the fact that it is fenced in with barbed wire was a bit disconcerting. Another disturbing thing for me was that there was actually graffiti on the church and the church steps. Who would graffiti on such a beautiful church?
“Traces” consists of more than eight hundred and fifty second-hand men’s jackets
The Finnish artist Kaarina Kaikkonen is presenting two exhibitions in two different venues in Santiago.
My first encounter with her art was seeing “Traces”, featured on one of the staircases at the Museum of Memory and Human Rights. Here through the display of garments discarded by anonymous people, she redefines this space. “Traces” consists of more than eight hundred and fifty second-hand men’s jackets which belonged mainly to anonymous men, connected by thin ropes and covering one of the two large outdoor staircases leading to the grand esplanade of the MMHR.
“Traces” attempts to leave a trace that will inevitably disappear and immediately carries us back to the past and reminds us of the events that took place during the military dictatorship. It was a very good way to remind us that what this museum commemorates does get lost and forgotten in as time goes on.
“Traces”, featured on one of the staircases at the Museum of Memory and Human Rights.The National Museum of Fine ArtsIt featured close to two thousand shirts and blouses
The second exhibition named “Dialogues” I encountered while visiting the National Museum of Fine Arts. This is one of the main centers of visual arts in Chile and hold works of art from various time periods starting with the colonial Era. This beautiful museum lies in Park Forestal right next to the river.
The second art work by Kaarina Kaikkonen “Dialogues” is the first thing I saw when I entered this museum. It featured close to two thousand shirts and blouses that cascade down from the edges of the high walls under the cupola of the NMFA to the floor of the Central Hall. I was quite glad that I caught this exhibition as “Dialogues” was on exhibit only until May 26, 2013. This shirt exhibit fascinated me and it was hard to take my eyes off it. As the shirt ascend towards the cupola, their color becomes lighter and reaches pastel tones at the top. According to the artist this color shift emphasizes the perception of roundness of the structure created by the garments, intensifying the impression of its being an inverted cupola. I ascended to the second story of the museum and got to walk through the tunnel that these hanging shirts create.
This art work by Kaarina Kaikkonen is named “Dialogues”
As the shirt ascend towards the cupola, their color becomes lighter and reaches pastel tones at the top.
This art work by Kaarina Kaikkonen is named “Dialogues”
According to the artist this color shift emphasizes the perception of roundness of the structure
Standing between the shirts
Standing at the top
Statues among the shirts
There were a couple of artists works being showcases at the gallery
This exhibit was impressive but did not make the other exhibits in the museum less so. My favourite exhibit was the engravings of the artist Loro Coiron. Wood engraving is the practice of incising a design on to a hard, usually flat surface, by cutting grooves into it. The artist then uses relief printing, where he applies ink to the face of the block and prints onto paper using relatively low pressure.
Loro Coiron is a Frenchman who has lived in Valparaíso for the last 16 years now, uses this exquisite city as the subject for most of his print work. The scenes portray the marketplaces, bars and streets of Valparaíso. Each piece depicts the local community and daily life of this port city in incredible details.
As part of this lovely exhibit they had a film on which I could actually watch the artist create one of these art works. It was very interesting to watch how he carved out the images and how they ended up as the printed artwork that was exhibited here.
A wonderful exhibit
National Museum of Fine Arts.
National Museum of Fine Arts.
The National art Museum
The postcards I bought myself
Love the detail of the building
I ended up purchasing a couple of postcards of these prints in the hope to frame them someday!
Even the pavement has some very beautiful mosaic art work
I think that you learn a lot about a country and its culture through its food and local drinks. The best place to actually “experience” the food of a different country is definitely at its markets. Visiting different fresh food markets is definitely one of my favourite things to do when visiting a new country. Santiago has a couple of interesting product markets that are definitely worth a visit!
Walking down Antonia Lopez de Bello Street towards Vega Central the fruit and vegetable Market, the pavement has some very beautiful mosaic art works. This street is filled with little shops and restaurants most of whom have their walls or entrances covered in street art. Some you can see were actually done or commissioned by the owners as it advertises the place and lends to the character of the place.
Corner shop
A hat shop on the corner
Mosaic art on the sidewalks!
Love the mural of this restaurant!
Most of the sidewalks here in Santiago are tree lined which definitely adds to the peaceful atmosphere of the city. Although there is a chill in the air it is a lovely sunny day and great weather for exploring the city.
La Vega Central Market
You can even buy balls!
Different kinds of cheese
Olives!
The market is in a huge warehouse
Fresh vegetables!
Pickled vegetables
La Vega Market
Inside La Vega Central market
Entering La Vega Central market the aroma of fresh fruit and vegetables is quite overpowering and very inviting. This market is Santiago’s principal fruit and vegetable market and a definite must for foodies! Amidst its chaos of crates and stalls, and the buying, shouting and negotiating, Vega Central offers an earthy and colourful experience.
Some of these beautiful brightly coloured fruit and vegetable were very new to me. I have never before in my life heard of much less seen the fruit Pepinos or Noni!
First time ever that I see Pepino fruit
The Pepino fruit resembles a melon in color, and its flavor recalls a succulent mixture of honeydew and cucumber, and thus it is also sometimes called pepino melon or melon pear, but Pepinos are only very distantly related to melons and pears.
The strange fruit named Noni!
Noni or Morinda citrifolia is a tree in the coffee family, Rubiaceae. It is at first green then the fruit turns yellow then almost white as it ripens. It contains many seeds. It is sometimes called starvation fruit. Despite its strong smell and bitter taste, the fruit is nevertheless eaten as a famine food and, in some Pacific islands, even a staple food, either raw or cooked.
Rows and rows of fresh produce
La Vega Central Market
Looks delicious
La Vega Central Market
La Vega Central Market
La Vega Central Market
La Vega Central Market
Love the bright colours of La Vega Central MarketFresh Flower arrangements
The market is set in a huge warehouse that covers several city blocks so can keep you busy for hours! I enjoyed walking through the numerous stalls with their colourful fruit or vegetables but by the time we left the market I could definitely do with something to eat.
Inside a huge warehouse next to Vega Central we found the Flower market. The morning delivery of fresh flowers had already been sent out and the people at the stalls inside the warehouse were all busy making bouquet. It looked like most of the bouquets and wreaths in this warehouse were for funerals.
The whole warehouse is filled with flower arrangements
The aroma of fresh flowers fill the warehouse!
Flower Market
Beautiful flowers
Crossing the river we entered Mercado Central the main fresh seafood market in the city since 1872. This market is frequented my tourists and even locals who come to see, smell and buy the bounty of fish and shellfish found along the Chilean coast.
Mercado Central the main fresh seafood market in the city
Mercado Central the main fresh seafood market in the city
Mercado Central Fish Market
Mercado Central
Even fish heads!
sea urchin!
Lovely!
Fresh Fish!
The little restaurant in the market where I ate
This market is filled with fresh seafood stalls and many small restaurants where you have the opportunity to try the fresh seafood. I love seafood and wasn’t going to let the chance to try a strange seafood dish go me by. I sat down at a small restaurant where I had the opportunity to try Ceviche. It is a seafood dish popular in the coastal regions of Chile. The dish is made from fresh raw fish marinated in citrus juices, such as lemon or lime and was served with chopped onions, salt, and coriander. I really enjoyed trying this dish and doing so in this market where I knew the ingredients would be fresh was an excellent experience! I would recommend this fish dish to anybody who loves sushi!!
My plate of Ceviche, raw fish with lime!La Piojera one of the largest traditional pub restaurants in SantiagoLater that afternoon La Piojera was filled with navy men!
Situated right next to this fabulous market is La Piojera one of the largest traditional pub restaurants in Santiago. This historically popular bar is famous for its meat dishes and its traditional drink called Terremoto which means earthquake. This drink is made with Pepino wine and pineapple ice-cream. The place was filled with sailors and had a lovely lively atmosphere! It is an explosion of sights, sounds and bawdy local drinking culture.
I got to watch as the barmen made batches of this famous drink Terremoto, sure that it will be sold as fast as it was made. We got one to share and it was so sweet that we could hardly finish the one drink, but it was still very good. I can vouch that it is sweet and also very strong as even half a Terremoto made me feel a bit tipsy!
Me in front of La Piojera!
Buying our Terremotto!
They made the drinks in large quantities
Drunk navy men everywhere!
Having an “earthquake”!!
This was the perfect way to end my day of experiencing Chile through its food!
The beautiful Basilica de la MercedThe main entrance to the Cathedral
The city of Santiago has a couple of very old churches that are absolutely lovely to explore. Walking down Merced Street I stopped at the Basilica of Mercy a Catholic church located just before I reached Plaza de Armas. This Basilica was built in 1566 and established by the Order of the Blessed Mary of Mercy, who arrived with the first expedition to Chile.
During its early years it was one of the most important churches at the time, so a lot of wealthy families chose to be buried in it. The tombs of Rodrigo de Quiroga and his wife Ines Suarez the first Spanish woman in Chile is among these.
The two towers were only added laterEntering the Basilica of Mercy
In 1859 the first tower was built and in 1885 and second, the lower part is built with brick and the upper in timber. I love that the exterior of the Cathedral is painted a bright red and the inside a soft yellow.
I found out that most Cathedrals lock their doors after 3pm on weekdays so made sure that I started my church exploration early that Friday. The Cathedral has a little hidden side entrance through which I entered it. The Baroque interior features a hand carved pulpit and a Virgin la Merced from 1548. This Virgin is silver with blue drapes behind it and lit up so was definitely one of the first things I noticed when entering the Cathedral.
The inside is a soft pink and gold
Soft light adds to the peaceful atmosphere
Quiet and peaceful
The side doors through which I entered
The silver brightly lit Virgin
The brightly lit altar
I love the detail found in the Cathedral
The nave has a vaulted ceiling with no natural light and is adorned with some beautiful chandeliers. Although they weren’t all lit up there were bright lights all along the side of the Cathedral. This put the yellow Cathedral in a very soft and peaceful light.
I love browsing through all the artifacts sold at churchesYou can even buy some flowers to lay down in the small chapel inside the Cathedral
Exiting the Cathedral by the main doors I was greeted by a couple of religious artifact sellers. They are set up on the steps of the Cathedral and sell anything from votive candles to rosary beads.
Plaza de Armas which is the heart and soul of Santiago de Chile
Continuing down the street and onto Plaza de Armas which is the heart and soul of Santiago de Chile. It is the centerpiece of the initial layout of Santiago, which has a square grid pattern. The Cathedral contrasts with the modern high-rise buildings right next to it in a very special harmony.
The Northern side of Plaza de Armas
Plaza De Armaz metro station
Fountain in the middle of the plaza
Plaza de Armas
The Post Office in front and the Cathedral to the left of the Plaza
The Central Post office and Museum at the Plaza
Surrounding the square are some historical buildings including the Central Post Office Building. This building was initially the residence of the city’s founding father, Pedro de Valdivia. In 1908 they decided to beautify the building they renovated the façade in Renaissance style and added a third floor and a glass cupola. . It’s worth popping in for a look at the beautiful lobby with its checkered floor.
Today the Central post office has a small postal museum to memorialize the history of Correos de Chille. If you like old technology or antique machines there are some nice examples you shouldn’t miss.
The interior of the Post Office is quire beautifulThe striking Metropolitan Cathedral sits on the western corner of Plaza de ArmasThe Bell tower of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Santiago
The Metropolitan Cathedral of Santiago is located on the corner opposite the Central post office and has been a monument since 1951. It is one of the historical sites of Santiago I would definitely recommend for a visit. This Cathedral was inaugurated in 1775 and is actually the 5th church built on this site since previous structures were destroyed in earthquakes.
Entering through the very imposing, hand carved cedar doors I left the hustle and bustle of the plaza behind and entered the quiet and peaceful interior. I love that people naturally fall silent as soon as they enter churches or Cathedrals.
This Cathedral has beautiful hand carved cedar doors at the entranceI sat down admiring the stunning painted ceiling of this Cathedral
I found the patterned floor quite lovely
Admission is free and it is well worth going inside to take a look at the lavishly decorated nave and altar. It has a beautiful ornate baroque interior, great frescoes and paintings and is full of decorations all over. The central nave with its painted ceiling and rows of hand carved pews was a stunning sight indeed.
The Cathedral has a wonderful mixture of marble, lapis lazuli and bronze with beautiful chandeliers providing soft lighting.
The Metropolitan Cathedral of Santiago
A glimpse of the painted ceiling
Inside the Cathedral
Inside the Cathedral
Beautiful archways
Beautiful chandeliers
Small chapel inside the Cathedral
To the left of the main entrance I stepped into the Cathedral’s Capilla del Centesimo Sacramento (the Hundredth Sacrament Chapel). It is a small side chapel covered in beautiful silver work crafted by Jesuits.
Cathedral’s Capilla del Centesimo SacramentoIglesia de Santo Domingo,
Not having got my fill of Cathedrals for this lovely peaceful day my next stop was the Iglesia de Santo Domingo, the Santo Domingo Church. It lies in the street just behind the Plaza de Armas. It is a Dominican church built in ashlar masonry. The present day church is the 4th one built on this site and constructed in 1747. The Bavarian Baroque bell towers are constructed of clay brick masonry covered with stucco.
Today, worshippers pray to the Virgin of Pompeii, whose illuminated statue occupies the central altar.
Small chapel inside Santo Domingo Church
Iglesia de Santo Domingo
Virgin of Pompeii at the center of the church
Santo Domingo Church
Virgin of Pompeii
The church had a couple of religious artifact sellers at the entrance but was quite deserted and peaceful once inside. I enjoy the quiet that churches offer, they are definitely the best places to retreat to when you are in need of a break or need to think some things through.
Sitting down in the columned nave of this church to rest my tired feet was definitely the perfect way to end a day of church exploring.
Strolling down Providencia street and entering the more “modern” part of the city
Winter is fast approaching Santiago and making its presence felt with chilly and mostly cloudy days. Everywhere people wrapped up in scarves and coats are enjoying the last autumn days by strolling along the tree lined streets of Santiago. Strolling down Providencia street filled with little café’s and restaurants the contrast between old and new architecture becomes quite striking.
The locked Basilica Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Here Basilica Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel sits on the corner of a busy intersection surrounded by modern buildings. Maybe because there are high-rises surrounding this cathedral it stands out and is hard to miss.
Here you can see the “modern” looming over the “old”
This Cathedral is the Episcopal seat of the Military Bishopric of Chile but open to the community. I have seen the inside on pictures and really wanted to see it for myself. Walking around the Cathedral I tried all the doors and found them all locked. I found it quite weird that a Cathedral in the city center would be locked this early in the afternoon.
On the corner opposite the Cathedral
Basilica Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Last remnants of summer
A little gem hidden between all the modern buildings
Bell tower
I didn’t have any better luck with the next church of St Raymond Parish which I found down a small street just pass the Cathedral.
Church of St Raymond Parish
Virgin Mary in front of the church
The entrance of the locked church
Church of St Raymond Parish
Inside the huge shopping mall it is clearly marked what is sold on which floor.
Walking towards the metro I came across the Costanera Center, the largest mall in South America. It is only steps away from the Tobalaba metro station and at the foot of the highest building in the country. It has six floors with two hypermarkets and more than 100 shops, a gym in the six floor, a cinema, and the first Hard Rock Cafe in the country. The best part is that each floor has a separate theme and clearly signposted with what you can expect to find on that floor. So I didn’t need to spend hours running around trying to find the items I needed.
The Autumn coloured tree lined paths of Park Quinta NornalThe park is a perfect place to spend a quiet Sunday afternoon
The perfect place for me relax to be peaceful is when I am surrounded by nature and its beauty. This week’s travel theme from Ailsa is peaceful.
Sunday afternoon I found myself walking through park Quinta Normal and its many tree lined paths. This was definitely one of my favourite peaceful moments so far on my travels through Chile.
Love the colours of autumn!!This is the stunning street art at the entrance of Park Quinta NormalThe museums inside the park are covered in graffiti
This park houses four of Santiago’s main museums: the Natural History Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art (MAC) Quinta Normal, Museum of Science and Technology and the Santiago Railway Museum. On Sundays you can visit these museums for free so the park is usually very busy then. I was quite lucky that on this Sunday it was a bit chilly so most of the tree lined lanes in the park were deserted and I could wonder around in the peace and quiet all afternoon.
I cant believe that they would allow graffiti on the side of the museum buildingThe front of one of the museums inside the park.
Not only are most of the buildings surrounding the park covered in street art, so too are the buildings that house the museums inside the park. The graffiti that cover most of these building are mini art works and quite lovely to look at. It just amazes me that the government would actually allow people to paint on the side of museums and even churches. I have never seen this in any other country that I have traveled through.
Little graffiti covered cafe close to Park Quinta NormalYou cant walk down a street in Santiago and not find some street art!Some of the Street artists of Santiago are very talented!
