The tour included the obvious sights - Plaza de Armas (Correo Central, Catedral Metropolitana) and La Moneda (Presedential Palace) but also details of the local cuisine, restaurants, ice cream parlours, political issues and general cultural information about Chilean people. By around 3pm, we were fully armed with things to do (and eat) over the next few days.
Correo Central
Catedral Metropolitana
La Moneda
Santiago's oldest skyscraper
We selected our hostel to be in the 'thick of it' in a 'Barrio' called Bella Vista. Bella Vista is the arty and bohiemian region of Santiago, with a selection of excellent restaurants and a plethora of bars. We decided to eat out and try some of the 'comidas typicas' in a restaurant just around the corner. For starters we shared the 'machas a la parmesana' razor clams cooked with parmesan (well nice) washed down with a Pisco Sour. For mains we had the 'arrollado de chancho' seasoned rolled pork (quite fatty) served with a chilli mash and a 'pastel de choclo' which was ground beef, chicken and onion with a corn mash on top. In a similar style to a cottage pie. We decided on an early night as the night before was spent on a night bus. Little did we know, that was the last thing that was going to happen!!
We rose the next morning with very thick heads after having the loudest night we have had whilst being away. We should have known that 'in the thick of it' meant 'sleeping in a night-club' - in both the noisy and hot sense of the word. The fan was no better than someone breathing on you and the bar opposite didn't close until 5am. Anyway, the following night was just as bad - but if you can't beat them, join them!!
The next day we headed to the Mecardo Central fish market and a bar which invented a cocktail called the 'Terremoto' (Spanish for earthquake..not a popular word in Chile) in response to claims from Peru that the Pisco Sour was their invention. It's made from fermented wine, pineapple ice cream and a type of Jaegermeister. If you imagine all the conflict that the Spanish invasion caused, you will also wonder why they were arguing over a cocktail???!!! After a very confusing conversation in Spanish about earthquakes (including a lot of miming on our part), we found 'La Piojera' and ordered a couple of 'Earthquakes' at around 12 noon.
Two Terremoto at 12noon
Most of the people in La Piojera here are on their second Terremoto! Check out the lady in the white in the foreground. She had three whilst we were there.
Some friendly Chileans posing for the camer. Visitors were encouraged to write something on th walls, chairs table, whatever!
The gents above are just a small selection of Chileans we have met to date. They have been so friendly, sometimes stopping us randomly just to have a conversation and find out where we are from and if we were enjoying Chile. We have decided to have some further Spanish lessons in Boliva to enable us to have more meaningful conversations with the locals we encounter.
Our heads were a little light after the Terremoto's, but we managed to walk up the steep and winding steps of the Cerro Santa Lucia city park. This oasis of green is slap bang in the middle of town.
After walking up one hill, we cheated a little and took the funicular train up the Cerro San Cristobal to take in further the views of the city. The hot weather took it's toll and we ordered a 'mote con heuesillo' which is a cold tea like drink with rehydrated apricots and a wheat pearl barley like substance thrown in for good measure.
Ryan thought it was a little bizarre!
We met up with our friend Line (from Puerto Natales) for a few beers and local cheese before attempting to sleep through the bellowing music from the adjacent bar. We cancelled a further night that we had booked in favour of staying at our next destination early. A visit to La Modena to view the changing of the guard, an elaborate celebration that happens every other day and to the Museo Chileno de Arte Precolumbino finished our stay in Santiago off nicely.
La Modena changing of the guard
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