Santiago is the capital of Chile and is one of South America’s biggest cities with a population of about 7.5 million. It’s located inland just east of the port city of Valparaiso. Santiago was founded by a Spanish conquistador by the name of Pedro de Valdivia in 1541. He obviously didn’t seek the permission of the local Indians because they nearly destroyed the city at the start. Today it is a large urban sprawl comprising a mix of very old and very modern – a mix of classic Spanish architecture and contemporary architecture. Splattered amongst all this are many park areas that seem well patronised, especially on weekends. Santiago has a very sophisticated subway system that is easy to use. This works with a very busy bus system and a metro card works for both. It is a simple and user-friendly system. I’ve worked out the subway so it must be simply – colour coordinated.
Talking about old buildings, there is a very old abandoned stone building on my path to the subway. It has obvious structural floors from one too many earthquake experiences. It is fenced off to keep people out. This morning when I walked past there was fresh rubble from the building on the path. Parts had fallen off overnight! Isn’t that a bit worrying?
The Virgin Mary looking her best on a beautiful Sunday morning.
There is hill fairly central to the city that has a large statue of the Virgin Mary atop. It seems very South American to have a statue of Jesus or Mary located on the best real-estate in town. With Mary are cafes, markets and of course a church. It seems to be a very popular Sunday morning thing to do to ride your bike, jog or walk to the top of this hill and get your nutritional, caffeine, physical and spiritual fix all in one. You can also choose to drive or catch a trolley cart to the top. It gets very crowded up here. Bikes are everywhere vying for what little space there is. I did witness a bit if bike rage. I doubt that Mary would approve. Anyway, away from the bikes and up several flights of stairs you can sit at Mary’s feet in peace and quiet. It was nice and people were quietly paying their respects.
They have a traditional drink in Chile called mote con huesillo. It was being drunk by many of the bike riders so I pointed at one and gestured that I would like to try one as well. It’s unusual. It is made up of two stewed whole peaches and a boiled wheat like grain, all in a sweet peach-tea type juice. It’s a meal in itself and obviously very popular. I liked it.
A mote con huesillo
A talk to some locals who have lived in Santiago for 15 years and they love the place. Perhaps my initial view of the city has been a bit harsh. The city, and Chile, is doing very well economically but they admit there are some political problems.
I’ve just eaten something I thought was capsicum. It’s not. I’m breathing fire! Strewth! Fortunately there is plenty of beer on hand!
angusmccoll 