Our Last Week in Santiago

It is 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday as I am starting this final post from our Chile adventure.  The house trade tasks are in reverse.  We are packing and checking down the list of things to do before we leave for the airport at 4:00 - replacing things in the pantry that we used, filling the car´s gas tank, changing sheets and towels.  What has been "our" home for that past four weeks will be returning to its rightful owners.  Gearing up for the long overnight flight to Atlanta (10 hours) then an early morning flight to SFO.  It has been another fabulous trip, but we do look forward to our own bed, pillows, and shower head.

As much as there were some other day or overnight trips we could have taken from Santiago, all the traveling we did already had us preferring to stay local.  So, for the past week we have continued to take in the sights (and more food, more wine, more pisco sours) of this amazing city.  We have not been in the car at all, but instead navigating the efficient bus and metro system like pros.  Other than the weekend which was cold and foggy, the weather has been beautiful so we have been able to enjoy lots of outdoor sights.

Museo Pareque de las Esculturas (Sculpture Park):

Located in the Providencia section of the city is this wonderful outdoor display of 40 sculptures from Chilean and international artists located along the banks of the Rio Mapocho.  In 1982 the river flooded and caused considerable damage, including the garden and park area that was at this location. As the rebuilding tasks began, a group of local artists began an initiative to create a sculpture park - a way to beautify the destroyed gardens while also promoting artistic expression in the city.

From there we continued to walk along the river.  Parks like this with walking and bike paths border the river throughout the city.

Street art is a powerful and colorful means of expression throughout Chile.  We saw a lot of it during our visit to Valparaiso and over the next few days we enjoyed the offerings in Santiago.  Here are a just a few that we passed along the river during our walk.

Cerro Santa Lucia:

On our first full day in Santiago our walking tour guide had taken us to Barrio Lastarria for lunch. A beautiful area, we wanted to return and see more of it, specifically Cerro Santa Lucia.  

The hill is a lush park that was once the strategic defense point for conquistador Pedro de Valdivia who founded (colonized from the indigenous people) Santiago at this spot in 1541.  Following the takeover, the Mapuches named the hill Huelen, meaning sadness or pain.  In 1871, then mayor Benjamin Vicuña Mackenna transformed the hill into gardens, fountains and regal structures.  What looks like a small little park was a real surprise to is.  There are many terraces, steps and paths as it climbs to the top.  

In spite of the cloudy day, the views were impressive.

Once at the top we assumed we would just retrace our steps back to the entrance, but there was a whole other side of the hill to explore.

Pueblo Los Domincos:

Just a few metro stations beyond Vitacura, heading closer to the Andes, is this rustic complex housed within the grounds of the neighboring church.  

In 1982 it was expanded and landscaped to resemble a Chilean Colonial village.  In addition to a large farmers market in the park in front of it, the pueblo´s paths meander offering many small artisan shops.  

A creek runs throughout and it is beautifully landscaped. 

While we didn´t buy anything, it was lovely to stroll through and get a sense of what life used to be like.  Not listed in our tour book, there was a small museum with several exhibits including bonsai of local trees.

Museo a Cielo Abierto (Open Air Museum):

This was another place not mentioned in our trusty tour book and we only heard about it from the neighbors we met.  Located in the low income San Miguel neighborhood, it began as a social and cultural project in 2009 by two residents of the area, who hoped to revitalize the deteriorating neighborhood, add color and vibrancy to it, draw tourists to the area, and reactivate the community through art. Local and internationally renowned street artists/muralists worked with residents to create about 40 murals on the sides of the four-story concrete apartment building.  

We were in awe.  Here are just a few of the murals.

Barrio Italia:

NOT the Italian neighborhood, just named after the street it is on is an interesting area, being transformed from primarily auto body and auto repair shops, to a furniture and design section.  What once was huge warehouse/garage buildings are being remodeled into courtyard style complexes with small shops and cafes.  While a lot of the stores were closed (and we couldn´t figure out why...) we got the general idea of its charm.

Jim felt right at home under this street sign.

 It is also home to tons of antique dealers and their refurbishing shops...

and this book collector who would be a perfect candidate for the TV show Hoarders!

The metro station for the trip home added some more street art.

Costanera Center and Sky Tower:

And, drum roll... our final view of Santiago.  From most parts of the city, we have been able to see this skyscraper.  At 300 meters, it is the tallest building in Latin America and similar in height to the Eiffel Tower.

It has a 360 degree view observation from the top, so we had waited, hoping to see it after a rainfall so that the smog wouldn´t interfere with the view. Rain was predicted for Sunday, but didn´t happen, so we gave up on that plan.  The good news is other than the foggy and cold weekend, we have had warm and sunny afternoons to accompany us on our outdoor exploration of Santiago.  We decided it would be a fitting way to end our time here.

The bottom 5 levels are a shopping center that just seemed like any mall in the USA.  

A two minute elevator ride brought us to the top, for spectacular views of this HUGE city (population of the metropolitan are of Santiago is about 7.2 million).  The observation area is two levels, with the top level been open to the sky.

There you have it!  Our month it Chile has reached it final few hours, and it is time for me to finish packing.  It is hard to believe how quickly the time has flown by and how much we have been able to see and do.  What an interesting and beautiful country.  We hoped you have enjoyed tagging along!

Here people do not say adios.  So, as they say in Chile, "Chao!"

Jim and Lisa