So I have always wanted to go to Chile.. and I am blessed my husband likes to travel and now I can say I have been to Santiago, Chile and I would 100% return if asked to!!! Santiago is lovely and inviting.. so clean and beautiful with a great view of the Andes Mountain range ....
we were able to visit a few museums, go shopping at a real mall, eat great foods with flavor, try biking in a big city and have the adventure of trying to all get out of a room (a fun interactive adventure game based on the app 'locked in a room')
I am already looking at when we can return!!!
so as usual.... pictures:)
so Scott wanted to do ONE thing while we were in Santiago which was ride the Teleferico up to Cerro San Cristobal.. so after getting lost a bit trying to find this place, we finally arrive.. ONLY it's closed:( for the next year or so for updates.. no where on Trip Advisor did it say that!!! so up the mountain we went (via Taxi)
at the top is this beautiful statue that is so large!! you can see it clearly on top of the mountain from any place in the city.. it is magnificent and the inside, though I only got one picture, is so pretty!!!
I was told this was a gift to the Chilean people from France..
The view was a bit smoggy and I was a bit sad at this mountain range is just incredible to see.. when you can see it
This kid truly enjoyed hanging on the steps enjoying the view.. the other kid.. yeah she was hungry and cranky.. it is a lot of stairs to get up here.. she was not having it..
yes.. she is way taller than me now.. this is not really an optical illusion.. though I wish it was..
so finally to make kid no. 2 happy we stopped at a snack stand at the top of Cerro San Cristobal for a drink and a snack.. the local drink here MOTE CON HUESILLO cooked dried peaches and stewed corn served as a drink.. let me just be the first to say HOLY YUMMMMM BATMAN... wow.. so good.. we noticed everyone local was having this.. and at about $1.30 usd.. bargain!!!!
we took the funicular down the mountain.. sort of like the slowest moving train ever you could think of.. scooting on my bottom would have been faster..
these two loved the ride
after a much needed lunch we went over to the famous Chilean Poet, Pedro Neruda's house, which again.. was incredible (like all of Santiago is)..
Lovely paintings and decorations...
Santiago has a lot of street art.. graffiti style and this is the one outside of Neruda's house.. very neat!!
Even though I swore that bacon the pig would NOT be traveling with us, he made it to Chile.. he is lucky..
So we took a bike tour of the city (which was incredible) and we were able to see more street art.. in BA they have graffiti that is just ugly and like tags, but in Santiago truly it is all art
creepy santa..
in the subway station..
more art in the subway..
we stopped for some rose flavored ice cream and sat across from this beautiful church..
sometimes getting lost means you find random stuff to climb on.. Santiago has so many beautiful outdoor areas to exercise and take advantage of being outside!!
You have to save your brain when you ride a bike on the streets in Santiago.. such a great adventure.. tons to see and learn about.. While the kids weren't so interested, our guide gave us insight into the dictatorship that Chile endured from 1973 until recently.. amazing how far they have come
The busy streets of Santiago.. :)
the local fruit and veggie market.. 4 blocks by 2 blocks packed full of ever fruit and veggie you could dream of.. what a lovely sight.. in BA the selections of fruits and veggies is horrible to be kind.. this was quite a welcome change..
Carrots for everyone!!
Corn too!!!
the market was super busy as we went on Good Friday.. we attempted to go to the fish market but since everyone eats fish on good Friday we didn't even stand a chance of getting in.. crazy fun
somehow our guide managed to keep us all together
we made it!!!
and we found Dunkin Donuts.. LOL.. when you live in a country where you just have little products you know or are familiar with, small things like a dunkin donuts coffee is amazing..
we went into the grocery store in Chile too.. I almost cried I forgot how many choices of things like BBQ sauce you can really get.. here in Argentina I think we have 2 local ones and if you are lucky and want to pay a small fortune you can maybe find some imported ones around in small markets..
I won't even share my tears when I saw the cereal aisle.. and I also won't admit the only product I managed to buy because I was just so overwhelmed was a can of PAM Spray.. silly
all in all Santiago was amazing.. the view I hoped for from the city I got from the plane.. it is amazing the view and I hope to return for another visit... so much more to see and do!!
These two agreed with me.. we didn't want to leave!!!
