As the capital city of Chile, one would expect a stack of things to do and see, however it is a bit underwhelming.
There are some heritage, old European style buildings, a few modern skyscrapers, but otherwise the architecture is pretty bland and I would even say dirty- nothing a lick of paint couldnāt fix.
I was lucky to spend a weekend with a Chilean friend of mine whom I met in Whyalla, Australia.
The first thing on the list on Saturday was to organise a ticket to Easter Island- having had issues with paying with my debit card online since being in South Africa, this was eventually sorted after a couple of hours- it wasnāt easy- but it got sorted!
Lunch was at the central market- a traditional corn pie called Pastel De Choclo. Which has mincemeat and chicken with a thick, glazed topping of corn.
In the afternoon we walked through Park Forestral ā the cityās central park -and came across hundreds of people. We were both excited- thinking we have come across something good happening-like a festival- it turned out that everyone was there chasing Pokemons !!
On Sunday we did an East (rich suburbs) to West (poor suburbs) trip via the metro and buses to see all sides of the city. The eastern most stop of Metro 1 is Los Dominicos . Here one finds the church of the same name, after the first order of monks that arrived here and a very diverse market of Chilean products āleather, copper, horse hair art called crin (see this link for an example- itās very fine work!), ponchos and traditional gaucho (cowboy) hats.
As my friend was ensuring that I taste traditional Chilean food- I had my first Empanada ā āpinoā- which is with mincemeat, onions, half a boiled egg and an olive. I must say that I find Chilean food bland- like the buildings ā¦. It lacks a bit of spice, not heat, but spice.
We then travelled west by bus all the way to Maipu suburb, and as you do so you can see the poverty more as time progressed. The Basilica of the Virgin del Carmen (Patron Saint of Chile) is located here. The structure is absolutely enormous and has a grand stained glass window. It was built between 1948 and 1974, in place of several previously damaged chapels/ cathedrals that were placed in the exact position where the fight for independence of Chile was won after the Army of the Andes asked for intercession when fighting against the Spanish and won.
Museums are closed on Mondays- as in pretty much ALL museums, so I did a walking tour that commences in Plaza de Armas at 10am and 3pm daily. I always enjoy doing these as you get a good summary of history and way around the main attractions. It is also on this tour that I learned about ācoffee with legsā. This was started by a female entrepreneur in the 70s to entice people to drink the bad coffee in Chileā¦so what is it? Coffee bars where you stand around bar type tables and are served your coffee by scantily dressed ladies. Clearly this is more popular with the menā¦ and there isnāt a ladies option for me to enjoy šĀ .
Tuesday was my cultural museum day. I visited the National Museum- which unfortunately didnāt have English descriptions; after which I spent a large portion of the early afternoon in the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art. This has the history of Chile prior to European settlement and was interesting ā I hadnāt recalled that the Inca empire stretched all the way to Santiago area. TheĀ Museum exhibits artefacts and describes the history and use thereof- like the spatulas that Shamans used to empty their stomach contents prior to getting high on their chosen concoctions.
Excited to see some of the arty bits of the city the next two Museums (MAVI and Museum Belles Artes) and their exhibitions were a letdown. I do not profess to have any knowledge of art but do find some pieces interesting/intriguing when I visit āartyā placesā¦ however I left uninspired!
Ā
I do have a love of old libraries- and the National Library of Chile did not disappoint- when walking into the old majestic library rooms the perfume of old books is in the air and it feels like if you are going back decades in time! Below areĀ some photos of the library and a few other buildings of note.Ā
The area around the student house (with chairs etc hanging out of the windows???) has several spaces where people come together to practice their dancing/ juggling/ street art and you can just go there and watch. Several galleries are located in close proximity.
6 replies on “Santiago de Chile”
Having never left Australia before, I rarely experience non-English descriptions on articles, well, other than on Whyalla Buy, Swap & Sell. I often need a translator there. I miss the smell of a library, it’s been a long time since I’ve been in one!
Looks like you’re having a nice time, enjoy!
I think you will find that the Whyalla library does not quiet have that smell š
Dla mnie wyglada bardzo fajnie i inaczej. National Library – cos slicznego! Kosciol Franciszka poprostu piekny budynek. Stock exchange, super cool. Ciesz sie zyciem! Dzieki za zdjecia i interesujace opisy. A jak jest z bezpieczenstwem na ulicach? Atakuja?
Normally safe- though last week there were protests that between public and police that included shooting and tear gas. This is due to police killing a mapuche (indigenous people of Chile) man.
The night before I left there was tear gas used around the metro and everyone was sneezing and coughing!
Thanks Jo. Interesting reading and love the photos! Stay safe and enjoy.
Looks like Santiago was a bit disappointing. But some pictures are really beautiful, and I agree that library is very impressive. Some churches I also like, including the modern one. Hope other places will leave better impression