This was our first full day in Santiago. Our hostel is actually really nice, and they served up a nice breakfast for us. We are bunking with a couple from the UK - they are super cool - and we also met two couples from Australia and a couple from Hong Kong. People who travel a lot tend to be nice, I think.
We started a bit late, but it's all good. We needed the sleep. We walked down to the subway. This can be a little scary for tourists, and we were a little worried, but truly the subway was much easier than we imagined, and way cheaper than a taxi.
Our goal today was shopping. We didn't take a ton of money, which was smart, so we were wise with spending. Market vendors are bargainers, and I did my first bargaining today - in Spanish! We got some pretty cool stuff, as shown here. We also got some other gifts for people, but we won't give that away. Also, we will probably return there tomorrow.
We've also been only drinking agua de botella sin gas, or bottled water without gas - non carbonated.
Our favorite vendor was Jesus who sold really cool children's toys made of wood. He taught us how to play Gato, similar to tic-tac-toe, but with only three pieces a person. He made a good sale. :)
There are several markets in Bella Vista, of course. We went to two today, the first one being the best. It was more artisan and local, whereas the second was far more touristy. It was very clean and had some good stuff, for sure, but we far preferred the look, feel, and product of the smaller one.
Since we were down there, of course, we checked out Parque Forestal. This is a popular place for couples, as it turns out. But also, it is a nice green space.
Since we were down there, of course, we checked out Parque Forestal. This is a popular place for couples, as it turns out. But also, it is a nice green space.
Also, I got a few shots of the pretty neighborhood where our hostel is.
There is graffiti everywhere. Everywhere. Some of the newer buildings, and maybe some of the "nicer" parts of the city don't have so much, but it's all over.
This was at Rio Mapocho.
Although we did not make it to any museums today, Santiago is also filled with sculptures (that I don't know anything about).
Yes, that is a person sleeping there in a red sleeping bag. As with many big cities, there is a population of homeless here.
What I can show you a little about, however, are what I learned about today. Three things stuck out to me today, three names, so I wanted to make sure I looked them up and learned about them. The first is Gabriela Mistral. The 5000 peso bill is named after her (the Mastral), and a vendor was selling a book of her poetry today. So who is she?
Well, she is the first Latin American woman to win a Nobel Prize, and it was for her poetry. She is much beloved by her people, as she was devoted to rights and fair treatment of all people.
The second: Mapuche. We saw pictures and art of all kind labeled with "Mapuche," and wee figured it was a group of Indigenous people. Here's a little more about them.
That website is a little dated, but there are websites devoted to them. This is just a concise history.
The last is Victor. There are signs that read "Justice for Victor" on walls and billboards. It turns out that Victor Jars was killed over 40 years ago during a U.S. backed coup that overthrew Chile's socialist elected leader, and in the process over 50,000 people were arrested, over half of whom were tortured. So who was this U.S. backed group? The Pinochet party, who as you may have read is also responsible for the Mapuche people losing so much of their land. Jara's wife has been dedicated since then in bringing justice for her husband's murder, and it seems that all of Chile supports her.
Anyway, a little history to leave you with. More of Santiago to come!
