We really like the subway here. Plus because it was so early (like 10), there weren't a lot of people around, so it was nice to be a tourist and take lots of pictures. The architecture is really beautiful here, especially the old stuff.
From there we made our way to the Presidential Palace, where every Sunday at 11 o'clock they do the changing of the guards. It was cool - they had a great marching band and horses in formation. In fact every soldier was wearing riding boots and spurs.
When it finished, we walked toward a restaurant where we were supposed to meet a friend of a friend who lived in Alaska and worked there for a year. She lives here in Chile, so she agreed to meet up with us. She also brought a friend from the U.S. who is interning here in Santiago. We went to 4 different markets together. Lots of walking! It was great.
Yes, that's a real llama. A guy was taking tips for pictures. The llama was super chill, like falling asleep.
Also on our walking journey today we ran into a parade. Less a parade and more a march. It was a protest to push for the legalization of marijuana. People were smoking right in the street, selling pot brownies, pot pancakes, pot cakes. They were waving flags and playing drums in a drum circle. Two guys were walking on stilts. There were even children dressed up. During these protests, police kind of just let the people do, have their fun and their say, and no one is bothered or arrested, even though it's clearly illegal.
One market we went to was a fruit market. We bought three kinds that we've never had. Pepinos (the smaller purple and yellow ones), cactus pears (the green ones), and a noni (the orange one). A noni, we understand, isn't super tasty, but it's super high in antioxidants, and it is even advertised at the market as natural medicine.
Also at the market, I could not pull Tanya away from a street vendor selling this ball that turns into a puddle when you throw it on the floor, then it turns back into a ball all by itself. Cool, huh?
A final note: stray dogs. They are all over the place, just wandering down the sidewalk, looking for food, taking a nap. The thing I like best about Chileans is that they are so super nice, and it is obvious in the way they treat everyone, including the homeless humans and dogs. Obviously some are dirty, but many are given blankets and even collars. None are boney - they are all fed. The homeless people are often given money and items. Chileans take care of their own. They are just nice people. And the dogs, in turn, are not aggressive.
We're not huge city people, but Santiago is so far a great place to visit, and I'm really glad we're here.
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