Mote from Cerro San Cristobal
We survived the ten hour flight and made it to Santiago a little sleep deprived but ready to take the day on. After a quick orientation at our hotel, we hopped on the nicest charter bus I’ve ever seen and headed off for Cerro San Cristobal, an extension of the Andes that reaches into the heart off the city. We took a cable car to the top of the hill and had a great view along the way. At the summit, a short walk brought us to a terraced garden with steps leading up to a large statue of Mary and a great panoramic view of the city below. After walking around a little bit, I discovered a small stand selling a drink called Mote con Huisantes, which was a drink of tea, peaches, and wheat. I would never call myself a trend setter, but once I had one, it seemed that everyone else followed suit.
We took a funicular back down the hill and boarded back onto the bus and headed to Park de la Infancia, a children’s park designed by ELEMENTAL. While it was designed for kids, the water spheres and entire hillside full of slides were easily among the most fun things I have encountered in a park. We wrapped up the day at a restaurant called Mamut, which we kindly referred to as Chilean TGI Fridays, but it was a fun time spent with friends nonetheless.
I agree that 10 hour flight was brutal even though I have been on longer flights before. I just wish I could pass out on the plane instead of not being able to fall asleep. Even though we were all so exhausted, I’m glad we had the opportunity to visit Cerro San Cristobal because the view at the top was absolutely amazing and totally worth it. The cable car ride up to the top was a little bit shaky, I’ll admit, but I got great shots of the view from the cable car. There was a holy feel with the top with the religious music and the looming presence of the statue of Mary. Parc de La Infancia was super innovative and cool to immerse myself in. But, I definitely did not enjoy those slides due to the fact that I was wearing shorts and received burn marks after going down one. I can totally see why kids and young ones would enjoy racing down the slides and having fun. I applaud Aravena for creating such a cool and convenient space for the general public to use and enjoy. Maybe one day I will be able to bring my own kids to the park to play in.