Our first two days in Chile were filled with so many things that I can’t simply pick one thing that sticks out. On our first day we went up Cerro San Cristobal on the cable car which was such an amazing experience and a great way to start out the trip. From the top of Cerro San Cristobal, there were amazing views that span the entire city. After taking the funicular down, we explored Park de la Infancia which was such a cool experience. The park was awesome and the design was great. I decided to sketch in a very shaded area with sand and grass mounds where kids were playing. It was such a vibrant space with the grass and sand borders and the rock retaining wall being painted a variety of bright colors. For dinner, we ate a late dinner at a pizzeria down the street and the waiter was very nice and made awesome recommendation for authentic Chilean options. Finally to end the night, we relaxed at the hotel restaurant on the patio and enjoyed the weather.
Today was yet another amazing and packed day. Our stops included La Moneda Palace and Cultural Center, Plaza de Armas, a variety of pedestrian streets, the Pre Colombian Museum, Cerra Santa Lucia, and Santa Pizza for dinner. The Pre Colombian Museum was one of the best museums I’ve ever been to. Not only was the architecture fantastic but the exhibits were awesome as well. Cerro Santa Lucia was probably my favorite thing of the day however. During our free time we decided to climb the “hill” which was definitely worth it thanks to the 360-degree views and the slushy we got at the top. The walk down was also great, and we ended the walk with a group picture in front of the hill. We then took the Metro by ourselves for the first time and we got to experience a metro performer. It was a guy, probably younger than us that hopped on a stop or two after us with a battery powered amp. He looked at us with a big grin on his face, said a few things in Spanish and proceed to rap to a beat that he played. It was honestly such a fun experience I couldn’t stop smiling the whole ride back. The restaurant we went to for dinner was fantastic. The pizza was great and the actually building itself was very cool also.
All in all, it has been a great two days! I’ve gotten to use my Spanish (which I thought I forgot), and I’ve had a lot of fun doing so. The people here are very friendly, or appear to be at least, and the culture is vibrant and fun. The food is great and I’ve had a lot of fun trying the traditional Chilean foods and drinks. The pace of life also seems to be slower here however it might just be because we haven’t experienced the weekdays yet. My 500 words simply can’t capture the culture and atmosphere I’ve discovered the last two days, so here are some pictures to help.
View from the top of Cerro San Cristobal
Area of the Infant Park that I sketched
Infant Park border fence that also acts as a play ground for kids