Today was another fun day of exploring Santiago. I really enjoyed visiting the different universities in the city and experiencing how the Chilean students went to school. However my favorite part of the day was exploring San Miguel and seeing the murals. Riding the metro over there was hectic. We were stuffed like sardines in the cabins, and it was extremely hot. All of this was worth it once we reached San Miguel. One of the most intriguing parts of the journey was seeing how the neighborhoods transitioned from what we would consider middle class to lower class. Unlike in America, where it is more gradual, I found that the transition here was more sporadic. One street would have nice gated homes, then the next street would have more social, low income housing. One guy eventually pointed us in the right direction of the murals. I was amazed at how large and colorful but detailed the murals were. My favorite one is captured below in a photo as well as my own sketch of it with pens and watercolors. What I liked most about this mural was it was reflective of the rich history of Chile, incompassing the statues we saw in the Pre-Colombian museum. It uses some traditional colors and patterns native to the culture, and the woman is dressed in what looks like some traditional headgear. Throughout this trip I have been extremely curious about the people and culture of Chile, and I feel this mural represented it best.
My favorite mural in San Miguel.