View from Cerro San Cristobal
From the few moments on the plane before we landed to exploring the downtown area, the hills and mountains surrounding Santiago have had a constant presence on my trip so far. Walking around in the city, I sometimes forget of the mountains that are so close by. Even the Cerros seem like mountains compared to what we have at home. On the first day we went to the top of Cerro San Cristobal by cable car. This was the first big thing I got to experience in Santiago, and I did not know what to expect. As the ride started, I was instantly blown away by the view. The snow-capped mountains towering over the never-ending city left me speechless. I didn’t realize how wide the city spanned—it was huge! We got to explore the top of the hill and see the statue of the Virgin Mary. It was a very surreal space. We got to experience the hill in a new way when we left by taking a funicular. I think I prefer the cable car.
View from Cerro Santa Lucia
Today we got the chance to explore another Cerro in the city, Cerro Santa Lucia. There was no easy way to the top of this hill like Cerro San Cristobal, but at least it was slightly shorter (even though it didn’t feel that way). We were hot, exhausted, and dehydrated, but a little shop halfway up the hill gave us motivation with cold water and ice cream. It was a long climb with scary steps, but it was so worth it. There was an old fort on top of the hill and so many cool spaces along the way. At the top was a small space, and the people were packed in. There was a man playing a guitar and a 360 degree view of the city. I don’t think my time there could have gotten any better. On the way down we saw more beautiful buildings painted yellow with fountains. Cerro Santa Lucia was beautiful and I wish we had more time to explore. There were so many winding paths and the atmosphere was incredibly relaxing.
My first two days have been great here, and I am excited to keep exploring and see what else this city has to offer.