So Thursday through Saturday I did much of the tourist thing.
Much like these fellow travelers.
After spending a few days of exploring the city on my own I decided to take a walking tour, filled with much of the sites and history of Santiago. Pictured above is San Cristobal Hill.
There´s two ways to reach the top of the hill.... walk or take this daunting looking lift. My laziness chose the latter.
There´s infinite potential views from this high vantage point overlooking the Bellavista neighborhood and downtown areas. However due to the lack of rain in the past few days and the presence of the Andes mountains the smog caused by vehicles and industry are stuck hovering above the city....
Not bad here however the architecture isn´t anything to write home about...
Various nitrogen oxides react with sunlight and ozone forming this unsightly/unhealthy pollutant effect, I´m told with the smog isn´t bad you can see the Andes.
On top of San Cristobal Hill stands the Virgin mary, nice enough....
Until you see the giant radio tower behind it... bleh
Walking around Santiago at first did not seem to be all the interesting, it is a pretty modern city. But after seeing the walking tour
Perdro de Valdivia founded Chile, here he is riding on his mount. Apparently the indigenous people thought he was a god because they had never seen a man on a horse before. funny how that works out... more about him here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_de_Valdivia
Cathedral of Santiago, beautiful
Santiago stock market, nicknamed little New York.
Gift from Germany for 100 years of Chilean independence from Spain.
A bit out of place... like something out of Blade Runner
of course...
even worse....
Next up Street art and Valporasio and Viña del mar. Cheers
They got a little "Americana" everywhere you go in this world--like you never left home!
ReplyDeleteLove ya, Dad