We found some time to relax and enjoy the sunny and boiling Santiago in December, after Christmas.
One of the many malls of Santiago !
We've already written about how we spent Christmas in the Chilean capital and how we had our first glimpse of Santiago before going South to Patagonia. We've also made a day trip to the bohemian city of Valparaíso.
Plaza de Armas
Kids cooling down in the fountain's water
We did the free tour – which we also highly advise – where we got to know more about the Chilean capital.
Walking through the city's financial district called Sanhattan (a blend of the words Santiago and Manhattan) we've realized that it has only a few resembles with the original NY version.
In this district, there's still a lot of "café con piernas" (literally "coffee with legs"), which we will explain in more detail on a next post !
Walking through the city's financial district called Sanhattan (a blend of the words Santiago and Manhattan) we've realized that it has only a few resembles with the original NY version.
In this district, there's still a lot of "café con piernas" (literally "coffee with legs"), which we will explain in more detail on a next post !
Sanhattan, Santiago's business disctrict
We got also to see that Valparaíso is not the only city in Chile with street art and that Santiago has also something to show.
Inti's work in Santiago
Street art next to the Mapocho river
Chile has a both fascinating and obscure recent past. The military rule of August Pinochet that lasted 17 years has deeply marked Chile and Chileans due to its brutality of acts. All began with a military coup which was backed by the USA that deposed Salvador Allende, the first Marxist President ever elected through open election.
Salvador Allende is still a controversial figure, still being loved and criticized, Nevertheless, he died committing suicide on the same day of the coup, inside the Palacio de la Moneda surrounded by Pinochet's forces, refusing stepping down.
Salvador Allende is still a controversial figure, still being loved and criticized, Nevertheless, he died committing suicide on the same day of the coup, inside the Palacio de la Moneda surrounded by Pinochet's forces, refusing stepping down.
The historic Palacio de La Moneda
Salvador Allende statue
On our very last day, we went to the Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos (Museum of Memory and Human Rights), dedicated to the victims of the Pinochet dictatorship, so that they are not forgotten.
It is a very interesting museum, as it shows not only the atrocities committed by the regime, but also portraits quite well the pre- and pos- eras of the dictatorship. Sadly some of the information is only in Spanish.
It is a very interesting museum, as it shows not only the atrocities committed by the regime, but also portraits quite well the pre- and pos- eras of the dictatorship. Sadly some of the information is only in Spanish.
Photos of missing people during Pinochet's regime
Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos
It was time to leave Santiago, Chile and South America behind! On the 30th December 2014 we flew out to Auckland, New Zealand.
The last three months have been great in South America but new adventures await!
The last three months have been great in South America but new adventures await!
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