Santiago

Santiago is a brilliant city! It is probably one of the biggest cities that I have ever been in, in terms of size and building mass, considering that 40% of Chile's entire population resides here. I have relished in the fact that there is always something to look at here, whether it be graffiti in the alleyways, an enormous fresh fish in the market, a tourist guide with his kiosk attached to a segway or the brightly colored buildings overlooking the parks along the river. The cafe culture is alive and well in Santiago, and we have enjoyed many of the small, quaint shops they have near the universities. Especially one in particular called Cafe Bizarre, where I have eaten four times in four days. The avacado and tomato toast is to die for (or it is simply comforting to eat when it is the only thing you could keep down in over a week)!

Earthquake damage is pretty much nonexistant. When we asked a Santiago resident what it was like during the actual shake, he quickly volunteered that although it was a bit scary, the fact that he was with a hooker that particular evening seemed to outweigh the scarring of a natural catastrophe of an 8.5 magnitude!

We went to a park and took a train up to the top for an expansive view of the city. At the top we saw a pretty big monument to the Virgin Mary. I think this was because (if my Spanish serves me well) a saint named Joseph has seen Mary's feet at this park?! Either way, it was a nice place to catch a view and a nap in the shade.