Friday, February 24, 2017

Santiago Scenes, 1

So after the usual delay, Sky airlines whisked us comfortably from Puerto Natales to Santiago, Chiles's capital, (population 6 million), where we spent the next five days...resting and regrouping, walking around, seeing a few sights. Our small hotel overlooked the Cerro Santa Lucia park, right at the intersection of the Belles Artes, Lastarria, and Bellavista barrios. The Plaza de Armas was a ten minute walk away. Great location.
View from our 5th floor room















Cerro Santa Lucia Park















Fountain at the entrance to the park















Neptune hitting on a nymph, or maybe vice versa















A block away, oldest fire engine in South America, manufactured
in 1864 in Portland, OR; restored recently and fully operational
















Kiddie bike rental in the massive Forestal Park, which runs by
the Rio Mapocho for seeming miles
















Jade plant landscaping the the park















Lapis lazuli is the favored gem here, and in shops in Bellavista
and elsewhere we saw quite a bit
















In an outdoor crafts market in Bellavista















Ditto















Rio Mapocho; concrete basin, sort of like in
California




















Love-locked bridge















Big buildings all over















Sometimes interesting















Monuments and sculpture everywhere, mostly commemorating
political figures, military achievements
















Thus; wait, no, that's Robert E. Lee and Traveler, during their
banishment to South America
















A gift from Napoleon



















Mackenna and O'Higgins...where are we?















The most famous statue is of course Our Lady on Cerro San
Cristobal


































Our Lady of the Airwaves















On Avenida Providencia; to the left is the Torre del Santiago,
tallest building in South America, of which more later
















The not far distant Andes presiding over all; also subject of a
later post















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