Language aside, we saw the Plaza de Armas, the cathedral of Saint James himself, the local mercado where they sold all manner of fish, fruit, etc. and where the metal roof was made in Birmingham. We got to several shopping centres, navigated a toilet you had to pay 350 pesos to use, joined a student strike, saw the oldest church in the city, bought and ate empanadas, and walked to the top of Santa Lucia hill and back. This is meant to be a holiday! Tomorrow I'm going to stay inside and watch Spanish soap operas...
Busy at the central Plaza de Armas.
Pedro de Valdivia, first governor of Chile. As he was a Spanish conquistador I'm not sure how democratic that election was.
In contrast, here's a fountain dedicated to the snappily named Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte y Blanco, the Venezuelan military leader pivotal in Latin America's bid for independence. It's independence day here on 18th September, and it's one of the few countries not to celebrate independence from Britain! Hooray!
Hannah maps out the day.
It's a tourist information booth that is actually a Segway! It moves around and everything! How cool is that?
The cathdral of Santiago, in the Plaza de Armas.
Inside it's pretty impressive too.
Here's Santiago!
Chile is the longest and thinnest country in the world! So Hannah and I feel at home.
The Chilean military's finest (and youngest).
The Tribunales de Justicia. Court house, I think.
Enjoying a cheese empanada.
The Palacio de la Moneda, where the el presidente lives.
Pretty ponies.
Santiago also boasts a population of semi-wild dogs, who roam about, quite politely, wait for the lights to change before crossing the road, etc. And sleep in the sun.
The Paseo Bulnes, and it's easy to see the southern European influence everywhere around here.
The students are on strike! It's something to do with tuition fees, of course. Being a theology student, I'm not sure anyone would have noticed the difference between me studying or striking...
The church of San Francisco, the oldest in Chile.
Looking down on the beautiful gardens of Santa Lucia, a park on a hill right in the middle of the city.
Half-way up.
Finally I stop feeling like the tallest person around here.
We sat and watched the moon rise over the Andes. That's something you don't see every day.
