Reality Tour, South America: Santiago Sizzles – Literally!
The rest of the morning was great today! With the briefing behind us, Debbie and I take our information-addled brains to a money exchange with Kevin and a few other passengers.
Chilean pesos
Armed with Chilean pesos, we are now ready for our afternoon city tour of Santiago, a city of 6 million inhabitants wedged between the Andes and the Pacific. For those of you interested in geography, Chile is the elongated string bean of a country along South America’s west coast.
Max is our step-on guide and he is an encyclopedia of information on the history of Santiago. Born and raised in the area, Max has experienced many of the cultural, political and social changes that this country has lived through including the storms that played out in the streets during the Allende-Pinochet years. Today, however, he has the tough job of keeping us alert and informed which is not always easy on the first full tour day seated on a comfortable motor coach.
Part of his strategy for keeping us awake is to get us off the bus for a walking tour. We begin in the civic center neighborhood, stopping at La Moneda Presidential Palace (btw, the President of Chile is a woman) and ending in the Plaza de Armas (the center square).
La Moneda Presidential Palace (that's Max, our local guide!)
For history buffs, the Plaza was founded in 1541 by the conquistador Pedro de Valdivia, who continues to keep watch over the square from his equestrian statue.
Plaza de Armas
Max says you get to know a lot about Chile when you walk among the locals. He stops to chat with a street vendor and Kevin purchases a Mote con Huesillo, a concoction of dehydrated peaches with stewed barley in water or peach juice. We all share it (oh, except Debbie—I have learned that my room mate is a bit of a germ-a-phobe) and most everyone give its sweet, syrupy flavor a thumbs up.
A Santiago Street
form a dramatic backdrop. Everywhere the people seem young, engaging, and passionate. Public displays of affection are the norm; not just reserved for teenagers in love.
Back on the bus, Kevin announces one final stop before heading back to the hotel for some R&R before tonight’s festivities. I can hear a few concealed groans…weariness from a night spent sleeping on a plane has definitely settled in. He promises it will be worth the effort. You don’t travel 5,000 miles to let a challenge like that go unheeded.
So now, off we drive to Cerro San Cristobal…
More later,
Melissa
posted by Melissa McKee
Collette Vacations
Tags: Architecture, Chile, Food, Reality Tour, South America
