Santiago

We arrived in Santiago excited to meet up with our youngest and to explore this very cool city together. We felt like we had some familiarity with Santiago due to enjoying a close friend of our children’s photos over the many years he resided in the city. We were all struck by how much more amazing the Andes mountains surrounding the city were in person. Seems the grander the landscape the more difficult to capture in pictures.

We try to start off in new cities with a walking tour, and I have to say we have not been disappointed yet. Often our guide is a local who is passionate about the city, it’s history and have much to say and share. One thing we’ve learned as we’ve heard from many guides, this is a region of the world that is prone to earthquakes! If the city hasn’t been destroyed by earthquakes recently, then perhaps a military coup figures more prominently.

On September 11,1973, Pinochet, the dictator ousted the fairly elected President Allende in a coup d’etat. For 17 years Pinochet ruled, the terrible consequences well documented and displayed at the Museum of Memory and Human Rights. Civil unrest has continued to disrupt life in Santiago with the pandemic only making this more challenging for most.

The latter pictures were from a fun day spent in the barrio Italia. This was a colorful neighborhood with many cool stores and fun places to eat and drink. We said goodbye to our youngest who is headed off on her own solo adventure to Antarctica and headed west to explore the seaside port of Valparaiso.