Chile: Santiago

After 9 weeks of school, the kids have a two week break, and we decided to go to Chile.
Joe has been working with a wonderful guy named Carlos, who lives in Santiago, for 12 years and has never met him. This was the moment of the meeting!
We stayed in this amazing hotel, in downtown Santiago. It was so cool to think that we were in South America. I kept trying to compare it to something that I knew, but I couldn't.


This is a view from our hotel window. It is through the glass, but it shows downtown, sort of. It is definately a city, 6.5 million of the 16 million people in Chile live in Santiago. It is super clean, and a lot of fun to walk around. It felt safe and exciting. Joe had been on a business trip in Sao Paulo and Rio in Brazil, and met us in Chile! How cool. We spent the first day touring the downtown area. Sounds kind of boring, but it was so interesting.


Sorry this is sideways, but this is the place that we had lunch the first day. It is called, "Como Agua para Chocolate" ( Like Water for Chocolate) after the book by Laura Esquival. If you haven't read it, you should. Anyway, why it is here in Chile... no clue, but was beautiful and yummy.

This is Alexander overlooking the city. The next few photos are from this overlook, which is on the tallest part of the city. It was beautiful. I'm not sure if you can tell, but pollution isn't a problem here. It is very clean.

Another view of Santiago.
Those mountains are the Andes. You can't see them every day, but they are huge, like 20,000+ feel. So cool. And of course we talked all about the Uruguayan Rugby team and the whole plane crash story. Another must read, if you like adventure stories. Joe actually flew the route that their plane took from Montevideo to Santiago to meet us.

This is in the downtown area, just across the street from where the president of Chile works. Our guides name is Hugo, and he was awesome. Speaks Spanish, English, French, who knows what else. We were with him for a few days.

This is the presidential building. It was this part of the building that was attacked and destroyed in the military coup that ended Salvador Allende's career and life in 1973. Hugo told us the story of the events that happened that day. It was amazing to stand there and to listen to the story.

This is the changing of the guard at the presidential building. The guards work 48 hour shifts inside the building and then change. It was cool to see. And if you look close, there are women guards. Oh, the president is a woman too! She is very well loved in Chile. Unfortunately, they have 4 year term limits and she is about to leave her position in December.


The photo below is a statue of Salvador Allende and the one below is the quote under it. It is right in front of the presidental building.


It says, "I have faith in Chile and her destiny" Sept 11, 1973. The day he was overthrown and killed? Or committed suicide?? We heard both stories. They call ours the other Sept 11th.


We happened to be in the square on the 20th Anniversary of the end of Pinochet's rule. People were holding a rally to support the end of his reign at the Allende statue.

This was taken in the presidential square, too. I thought it was interesting that the old buildings were right next to this modern one.


Another view of the square with a statue of O'Higgins, one of the heros of Chile. Irish father, Chilean Mom.
The next day we left for Valparaiso, and Vina del Mar. I wanted to post something about Chile, cause we are leaving for Belize tomorrow, and I haven't posted in a while.
I hope to post a bunch upon our return.

Joe is in Colorado for a week, til Sunday, if you are reading this from Colo, give him a call!