An old theater in Barrio Brasil
I spent over a week in Santiago and enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. I had heard from other travelers that the city was terribly boring, crowded, and polluted, but found only the latter to be true. The past ten years – as the country has continued to recover from Pinochet’s regime – has brought a cultural resurgence to the capital city and there is tons to see, do, and eat.
If you go, definitely take advantage of the free walking tours from three companies: Free Tours Santiago, Tours 4 Tips, and Spicy Chile. I took one walking tour with each and they were all informative and enjoyable.
Here is a short photo essay to illustrate my time in Santiago.
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- The view of Santiago from Cerro Santa Lucia
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- A gravesite in Santiago illustrating the “animate” custom of creating saint-like figures out of ordinary people
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- In Chile, relatives still bring their deceased loved ones things that they had enjoyed in this world
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- An old church supported by pillars after the 1985 earthquake
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- Sitting on a swingset in Plaza Brasil
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- A nightclub with a memorial to Victor Jara, a folk singer assassinated by the Pinochet regime in 1973
A Yank without a Chain 