Santiago de Chile

Santiago, a sophisticated city of approximately 5 million people which is about a third the entire Chile population. The architecture of the buildings in the city are quite contrasting. Earthquakes have flattened many of the colonial era buildings, and what remains has been left to decay to the point that tearing down an antique mansion is cheaper than restoration. Thus, the city consists of a mixture of modern skyscrapers or cement apartment buildings towering over 200 year old relics.
The food is absolutely sensational, tapas at a vino bar this evening was a gastronomy experience. This is a part of the world that is big on the eating of meats, it would be hard to describe passion people here have for meat style culinary delights.
Special note - Flying in over the Andes was a spectacular sight with numerous snow covered mountain peaks well above the cloud line, the highest peak rising to nearly 7000 metres.
Tomorrow I plan on doing some more sight seeing, the city centre is quite compact and easy to get around. Its centre is roughly triangular in shape and in its heart is the Plaza de Armas, the chief plaza and the cathedral. Panning out from here are wall-to-wall shops, restaurants and parks.

Ciao












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