El Día Que Enamoré De Santiago

El Día Que Enamoré De Santiago (The Day That I Fell In Love With Santiago)


Seeing as I just added some more photos to the photobucket album (located on the the right-hand side, called "Chile The Beginning"), I thought it appropriate to add a little "blurb" about what I did today to bring about 50 new fotografías.  Prepare yourselves.  :)


This morning, mi Mamá (Chilena) and I woke up before the sun to head to the center of the city to meet up with the rest of my group in order to register our visas at the PDI (Policia De Investigaciones, like the FBI).  ((Mi Mamá felt obligated to come with me and make sure I arrived safely.  I tried to talk her out of it, saying that I am familiar with the metro system and I could do it alone, but she was very stubborn and adamant on taking me!))  Pues, after all of the business was out of the way, it was time for some CAFÉ con leche.  Three of my USAC friends and I chatted it up with our coffees (not instant, like the rest of Chile) at a cute "cafetería" near Plaza de Armas, which is the center of the city, more or less, at least it was the center of the city when Santiago was founded in the 1500s.  Entonces,  we traveled through the Plaza de Armas, picked up some postcards, took a few pictures, and got stared at a bit before we headed to Mercado Central.  This open air market was a bit touristy for me.  Most of the vendors spoke broken-English to us, which we found annoying and a little offensive - just because we are "gringas" doesn't mean we don't know Spanish!!  Anyways, we didn't spend much time there other than browsing the frutas y verduras as well as breathing in the smell of fresh fish and slabs of raw meat.  :)  Gotta love those Mercado Centrals!!


Por la tarde, we met up with my Chilean friend, Wen (who is absolutely fantastic, by the way) and then the real adventure began.  With Wen, we were invincible!!  It always helps to have a native with you.  Not only do they know all the best things to do and how to get you there but they keep you (gringos) from getting ripped off at the ferías (fairs) and in other places.  We walked all over the place, including El Museo de Bellas Artes, which was gorgeous, and then to the Barrio (neighborhood) Bellas Artes.  I think I took the most pictures of the Bellas Artes district because it was so beautiful.  Very artsy, colorful.  Full of life and cafés with delicious food and drinks.  For example, we all stopped at a little outdoors café for a delicious lunch of "lomo a lo pobre" and pisco sours.  ((Note:  "Lomo a lo pobre" consists, more or less, of a huge piece of steak with french fries, sauteed onions, and over-easy eggs = DELICIOSO!!))  As for pisco sours... Pisco is a typical drink in Chile (as well as Peru, but don't get Chileans or Peruvians started about who can really claim pisco as their own - it's a heated topic).  I don't exactly know how to explain pisco... It is very strong or fuerte.  (I just Wikipedia'ed pisco and it says it is a colorless, grape brandy... Thank you, Wikipedia!!)  Chileans also drink "piscolas," which is kinda like a rum and Coke... Anyways, that was something to check off my list of Typical-Chilean-Things-To-Do!  Afterwards, we headed up to Pablo Neruda's house.  ((Pablo Neruda is a famous Chilean poet (1904-1973) who "united a generation" and is legendary.  Amazing poetry - you should all check him out or at least watch The Postman, a movie about him.))  Pues, Neruda has three homes - one in Santiago, one in Isla Negra, and one in Valparaíso.  His home in Santiago he designed to feel like a boat... Very artsy, but he can get away with it for sure.  It was an absolutely precious and tranquil home.  He build this one especially for getaways with one of his many "amantes" (lovers), Matilde.  ((Fidelity wasn't his thing.))


To end the trek through Santiago Central and Bellas Artes, we walked through the winding, stone streets of the Barrio Lastarria, cerca de la Universidad Católica, which were lined with vendors selling second-hand books and antiques as well as trendy cafés and charming churches.  I think it was at this point in the day when I paused to breathe in the Chilean air and I thought about how absolutely blessed I am to have this amazing opportunity to study in Santiago, Chile and experience this culture and everything it encompasses.  Wow.  Thus, I think I fell in love (a little) with Santiago today.  Like Spain, I am destined to leave a little piece of my heart here forever.  Me encanta.  


Pues, check out the pictures!!


Saludos cariñosos,
Sarah