Avril and I took buses because they are very convenient for travel in South America and relatively inexpensive; however, it takes a long time to get everywhere. The bus ride from BsAs to Chile was 22 hours with a stop in Mendoza to change buses. We decided to splurge and get the first class suite on the overnight bus, and it was worth it! The chairs folded out into full beds; dinner, breakfast and wine were offered; we watched movies; and even had a champagne toast at the end of the night!
After leaving for Santiago on a Tuesday, we arrived Wednesday evening. The busride in Chile was gorgeous because we drove through the Andes. Although it is the same mountain chain as we treked through in Peru, Chile is further south so they looked completely different. While Peru's Andes were exotic and filled with green jungles (and those damn mosquitos), Chile's were snow capped and lovely. Making the perfect touch, it even started snowing when we crossed the border. After we left the Andes, we passed through Chile's wine country, which was also quite beautiful. When we arrived to Santiago, we decided to treat ourselves to a nice dinner since we'd been cramped in a bus for nearly an entire day. We ate at Astrid y Gaston, which is an up-scale restaraunt that serves European and Latin fusion food - delicious! We wanted to go out afterwards, but after drinking so much wine at dinner, we didn't make it that far!
The next day we went on a tour of Santiago. It is Chile's capital and a big city located in a valley of the Andes. It actually looks similar to cities in the States, but with a few plazas and colonial buildings. We felt a little uneasy being in Santiago on September 11 because its the anniversary of the Golpe al Estado, which was when the military overtook their government. Each year on this day there is severe political unrest which manifests into protests, riots and sometimes violence. We saw the protesters during our tour, but we were safe and didn't see them anymore after we left the city's center.
After the tour, we went to see Pablo Neruda's house (one of the most famous Latin American writers) and read some of his poetry. "Pido Silencio," a poem I love, was inscribed in a wall outside of his house. In this poem, Neruda asks for five things, which he describes as "almost nothing and almost everything". One of the things he wants is a love that never ends (my favorite line). He talks about love and nature, which are common themes in his poetry. Although we weren't able to spend as much as I would've liked at Neruda's home, it was my favorite part of the trip.
Neruda's house
After visiting Pablo Neruda, we went to the top of a mountain to see La Virgen, which is a huge Virgin Mary statue and outdoor sanctuary that overlooks the city. It is known for having the best views of the city, and was a tranquil place to relax for a while. To leave La Virgen, we took a cable car down the mountain, which also gave amazing views of the city and the Andes.
La Virgen
The view of Santiago from La Virgen
All the kids in my program make such a big deal about wanting to go to Santiago; however, I didn't fall in love with it. I enjoyed the experience of traveling somewhere new and learning about Chile's history and culture. But in the end, my heart still belongs to Buenos Aires...
Besitos, B
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