Santiago has around 500 km of bike lanes and in addition a park that is very popular for mountain biking, the Metropolitan city park. I took the funicular from the colourful neighbourhood of Bellavista, famous for its bohemian night-life, to the view point at Cerro San Cristóbal in the Metropolitan Park. Walking a little further to the summit at 850 m there is a sanctuary and a statue of Virgin Mary and a wide view including the nearby Andes Mountains. This specific day it was a little hazy and since it had been a dry Chilean winter there was not much snow on the surrounding mountains, but the view of the Andes was impressing anyway. The Metropolitan Park is huge (722 hectares) so I chose the new cable car to continue the visit. The tour ends close to the famous Costanera Center, the tallest building in Latina America with 300 m. After, it was time to explore the historical centre of Santiago so I headed towards the main square; Plaza de Armas. The first thing I saw was the statue of the Spanish conqueror Pedro de Valdivia that in 1541 defeated the natives and founded the city of Santiago. On the opposite corner of the plaza there is a very beautiful statue in homage of the natives, from the Mapuches tribe. The statue, that symbolizes the cultural and social destructive effects the conquest had on the natives, touched my heart. In the Metropolitan Cathedral built 1745, there was a choir singing and the music intensified the impression of its Roman- Tuscan architecture and serene atmosphere and a contrats to the agited life on the square outside. One of the highlights of the day was the visit to the Pre-Columbian Art Museum where I appreciated a lot the permanent exhibit on native people Mapuches and the impressive wooden funeral statues, native textile works and jewellery. At the Central Market from 1872, where popular culture and the sea meet; the best place for fish & seafood, I sat down and had a “Mariscal”, the local seafood dish and a well needed rest. Looking forward to return soon!
