December 2015 Itinerary Link
We had the hottest Christmas ever at 97ºF in Santiago(population 5.1 million), Chile. Two-thirds of the total population of 15 million Chileans are Roman Catholics, and they were serious about celebrating Christmas. You can see the Christmas shoppers in the picture below.
Our 3 bedroom Airbnb apartment($105/night) in a highrise building was close to the Cathedral, and we could see from our window a long line of people trying to get into the church for the Christmas Eve mass.
We joined a free walking tour which took us to a couple of big markets and a cemetery where the dictator Augusto Pinochet(ruled from 1073 to 1990) was buried. The guide did a good job of giving us a small taste of local life.
We visited another of Pablo Neruda’s house, La Chascona, which he built for his secret lover, Matilde. There were a lot of whimsical details to the house that invoked the creative energy of an artist. Walking down the hill from this house toward the old town area, we saw streets lined with cafes and restaurants. We went into one, and we had wonderful lunch surrounded by interesting art pieces. Sorry, no pictures!
Another fascinating restaurant we had dinner at was Aqui Esta Coco. It was fun to discover all the nooks and crannies in this restaurant filled with creative touches, and their restroom is a must-visit spot. The final bill was not outrageous, either.
To see the map for this visit, click this MAP LINK
Small Wide World 