SANTIAGO (23/07/09 - 26/07/09)
Our last bus journey in South America was a pleasant two hours from Valparaiso to Santiago the capital of Chile. Having heard bad things about the city we were relieved to find that we actually really liked it. In the middle of Santiago is a large hill with the city's only ascensor up to the top. 
We rode the ascensor to the top of the hill and were greeted with this spectacular view of the city. The hazy band through the middle is the pollution which the city is unfortunately famous for. 
We had a nice sunnny morning before the grey clouds rolled in. 
Right on the top of the hill is a large statue of the Virgin Mary and an open air church overlooking the city. 
Santiago is home to an excellent art museum. Unfortunately photographing the art is not allowed but we were allowed to take a picture of the impressive gallery roof.
Probably the best museum we have visited in all our travels is the Santiago Museum of Pre-Columbian Art. Rather appropriately, considering that we were in our last destination in Latin America, the museum covered pre-colonisation art from Mexico through Central and South America all the way to Chile - the same route that we have taken. There were hundreds of fascinating artifacts, much better than any we had previously seen in the countries that they are from. Above and below are a selection of our favourites. 
This Chilean mummy pre-dates those from Egypt by at least 2000 years making them the oldest examples of mummification yet found. The process involved replacing the bones and organs of the body with wood and mud. 
Our final lunch in South America. Cheese empanadas on a bench in Plaza de Armas, Santiago's central square. 
1 comment:
What an amazing adventure you've both had in So America. You have enlightened us all to the splendour, vitality and poverty of the region and made a remarkable record of your experiences. I look forward to reading all about your further encounters during the second half of your trip.
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