foreground: Santiago city
background: Andes
more background: more Andes
Ricardo: Man, it is hot in Chile, too. We are still trying not to look like tourists.
Sigi had to get up at 7 this morning in order to be ready for his 2nd presentation. I slept in and met the Foos for breakfast at 9.30. Our plan was to go up to the San Christobal statue, take a taxi to the funicular first and then go up the mountain. It turned out to be good timing because we were early before the masses and the big heat. The funicular was a more modern affair than the one in Valparaiso, having at least 4 or 5 cars like a train instead of only one wooden cart. Also, there were 2 funiculars running, one up the hill the other down. They met at one short stretch of double rails in the middle to pass each other. Up on the mountain we checked out the big statue and many more smaller ones, the church and souvenir shops. We had a super view of the city of Santiago as well as the Andes mountains in the background, some palm trees and exotic flowers in the foreground. Many pictures later we descended the hill by ‘ascensor’ again and walked right down to the barrio of “Bella Vista” where all the students of the “Universidad San Sebastian” hang out as well as tourists. We took lunch in a great restaurant at the “Patio Bella Vista” and went on to the shopping district of the Lapis Lazuli which is only found in Chile and Afghanistan. Shirley and Frank bought a few pieces for her and the kids, I still have my eye on a very nice set of a copper necklace and earrings adorned with a lapis stone. Maybe tomorrow…???!!! (She got that set and more ... - Sigi)
It was getting unbearably hot around 3:30 p.m., and we hailed a taxi that took us straight back to the hotel, in typical Chilean neck breaking manner, weaving in and out of traffic as if the devil was on our tail….
At the hotel I found my hubby taking a siesta after his presentation waiting for us to return.
Dinner was – again – on Sigi’s wish, at the Argentinian Beef House, and we had a great time enjoying steaks, wine and pisco sours…
Tomorrow we will be going on a 3 hour guided walking tour through Santiago, much to the chagrin of Sigi who is fearful of the heat and getting blisters. He was, however, overruled by the majority at the dinner table, yeah!
-- and I, Sigi, was right: got blisters, can hardly walk any more, am completely dehydrated, speak slowly in a slurring voice, etc. --- if the gods would have wanted me to walk large distances they would have given me wheels ...
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