January 12 - Around Santiago

The title is a bit misleading - I only saw a bit of central Santiago.  I walked a fair amount and took lots of photos. Here are some of them.



The first stop was the Plaza de Armas.  Most of the plaza was blocked off for construction.  This is the cathedral at the corner.

Inside the cathedral.

This 'statue' was outside the cathedral.  He moved when the lady got close.  This  fellow painted himself up and looked like a bronzed miner. I don't know how much longer he survived in the heat.

The street off the plaza.  Lots of police about, including horses, and teeming with people.









I like this!  The pedestrian light is animated.  The guy starts off walking and speeds up as the time counts down. Once the time reaches 0 - Oh, well....  Actually, everybody jay walks.  But they all look first - I suspect it's open season on pedestrians crossing against lights (the police ignored them).







A few blocks south of the Plaza de Armas is the Palais De Moneda, where I believe Pinochet set up shop after he took over
Chile (history buffs can correct me).

The view (west) from the top of Cerro Santa Luicia.  ('Cerro' is hill)  This was a quarry that was transformed into a garden in the 19th century.  Unfortunately, you can see Santiago's smog.






Below is a view in the other direction.  The photo on the right is of some of the stairs you climb to get to the top. 

 North of the Plaza (I've been walking for miles by now) is the Mercado Central.  It is a produce and fish market around the inside perimeter of the building as well as a huge restaurant in the interior.

  Apparently, it used to be a rubbish dump.  The place was hopping.


That's enough for tonight.  Now I have to go out and find somewhere to eat.  It's Sunday, this is a Catholic country and this part of town is shut up tight.