Tuesday. Smooth disembarkation from our ship that took us to Antarctica then a bus to the airport. Beautiful day and I had a window seat on the east side of the plane which afforded views of steep snowy mountains, deep valleys, many mountain lakes and towns of the Andes.
Santiago. Taxi from the airport to our B&B in the Bella Vista district at the apartment of Christian, our host. The area has a Bohemian atmosphere, buildings with many many murals, nightclubs, restaurants and an obvious gay presence. It sits at the base of San Cristobal Hill which has a large statue of the Virgin Mary on top, a sculpture that was made in France then shipped to Chile. A funicular runs to the top, but unfortunately it was closed, so we took the bus to the top. It afforded good but smoggy views of the sprawling city of and surrounding mountains. An old stone church is up there with many outdoor crosses that had been decoratively painted. We took a gondola that carried us over the hilly park and landed us at its northern end in the upscale Providencia neighborhood. We walked by the fancy residences
with glittering new towers as a backdrop toward the nearest metro stop. Along the river, which looked diminished in the large culvert it ran through (reminiscent of L.A.) is a long sculpture park with wonderful works of art. The subway system is extensive and efficient. Many of the stations have works of art.
