25/03/2023 to 26/03/2023 - Santiago de Chile / Chile

At noon, we drove back to Santiago de Chile from Valparaiso. The capital of the country has the most inhabitants, approximately 44 percent of all Chileans live in the capital or its immediate surroundings. Santiago is an important transport hub and the political, economic, and cultural center of the country. We had 1.5 days left to explore the city. We spent the first night in a small apartment very close to Plaza de Armas, the main square of the city. We walked around the square, which is a meeting point for many Chileans and tourists, and found a fountain, an equestrian statue, and new, modern buildings next to old, original ones. While strolling through the different neighborhoods, known as barrios, we discovered small market stalls in pretty streets and many green parks. In Barrio Bellavista, we found the nightlife district of the city. Bars and pubs alternated with brightly painted houses and the first party animals were already out and about. Chileans love ice cream and hot dogs. We tried a huge portion of ice cream at a heladeria and a traditional completo, a hot dog with avocado cream, at a street stand. We strolled through the city's markets, the Mercado Central and the largest market in the city, the Mercado La Vega. It spans several streets, and in a huge hall, hundreds of stalls line up. People squeeze through the narrow streets, loudly announcing the daily offers. From the Bellavista neighborhood, we took a cable car to the city's hill, Cerro San Cristobal. From here, we had a magnificent view of the size of the city, nestled between the majestic Andes. The hill is located in Parque Metropolitano de Santiago, a huge park with green spaces, forests, various gardens, and cable cars. During the cable car rides, we enjoyed different perspectives of Santiago and strolled through the park grounds. We discovered a small Japanese garden and took the opportunity to have ramen again. We found a small, very good Japanese restaurant and had to wait 20 minutes just to get a table. Happily and well-fed, we moved back to the small house with the small room and the small bed for the last night. We unpacked the summer clothes and packed the thick winter clothes in our backpack.