Cerro San Cristóbal

On Saturday (July 7, 2018), we conquered the 880m high elevation of Santiago (Cerro San Cristóbal)⛰by bike 🚲. We first rode through the city on our bikes, passing by the Río Mapocho river (with very little water - you can really question the definition of a river) and then pedaled up the ascending streets (but if you live in Switzerland 🇨🇭 on a hill like Wünnewil and have been on it a few times, this climb isn't extremely tiring, just a little). There were quite a few locals on the way, on foot or on bike. A true paradise in the city, because the view is magnificent: the nearby mountains, views over the entire city with its various neighborhoods, and of course, the tall skyscraper 🏙.

We visited the Botanical Garden🌴 as well as the amphitheater. Due to time constraints, we didn't go all the way to the top, but even from the amphitheater (which was our highest point), we had a wonderful panorama.

From above, you can see the modern Costanera Center (mall and giant tower with an observation deck at the very top) beautifully. The construction of the Costanera Center started on my birthday (March 3) in 2006. 😄 The main tower - Gran Torre Santiago - is the tallest skyscraper in South America at 300m.😲

Oh, and I must not forget: On our way there, we saw a really great street artist! 😍 He juggled on a unicycle at the red light, and not with juggling balls,🤹🏽‍♂️ but with two soccer balls ⚽️ and clubs! His entire show lasted about 30 seconds, because he then had to hurry to collect money from the stationary cars! And all of this was at a red light! (That would be worth a try in Switzerland - as a student job) 😉 My sister explained to me that there are many of these street artists and they cleverly choose the "longest" red lights🚦...