19.03.23

There is breakfast together with Omar Junior and Senior. Bread, avocado, cheese, scrambled eggs, and Nescafé.

Then Omar and I take the metro to the city. On the way, he tells me about his job as an environmental engineer in a large park outside the city.

For a few years now, many main roads in the city center have been closed for cars on Sundays. So the Chileans in Santiago are surprisingly enthusiastic about cycling. There are also several (racing) bikes at Omar's home. First, we take the cable car up to Cerro San Cristobal with a huge statue of the Virgin Mary and a top view. Half of the visitors are tourists, the other half say prayers. Tourism and religion united. Sugar is first replenished at the stalls. Mote con Huesillo (sugary-cinnamon, chilled drink with cereal and peach filling) as well as Palmera, a crispy puff pastry in slices and bathed in sugar.

We walk down and the sun is scorching. Down below, we pass through Plaza Italia, the gathering place of the people when they celebrate or demonstrate (like in 2019, a demonstration with around 1.5 million participants). Violent confrontations with the authorities are also part of it, Omar was permanently injured in the eye, one of his buddies lost an eye due to the police water cannon. A filled-in metro entrance has been converted into a memorial to the victims of the protests.

Afterwards, we visit the National Museum of Fine Arts, free of charge, and besides contemporary art, there is also an artistic processing of the colonial past with a few (in my opinion) very successful works.

In the fish restaurant directly at the local fish market, we eat ceviche (Peruvian/North Chilean fish specialty, where the fish is "cooked" by marinating it in lime juice, served cold) and fry reineta (fish with firm, white flesh, almost like chicken). Before and after the meal, we have Pisco Sour and during the meal, beer. Combined with 30 degrees Celsius of midday heat, it hits harder than expected.

We walk across the Plaza de Armas and past the Presidential Palace. Omar stops at an underpass decorated with graffiti and tells me that it is famous in the national media because students from two rival schools regularly engage in spectacular fights there.

After climbing Cerro Santa Lucia, a small green hill with playful buildings from the 19th century that looks like an island amidst the sea of skyscrapers, we treat ourselves to sugary drinks. Coca Cola is extremely popular alongside Gatorade and other manufacturers. Not surprising given the swimming pool-like taste of tap water.

Finally, we have original Italian ice cream in the Lastarria artist district.