Santiago

Our first day in Santiago was a success. Leslie and I began by dropping off our stuff at the hostel and then going for a walk down the Parque Forestal, which is right by our hostel. The park runs along a river, that has now been imbedded in concrete. The park was suprisingly clean. We ended up in the Mercado Central, or central marketplace. Here, there was an abundance of fresh seafood and vegetables. We also went in to a grocery store to check it out, and I was amazed to see that in the wine section, each bottle only cost between $2-3!

We went back to the hostel where we had agreed to meet Brittany and Ali, who were already staying at the Hotel Rent-a-Home. We walked in the opposite direction at first, to the Plaza Italia and then down the main through through fare, Avendia Liberador General Bernard O Higgins, named after an Irish-Chilean independence fighter. We ended up the Cerro Santa Lucia Park, where we climbed to the top of the hill and asaw the whole skyline of Santiago, including the Andes in the background. From there, we continued to the center of Center walking down Paseao Estado, right when all the Chileans were getting out of work an school for the siesta. . We continued up to the Plaza de Armas, where we found a place to eat lunch. And here I learned that just because it says vegetarian on the menu, does not mean that it wont have chicken stacked on top!

We continued back to the hostel and took a nap, after which, we went out for dinner and drinks with Brittany and Ali again. But, Wednesdays didnt seem to be a happening night in Santiago. After a restful night, I was able to get up and go running in th Parque Forestal!

Now, we are headed over to the Hostel Rent-a-Home to meet up with the rest of the ISA group.