We slept in until 8am, which was welcome. It was quiet in the night, though at one stage we heard a pack of dogs barking - there are some wild dogs around which we had seen yesterday chasing cars at intersections, obviously they were out hunting in the night. They seem to sleep a lot during the day, and don't annoy people.
Breakfast was in the hotel as part of the tarrif - cornflakes, bread, cheese & ham... Then we set out about 9.30 for a few hours before it got too hot. It was already 30 degrees! We walked up past Constitution Plaza and the Palacio La Moneda. There were important looking men in suits being driven up under police escort to the Palacio.
We continued up Bernard O'Higgens Avenue to the Cerro Santa Lucia, a cantral city park built on a small rocky hill. This provided excellent views over the central city. We then crossed the Mapiocho - a so-called river running through the city. If reality it is a brown fast-flowing torrent of water in a concrete channel. Because it is a Monday some places are closed and there did not appear to be many tourists about.
At Cerro San Christobel we took the funincular railway straight up some 860 metres. There is a large statue of Mary on the top of the hill, and a small outdoors altar where Pope John Paul II said Mass in 1984. The hillside is terraced with benches for the congregation to sit on. There was a large outdoors Christmas crib there.
At the top of the hill there were 360 degree views over the entire city, out to the nountain range which surrounds it. One of these mountains is the tallest in the Americas, about 21000 feet.
John suggested that we walk down, and we did - for 2 hours in the heat. We were relieved to be able to sit down & have lunch at 3pm, accompanied with a cold beer to refuel our lost fluids. It was very pleasant sitting in the shade outside, watching the world go by.
We returned to the hotel at 4pm, having been walking for about 6 hours. Had a shower to freshen up and a short siesta.
Breakfast was in the hotel as part of the tarrif - cornflakes, bread, cheese & ham... Then we set out about 9.30 for a few hours before it got too hot. It was already 30 degrees! We walked up past Constitution Plaza and the Palacio La Moneda. There were important looking men in suits being driven up under police escort to the Palacio.
We continued up Bernard O'Higgens Avenue to the Cerro Santa Lucia, a cantral city park built on a small rocky hill. This provided excellent views over the central city. We then crossed the Mapiocho - a so-called river running through the city. If reality it is a brown fast-flowing torrent of water in a concrete channel. Because it is a Monday some places are closed and there did not appear to be many tourists about.
At Cerro San Christobel we took the funincular railway straight up some 860 metres. There is a large statue of Mary on the top of the hill, and a small outdoors altar where Pope John Paul II said Mass in 1984. The hillside is terraced with benches for the congregation to sit on. There was a large outdoors Christmas crib there.
At the top of the hill there were 360 degree views over the entire city, out to the nountain range which surrounds it. One of these mountains is the tallest in the Americas, about 21000 feet.
John suggested that we walk down, and we did - for 2 hours in the heat. We were relieved to be able to sit down & have lunch at 3pm, accompanied with a cold beer to refuel our lost fluids. It was very pleasant sitting in the shade outside, watching the world go by.
We returned to the hotel at 4pm, having been walking for about 6 hours. Had a shower to freshen up and a short siesta.
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