Generally I would lace up my running shoes and visit most all the city sights in one day, but feeling ill, I took a slower approach and visited the center of Santiago a few times. In La Zona Bellavista, I visited La Casa Museo La Chascona, one of the 3 interesting houses of Pabo Neruda, a Chilean poet of the early 1900s whose national and worldwide influence earned him a Nobel Peace Prize in 1971. The house was very interesting, built in Naval architecture for his love of the sea and named after his wife. He enjoyed entertaining guests so much that he installed a trap door behind a bookcase for an element of surprise. The house is furnished decorated with collections he brought back from his travels around the world.

I continued my tour of Bellavista walking through the streets lined with restaurants, pubs, cafes, theaters, street performers and live music, definitely an entertainment district by day and night. This sax performer on stilts gave new meaning to Alto Sax

I took the funicular (the Italian-built cable car) up Cerro San Cristobal, located in Parque Metropolitano with a zoo, gardens, lakes and many more outdoor activities. Chileans claim that Brazil may have Jesus Christ in Rio, but they have his Mother. It was a peaceful place, with many places to pray and meditate at the foot of Virgen de la Inmaculat Concepcion, an outdoor alter from where Pope John Paul II celebrated mass in 1984, a chappel and a memorial. I took the opportunity to pray the Rosarie for the Ciattos and Aunt Margi, who passed away that week after a long and hard fought with cancer. I will miss her dearly and will carry her in memory during my trip, for which she was a big fan.

I visited La Zona Lastarria, where I partook in a wine tasting at BocaNariz, perfect for the dreary wintry day. My meal consisted of salmon patties, a pot of seafood and port marinated apples with carmenere ice cream accompanied with a ristretto. My first flight highlighted 3 wines of ‘El Huaso’, the common laborer of the land. The second flight highlighted 3 wines ‘desde el mar hasta las montanas’. My last flight highlighted 3 signature handmade garage blends. I wish I could come back with all of them!

I proceeded to walk towards La Moneda in El Centro, touring Park at Cerro Santa Lucia, the National Library and St. Sebastion Church along the way. Each place offered further insight to Chile’s history and culture. In 1816 during the Independence war, the Spanish defended from a Greco style fort with a chapel and canon, which is fired everyday at noon. Statues from the indegionous peoples, Polynesian Rapa Nui of Easter Island, stand in a patio among statues of Greek Gods, Christian Icons and Spanish Generals. I followed tradition and turned my back to the fountain and tossed a coin in hopes of returning just like the Trevi Fountain in Rome.

The library has gone ‘e’ with a digital collection and directory of books. On display were photos and short histories of how Sergio Livingstone, Chilean futbol arquero y periodista and of escritor Juan Enmar introduced the modern era to Chile. St. Sebastion was a beautiful church and had a indigenious museum with handcrafts from the Mapuche and Aymara.