Day one Santiago

Well it was an uneventful flight , early arrival with great views of the moutains / cordillera on one side and coast / arid scrub on the other side coming into Santiago! Hostel found easily and we are off on tour !
A funicular train up to lofty San Christobal hill and some impressive views of the city and the snow covered hills in the far distance !
Down the hill and a well earned lunch and beer before we join a walking tour of the city ! Starting at the Bellas Artes museum , closed due to budget issues , we strangely meet another Oasis traveller adding to the two we bumped into at the hostel and they’re not too young !
It’s a free tour but with a normal tip ! takes us to some interesting places - street art in Belles Artes.
The plaza des Armes is the old city square and has numerous impressive buildings and bronze plates on the street tell the story of the city , close to the river , irrigation help from the Incas and some brightly painted streets .
The plaza de la constitucion
is busy with tourists , police and army as we have a visiting president who gets a weirdly rousing shout out from the ranked soldiers ! It’s actually the old mint of Santiago and called Moneda . Salvador Allende looks over all until his death in 73 and the start of the other guy and the troubles ! Moneda and New York is the financial district of the city .
Up the street we reach the GAM or cultural centre in Lastaria which was appropriated by the Pinochet gang and its huge tower which for a long time a symbol of the regime now stands empty but the arts centre thrives !
Our final stop on the tour just around the corner is an area full of restaurants , bars and music - somewhere to seek out later !
The day ends with a climb up to the old Spanish fort on San Lucía hill , whose height and buildings were seemingly increased in height by the detritus from the canalised river . It actually has a clearer view of the city and the snow capped mountains .
And that apart from that we’re done and some food and beer will do us -only six miles but tired after a long day !Les mer