Sunday Annie and I went to the Mercado Central and Cerro San Cristobal. I really can't tell you much of the history of the Mercado, but basically it is a pretty old structure that was prefabricated in England and then brought to Santiago. It houses lots of independent fish mongers and some fruit and vegetable stands. You can find any type of fish or seafood you might want - even barnacles, which apparently they eat in Chile. As you walk by, the shop owners call out to try to encourage you to buy from them so it was a great way to practice Spanish ("no, gracias" especially).
There are a bunch of smaller restaurants in the Mercado and one really large one in the center where we ate lunch. The calamari was some of the best I've ever had - really tender - and the prawns were large and sweet. Delish!
To work off lunch we hiked up Cerro San Cristobal to the highest point in the city where there is a statue of the Virgin Mary which France gave to the city early in the last century. (On a side note, what's with France giving away tall monuments?) The view of the city, even on a particularly smoggy and overcast day, was still magnificent. Here are some pictures:
Like a Virgin:
Looking over Santiago:
Jesus' head on a rock:
After exploring the amphitheater and doing some people-watching we had Mote Con Huesillo's - a typical Chilean drink/dessert - from a stand which my teacher recommended as the best in the country. As you can see from the sign, it's a drink made by re-hydrating dried peaches and then pouring the fruit tea over a whole grain (similar to wheat or barley) called Mote. It's served cold and was really refreshing. Yum!
Tuesday morning I went with 3 new classmates to the Pre-Colombian Museum, where there is an amazing collection of indigenous art from all over Latinamerica. My favorites were the intricate gold pieces (first made in wax, then covered with clay and baked so the wax melted and you were left with a mold)
and the wooden Chemamull (large statues used during Mapuche burial ceremonies).
Also, this little guy:
The next part of the day was a big highlight of my time in Santiago: having a full (almost) conversation with my Taxi driver in Spanish. Chileans know when someone is speaking Chilean Spanish or not, and since I pronounce most syllables, don't drop s' or end my words in "stai" it's obvious I'm not from here (I swear those are the only things giving me away). Once he asked me where I'm from and why I'm in Chile we got into a great discussion about his children (one of whom works on a cruise line and is touring the world) and how dangerous it is to move to a country without speaking the language, which he felt particularly strongly about. He even corrected my grammar, encouraged my studies and refused a tip - what a good teacher!
Tuesday and Wednesday nights we went out to higher-end restaurants that our guide book had recommended, but it felt authentic because one of our housemates, Emmett, arranged dinner parties with his Chilean, Peruvian and Brazillian friends. Of course, they had all gone to business schools in the US and were working in finance or consulting, but it certainly felt authentic! Anyway, Japon (the best sushi in the city, supposedly) and Astrid y Gaston (awesome Peruvian food) were delicious and our dinners companions were charming. Here is a picture of Emmett with "Squishy" a kitten we found on our way home:
The week ended with a nice dinner at home with the Casa Loca family to celebrate Lily, Emmett and Josh's departures. They're all off traveling now - and I can hardly believe I have just one more week in Santiago!
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