Saturday in Santiago

March 16, 2013

Contributed by Austin Downs and Joey Sharpe

Joey Sharpe & Austin Downs

Have you even been shopping and during checkout you realize your wallet is in the car, so now you are stuck, awkwardly waiting? That's what a large portion of our class experienced arriving to Santiago the day our international experience begun. (A snafu with credit card machines created a 1-1/2 hour wait to pay the reciprocity fee to enter the country.) Needless to say, orientation was delayed until the afternoon. 

After a brief meeting discussing safety and other tips about the city, we were ready to begin our adventure.We jumped on a tour bus and scooted around town as Chilean history was offered by our tour guide. Once downtown near Santa Lucia, we explored historic sites. Our first stop was Plaza de Armas and the National Cathedral.  From there we took a nice brisk walk to the Cathedral of St Francis.

Also, we visited the Presidential Palace (La Moneda). This palace was completely rebuilt after the 1973 coup d'état, which was supported by the US.

Then we visited London 38, which was used as a detention center where many young men from the revolution party were detained and murdered for their beliefs. 

After the tour, we concluded our first day at a Divertimento in Las Condes, the most prominent district in Santiago. We enjoyed local flavors such as empanadas, hake fish, and roast beef. The meal was an excellent introduction to Chilean culture accompanied of course by great conversation with our fellow trip mates. Looking forward to tomorrow!