Chile- The Last Day

On the last day of our trip, we finally get a chance to explore Santiago. This huge, cosmopolitan city boasts a view clear to the Andes on a good day, but is also notorious for being smoggy and congested. No Andes for us. But, we did explore the Plaza de Armas, and came across the main Catedral where Sunday Mass was being held...

We also made our way over the the Mercado Central, a bustling fish market with row after row of fishmongers selling some of the freshest fish I've seen... as I watched Jack take a picture of some sardines, I was spit at by a barnacle!

Across the river begins another pair of markets, La Vega Chica and La Vega Central, selling all sorts of fresh produce, household wares, grains, nuts and spices, among other utilities. The markets took us a good hour to walk through, and I find them to be the largest public markets I've ever visited.
A short walk brought us back to Bellavista, the neighborhood we visted the previous evening. In the daytime, we were surprised to find some really whimsical and vibrant pieces of street art...




Our last stop before the storm, a visit to La Chascona, one of the 3 homes of Pablo Neruda. La Chascona, or, the "Woman with Tousled Hair," is named after the poet's third wife, whom he met strolling through the park at the bottom of the hill. The inside of the house was made to resemble a ship, and indeed, the walls were narrow, the ceilings were low, and the windows were port-hole like. He also decorated the walls and shelves with eclectic pieces of art that he collected from all over the world during his time as ambassador. The overall affect is fantastical and imaginative, and gives you a glimpse into the passions and brilliance of this famed artist.



And finally, to the airport. Boo hoo! Our trip is over!


A 9 hour flight brought us from Santiago to Dallas, where we caught our final leg back to Seattle, this time, with our luggage! I watched a tear jerking, heart sobbing movie on the plane called "P.S. I Love You," about a woman who is trying to cope with her husband's death, and clinged to Jack's arm the entire time as he snored away. And then, we were home! No incidents, no luggage worries, and back to a beautiful sunny day in Seattle.