STGO = SCL

The local people will write Santiago as STGO and the airport language would be SCL. Then there you go my jump in front of STGO. Yesterday I went to the modern/ new part of STGO and today I explored the root of Santiago where the Spanish colonialism first came here and left all these magnificent architectural buildings.

The first stone was built at St.Lucia hill, which at that time it was a strategic place to observe the enemies, at 12 o’clock, they still have the tradition to sound the cannon shoot. That hill was first the place of the Indigenous people back then and many of them got killed by the Spanish. Due to this reason, around the old city center, there are some statues/ monuments for these indigenous people. This hill is not the only hill around Santiago, there is also San Christobal hill with a small monastery on top. This hill is higher and can be reached by funicular or by cable car. Quite touristic, I would say especially at one side of the hill there is a small zoo. Although I love animals, I don’t like to see them in the zoo, so I prefer to see the architecture at the city center.

Mr Eiffel has done his work also here for the central station and the central market for example. The important square is Plaza de Armas where the Cathedral, Central Post Office, National Museum of History, STGO sign, a cut head statue for indigenous, etc. La Moneda building is also an important governmental building now and in the morning the guards are changing everyday. When I was there, there was a demonstration and they thought that I was a journalist with my Nikon camera, so I had to take pictures of their poster.

I also visited the oldest church in Chile, Iglesia de San Francisco and its museum with a couple of peacocks and chicken living in the garden patio. Admiring the art in Museo de Bellas Artes (surprisingly, it is free entrance). Then I got lost in this colonial city center in between the pedestrian shopping street, which was not bad so I took time to get a vegetarian empanada and sat to think and enjoy that I was lost.. :-)