January 1, 2026
1055 Huerfanos
Santiago, Chile
Yesterday, I flew from Puerto Vallarta to Dallas and then spent New Year’s Eve on a plane to Santiago, Chile. While the plane arrived in Dallas ahead of schedule, my already tight connection was made alarming by our having spent 75 minutes sitting on the tarmac, waiting for a gate. When we finally debarked, we were at the gate furthest from immigration and I had to dash a mile. There was no line at immigration, thankfully, and I made it to my connection on time, despite having to take a train to a different terminal. My luggage, however, was not so successful.
Knowing that dollars would get me the best exchange rate, I attempted to withdraw cash from a Bank of America ATM at the airport, only to discover that my account was frozen. Two large cash withdrawals in Mexico followed by an attempt to withdraw money in Dallas had resulted in a fraud alert. I managed to call them before we left and get that sorted out. I warned them that I was headed for Chile.
After having spent a sleepless night on the plane, I arrived in Santiago to find that my suitcase was stranded in Dallas. I waited for Sally in the baggage area where there were seats and even a Dunkin’ Donuts. I had time to place a claim for lost luggage and exchange a few dollars for Chilean pesos at the horrible rate of 690 pesos to the dollar. (It should have been closer to 900.)
Sally and I took a cooperativo to the Plaza de Armas and then walked about two blocks to our apartment on Paseo Huerfanos. The apartment was old, but spacious and comfortable enough. We each got our own bedroom. We had a little trouble getting into the building because it was New Year’s and the Gate to the shopping area on the ground floor was locked. The apartment was on the main shopping street, but everything was closed and the area was deserted. We finally got the concierge to come to the gate and, after some back and forth with the owner, got him to give us the keys. The cleaners were just departing when we arrived.
We tried to take naps, but neither of us was successful. By 14:30, we were both up and blearily ready to explore.
January 2, 2026
1055 Huerfanos
Santiago, Chile
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| Pisco Sour |
We wandered several blocks down our street until we found a Chinese restaurant that was open. Having skipped lunch, we ate an early dinner and had a celebratory pisco sour. Then we took a walk around the monumental buildings in our neighborhood, eventually ending up at the Plaza de Armas where we sat and watched people until our sleepless night of travel and the pisco sours caught up with us and we returned to our apartment and went to bed at 18:00.
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| Plaza de Armas |
We were both up early the next morning and went out to breakfast as soon as things began to open at 8:00. Our apartment was on the 6th floor of a large building that had shops and restaurants on the lower two levels. Most of the non-governmental buildings in the central area followed this plan. We had eggs, toast, and coffee in one of the cafes and then visited the currency exchange and the tourist information office. The tourism office had some lovely displays, but wasn’t very helpful. We then ducked into the National History Museum in what had once been the royal palace. It was a good museum, but we didn’t get a chance to finish seeing all of it because we had to meet our landlord at noon to pay for the apartment.
Our landlord was very prompt and offered to replace our dining table which had lost a leg and was leaning against the wall. It wasn’t bothering us, so we told him not to bother. That was a bad call because, no sooner had we gone to the supermarket and returned to research future accommodations than a second leg fell off, sending the table crashing down and spilling Sally’s coffee on the floor. When I texted our landlord, I discovered that he couldn’t get into his storage until Monday morning, three days away. We drank coffee at the coffee table in the hall.
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| Neptune Gate at Cerro Santa Lucia |
We spent a couple of hours in research and then left about 16:00 to walk to Cerro Santa Lucia, a park surrounding a rocky outcrop that was once a military observation post and now sports a viewpoint with fabulous views of Santiago. We entered through the elaborate Neptune Gate and climbed to the top of the hill. From there, we could see the Parque Metropolitano with its funicular to the top of Cerro San Cristobal and the Gran Torre Santiago, at 300 meters, the tallest building in South America.
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| Gran Torre Santiago |
Our next destination was the artsy Barrio Lastarria on the other side of the hill. We wandered around there a bit and ducked into the fascinating Iglesia de Vera Cruz, which had been burned out in 2019 when an arsonist splashed accelerant through the entrance and then tossed in a match. The church had been left largely as it was after the fire, with only the crucifix and the pews having been replaced. It was an atmospheric place. After a few somber moments in the church, we continued on to a restaurant called Tres Valles, where we shared a pizza and a salad.
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| Iglesia de Vera Cruz |
Leaving the restaurant at 20:00, we still had plenty of light to walk home before dark. I had hoped to pick up a clean shirt on the way home, but shops apparently closed at 20:00 and were shuttered by the time we reached them.
January 3, 2026
1055 Huerfanos
Santiago, Chile
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| La Moneda |
We knew my suitcase wasn’t going to arrive before noon, so we decided to begin the day with a visit to the cultural center at the former presidential palace of La Moneda to watch the changing of the guard. We stopped for breakfast at McDonald’s on the way. We got there a little before the advertised opening time of 10:00 but, when 10:00 came and went without any indication of opening I asked one of the guards what was up. Apparently, the palace was closed to visitors because of Trump’s attack on Venezuela’s President Maduro. While I was talking to the guard, he showed me the news on his cellphone. Neither of us really knew what it would mean in the future. Vendors were selling Venezuelan flags, everywhere, and Venezuelan immigrants were waving flags from car windows and celebrating like they had just won the World Cup. People were clearly glad Maduro was gone, no matter how illegal his capture.
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| The Stock Exchange |
Since we suddenly had more time on our hands, I stopped to buy a clean shirt and then we wandered around a bit, pausing to admire the architecture at the stock exchange and finally visiting the cathedral. We returned to the museum to explore the exhibits we had missed the day before when we had to rush to meet our landlord. We visited the post office to admire the architecture and were charmed by a Christmas tree made of shipping boxes.
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| The National Library |
Barrio Paris-Londres was quiet, with winding cobblestoned streets and boutique hotels and cafes. We located Londres 38, a house where 93 people were detained, tortured, and killed following Pinochet’s takeover in 1973. The names of the dead were inscribed on plaques set into the sidewalk in front of the building. Unfortunately, the building was closed for renovation.
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| Londres 38 |
Before crossing back over the Alameda to the city center, we stopped to visit the Franciscan church which was decorated for Christmas. The Franciscan church was the oldest building in Santiago, dating back to the 16th Century. It’s walls of massive uncut stones had withstood two major earthquakes that had flattened most contemporary buildings. The church was rustic, but the coffered ceiling was impressive and the nativity scene at the altar was nicely done and lent color to the interior.
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| The Interior of the Franciscan Church |
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| Nativity in the Franciscan Church |
We grabbed an ice cream on the way back to our apartment. It was too early for dinner and we weren’t really hungry, so we found a rooftop bar that was offering half price gin and tonics. We had a drink and watched two cats on neighboring fifth floor balconies balancing on narrow ledges as they tried to reach each other. Still not very hungry, we returned to our apartment to munch on cheese, crackers, and fruit and book accommodations for our trip to the Atacama Desert.
January 4, 2026
1055 Huerfanos
Santiago, Chile
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| Grafiti in Barrio Brasil |
It was Sunday morning and everything was closed. We left shortly before 9:00, hoping to find somewhere to eat along the 2.9 km walk to the Museum of Memory and Human Rights. Nothing was open. We arrived at the museum about 9:45 and killed 15 minutes reading the declaration of human rights posted on the wall before the coffee shop opened and we could get coffee and apple kuchen for breakfast.
It was sobering to realize that, of the thirty rights listed on that wall, Americans and immigrants to America have never had three of them and have recently lost another four.
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| Museum of Memory and Human Rights |
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| Photos of the Disappeared |
The museum was very well done and informative. It captivated us for nearly four hours. The structure, opened in 2010, was spacious and modern, with thorough multimedia exhibits explaining the military coup on September 11, 1973, the suspension of basic human rights, and the detention, torture, execution, and disappearance of more than 38,000 people, a number than is likely understated. Nearly every aspect of life in Chile changed within twenty four hours on that day and it took seventeen years to restore democracy. It was difficult to ignore the cautionary tale of what can happen when a leader declares himself above the rule of law and rewrites the constitution.
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| The End of the Rule of Law |
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| Parque Quinta Normal |
We left the museum and went in search of lunch in the Parque Quinta Normal. The park is home to several more museums, but we were rather overwhelmed and couldn’t stomach another museum, even though most of them were free. We couldn’t find a restaurant there, either, but did manage to buy a couple of empanadas. After walking around the park, we went in search of Plaza Brasil in Barrio Brasil.
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| Barbershop and Cafe in Barrio Brasil |
Barrio Brasil was a posh neighborhood in the early 20th century, but was abandoned by the elite by the 1940s. It was never redeveloped and many of the original homes remain and have been converted into apartments. Today, it is a lively neighborhood with many artists, musicians, cafes, and murals. Plaza Brasil was really just a neighborhood park and not particularly interesting. We pressed on and wended our way through the Barrio Concha y Toro, which was developed by Enrique Concha y Toro in the 1920s to resemble a European town. Winding cobblestone streets led to a small plaza with a fountain and the area had been kept in good repair.
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| Plaza in Concha y Toro |
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| Home in Barrio Republica |
From Concha y Toro, we continued south through the Barrio Republica, where stately homes had been converted to university buildings, to the Museum of Solidarity with Salvador Allende. Beginning during his presidency in 1971, artists around the world donated works in solidarity with Allende’s social policies in Chile. After the coup, those pieces were hidden or smuggled out of Chile and the collection continued to grow in exile. In 2005, the foundation purchased the townhouse that now houses the collection, which has grown to 1500 pieces. The collection includes works by well-known artists such as Joan Miro, Alexander Calder, and Yoko Ono. The museum is small and cannot display more than a fraction of the collection at once. Some pieces were lost during the period of exile and exist only virtually. We barely had enough energy to experience what was on display, so we found our experience adequate. The staff was very welcoming and we had a nice chat about politics in our countries.
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| Virtual Artwork |
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| Museum of Solidarity with Salvador Allende |
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| The Palacio Cousino |
We wanted to see the Palacio Cousino, the most extravagant mansion of the late 19th century, but were unable to do more than glimpse it through the bars of the surrounding fence. Visiting hours were limited to weekdays and required reservations. We did stroll through the surrounding Barrio Dieciocho but, having walked about 12 km, we were starting to flag. We passed by La Moneda and found it considerably less fortified than it had been the morning of Maduro’s capture. We could have entered the Cultural Center, but it was nearly closing time and we preferred to look for somewhere to get a drink. Unfortunately, nothing was open. We returned to our apartment and snacked on cheese, crackers, and fruit before repairing to our rooms.
January 5, 2026
1055 Huerfanos
Santiago, Chile
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| Cafe in Our Building |
Having learned that nothing opened until 9:00, we waited until then before returning to the cafe in the arcade in our building where we had eaten the first morning. After fortifying ourselves with eggs, toast, and coffee, we set off to walk to the Parque Metropolitano. We had neglected to record how far we had walked the previous day, but we figured it was upwards of ten miles and we were both feeling it.
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| Museum of Bellas Artes |
We skirted Cerro Santa Lucia and made for the Parque Metropolitano, passing along the leafy park containing the Palacio de Bellas Artes. The French Neoclassical building with Art Nouveau details was constructed in 1910 to house the Museo de Bellas Artes, one of the oldest and most important collections in South America. Like all the museums we had visited so far, admission was free, but it was closed on Mondays.
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| Virgin on San Cristobal |
Our next destination was the zoo at the Parque Metropolitano, which leads conservation efforts for endangered Chilean species. That was closed for renovation. We entered the Pio Nono gate where the funicular originates and found that closed for maintenance. Fortunately, they were running buses up the hill. We bought one way tickets and climbed to the summit of Cerro San Cristobal from the bus stop. The hill is crowned by a 45’ statue of the virgin gifted to Santiago by the French in 1904. At her feet is an amphitheater graced with flower boxes between the seats where Catholic services are held.
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| Casa Arana |
In search of a view of the Gran Torre Santiago, we wandered around the ridge, visiting the Casa Arana and the (also closed) Observatorio Manuel Foster. Visibility was poor due to haze, so we didn’t get to experience a panoramic view of Santiago. Our only view of the tower was a peek at the upper floors through the trees.
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| Gran Torre Santiago |
We descended the hill via an alternate route which deposited us near the tower. This was the modern section of Santiago, with many high-rises, and was also home to the Costanera Mall at the base of the tower. As it was then 14:00, we were hungry. We ducked into the mall and ascended a series of escalators to the food court on the fifth floor. Not hungry for a big meal, we had cinnamon rolls and coffee. I bought a replacement Swiss Army knife (I had lost my last one at the airport on the way to Ecuador the previous June.) on our way out of the mall.
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| Food Court at Costanera Mall |
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| High-Rises in Santiago |
We continued our exploration by transiting the busy and modern barrios of Suecia and Providencia, attempting to walk through the sculpture garden, although some of it was under construction, requiring a detour. Eventually, we found ourselves back at Cerro Santa Lucia and limped the last mile or so to our apartment.
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| Statue Donated by Germany |
It was only about 17:30, but we had to get up at 2:00 the next morning to catch our flight to Arica. Sally went straight to bed and I, being a night owl, drank a beer and sat down to write, hoping I’d get sleepy.
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