Amber: Despite the cold, rainy weather, we managed to get out of the cozy hostel at about 1. We shared a taxi with a fellow traveler to get to the bus station (only about $2) and spent the day touring the city, protecting ourselves from the downpour and violent splashes from speeding buses by walking under awnings taking the metro. It was a holiday of some sort but we found some of the museums were still open!(Picture: At the corner of the central square in downtown Santiago)
National History Museum
A vast collection of artifacts, paintings, and photographs showing the history of Chile from the time of the capture of the natives to the overthrow of Salvador Allende in the 1970's (who is related to Isabelle Allende, my new favorite Chilean author!) It was fascinating, but we would have appreciated it more had there been English translations.
There was a painting here that I think we might have studied in European history. Its called "Prima Misa Celebrada en Chile" by Pedro Subercaseaux but I couldn't find it online.
Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes
Awesome building that Dad says reminds him of Musee D'orseoy in Paris. A little leaky but with some memorable work. There were 3 huge rooms filled with colorful drawings by children depicting their neighborhoods.
One of my favorites here was Claudio Bravo's " Tentacion de San Antonio" (right), a beautifully-rendered modern painting with a lot of symbolism. I wish Nari or Julia were here so we could analyze it together!
We went out to eat at a Chinese restaraunt (surprisingly, there's a lot of 'em here!) Food here is a bit more expensive than Argentina. A few nights ago we got a great meal for $8 in Argentina - salad, lasagna, and delicious empanadas with hot tea.
Took the metro back and somehow managed to find our way back to the hostel with our little wet map.
We've had enough of the wet city. Tomorrow we take a morning bus to the cute mountain town Villarica. Its an 11 hour ride, so I should save my book for the ride instead of reading now... rats. The scenery is supposed to be awesome!
Hope all is well in SB, Taiwan, Holllywood, or wherever you are while you're reading this!
Love Amber
5 comments:
Hey Amber! I haven't been to a museum since Europe, but I have watched a couple movies that I analyzed. A Room With A View, Groundhog Day, Heat, and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? Heat was the most fun to analyze, but that might be because I wouldn't be as interested in it if I was not aware of the symbolismmmm (it makes everything yummmmier). Enjoy yourself!
love,
Nari
Hey Amber,
Thanks for the report from rainy Santiago. I'm glad to learn you have a new favorite Chilean authoress, who you are reading in Spanish? Museum tours are always good for a rainy day, and I suspect you may not have many more museums until you get back to Males Aires. Today I took Joyce to the airport. She is off for a Rhine River cruise (Basel to Amsterdam) with Lynn and the twins. Tomorrow is the McConnell's event. Jimmy will tell you how that turned out after I give him your blog address. I am left alone, here in Hollywood, with only two turtles, six cats, a couple hundred little trees, my art project and the Olympics on TV to keep me company. You are Miss South America on my rating list. Continue to enjoy! Love from RWY
This has been a great adventure story, and I am quite jealous. Even the scary bus rides and the cow brains sound fun (sort of). I hope you have some photos of the skiing, because that sounded really awesome, especially for we Manhattan Beach folks who are enjoying hot days and warm oceans...but no snow.
Too bad you are missing the Olympics, though. The trampoline competition was especially fierce, as was the battle for the best prancing horsies. And don't get me started on the absolutely rivetting ping pong and badmitton competitions, where they were hitting balls and birdies back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.... Tyson Gay didn't make the finals. A 38 year old won the women's marathon. Pole vault is still the best event.
Can't wait for the photos. You guys are an inspiration!
--MIKE--
sarah and julia - YOU ROCK!!! thank you so much for telling me! thats super exciting. i think ill take it off this website though cuz i think its public.
grandad- in terms of reading spanish, dad and i are starting with newspapers and magazines, dictionary in hand, but maybe ill work my way up to a book... a childrens book may be a good idea!
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