Time to be a Tourist

I arrived in Santiago just in time to begin working, so this was my first weekend to really get out and explore the city a bit.  Thankfully, I have found a good partner in crime, my friend A, who is better at reading maps than I am and can get to where she's going and then patiently wait for me after I phone her to ask which way I'm supposed to turn after I exit the metro.  I really do have a good sense of direction, I swear, it just hasn't quite kicked in for me here quite yet.
Yesterday, we decided to head up Cerro San Cristobal, which is a big "hill" in the middle of Santiago that is actually a little spur of the Andes and from there you can usually get some great views of the city. You can ride to the top on a "funicular", which is like a little cable car on a train track, and I have to say that it seems that I went on an extra smoggy day.

Smog exhibit A

A better view of the mountains as the sun is beginning to set

Today we paid a visit to the Museo de Bellas Artes.

Across the street, me posing in Parque Forestal

A stroll through the Plaza de Armas

 

So many hot dogs everywhere, sometimes I feel like I am still in Chicago.

Sundays are a great day to be out wandering around since there are so few people out and about.

That also amounts to fewer restaurant choices since so many places are closed on Sundays.  Here we are enjoying a nice Peruvian lunch.
Cheers!