Santiago de Chile... Reaching my Point

"I mean how do you know what you're going to do until you do it? The answer is, you don't." Holden Caulfield, "Catcher in the Rye"

By the time I was done with my week in Paraguay, I left super early for Chile. Paraguay was nice and all but I was very much looking forward to the final leg of my trip. On the agenda was to visit Easter Island, go skiing in the Andes, visit Valparaiso, and make the most out of being in a major city. I accomplished one of those things.

Mural honoring the history of the Mapuche, in a subway station

Honestly, I am not even really excited about writing this post because I was in a dark place at this point in the trip. I spent too much time hopping from one place to the next, and not enough time staying in one place long enough to develop relationships with others. I was also incredibly over eating meals alone and being stared at by waiters, passerby-ers, and other patrons. I downloaded a couple of apps to my phone that would help me meet other people, but each time I made plans with someone I was cancelled on. This is no exaggeration. I was cancelled on, at the last minute, by every single person I made plans with. I started questioning myself, "is there something wrong with me?" If this happened to you too, you'd ask the same thing.

The Fish Market

I was tired of traveling, forfeited my ticket to Easter Island, gave up looking for skiing trip packages, and remained in Santiago. I also changed my flight to arrive back in Ecuador a week early, which was the best decision I could have made for myself. I will say, I made the most of my time in Santiago despite passing on these other adventures and opportunities. I figure that I will return there sometime and accomplish those trips but when I am ready.

La Vega Central

You can find incredible street art in Bellavista

I stayed at two different hostels in Santiago, both not near each other in proximity, but distant in the atmosphere. The first was in Bellavista, and the other in Barrio Italia. Bellavista is the hipster, hot -and-happening area of the city and you can find limitless street art, bars, restaurants, and tour Ventana Sur, felt so much more like home and I actually connected with a couple of people. When I return to the city, I will be staying here again for several reasons. As mentioned, it felt like home. The owner and host was incredibly kind and helpful. We had several conversations throughout the week and he made me and the other guests feel welcomed. Secondly, the neighborhood is quiet, peaceful, but also close to many parks, subway stops, and a grocery store. It was so easy to get around the city from there. Additionally, the people who were staying there were incredibly kind, and I do not think this is an anomaly. On the patio out back, there were many handwritten messages spanning a number of years left by the people who stayed here before me. Clearly, they had great experiences and made meaningful connections. When I read them at first, I knew I made the right choice to come here.
agencies there. It's a hot destination for both tourists and locals alike, though a decidedly younger crowd. Barrio Italia is less than a couple kilometers away and provides a more tranquil and residential feel. You can find a plethora of parks and stations for the highly developed subway system here, too. I decided on Bellavista at first because I felt I needed to get out of my comfort zone and engage myself in something fun. Rather, I found myself hanging around my (over-priced) private room and walking around the "city center." When I changed my flight, I changed my place of stay. The hostel where I stayed,

During my week in Santiago, I definitely made the most of the time I had to be there. I know, it sounds like it was a punishment but it felt like one considering how badly I wanted the trip to end.

The Grave of Carmencita, an interesting tale

I did two free walking tours with the same 'company,' Tours 4 Tips. I reviewed them on TripAdvisor (and got a shoutout back from them). They're the ones with the red shirts, which happens to be the same color as other competing walking tour groups. However, I fully endorse this one. Why, you ask? They offer two different tours each day: one in the morning, one in the afternoon. The morning is the best of the two, although both are wonderful. The morning one takes you through unconventional locations, including the fish market (where I went to eat the biggest fish soup ever with my guide), their very large street market (where they buy you a sopapilla!), and the cemetery (where everyone from the poorest to the wealthiest are buried... except Pinochet). We finished the tour by going to a bar to drink a Terremoto.  I had such a great time learning and seeing the city in this way, and it made me feel less anonymous and alone during the trip. In the afternoon, you go to the more traditional places, like the Presidential Palace (La Moneda) and Plaza de Armas. During that tour, I learned stories about the beginning of the dictatorship of Pinochet, which inspired me to go to the Museum of Human Rights.

Where the poor lie to rest. Each crypt costs $150 to own for life. Multiple family members get buried in the same crypt.

The resting place of former President Allende

The wealthy spared no expense in building monuments to themselves in the form of mausoleums

The Museum of Human Rights (El Museo de los Derechos Humanos) is stunning, eerie, and humbling. As you enter, you are presented with images of some of the most disguting human rights violations from around the world, though most of the museum is devoted to the era of Pinochet-s dictatorship. On September 11, 1973, General Pinochet led the Chilean military (all branches) to throw a coup against President Allende. Pinochet would remain in power until 1990, and was supported by the USA government! I felt me heart drop, sink, break as I went from exhibit to exhibit, room to room and learned of the horrible offenses committed against Chileans. Hundreds of thousands were murdered, exiled, tortured, or went missing. Many of those people are missing today, still. It makes me cry still, as I write this, because of the testimonials given by those who were tortured. One woman had a forced abortion. Another man was blindfolded with a gun to his head and told that he was at the edge of a cliff; meanwhile, a group of soldiers stood by and watched, so they would know the consequences of a betrayal. I walked through rooms of toys, journal entries, and grooming products created from raw materials that were used by children in detention camps. And I heard the songs sung by the Chilenos when they were successful with voting Pinochet out of power. This is a must-do if you visit Santiago.

The Museum of Human Rights

There are a bunch of other museums to visit, like the Museo de Bellas Artes, which are free to enter. Another powerful place I went to was the Gabriela Mistral Cultural Center. Former President Allende commissioned it to be built to present to the world how successful a socialist government was. Allende convinced the people it was worthwhile, and it was finished ahead of schedule. This center served those in need a warm place and a hot meal. After Pinochet took power, he essentially slapped the accomplishment of collaboration and socialism by turning it into his personal office building. In 2006, the building burned down; a new one was reconstructed in the former building's memory, both to honor Allende's and to caution Pinochet's rules.

La Moneda Palace

You know, I did have a great time in Santiago, despite where my emotions laid. I never, ever went on a trip such as this... four countries in seven weeks by myself. I didn't know what I would feel, who I would meet, what I would learn, where I would go. But I did it. And when I was done, I put on my big boy pants and figure out how I would get back home. It helped me become more honest with the people I love and care about... I opened up to both of my parents in ways I hadn't before. I shared my struggle with friends as I worked through improving my situation. I took a leap of faith and concluded that this is not how I travel. I can't go from one place to the next and expect to find enlightenment. I need to do something with myself and my time, whether that be activity (like diving), learning, or volunteering my time to make the world a better place. I went to places and I found out what I would do.

Santiago de Chile

On the descent from Cerro San Cristóbal