Sunday in Santiago

Inside one of the subway stations

For our second full day in Chile we had planned to take a bus to Valparaiso but after a leisurely breakfast we decided that we would rather spend another day exploring Santiago.  We both wanted to visit the relatively new Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos (Museum of Memory and Human Rights) which documents the human rights abuses, repression and censorship that occurred in Chile from 1973 to 1990 under the Pinochet regime.  After checking our maps and guidebook we realized that the museum was so far to the west side of the city that it wasn’t on our maps and we were on the far east side of the city.  After walking what seemed like a million miles on Saturday, we decided to try finding the museum by taking the subway.  Santiago’s subway system is so clean and modern with great signage and clear directions – we loved it!  However, we were taking a wild guess as to which subway stop to get off at and we chose the wrong one.  We ended up at a really neat sort of yard sale/outdoor market that stretched on for blocks. 

After checking on the map app on the iphone we were able to find the museum which turns out to be right across the street from the Quinta Normal metro stop.  We each got an audio guide and spent several hours touring the exhibits in the museum.  It was a stark reminder of the rights and freedoms that we take for granted in our country.

(Admission to Museum – donation; $500CH pesos for audio guide, $1 Canadian; subway fare was $600CH pesos, ~$1.20C)

Outside the Museum of Memory and Human Rights
(no photos allowed inside)
On the wall to the right side is the UN Statement on Universal Human Rights



 

Back out in the beautiful sunshine, we returned downtown via the subway to visit the Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino. John was anxious to see their collection of pre-Columbian artifacts from all of Latin America.  When we finally found the museum, all the doors and windows were boarded up.  There were no signs offering any information, but after doing a search on TripAdvisor when we got home, it turns out that it is closed for renovation for at least one year.  We roamed around the Plaza de Armes, the Cathedral, and a pedestrian shopping plaza on our way to the subway and then ‘home.’   Both of us were amazed at how quickly we were able to get our bearings in Santiago; in no time at all we could find our way easily around the downtown core. 

Once again we went out to restaurant row for a fantastic dinner on an outdoor patio and then off to bed.  We had to be up early the next morning for our 9:20 am flight back to Cordoba.  We were sad to say goodbye to beautiful sunny Santiago and hope to go back and visit there again sometime in the future. 

Airport Bar in the Departure Area - since it was 8 am we went to Starbucks instead.