The flight from Cordoba to Santiago crosses the Andes, and I decided to forgo my aisle seat preference for a window seat. As we approached the mountain range, we were instructed to return to our seats and fasten our seat belts "while crossing the Andes". Despite the cloud cover, some mild turbulence, and partial wing obstruction, I was able to appreciate the ruggedness of the range as well as the remote roads and small villages sandwiched between the towering peaks.
My college roommate Jane met me as I exited customs. Jane's youngest daughter Lucy lives in Santiago with her husband Eduardo and her two children Simon and Bruno. Jane, her husband, and their two other daughters had come to Chile to celebrate Christmas with Lucy and her family. Jane was staying on a couple of weeks to spend more time with her Santiago family, and she was taking a short break to show me around the city. It was a wonderful opportunity to reunite with a dear friend and to explore some of her favorite haunts. Our home base was an Airbnb in Barrio Lastarria, an historical area in central Santiago. It has recently become a bit touristy, but has a plethora of restaurants and proximity to numerous cultural activities.
The afternoon was clear, sunny and hot, so we took a fairly leisurely stroll through the barrio and up Santa Lucia hill. All around there was a vibrancy – from the sidewalk vendors selling arts and crafts to the brightly colored murals and mosaics decorating historical structures. We stopped for avocado toast and lemonade with mint at small bakery/café nestled in one of the many short alleyways along the main thoroughfare. The hike up Santa Lucia hill was short and not very strenuous, and afforded nice views of the city and the Andes to the east. In the local tradition, we partook of a short afternoon rest before enjoying a late-ish dinner of Thai takeout on our patio. In all, a most enjoyable day getting the feel and rhythm of the city.
The destination the next morning was the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art. Heading out fairly early to beat the midday heat, our route took us by the Catholic University, through a maze of pedestrian shopping malls and to the Plaza de Armas, the main square of Santiago established by the founder of Santiago, Pedro de Valdivia, in 1541. The plaza is flanked by several historical buildings and contains several works of art paying homage to the pre- and post-Columbian history of Chile.
Plaza de Armas is surrounded by the Central Post Office Building (left) and the historic Royal Court Palace (right), which currently houses the National History Museum of Chile
The Museo Chileno de Arte Precolumbino has two exhibitions in their permanent collection: Pre-columbian art of the Americas (including Mesoamerica, the Caribbean, and South America) and Chile before Chile. As someone with a pedestrian knowledge of the Mayan, Aztec and Incan empires, I was enthralled with the complexity of their social/political culture as well as the art that embodied and reflected that complexity. In many cases, the art celebrated rituals or experiences induced by the many hallucinogenic plants native to the area. I would be interested to learn more about the environmental and geographic factors thought to have impacted the various spiritual, social and political systems found among indigenous people throughout North, Central and South America.
Pre-Columbian Chilean hats - I'm especially fond of the one with the horns
That evening we headed out for dinner with Jane's daughter Lucy, followed by a visit to the Bahá'í temple. Two metros, a bus, and a short walk took us to the eastern reaches of Santiago, where we picked up Lucy, Simon (age 6) and Bruno (age 3) and headed off dinner at a Peruvian restaurant. While the boys enjoyed chicken nuggets, fries, and bread, we feasted on ceviche, grilled tuna, and a Peruvian chicken stew. Then we were off (and up) to Templo Bahá'í, where Lucy's husband Eduardo works as Director - and where he was tied up in a meeting and unable to join us for dinner.
The award-winning Templo Bahá'í de Sudamérica is one of eight continental temples of the Bahá'í Faith. Nestled in the foothills of the Andes outside Santiago, the Templo Bahá'í has become a destination for locals, tourists, and Bahá'í faithful. We arrived near sunset where scores of people had gathered on the temple grounds to view the sun setting over Santiago. Jane had pointed out the temple during our hike up Santa Lucia hill, when it looked to me like a fairly typical observatory. As we neared the temple, however, the physical and spiritual beauty of the structure became increasingly apparent.
Each of the continental Bahá'í temples must meet the criteria of "a nine-sided domed structure with nine entrances to symbolically welcome people from all directions of the earth for prayer and meditation." The Templo Bahá'í was designed by Hariri Pontarini, drawing inspiration from sources as varied as Sufi whirling dancers, Japanese bamboo baskets, and the way sunshine dapples beneath a tree canopy. The result is a 90-ft diameter structure building composed of nine identical glass and marble “torqued wings” that soar 138 ft skyward, topped with a central oculus.
Cut-away model of the Tempo Bahá'í showing 5 of the 9 torqued wings. In this picture and the next, the size of the people is a useful yardstick to appreciate the size of the temple structure.
As imposing and beautiful as it is on the outside, it was the inside of the Templo Bahá'í that took my breath away. Light infuses the structure, bathing those inside with a brightness that is simultaneously serene and alive. To me, the torqued wings evoke the sails of ships, ready to take one on a spiritual journey. It is forbidden to take photographs inside the temple, and while I might have tried to surreptitiously snap an iPhone pic, I decided to respect the wishes of Lucy and Eduardo and the other Bahá'í faithful. However, the experience was so dramatic that I am sure it will stay with me for years to come.
Sunset over Santiago as viewed from grounds of Templo Bahá'í. Lucy says a similar haze often covers the city
We awoke Friday to another beautiful day of sunshine and clear blue skies. I had strained my hamstring before Thanksgiving, likely overdoing it on the stairmaster while trying to get in shape for my hiking trip in Southern Patagonia. Although rest and stretching was the recommended treatment, I had done a fair bit of walking and climbing the previous two days. In an effort to follow therapist orders, we decided to limit activities a bit during the last two in Santiago. Rather than take in the historical and cultural aspects of the city, we concentrated on exploring the nooks and crannies of the neighborhood and savoring the culinary riches that Santiago had to offer. This included a stop at the Emporio La Rosa for a scoop of Miel de Ulmo (ice cream made with honey from elm trees) that was enjoyed at the nearby Parque Forestal.
For dinner, we splurged on the 12-course tasting menu at the renowned Restaurante 040, located across the River Mapucho in the lively Bario Bellavista. There was no menu - each course was revealed only when served, complete with instructions on how many bites you were to take! All courses, save one, were eaten by hand and there were small finger bowls on the table for washing-up as needed. Overall the meal was amazing, hitting high marks on flavor, texture, and presentation. The fact that we ate with our hands added a tactile sense to each dish that complemented the sensations of sight, taste and smell. After dinner, we were granted access to a “secret” rooftop speakeasy. An homage to the age of American prohibition and gangsters, the place was not for us and we headed home. By now, the party scene in Bario Bellavista was amping up, with music blaring from brightly lit bars and street-side drum groups. It was truly a most gratifying evening that stimulated all the senses.
Happy Hour is just starting as we pass through Barrio Bellavista
On Saturday, we lunched at a restaurant specializing in ancestral food of Chile. It was an interesting meal, a bit hit or miss, though we both appreciated the effort. Perhaps we were just too spoiled by our meal the previous evening. After lunch we bade farewell and I headed off to the airport hotel and an early flight to Punta Arenas the following day. I'll be spending the next two weeks hiking in Southern Patagonia and will provide a few updates along the way.
