Santiago, Chile

This was my third attempt at Santiago.

 

My first occurred in 2004 after spending a year in Brazil and Argentina. I had definitive plans to visit the country of Chile but my wanderlust had dissipated and I was beginning to feel the guilt of a societal outcast. Ultimately, I decided it was time embrace the matrix and return to the working world. The second attempt occurred in 2021 during the peak of Covid while I was exploring the fascinating city of Arequipa, Peru, a short flight away from the Chilean capital. In fact, I had already purchased a ticket and was set to fly south when Chile threw up a restriction to all non-residents. Unfortunately, this killed any chance of seeing Santiago. But 2023 was different. The country had opened up to visitors and I was staying two hours east with multiple flights available. As the saying goes, third times a charm!

 

Santiago lies in the middle of Chile, a country that occupies the long narrow stretch of land along the western shores of South America's lower half. The capital city is home to eight million showcasing dramatic views of the Andes to the East and easy access to the Pacific traveling west. Admittedly, I was a little reluctant to leave Buenos Aires after spending many weeks with Aurelie and friends so it took a little time to embrace . Fortunately, I discovered a treasure trove of graffiti and wall art while canvassing the gritty streets of Santiago's historic center and this became a daily focus for the length of my visit. Unfortunately, most of the images were in very poor condition but at days end, I was able to capture one or two gems for potential application.

 

Overall, this was not a particularly memorable month. Santiago is a fine city to visit with plenty of history, dramatic views and indigenous culture to explore but it never captured my spirit to an extent that encouraged a return. So, I began to work north for an annual pilgrimage with my 91-year-old mother along the shores of Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota. An inexpensive flight to Bogota provided an ideal first leg of travel where I spent a couple weeks revisiting what I had discovered in February followed by an additional eighteen days enjoying the white powdered beaches of the Mexican Rivera in the Yucatan Peninsula. From there, Minnesota was in reach, a short four hours north.

 

What a year!

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