From Miami to Santiago it took Ladeco airline a bit over 7 hours. While Miami was warm, the Santiago airport was darnright chilly this late October morning. From the Hotel Metropoli I could walk to the City Center and then to Cerro Santa Lucia. This is a small mountain in the middle of Santiago. It is the point where Valdivia in 1541 founded the City.
Many steps lead to the top of that mountain through well- maintained plantings.
There is a beautiful view from the top. Another mountain I went to was Mount San Cristobal which I reached by taking the funicular which states that Pope John Paul II used it in April 1987 to bless South America. There is a large statue of the Virgin Mary on top, and the view over Santiago and towards the high Andes Mountains is fantastic. Santiago has beautiful and well-frequented shopping malls. Several streets are closed to traffic and full of people, days and evenings.