Day 5: A Day in Santiago

 Today was a great day since we traveled into the city of Santiago. We all woke up, and after eating breakfast we got on our favorite bus for the two hour ride to Santiago. We all enjoyed the lovely morning nap that we got on this ride in. Our first stop in Santiago was another incline that showed off the whole city. We took anther tram to the top of this hill, but this tram went up much higher than the one in Valparaiso. 

See, the top is hidden in the clouds! The view was beautiful from the tram, and as it climbed higher, we were able to see more and more of Santiago. 

When we finally arrived at the top of the hill, we were all amazed at the beautiful view. The whole city of Santiago was in front of us as well as the mountains that surround it. I really loved this location because it was like an oasis in the fast-moving city. From up here, Santiago looked calm and peaceful. 

The hill that we visited also had a religious statue and a church. We stopped by this area as well. 

We wandered around the area taking pictures until it was time to go back down to the main city for lunch. 

For lunch we went to the Mercado Central and had a delicious and filling lunch. 

The market is full of small goods and lots and lots of fish. I was surprised to see a market like this in Santiago since the city is landlocked. Seeing this made me wonder how big such a market is in Viña or Valpariso since they are right by the water. 

After lunch, we walked to the Santiago stock exchange. I really enjoyed the walk there because we walked along a Main Street with many vendors and shops. I liked seeing the crowds of people and the excitement. I know this is only just a small segment of the huge metropolis that is Santiago. 

Many of the buildings near the stock exchange were also government buildings. We saw the building where the president works, for example. Unlike America though, the president does not work and live at the same location 

We then got to the stock exchange where we had a lecture about the histor7 of the buildings and it's purpose as well as a tour of the stock exchange floor. I was surprised at how pretty the building was and how much has remained the same with it even though the activities that go on inside it have completely transformed over time. 

After the stock exchange, we got back on the bus for the ride back to Valpariso. I stayed awake long enough to get a nice picture of the sunset and the mountains before I took a much needed nap. 

We then had dinner in Viña at a small cafe and went to bed early for tomorrow. 

Tomorrow we have our huge day of company visits to Nature's Farm, Centauro, and Hela tools. It will be another busy day, but I am excited to learn more about Chilean industry.