Day 69 - Museum day
January 23 - Santiago, Chile
After a run, Evan cooked breakfast while I shogged (shuffle jog – pretending you aren’t actually running, but you are) to the bakery and brought us back a few treats. The guy thought I was German, and without clarifying “well, it depends, my ancestors are from Germany…” in Spanish, I just went with it. He wished me Auf Wiedersehen as I left.
We spent much of the day at the Museum of Memory and Human Rights, which was a subway ride away. The building was beautiful, inside and out. We opted for an English audio guide so we could really grasp the historical context. The museum is dedicated to the victims of human rights violations, and focuses on the 1973 – 1990 time period with a civic-military regime in Chile, under dictator Augusto Pinochet. The recent political past in Chile is not pretty, and while in Argentina in felt more raw and alive today, on the tips of the tongues of many people we had talked to, this was the first we had learned much about it in Chile. We were most struck by the forgivable complacency of decent people that could allow for a time of such treatment of citizens and the persistence of others , despite many dangers, that brought it to an end.
On the way out, we stopped for a snack at the food stands, Evan enjoying a FULLY loaded “completo”, which is basically a hot dog with everything. I opted for a sopapilla with a homemade hot sauce. Both were delicious.
We took the subway back to the main plaza, with our eyes set on the National History Museum. We explored the colonial building (previously a palace) with its historical artifacts beginning in the 1700's and ending with a short review of the 1970 to 1990’s era, with a much different lens than the human rights museum. One of the displays that I found most interesting was one of the change of Santiago as a city, with maps and models throughout time.
We headed back and relaxed for a bit, worked out and made dinner. There were several places with live music nearby so we headed to a Jazz club. Beating the rush, we were seated near the center. The first band was two younger guys singing, playing guitar, and a bit of piano. A really talented harmonica player jumped in for a few songs. While they were decent musicians, it felt a little like karaoke, and not at all like jazz. The main attraction was the final band, who began setting up close to 11 PM. These guys were really great, and we finished our bottle of wine enjoying the music.
On the way back, we stopped for a late night pizza, from a shop with too many people working for a Tuesday late night. The pizza was pretty delicious, and we feasted back at the hotel.
After a run, Evan cooked breakfast while I shogged (shuffle jog – pretending you aren’t actually running, but you are) to the bakery and brought us back a few treats. The guy thought I was German, and without clarifying “well, it depends, my ancestors are from Germany…” in Spanish, I just went with it. He wished me Auf Wiedersehen as I left.
We spent much of the day at the Museum of Memory and Human Rights, which was a subway ride away. The building was beautiful, inside and out. We opted for an English audio guide so we could really grasp the historical context. The museum is dedicated to the victims of human rights violations, and focuses on the 1973 – 1990 time period with a civic-military regime in Chile, under dictator Augusto Pinochet. The recent political past in Chile is not pretty, and while in Argentina in felt more raw and alive today, on the tips of the tongues of many people we had talked to, this was the first we had learned much about it in Chile. We were most struck by the forgivable complacency of decent people that could allow for a time of such treatment of citizens and the persistence of others , despite many dangers, that brought it to an end.
On the way out, we stopped for a snack at the food stands, Evan enjoying a FULLY loaded “completo”, which is basically a hot dog with everything. I opted for a sopapilla with a homemade hot sauce. Both were delicious.
We took the subway back to the main plaza, with our eyes set on the National History Museum. We explored the colonial building (previously a palace) with its historical artifacts beginning in the 1700's and ending with a short review of the 1970 to 1990’s era, with a much different lens than the human rights museum. One of the displays that I found most interesting was one of the change of Santiago as a city, with maps and models throughout time.
On the way back, we stopped for a late night pizza, from a shop with too many people working for a Tuesday late night. The pizza was pretty delicious, and we feasted back at the hotel.
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