Day 117 : Living the Chilean Way in Santiago

There is still one place left to visit in Santiago and that is Cerro San Cristobal. 

Pablo took the time off work to accompany me and we decided to take the easy way out and took the funicular to the top.

There is a large statue of Saint Maria atop a chapel, and was told that on Sundays, masses are held in the public space in the area.

The views from the peak are impeccable though, and with mountains bordering Santiago, I can imagine that the sight here would be extremely beautiful here in winter with the snow covered mountains. 

And then the feasting started, as Pablo introduced me to various typical Chilean items as we came down from Sao Cristobal.

First off was “Rico Mote con Huesillo”.  A typical Chilean drink made of wheat and topped off with peaches.  Very tasty and refreshing and good for cooling off on a hot day.

Next we went to a tavern near Mercado Central called La Piojera, where we had a Terramoto (literally translated as Earthquake). 

It is a cocktail made using fernet and white wine, and topped off with a scoop of pineapple ice-cream. 

The fernet taste was not too overwhelming as compared to when I had it in Argentina!  However, I found the drink just average, and I felt that perhaps it had to do with the quality of wine used.

We then headed for a late lunch, and Pablo mentioned that there is a popular sandwich place called “Domino” with many branches across Santiago. 

It is a typical way of lunching in Santiago, and people frequent the place because of its fast service and reasonably priced. 

It was packed when we were there at 3pm in the afternoon!  After having all the drinks before lunch, I wasn’t too hungry and so ordered a hotdog topped with tomatoes and avocado paste as well as a melon juice.

What I liked about it as compared to normal hot dog on the streets was that you can taste the freshness of the tomatoes and avocadoes, wholesome goodness!