Visitors, visits and lots of food (to eat and for thought)

Old Mercado Central near Plaza de Armas

It's a beautiful market. I felt like I was in Paris.
Outside, the produce is gorgeous. It is grape season and the many varieties of grapes are delicious, as is most of the produce. Some foods are expensive, but I can mostly live on produce here. I should have, as someone gave me a caramel, which pulled out a crown. I was happy to find a "walk-in" dentist in a small shopping center near the temple and for $40 had it cemented back in on Saturday morning.

 I always enjoy the Plaza de Armas with its large indigenous sculpture, carabineros, people rushing or just relaxing everywhere. This group of elderly (my age) men wanted their photo taken, so I obliged and they got a kick out of it! There are always shoe shiners and many vendors (now selling fall and winter clothing). I 'm amazed they have started wearing wool clothes and boots to the temple...I still rarely need a sweater, so winter shouldn't be as cold as                                                                                                                they say???

 People generally dress nicely, are courteous on buses and metro, happy to give directions and suggestions, and always want to know how we find Chile..."great!", we say! And of course want to know why we are here, so we tell them.

                                      Graffiti in Santiago is usually colorful, interesting and meaningful.

 Girls play soccer too. This team was gathered in front of a university gym we passed as we walked back to the metro.

 In the 1920's and 1930's this was a tea house for the wealthy near the top of San Cristobal, with funicular for those without cars. There is a modern teleferico up the other side of the big hill, but we chose to take the old tram, with narrow steps beside the rails. Halfway up, the tram stops to let people off at the city zoo, which apparently has many specifically Chilean animals, some endangered species. At the base was a llama ride.

The Sanctuary and chapel with the stations of the cross are popular pilgrimage sites. Just after Easter, the candle wax and trinkets are evidence that many have visited. The holy water shell.

 Santiago stretches out around and below the hill, so the Virgin Mary at the top is visible from most parts of Santiago. It was particularly smoggy and foggy that morning.

Zella and Kelly Grieve whom I knew from  Madrid, Spain temple mission came to visit before going to southern Chile and Argentina. We took the 1923 funicular up Cerro San Cristobal, walked the pedestrian streets, visited the Mercado Central (markets are mostly outside with the old wrought-iron French style building mostly filled with sea food/fish for sale and restaurants). They treated me to a delicious salmon lunch. Kelly wanted to see the places he had remembered from his mission in 1970-1973 (Allende era) and enjoyed speaking with older people we met. (See other photos above, at the beginning, out of order!)

Ever since I arrived, I have asked people who come to the temple from Antofogasta (in the desert in northern Chile) if they know America and Carlos Zuniga with whom I served in Ecuador...they all do! Friday I got a call from America that she was at the temple with her oldest daughter Erica, so I had them for lunch, which was fun!

Sister Phillips (from Brisbane, Australia) and Sister Whitaker, whose mother is Chilean, though they live in the USA, joined Sister Umber and me at the Hurleys for lunch after church. I made fajitas and apple crisp. 

Costanera Center (tallest building in South America) and Rio Mapoche from Sculpture Park on Sunday evening walk. It has been a busy week with lots of visitors and social connections.

300,000 marathon and half marathon and 10k runners filled the streets of Santiago, blocking some members from crossing the street to church this morning for awhile!