.. in the Happy House hostel, Santiago.
Fortunately not an insane asylum, instead a beautiful, if faded, old building, which has been variously a townhouse, hotel and hospital. It´s a rambling mixture of high ceilinged Nouveau and shady hacienda, with a pagoda in the backyard to add some variety. Surviving the 2010 earthquake (unlike its immediate neighbour, which has since donated many of its fixtures and fittings for our benefit) it is a perfect first spot for us to take sanctuary in, until we hit the road on Monday..
We´ve still done plenty of exploring though, taking a long walking city tour yesterday to get to the know the place, courtesy of our guide Felipe. Again, it is a right old mixture - Nouveau, Deco, Gaudi, Baroque, Classical and Modern everywhere, generously sprinkled with a coating of graffiti and murals.
They´re clearly a political populace (Felipe dropping in plenty of political comment like a Chilean Ben Elton), with graffiti and slogans everywhere, but they still can`t seem to make up their mind up who was the good guy between our old friend General Pinochet and the `communist` Allende. Suffice to say Allende has a lovely big statue outside the parliament building, but Thatcher´s murderous old dictator chum doesn't.
After eight hours of wandering, we sought out a few of the many bars and cafes among the galleries, market stalls and street musicians with our accomplices Charlie and James - English English teachers taking their long break from Hong Kong via the antipodes - and we joined the smiling faces in a relaxed mood in arty, studenty bohemian Bella Vista, before a midnight walk home along the Avenida Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins. They don´t mind a cultural mix here, and naturally we like it a lot.
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In a Viennese style, this is the Chilean Air Force officers' club |
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This amazing back alley wouldn't look out of place on Dean Street NE1 |
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The "Classic" juvenile graffito, embellished with butterfly wings and given a mature political twist. |
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There's a red house over yonder... |
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One of many impressive Catholic premises, this one is either being renovated or falling down. |
Pedant alert. It's Dean St, not Grey St.
ReplyDeleteLovely pics though.
How soon they forget. Where's Grey Street then?
ReplyDelete