5. After going for a tour in La Moneda Palace, we went to the Centro Cultural (Cultural Center) located directly underneath the palace.
(Above: picture of the street across from La Moneda. These street 'stores' are common. They sell magazines, packaged snacks like chocolate and nuts, and lots of cigarettes)
(Above: looking down into the Centro Cultural entrance from La Moneda)
(Above: Me standing next to the water structure connecting La Moneda and the Centro Cultural)
(Above: At the entrance, there was a mythological art piece displayed. I tried to imitate its face. And failed.)
(Above: The entire space of the Centro Cultural was modernistic and sleek, surrounded by white walls, glass windows, and high ceilings with skylights. There were different rooms for expositions, one of which was focused entirely on Chile's indigenous culture, which is not recognized much. Here I am standing next to a map of Chile on the wall depicting the different indigenous groups in the country, as well as, the distinctive qualities of their pottery. The presentation of Chile as a horizontal country struck me as different, which made me see the country differently. Also, it called me attention how similar the method and style of pottery is compared to pottery in the southwest of the United States.)
(Above: We ate at Cafe Torres, a cafe that over the years has hosted many Chilean politicians' meetings. The food was really simple, with nothing special. I wanted to try a 'President Pinera Sandwich,' a sandwich of arugula and smoked salmon that was a favorite of the previous president's, but the restaurant had run out of ingredients. Instead, we ordered a 'churrasco italiano,' a steak sandwich that was made 'italian' because it had tomato and avocado.)
(Above: Torta mil hojas, literally 'one thousand sheet cakes,' all made of manjar, a really sweet sugar made from milk. The texture was really cool, but it was too sweet for me)
(Above: There was a cool architectural exhibit from universities all around Chile with models of ecological-friendly homes. The ideas were innovative and the models were beautiful to look at. There were even tiny people in the homes!)
(Above: In one of the many stores on the third floor is a postcards/bookmarks. Pictured above is a Kloketen, which was a part of a male initiation rite of the Ona Indians, a group of hunter and gatherers many many years ago.)
(Above: Another store, which offered indigenous jewelry and ponchos)
(Above: This is a part of one of the rooms on the first floor dedicated to the cinematic arts. The room exhibited national film archives. It was great to see the many films that have influenced and were influenced by Chilean culture)
(Above: One of the posters outside the building caught my attention, given how controversial the topic still is and how contemporary it is. The poster portrayed a documentary about the Chilean student movement a few years back - and still continuing - to bring about educational reform. A great number of Chilean students all over the country marched out of the classes to protest the poor educational quality, becoming known as the 'pinguinos' for their uniforms. I would really love to see this documentary in the near future)
(Above: Another exhibition was of mythological and real creatures in the animal world, all made of wood. It was interesting for me to hear Chilean myths and legends and get to see the unique Chilean animals, like the Chilla Fox and pudu)
(Above: Two more animals of the exhibit)
6. Then we wandered around Downtown Santiago, in the very central of the sector.
(Above: Here I am at the entrance of the Air Force. The building was beautiful and did not at all look like what one would usually imagine as the headquarters for a part of the military.)
(Above: This is the carpet of the Air Force Entrance. I had no idea that the building was for the Air Force until I found this.)
(Above: This is a window of the Air Force building. Marvel at how gorgeous the architecture is from the Spanish colonial times!)
(Above: Isn't it beautiful at night, with the streets and buildings?)
(Above: One of the streets)
(Above: This is a window that is a part of the historical and old buildings downtown. It is considered a monument because it is a colonial-era home of the landownders)
(Above: numerous buildings had a plaque explaining its historical importance. Many of them, like the one pictured above, spoke of the Junta de Gobierno in the early 1800s, which was a group of elite Chileans who were the first to help Chile make its own political decisions outside of much of Spain's control)
(Above: Along the sidewalks were these medal guys leading us to the historical monuments as a part of a personal tour of the city. It was very much a Santiago version of the Hollywood Walk of Fame.)
(Above: We also passed by a street wherein every store was an optics-related show, either of optometry or to sell glasses. This street is actually known as the optics street.)
(Above: On a whim, we entered an old, beautiful church.)
(Above: Inside the church, practically every wall had an elaborate sculpture of a saint and the name of a family. In the olden days, rich families would pay to have their family name written on the walls and the dead buried there. This tradition makes me feel uncomfortable, but it still was interesting to see the strength of Spanish influence and religious practices on Chilean lives)
(Above: We happened to be there for mass, so pictured is the priest giving his sermon. On a side note, there was a man playing the organ and singing beautifully. I felt that we were in Europe due to his deep soulful voice.)
(Above: It was ironic to witness a student protest on our drive home after being fixated by the movie poster about the Chilean student educational movement. The students were led by Carabineros and shouted quite loudly. That's another first: witnessing my first Chilean protest.)
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