Hello, I am glad to greet you, I am Yael Yancelson and it will be a pleasure to do this tour together with you, today we are going to South America to a city that I really wanted to know- Santiago de Chile with the power of imagination and the 5 senses we will make a really interesting tour, full of history, life and wonderful views. So breathe, close your eyes, give me your hand and let yourself be guided, we begin.

We arrive after a long flight to Santiago, the capital city of Chile that immediately captivates us with its diverse panoramas, its palpable vitality and characteristic versatility.

We have been recommended to walk and get lost along the streets to find original art galleries, innovative design shops and craft fairs, as well as restaurants, bars and cafes. And at night we will visit the bohemian and fun Barrio Bellavista. But first I would like to go to the Central Market and also do some shopping in this elegant Alonso de Córdova neighborhood, which has really surprised me with its modernity.

Mateo is originally from this city and he takes us on a walk. The weather is really nice, right? I am really very comfortable with this pleasant temperate climate, do you feel that rich atmosphere? We arrive at the Lastrarria neighborhood and there is a very cultural atmosphere due to so many art galleries, bookstores, cinemas, theaters and antique shops- I like bookstores like this one, where you can perceive the smell of old books, you manage to capture it ? We continue and arrive at the Museum of Fine Arts and then we will visit the Gabriela Mistral Cultural Center and the Forest Park.

Now put on your best sports clothes because we are going to climb to the top of San Cristóbal on the hill, see what a beautiful view, this is a great green lung of the capital and is part of the Metropolitan Park. Mateo kindly gives us a rich Mote with huesillo to refresh us, it is a traditional Chilean non-alcoholic drink mainly from the central zone of Chile, which is made up of a mixture of caramelized peach juice, with wheat mote and dehydrated peaches, called huesillos and He tells us that it is a highly nutritious and very energetic drink. Do you like it? I thought it was a very interesting and different flavor, a little too sweet, can you taste it?

And since we want to see how they make handicrafts in clay, brown clay and buy figures, glasses and pots, we go to the town of Pomaire. I bought the typical “clay pigs”, a piggy bank that I will have to break later to extract the saved money.

It is well said that a large part of Chile’s history has been written around the Plaza de Armas, old buildings, such as the Municipality of Santiago, the Cathedral Church, the National Historical Museum and the Courts of Justice. Or how about we sit on this bench for a while to witness the hectic life of the city on the classic Paseo Ahumada. I invite you to tour the La Chascona museum house, which belonged to the poet Pablo Neruda, and also various theaters of great national importance, such as the San Ginés, the Mori Center and the Bellavista theater.

Look how impressive Sanhattan is with the largest skyscrapers in South America, which are a sign of the great growth that the capital has had in recent decades. Let’s go up to 300 meters high in the Sky Costanera. The highest viewpoint in Latin America offers a 360° panoramic view of the capital! wow it looks amazing right! A view that combines vegetation with urban planning. You can see from up here the Bicentennial Park and to one side the financial district of the capital, take a good look at how much green grass there is and you will notice that there are swans and more birds in those lagoons. ¿Do you want to rent a bicycle and even have a picnic when you go down?

But the truth is that I am interested in knowing the Mapuche ethnic group that lives in the southern zone of Chile and, although they all belong to the same culture, they are divided into Pewenche, Lafkenche and Huilliche. Here they tell us that the Andean zone of Araucanía was inhabited mainly by the pewenche people or pewén people (araucaria). Today the area offers alternatives where you can learn more about Araucarias and eat their fruits, or walk among volcanoes and lakes. The Lafkenche communities (people of the sea) are located on the coast of the Araucanía region, while different Mapuche-Huilliche communities live in the commune of Panguipulli, which have kindly opened their doors to us and in fact we are going to sleep in Las rukas that are the traditional houses of the Mapuche people and represent the most important space for the meeting and participation of the community. The fire wood has a priority space in the center, since the family gathers around it and stories and kimün (knowledge) are shared. What an interesting evening and being here in front of the fire creates a mystical and special atmosphere.

I found that indigenous Chile is a program that provides resources to promote the participation and development with identity of the Mapuche people who live in rural areas, carrying out actions to improve the living conditions of the original people, based on respect and consideration of their cultures, of their traditional knowledge and worldview. If you are interested in knowing more and being able to help, go to the following link: www.conadi.gob.cl

Chile has perfect valleys for growing grapes that give life to world-famous wines, so we can not miss visiting Casablanca or Valparaíso to taste a wine tasting with the fresh influence of the Pacific Ocean in the Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay of the fine valleys of the center and north. It is one of the 10 Great Wine Capitals of the world, and we are going to discover the process of making Carménère and, of course, experience the harvest festival, one of the most deeply rooted traditions in Chile. The wine is tasty, isn’t it? Between fruity, with a touch of wood, and I could even perceive a slight touch of meat flavor on the fire- how did you perceive it?

We get a little bit of rain but that is not going to stop us from continuing to visit these places, including going on the scheduled horseride and continuing to enjoy the textures, colors and flavors of this region.

If you like to cook, click the button or if you prefer continue to travel.