Santiago

The capital of Chile is Santiago de Chile, located right in the Valle Central, west of the Andes Mountains and at the banks of theMapocho River.

Santiago is Chile's political, economic and cultural center and as one of South America's largest cities it generates about half of Chile's total GDP.

Some 6 million people live in or around the city and together with the local industry produce a severe smog problem in winter.

Hunter-gatherer bands roamed the area as early as 12.000 BP. First settlements along the Mapocho sprung up around 800 AD and in the 1470's the Inca Empire conquered this part of Chile.

But the Inca-reign was short-lived as a band of Spanish conquistadors under Pedro de Valdivia showed up in the 1540's and took over.

Valdivia founded Santiago in 1541 and despite calamities like sacking, floods, devastating earthquakes and epidemics the city persevered. When Chile finally gained its independence in 1810 Santiago became the country's capital.

We visited Santiago de Chile in July and August 2011.

we ride the Funicular from 1925 to the top of the Cerro San Cristóbal.

Mayan ceramic vase of a hunchback dwarf in the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art

these guys seem of a more reflective type

the Catedral Metropolitana de Santiago dates from the 18th century

the shopping mall at the Plaza de Armas

the 62-story Gran Torre Santiago would open for business in 2013

a copper mask with a nose ring

the Palacio de la Moneda where Allende mounted his last stand in 1973

sculpture of a ball player from the classic Veracruz culture

the Monument to Indigenous people at the Plaza de Armas

the entrance of the Palacio is well guarded

from here you have a nice view over the city with the Andes in the background

students do what they do everywhere: protest! But the old lady does not care, she has seen it all before

the statue for Salvador Allende at the Plaza de la Constitucion

ironically Allende stands in front of the ministry of Justice

he is enjoying his lunch at the workplace