City stroll in Santiago 30.11.2018

After visiting Palacio de la Moneda, I walked towards Plaza de Armas.  Along the way, I spotted a fast-food shop full of customers.  I queued and ordered a breakfast set but tons of questions were asked in Spanish that I could not handled - I assumed they asked me what ingredients in the bun, what to drink, etc.  Finally a staff tried to help in his basic English.  But they assumed me to take-away but I stayed at an outside table for my breakfast.

Colorful cakes displayed at a cake shop

Jockey club was found

Santiago has a good mix of old and modern architecture

Mounted police along the main street

CorreosChile (Post Office)

Outside of the post office

Santiago Metropolitan Cathedral - at the same corner of Plaza de Armas

Museo Historico Nacional

Municipalidad de Santiago

With early rise, I got exhausted after few hours of visit.  I stayed with others at the plaza for a rest

Map showing the city walk, but I had no more interest for detailed visits

Walked towards Mercado Central de Santiago, bustling walkway and I bought cherries at a good price

Then I got back to the hostel for mid day rest

Back to Santiago 30.11.2019

It's good to have all the things settled: I paid the bill in USD and got the change in Chilean pesos in good rate; confirmed that a staff would arrange a taxi for me early in the next morning.  Then I got back to my room for relax, watched part of the Bohemian Rhapsody movie in the evening.  

I rose up early in this morning, took a taxi ride to the rodoviario at 5:30 am, trying to get back to Santiago at an earlier time such that I could attend the reserved palace visit as scheduled.

As the 5:45 am bus was full, I could not get changed but take the 6:15 am ride.  As it was early in the morning, the roads were clear and the bus got into the capital very soon.  Many people got off at Pajaritos but there needed to have a quite a long walk to the Metro station nearby, I remained at the bus and reached the terminal at Alameda, from there I took the metro going to Los Heroes, to leave my luggage at Happy House Hostel.  Then I walked all the way to Palacio de la Moneda.

The visit started at 9:30 and I managed to arrive 15 minutes earlier

We gathered and a visitor pass was dispatched with our passport held.  I was one of the 5 foreigners to join this visit.

Courtyard of the palace

There were a few groups in the arranged visits

We gathered around a displayed table with many valuable coins reflecting significant events.

Ball room for the elected president to say their vows and to be appointed

A young helper acted as my translator / guide for this tour around, and a female soldier

Outside of the palace

Plaza de la Constitución - a campaign to arouse public's concern to do more exercise