A Bit of Recreation (2/25)

What a luxurious day this was! We didn't hunt for an apartment. We didn't really have any work. We slept in, wrote some snail mail, and enjoyed second cups of coffee. (Actually, Deb had tea.) We did some sight-seeing too. We went downtown to the Mopocho Train Station (named after the Mopocho River that runs right through Santiago next to the station). I thought it had a cultural exhibit, and it did have photography on display. But, as it turns out, the culture is in the form of events that take place there. The current (until 3/15) president, Ricardo Lagos, was inagurated there. And events from book fairs to Israel's Philharmonic Orchestra were hosted in this huge renovated train station. It was immense and quite lovely. The special centennial photo exhibit displayed pictures from as far back as 1905.

After walking around, Deb and I ate ice cream in the Plaza de Armas. Honestly, I could sit there for hours. You see all kinds of people from all walks of Chilean life. People sit and chat, kids chase pigeons or play in the fountain, there are continous chess games in the gazebo, and you shouldn't be surprised if the warm sun and the drone of activity even lulls some to sleep. Roaming entertainers even happen by from time to time. Oh, this park offers a lot of culture to be experienced just sitting there. It's probably my favorite sight in Chile so far.