Yesterday I went to explore Parque Metropolitano which is basically a huge huge hill called Cerro San Cristobal that is dedicated to parks and and other recreational areas. There are theme parks, I saw a lovely Japanese garden, there is a zoo, swimming pools, picnic areas, hiking paths all over, and you can take either a cable car or a train up to the top to visit the statue of the Virgin Mary and the church that rest up there. Now it's a very big hill, so I only explored just a little bit. I didn't see the zoo or the vehicles that take you to the top, but I know they exist and I am excited that there is so much left of the hill for me to explore. Perhaps someday I will walk to the top, I need to work on getting into better shape for that though. It's truly a gem of the city though. Lots of beautiful vegetation; trees, flowers, cacti. And it is possible to find paths that are quiet and take you away from the crowds. It's wonderful to find a place in a city where you can forget for a moment that you are in a city. I will definitely be going back. Plus the walk to get there from my apartment is really nice, an area of the city that is full of beautiful houses and stylized architecture plus the street is lined with big beautiful trees that are covered in flowers right now. I brought my camera, but didn't take many pictures. Here are a few.
I didn't even go that high and I still had some great views of the city.
This is the Japanese garden with a great view of the city and mountains although it's hard to tell from this picture.
Beautiful trees and yes, still in the city.
I always say that I think Santiago is an ugly city, but from this park, that is just not true. I'm glad to have found some natural beauty in a concrete city with a smog problem.
No comments:
Post a Comment