We ventured out further afield to the Bella Vista neighbourhood which is really only a 15 minute walk from La Starria if we didn't lose our way. Having found it, it seemed that it was a bit too early and many places in the area were not open yet. We moved on to the funicular to take us up to San Cristobal, supposedly a must see destination.
As expected it gave us a panoramic view of the city. The surprise was the steep hike up to see the chapel and the statue of the Immaculate Conception - I guess it's a pilgrimage route and not meant to be easy.
We decided at the ticket booth that it is a better deal to do both the funicular and the gondola as we could then see Providencia without taking the subway. We didn't bargain on the long walk in the heat and was exhausted by the time we got to the Costanera Centre. A nice cafeteria serving grilled fish and vegetables welcomed us at the top of the Centre and prepped us for the long walk back to take the gondola.
Bella Vista was colourful and pretty in the daylight - it would like have different vibes in the evening but we were ready to call it a day.
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| Panorama from San Cristobal Hill |
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| View from the Funicular |
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| The chapel |
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Immaculate Conception Statue at the top
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| Couple taking selfie with one of the crucifixes on the Way of the Cross |
The Gondolas and the snazzy station
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Looking down at the Costanera Centre from the gondola |
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| Outside the Costanera Centre |
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Inside the Centre - it's just a big mall |
More interesting are the colourful houses and murals in Bella Vista |
| La Chascona, the Pablo Neruda house |
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| The famous "Red House" in Bella Vista - it's really a private home |
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| Patio Bella Vista |
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| As usual there are benefits to getting lost - you discover unexpected things. This is the impressive front yard of the Faculty of Law at the University of Chile on the edge of Bella Vist. |
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