Cerro San Cristobal!

So, yesterday my friends and I went to Cerro San Cristobal (St. Christopher Hill), one of the most famous parts of Santiago. The hill is huge and has 2 pools, a gym, a huge picnic area, a botanical garden, restaurants, a club, a church...so a ton of stuff:) At first, we went to see a concert by one of my friends host moms about half way up the hill. After it was over, we decided to climb to the top, which, according to a Chilean friend who was with us, was "15 minutes away." We were starving and it was about 90 degrees but we decided that since it was only fifteen minutes, why not?

Well, it definitely was not 15 minutes. It took us about an hour and a half to make it to the top, so we were all starving, dehydrated, and I was wearing jeans so I looked like I had just gotten out of the shower.

We finally made it to the top, which, I have to admit, was totally worth it. Santiago isn't the most gorgeous city from an overhead view, but it was one of the few places I've gotten a good view of the Andes because the city is normally so smoggy. Also, at the very peak of Cerro San Cristobal is a huge statue of Virgin Mary, and the idea is that she looks out over Santiago so she can watch over the city and answer people's prayers. So, all in all, I think I found my new favorite part of Santiago, and if you ever come here, it is totally a must-see:)