khjr
03-19-2008, 07:21 PM
I was in Chile last week on business and had an opportunity to do some sightseeing in Santiago on Sunday. Very cool place - sprawling, lots of people, loads of character... all surrounded by dramatic mountains.
It's a reasonably big city and I only had a day, so I looked into tours as an alternative to navigating their bus and rail systems. (My Spanish is comical at best and, although the people there are friendly, I didn't find many speakers of English to which I could turn for assistance). As expected, however, the bus and walking tours all looked ridiculously lame (and expensive!). :no:
I was pretty lucky to find a tour group offering bicycle tours of the city. No surprise that this was the absolute best way to experience the city. (How could it not be? - single speed or not, I was on a bike, after all...) The tour itself was outstanding and my guide, Rodolfo, really worked hard to convey the social and political relevance of the sites we rode to. Definitely worthwhile. I found him and the company's owners to be fine and friendly people, and I was blown away by their hospitality - after the tour was over, one of the owners offered me his mountain bike so that Rodolfo and I could take a run up San Cristobal, a steep hill that dominates the city. "Que'?... Awesome!" :)
The whole experience was really rewarding, and I'm grateful to them for it. They didn't ask, but I told them that I'd like to post on their behalf. :beer:
The tour group's name is Bicicleta Verde.
http://www.labicicletaverde.com/tours.php
(if you go to the Flickr photos on their pictures link, you can get a sense as to what the city looks like).
A smattering of my photos:
(1) Palacio de La Moneda - In 1973, it was shelled by Pinochet's forces during a military coup reportedly backed by the US. After making a farewell radio speech, explosions audible in the background, President Allende took his own life using an AK-47 that he received as a gift from Fidel Castro. On a lighter note, that's me in the doorway with a single speed girl's bike, complete with basket!
(2) 38 London St - Infamous for the torture and murders committed there under Pinochet's rule, the placards and graffiti memorialize the missing. This tour had some meat to it
(3) Child with an organ grinder in Bellavista - I still can't believe that I captured this shot - All rights reserved!
(4) Joel, one of the company's owners, and Rodolfo- You are seeing correctly - that is Joel's single-speed behind him. Even in the Santiago, one witnesses the blasphemy of turning racing bikes into single-speeds! Joel lent me his mountain bike to climb San Cristobal so, enough said, really cool guy.
(5) One of a billion great views from San Cristobal
It's a reasonably big city and I only had a day, so I looked into tours as an alternative to navigating their bus and rail systems. (My Spanish is comical at best and, although the people there are friendly, I didn't find many speakers of English to which I could turn for assistance). As expected, however, the bus and walking tours all looked ridiculously lame (and expensive!). :no:
I was pretty lucky to find a tour group offering bicycle tours of the city. No surprise that this was the absolute best way to experience the city. (How could it not be? - single speed or not, I was on a bike, after all...) The tour itself was outstanding and my guide, Rodolfo, really worked hard to convey the social and political relevance of the sites we rode to. Definitely worthwhile. I found him and the company's owners to be fine and friendly people, and I was blown away by their hospitality - after the tour was over, one of the owners offered me his mountain bike so that Rodolfo and I could take a run up San Cristobal, a steep hill that dominates the city. "Que'?... Awesome!" :)
The whole experience was really rewarding, and I'm grateful to them for it. They didn't ask, but I told them that I'd like to post on their behalf. :beer:
The tour group's name is Bicicleta Verde.
http://www.labicicletaverde.com/tours.php
(if you go to the Flickr photos on their pictures link, you can get a sense as to what the city looks like).
A smattering of my photos:
(1) Palacio de La Moneda - In 1973, it was shelled by Pinochet's forces during a military coup reportedly backed by the US. After making a farewell radio speech, explosions audible in the background, President Allende took his own life using an AK-47 that he received as a gift from Fidel Castro. On a lighter note, that's me in the doorway with a single speed girl's bike, complete with basket!
(2) 38 London St - Infamous for the torture and murders committed there under Pinochet's rule, the placards and graffiti memorialize the missing. This tour had some meat to it
(3) Child with an organ grinder in Bellavista - I still can't believe that I captured this shot - All rights reserved!
(4) Joel, one of the company's owners, and Rodolfo- You are seeing correctly - that is Joel's single-speed behind him. Even in the Santiago, one witnesses the blasphemy of turning racing bikes into single-speeds! Joel lent me his mountain bike to climb San Cristobal so, enough said, really cool guy.
(5) One of a billion great views from San Cristobal