First, the hare krishnas. I went on a Sunday afternoon to the countryside with my roommate and a bunch of her friends. I wasn't actually sure where I was going exactly. I was just promised lots of nice people and dancing to drums. It was both the little I was expecting and of course, so much more.
It was a brilliant day: blue sky, green grass, poppies bending in the breeze. Notice the freeway is practically empty. It has been this way every time I've left Santiago.
Dancing in front of the hare krishna altar. This was really, really fun and I only wondered for a second if it was offensive for me, a non-devotee, to be dancing away. Nobody kicked me out so I figured it was okay.
On the way to the hare krishna sanctuary.
The crew. Raza, me, Vishaka, Romi, Prema and Kanke, my roommate. Really, really nice women!
An official spirit dude tending the fire while four couples were married. Notice all the food around the fire. Beautiful!
Favorite picture of the spirit dude below.
I love this. A little old school blended with a little new school.
Don't you just want to join in and dance seeing this photo? I saw them dancing in the field to the drums, just a mother and her daughter, and I was filled with such joy.
The next week, I decided I would take a day to wander about Santiago. I ended up near Plaza Brazil and a street lined with universities. Here are the highlights:
Pretty mural/graffiti. Ever since I met a guy at the hostal who was really into graffiti, I've been noticing it everywhere.
Every time I see a horse drawn cart, it just moves me. This was the Chile I had expected.
This a cafe de piernas, or a cafe that serves tea and coffee, with the added bonus of the waitresses being pretty much naked except for underwear. They're very inconspicuous and though I'd heard about them, it took several weeks before I actually noticed them.
Near La Moneda. This is downtown Santiago. Notice all the people. It is crowded. Always. I literally end up running into people when I'm downtown. This is where you also need to watch your purse closely. The other day, I watched a guy steal the seat off a bicycle in plain sight on one of the busiest streets. He saw me staring and started yelling at me. Since I didn't want my stuff stolen either, I just hurried my stride toward the metro station. But I wished I was a Charlie's Angel so I could kick some serious butt.
In Plaza Brazil, a man plays guitar. This is how I play guitar, looking at my fingers, sometimes resting my chin on the top. He notices no one while he plays. Flow at its best.
Artists show their wares in the Plaza de Armas. Look at the architecture in the background. I love coming here. Reminds me of Mary Poppins when they jump into the chalk drawing. Like something magical could happen here.
This blue building stood out to me so much. I decided I wanted it to fill up the photo so I turned everything else to black and white. Fun effects!
And third, to the Museo de Bellas Artes. I have the worst luck with taking photos of art. I never really know which painting or exhibit will stick with me. It's hard to figure out which one I will still be contemplating a week later. My friend Nacho and I went and of course, I did not capture the ones I liked best: photographs of people in their sixties with their eyes closed because the photographer thought our faces change with our eyes closed, photos of buildings without people and windows--the landscape of our time; photos of faces with mismatched eyes and mouths stitched on--why did they choose to sew them on instead of using glue?
What's most interesting to me about the faces below is how they looked really interesting at first glance, but that for both me and Nacho, they didn't hold our interest for more than that first glance. I was surprised that I was not more impressed. This was the exhibit I thought I would like the most. But I felt like it wasn't really saying anything.
This is an artist's rendering of the devil. It made me laugh. I especially love the levers coming out of its head.
This is Nacho being totally dwarfed by this amazing venue.
Okay, and lastly, I wanted to give you another quiz. What do you think this is?
That's all for now!
Que te vaya bien!
C in C
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