Santiago has parks everywhere! Parque Forestal is the largest and follows the main highways downtown along the Rio Mapoche for miles and miles. It is long and narrow with thousands of trees, flowers, benches, and wide paths for walking and riding bicycles. In one of my first posts I put pictures from Parque Bicentenario, which connects with Parque Forestal and is smaller but really beautiful with swans and exotic birds.
Every neighborhood has a local park with swings and more for kids years agoith workout machines for everyone! These machines are permanently placed and they use your body weight for resistance so there are no weight stacks. One I like a lot is a rowing machine. I sit on the bench and when I row, I lift my own body weight. It´s hard! These machines are used often by young and old and I can always walk and find a park with workout equipment nearby. It is a new campaign within yhe last few years to get fitness machines in every park.
Every neighborhood has a local park with swings and more for kids years agoith workout machines for everyone! These machines are permanently placed and they use your body weight for resistance so there are no weight stacks. One I like a lot is a rowing machine. I sit on the bench and when I row, I lift my own body weight. It´s hard! These machines are used often by young and old and I can always walk and find a park with workout equipment nearby. It is a new campaign within yhe last few years to get fitness machines in every park.
Also, many fitness classes with trainers are held in the parks.
They have the same bike share program as Boulder and many places in the world, except their bikes are orange.
They have the same bike share program as Boulder and many places in the world, except their bikes are orange.
Since I´ve been here I´ve seen so many athletic events. Last weekend was a 10K on Sunday when we were riding bikes. That Sunday there was also a hill run (that really steep hill up to the ski area). It started in Santiago and had 3 distances to run up - the longest was 33K, about 19 or 20 miles. There are running clubs, riding clubs, and many sports shops.
They also have an obesity problem here. I´ve seen many overweight people in the city. Every corner has a vendor selling sweets, nuts, and pastries and pastry shops are everywhere, so I am not surprised. The news had a report about it one night and I don´t know what they were saying but I got the word - obesa.
My Chilean spanish teacher says Chile has all the same problems as the U.S. because their role model is us. Kind of sad....
Flowering trees are everywhere! The most abundant and beautiful are the Jacaranda which are covered in purple flowers for weeks. No photo but will post one later.
I have enjoyed the big city very much and have found it easy to get around. I´m leaving on Saturday for Patagonia trek! - a big change from Santiago and it´s heat. Looking forward to it although my trip mates will all speak English and I need to continue practicing Spanish. But I´ll manage. :-)
I have enjoyed the big city very much and have found it easy to get around. I´m leaving on Saturday for Patagonia trek! - a big change from Santiago and it´s heat. Looking forward to it although my trip mates will all speak English and I need to continue practicing Spanish. But I´ll manage. :-)
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