Because I slept quite early last night, I still wake up in the early morning.
It's my lasy day in Santiago, so I didn't buy any food and drink my only orange juice as the breakfast.
I even check in my flight from Hong Kong to Taiwan on the internet and print the boarding pass for 100 pesos in the hostel.
As for the attractions today, I only decides to visit the zoo and Santa Lucia Hill.
These are the only nature-related attractions I think in Santiago.
Taking the metro to Baquedano, there is a local interview at the entrance.
A beauty and a group of the musicians.....Well, today is Valentine's Day and I'm single and alone visiting the zoo by myself.
(The image is from http://www.parquemet.cl/files/file/planozooweb.jpg)
Parque Metropolitano de Santiago is located at the foot of San Cristobal Hill.
The admission is 3000 pesos and the zoo doesn't open on Monday.
Basically, I don't recommend both of you to visit the zoo because these animals are living in the jail.
More people want to see animals in the zoo, more poor animals are caught and prisoned by human.
No matter how best the zoo is, it's never better than their original environment.
Just as the Penguin Aquarium Project proposed by Taichung, I don't agree with that.
Even they said that the penguins are bred by human originally. That's another tradegy under the control of human.
If we're still so selfish to breed these animal, the ideal environment (the zoo) should let these animal live free and the tourists watch these animals in the specific area or the vehicle.
Indeed, some animals could be found easily in the wild.
Without other possible choice in my last day, I visit the zoo and hope that human could treat them well bu giving the best environment to these animals.
You could also watch the faces of these animals.
The zoo is a place that provides the education. However, we could not only feel happy while seeing them.
Please think of their emotion shown from thwir faces and behaviors.
The Santiago zoo is not big and you will also get a guided map.
Among the animals on the list, I find a surpricing one: Polar Bear?
I wonder how could the polar bear live in such a hot condition in the summer.
Besides, this polar bear is alone in the small area watching the painting on the wall for long.
Maybe it's too hot for him. Maybe he miss his home.
If you read the information about the polar bear, you will know that the polar bear live in a wide area for hunting seals and other animals.
Though he is bred pretty well by human, this violates polar bear's feeding behavir totally.
In Hokkaido Japan, the Asahikawa also breeds some polar bears. The space there is also too small.
I visited that zoo a few years ago and felt exciting for my first experice of watching the real plar bears.
When I know more about the wild animals. I feel sorry for my selfishness.
Most of the tourists also do not realize how they affect these animals.
Following the route, there is an area for small monkeys.
Mono is the Spanish for monkey. I forget the name of this monkey with a beard.
Maybe he is pretty old as the grandfather.
As for another big monkey, Mono Araña (spider monkey) is a representative animal in South America.
They are found in tropical forests of Central and South America, from southern Mexico to Brazil.
Their common name "Spider Monkey" is derived from their long limbs and tails.
Due to the decreasing forest, seven species of Spider monkey are under threat and two of the seven are critically endangered.
Please look at their faces. I even could feel their sorrow.
In the Lonely Planet, there is a psecific animal introduced as the animal that could only be watched in Santiago zoo. This national animal is Pudú.
Pudú is the smallest deer in the world and two species of them are classified as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List.
Due to many reasons, the wild Pudú is rare nowadays.
The only one Pudú is resting under the shelter. With the bold wire, I could not show you the real looking of Pudú.
However, if you only watch the picture on the board, you might think this animal is a big rat.
In fact, Pudú has horns just as other deers we know.
Entering the bird cage, there are mani kinds of birds such as pigeons, small parrots, peacocks and etc.
Among these bids, Livingstone's Turaco is beautiful as the combination of pigeon and colorful parrot.
Though most of the animals are enclosed in the cages, some animals are kept in the outdoor isolated area, just as Lemur we see in the movie "Madagascar"
Their eyes are quite big just as they find something special.
According to the wiki, Lemur is really the endemic animal in the island of Madagascar.
Many lemur species are threatened with extinction due to habitat loss and hunting.
So, now you may realize how heinous the human is... we are all guilty.
Taking photod of many precious animals along the way, I feel grateful for these animals.
In the Earth, human is the only specie which will catch other animals endlessly for many purposes included the education.
I just wonder the multimedia technology is so advanced, why we still have to keep the zoo or even build a new zoo?
Maybe these animals in the zoo could not return to their primitive environment because of being bred by human for long.
Just like the nuclear power plant, could we abandom the zoo and the aqurium as these animals died.
I don't mind to watch the Discovery at home if I don't have money and long vacation to see them in the wild.
Perhaps I'm the tourist with DSLR taking photos just like a photographer, the local kids are quite friendly to ask me taking a photo of them.
They remind me that Indian also like to be photographed by tourists even they may not recieve the photo.
Looking at their faces and friendliness, I think this is what I really want to see and feel in South America.
Many tourists might tell you South America is not safe and many people dare not to travel in South America for this reason.
In fact, some cities in South America are quite dangerous.
However, there is only few place in the world that is purely safe.
In the countries I have visited, maybe Iceland and Greeland are such safe places.
These countries are isolated places in a freezing condition for most of the months with high prices for goods.
As for Taiwan, I don't think Taiwan is a country without any crimeeven though I live here safely for a long time.
In the end of the journey, I have a nice impression on Chile, whether the nature or the people.
Except for Valpariaso, most of the places in Chile are safe.
Pickpockets (in the crowded market) could be avoided, if you remember to keep your bag in the front and follow the safty rules recommended by other tourists.
I think travelling in Chile is even safer than travelling in some European countries such as Italy or Spain.
Continuing my visit, Mara, or its fullname Patagonian Mara, is a rabbit-like redent in Argentina, especially the large area of Patagonia.
They look like Wallabys (small Kangaroos), and coincidentally the aboriginal people in Australia call Wallaby "Mara" while Kangaroo is called Maru.
My favorite animal of South America is the special specie of the Camelidae family.
They look like the combination of camel, horse and goat, and therefore they have many names in Chinese.
According to the information, these animals appear to have originated from the central plains of North America and they migrated to South America about 3 million years ago. Due to the extiction in North America by the end of the last ice age, they are only available in South America.
There are four species of camelid in South America: Llama, Guanaco, Alpaco and Vicuña.
Llama, just as shown above, was widely used a a meat and pack animal before.
He looks like sheep for its wool but the characteristics of camelidae family could be recognized easily.
Besides, he has long ears just like the rabbit.
As for Guanaco, it's common in the wild, especially the area of Patagonia.
I've seen wild Guanacos many times in Torres del Paine and Tierra del Fuego.
The most easy-recognizing characteristic for Guanaco is their black faces.
The ears are short and the wool is thinner.
Guanaco should be my most favorite animal here.
Alpaca and Vicuña are not available in the zoo.
Alpaca is very woolly just like wearing a sweater, and their habitat is the area at the altitute of 3500m to 5000m, such as the Andes of Southern Peru or Northern Chile.
Vicuña is similiar to Guanaco but doesn't own a black face.
The head is shorter than Guanaco and the ear is slightly longer.
They live primarily in the central Andes, such as Peru, northwestern Argentina or Northern Chile.
I spent two hours visiting the Santiago zoo and then I go to my last attraction, Santa Lucia Hill.
Santa Lucia is a small hill in the center of Santiago which is adorned with ornate facades, stairways and fountains.
For me, it looks more like a huge building than a hill.
The metro station with the same name is nearby.
This place is another location for watching the scenery of Santiago city but I still prefer San Cristobal Hill.
In 1816, this hill was the base for building forts with an outbuilding for ammunition depot and to house the garrison.
By 1872, the hill was remodelated with a chapel on the top, a park with fountains and lookouts, and a iconic yellow and white facades.
No matter how the hill be changed, it's no more a hill anyway.
It's said that there is an elvator accessing to the top but I prefer to walk by myself.
By the way, if you look carefully, there is a special green building nearby the hill.
Afterwards, I walk to Plaza del Armas just as I did yesterday.
In such a hot weather, I'm not interested in any museums or buildings so I only glimpse and take a few photos of these architectures.
Many painters earn their living by selling their works, and they also draw the portrait of tourists.
The motionless miner will shake hands with you if you would like to give some money.
In this big city, you could always find the scenes of the hard-working people.
The local says, it's very expensive for them to enter the university.
According to the information on the web, the average coast for a year is 7000 dollars.
In Taiwan, our college students only pay less than 200 dollars per semester while the college education is still not the compulsory education in Taiwan.
Though many students think that the cost for college is expensive, they should feel lucky that our colleges are not the most expensive in the world.
Even the university in Chile is so expensive, I think there should be someone working very hardly for this chance.
Walking along the Agustina street, I get attracted by the band singing pretty well within the crowd.
I suddently wanto to show my respect to them, so I give all the coins I have.
The wealth is not only how rich you are, but also how you use and share with others.
I'm not rich at all, but I always save money for my dreams and use it in a correct way.
Although the time is still a lot before my departure to the airport, I decide to rest in the hostel.
At five o'clock, I take the private taxi directly for my flight tonight.
In the ternimal, I want to take some photos that I didn't take as I arrived here.
The taxi driver is friendly to be photoed with his own pose.
Maybe the rich tourists should give this enthusiastic taxi driver a chance to serve you.
Because I don't eat a lot for a day, I have my dinner in a restaurant.
A juice and a steak accompanied with rice are nice. (of course the price is not cheap)
The line before the check-in counter is long as I get there.
Just as how I come to Chile, I take a long flight to Toronto airport by sleeping and watching movies.
At the time for the next flight to Hong Kong, I have my fruit breakfast using the free iPad for the internet.
Then, the longest flight to Hong Kong is coming.
By the way, most of the tourists may have a problem fro the time differences.
I think the best way to overcome it, is to do things according to the real time of your destination.
For me, my destination is Kaohsiung Taiwan.
If it's the night in Taiwan, you just sleep no matter what time it is in Chile.
If it's the daytime in Taiwan but the night in Chile, you could still sleep until the next daytime in Taiwan.
Keeping awake for a long time is not a good ideal for your body, so I prefer a long sleep.
Then, I will watch movies even the light is off in the cabin.
I come home in the night and I only have a sunday before the work.
Arranging my luggages and watching photos, I try my mate tea pot for the first time.
The hot mate tea is too strong for me. After all, I'm not an Argentine.
Maybe I should decrease the portion next time.
～ Fin ～
References:
http://www.parquemet.cl/?cat_id=1
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camelidae
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guanaco
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpaca
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llama
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicu%C3%B1a
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palacio_de_La_Moneda
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider_monkey
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pud%C3%BA
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemur
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patagonian_mara
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llama
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guanaco
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicu%C3%B1a
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpaca
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