We hope you all had a a great break over Easter? In Chile only Friday is a public holiday, though the extra day was still great to have, as we used Friday as a homework day then still had 2 full days off.

In the first week of our lessons we had joined an excursion to the museum of memory and human rights, which you may recall our guide spoke only in Spanish and we understood nada. So on Saturday we returned to this museum and obtained an audio guide in English so we could gain a proper understanding of the events depicted in the museum.

It contains various documents, pictures, videos and objects that tell the story of the Chilean dictatorship that lasted 17 years from 1973. It tells the story of the attack on the parliament to overthrow the government, personal and family accounts of those that were detained, tortured, exiled and killed for opposing the dictatorship, life in Chile over this time, and national and international efforts to put an end to the regime.

The accounts were horrific. To learn about these events in such recent history was both heartbreaking and dumbfounding. We wondered how it would compare to similar situations in other countries today, and how much would have been reported internationally at the time.

This museum showed us a really important part of Chilean history and speaks volumes for the strength of the people and country.

On sunday we changed the mood a bit and took advantage of what was a brilliant day to walk up Cerro San Cristobal in parque metropolitano. This is the same hill we previously ascended in the funicular.

We caught the metro to a station near one end of the park, and joined what seemed like hundreds of cyclists and some other walkers making their way up the hill. The road heading up and some streets around the city are closed off to traffic on a Sunday morning allowing people to use them for cycling, running, rollerblading etc. We even discovered zumba and spin classes taking place at the top of the hill. What a fantastic concept and a great way to create an active population!

We had our picnic lunch when we reached the top, then proceeded to explore the sights. Though closed for winter (and currently slightly green) there is a magnificent pool at the top, as well as picnic areas, a few buildings which seem to be available for events, gardens, playgrounds. Not to take away from the 360 degree views over Santiago and the Andes which were fortunately less obstructed by smog than the last time we were there. Views that are still awe inspiring even after 4 weeks in Santiago. How long does it take in this city before you forget to look up?

We made our way down the other side via a winding dirt track and returned to our apartment having clocked 12 or 13kms walking, not a bad effort.

Less than a week left in Santiago now. What will be in store?

LAPFWT