After about two weeks I have come to learn that Chile has many peaks. After looking at mountain tops through my bedroom window, walking at Universidad de los Andes, and general meandering through Santiago and its surrounding areas, I finally got a chance to climb the Andes Mountains.
Most of my posts so far have had to do with food choices and how this relates to health. However, being physically active has a huge role in health as well. One way that I enjoy being active is by hiking and walking in parks. Of course, there are other ways, but these are the two that I have experienced in Santiago.
Just outside of the city we went to a park called San Carlos de Apoquindo. After looking through many of the trails, we decided on one. However, like any good hiking adventure we didn't actually follow the trails. We encountered some steep inclines and uneven ground as we hiked to the peak. With the Andes on one side and Santiago (covered by smog) on the other, the view after 2.6 miles of trekking was astounding. The total hike was 5.2 miles and it took us about 3 hours. It was a great way to start my Sunday!
We also went to San Cristobal Hill on Friday, which is in the actual city of Santiago. This hike was pretty moderate and is one of the more peace-filled and contemplative times I have had in Chile. At the top of San Cristobal Hill there is a place for people to pray and look over the city. This hill really indicated the importance of faith for Chileans because of the crosses and the statue of Mary at the peak. I have seen that faith is important because many places in the city are closed on Sundays, but this hill really helped me understand how central it is to their culture and daily lives.
Both the hikes helped me see that I need to be more intentional about doing physical activity. They also gave me a glimpse into different aspects of culture having to do with spirituality, sustainability, and fitness. Though being active is hard at times, when I make the time to do things hike, yoga, or bike, I always feel energized afterwords.