Finally some photos!

I know you've all been waiting for these... first just some 

general shots walking around the city!  

 And now getting into the centro commercial, a large outdoor mall/pedestrian zone area that's always crowded (about 15 minutes from our hostel)

People sell everything on the street here.  Including, as you can see, books of the local laws so that Chileans can be up-to-date on their govt...

And this is the Plaza de Armas, the main square in Santiago, surrounded by fancy federal buildings and the post office (the white one on the right)

 and here's a magician drawing a crowd... 

 and more streets on the way to the central market... 

note: there is fresh fruit EVERYWHERE

another note: there are also dogs (and sometimes cats) EVERYWHERE

The beautiful central market building!  Unfortunately it was closed so we couldn't go inside 

very near the central market, there is an old train station (Estacion Mapocho) that was the first built in 1905 to celebrate the Chilean bicentennial, became the main railway station for much of South America, and was vacated in the 80s.  Now it has been restored as a (gorgeous) cultural center

Inside the cultural center, a human rights mural (it reads "I do declare: Chile needs more human rights defenders") 

And, to finish us off for now, several cool-looking, nameless old buildings in disrepair

: )