La Serena, Templo San Agustin.

Oh, the lights went out on Mary

her flashing haloed crown

from pulse to chase to strobe

faintly blue white hue

she is number III

in the stations of the cross

or something like that

Jesus is at a stained glass window

a flag modestly girds his loins

i'm sure the red stained glass

is a velvet superhero cape

                                                                                    the donation locked boxes

                                                                                    are nailed hopefully

 to the walls

                                                                                    tithes to your favourite saint

                                                                                    i decide i like San Agustin

                                                                                    because he was a writer

                                                                                    it said so on his window

                                                                                    Mary and baby Jesus are

                                                                                    glowing red yellow and blue

                                                                                    with pagan snakes 

at their feet

                                                                                    and at the entrance

                                                                                    a man rattles hopefully
his collection of pesos

                                                                                    in an orange plastic cup

                                                                                    

La Serena.
Outdoor art exhibition i had a peruse around on my way to La Playa (the beach) and the lighthouse.
Colour was a big feature in the works on display, but it's not difficult to see where they get their inspiration from. I'm totally in love with all the shades of the rainbow the houses are painted inside and out.
The exhibition featured children's work alongside the adults. It was a nice mix.
Pick of the Hostels was 'Hostel Maria Casa' with Andreas and his partner Lesley. He didn't seem to mind that i got off the bus at 1.30am and no accommodation booked.....it's hard to mime on the telephone. but, por favor, tiene un habitation para tres noches?

La Serena. Museo Arqueologico.
And this little Moai stayed at home.Well, sort of. From Rapa Nui -or the Easter Islands, this one went on a little adventure too. Tiki toured to France, Spain and Italy in the 1950's on an intrepid journey across the seas before getting a little bit, oops, accidentally broken. Restored to life in the mid ninety's, its now part of an interesting collection of objects and artifacts (including a couple of Atacama mummies) housed in this museum.
Insider info...a lot of museums and galleries are free on Sundays.

La Serena. Chile.

On the beach,about eight hours north of Santiago,mi, in front of the old lighthouse. It is Chiles second oldest city, founded in 1544 and has a church on just about every corner.

Some amazing architecture in this place and fabulous museums, not to mention the loco fruit and vegetable market. plucked up the courage amongst the masses to haltingly buy avocados, tomatoes, spinach and  

              other vegetarian type yummy goodies.

              Mmmm mangos!

Postcard from Valparaiso

One of my favourite
coloured houses that
i could live in, dreaming,
as i walk around the
streets of Valparaiso.
i would hate to be a
linesman here, the tangle
and cluster of wires is
nothing but diabolical.

Entrance to Pablo Neruda's casa 'La Sebastiana'

Oda a la Neruda...
i love your crazy houses
the stripped walls
the riotous colours
your views out to sea
your eagles eye to
the sky the hills the houses
of Valparaiso
i love the way you sail
your ship through the neighborhood
you, Pablo, the non swimmer
who collects the ocean
the sun
through portals and windows
curious objects and
                                                                weird pink taxiderm-ied birds
                                                                coloured glass bottles
                                                                and naps in the sun
                                                                and i talk pigeon spanish
                                                                with Manuels pigeon english
                                                                the gardener
                                                                at your place

Santiago.
La Chascona
One of Pablo Neruda s three homes.
Houses an eclectic mix of curiosities that he collected in his lifetime as both a poet and a diplomat in far flung countries.
It is a twisting and turning home that seems to have no rhyme or reason, with bits added on and painted in a myriad of colours that all match perfectly.
With a garden to match. I saw a hummingbird drinking with its
 straw like beak.

Valparaiso.
La Sebastiana.
Neruda's second home that looks out over the hills and port
of Valparaiso. Lots of little nooks for the poet to gaze out with
his binoculars, check out the ships and snooze in the sun.
Perfecto!