Do I look like I speak Spanish?

Apparently, in Santiago, I sure do. I do understand some of what is being said, but the accent here is really confusing. I had a very comical encounter with the plumber who just kept getting madder and madder the more I said "no entiendo". and "despacio, por favor". People here just keep talking on and on whereever I go, and I barely get a gist of what they're saying. I've perfected the "nod and smile" strategy, which works like a charm until they ask me a question.

Anyway, today we walked all around cerro san cristobal, which is a hill overlooking the city with a park on it and a big statue of the Virgin Mary. To get up there, you take this funicular (which is like a small bus on a train track that goes straight up the mountain) which was has not changed much since it was built in 1925. Then there's these little cable car things which takes you to the other part. There's also a trememdous public pool, but I didn't know to bring my bathing suit.

We had lunch at this restaurant at the top. A word of advice about dining in Chile: be sure to give yourself a good two to three hours because you won't be getting out of there before then. The waiters don't like to visit your table (or even enter the dining area) but once every 45 minutes or so. Oh well, at least the food is good and it's not like I'm on a very tight schedule.