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Chile and Easter Island

Inside the Chapel The Motherhood of Mary

Chapel The Motherhood of Mary

Spectacular Panoramic View of Santiago

Looking skyward at La Virgen. Notice the new moon above the lower hand.

On its summit there is a sanctuary dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, with a 66 foot statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, an amphitheater and a chapel. The statue of the Immaculate Conception measures 42 feet tall, and the pedestal on which it rests is 24.9 feet in height. Within the pedestal there is a small chapel in which Pope John Paul II prayed and blessed the city of Santiago on April 1, 1987. The statue is lit up at night by lights placed on its sides, allowing it to be viewed from all over Santiago both day and night. At the foot of the statue there is an amphitheater for holding masses or other religious ceremonies. Near the statue, there is also a small chapel for praying.

The funicular provided service to the top of the hill from the Pedro de Valdivia entrance since 1980 until 2009, when the gearbox controlling the system's speed exploded, leaving the system unusable. A project was presented in 2011 to open for tender on the system, giving it new cabins and restore infrastructure.

A project was presented in 2011 to open for tender on the system, giving it new cabins and restore infrastructure. The service was expected to be back in 2012,

Then, in December 2014 it was announced that the funicular would re-open in the second semester of 2016 after a series of maintentenance and remodeling works to be done from March 2015, costing US$9,5 million. These works complete the installation of the new 46 cabin network, of which 8 will be enabled for the transport of bicycles, strollers or wheelchairs. The transport cabins have a 6-person capacity and the system was reopened on November 2016.

Lower Entrance to the funicular.

Murals on the face of a restaurant

Giant molinas or wind mills on the Atacama desert floor located in Northern Chile.

A memorial erected on the high desert floor for those in this area that lost their lives during the oppressive Allende years from this part of Chile..

Ironically our bus driver's father was one of those killed from this area.

Translation En memorial of all the victims of the Caravan of death - Episode Calama (this area of Chile)

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