A hike on Cerro San Cristobal with stunning views of the Chilean Andes
SANTIAGO, Chile — It’s autumn in South America and in Chile’s capital, Santiago, that means great hiking weather in the steep hills above the city.
Santiago is vast, more than six million people spread over the country’s flat Central Valley. Jutting up from the city’s busy neighborhoods are forested hills of volcanic rock.
After a few minutes of climbing, the noise and crowds give way to pine forests, birds and sweeping views.
On Cerro San Cristobal, the dust trail rises past beautiful old stone walls. There are wildflowers everywhere and enough shade under the peppercorn trees to sit on a warm Sunday morning and enjoy the view.
Despite the sun, on this day there was still fog down in the valley. The towers and hills of the city seemed to float on clouds.
Near the summit, two men who turn out to be park rangers ride past on beautiful brown horses.
The top of San Cristobal rises nearly a thousand feet above Santiago. It can be crowded. There’s a towering white statue of the Virgin Mary where people go to pray.
But a side path leads into the trees where the forest opens to amazing views of the city and the Andes in the distance. The mountains rise up like a curtain wall, crowned by a long buttress of snowfields and ice against the blue sky.
Voice of America gutted by Trump adviser Kari Lake
The Trump administration is slashing jobs at Voice of America's parent agency by 85%. Journalists who have risked their freedom to report for the broadcaster wonder what happens next.
Judge orders release of Columbia activist Mahmoud Khalil
Khalil will be released on bail while his case challenging his deportation orders plays out in the courts.
A cancer center in Jordan treats kids from Gaza, but only a few dozen have arrived
Children from Gaza with cancer are finally making it to Jordan for long-promised treatment. But a plan to allow as many as 2,000 patients out of the war-torn enclave has slowed.
What children in poverty could lose from the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’
Republicans want to change or reduce key social safety net programs that provide healthcare, food benefits and financial assistance for millions of children.
Bessemer recommends changing its laws to accommodate one of the country’s largest proposed data centers
Despite overwhelming public opposition, officials in Bessemer voted to recommend changes to city zoning ordinances to allow the massive development. Its operation could strain the state’s water and power supplies and leave an already imperiled fish species at risk of extinction.
Why is caregiving so hard in America? The answers emerge in a new film
A new documentary on PBS shows what it's like to care for adult family members and recounts the history of caregiving policy in the U.S., revealing why those caring for family are often on their own.
