Plaza Independencia fountain
by Glospi
At the center of the square, there is a fountain with a column which, on top, has a statue of the Roman goddess Ceres.
Around this fountain, there's always people playing or passing by, and is a good place to see the local people. There are also some street photographers, equipped with both old box cameras, and modern instant ones.
Seeing them taking the picture of rural visiting families or individuals in front of the fountain or the music stand, is an interesting and quite picturesque sight.
A bizarre thing about this, is that on the four sides of the column there's a national shield engraved on it...but while in the normal shield, there is a condor and a huemul (kind of endemic Chilean deer, now an endangered species), in this shield there is a horse instead of a huemul...
Cerro Caracol: cold rainforest in the city
by Glospi
Concepción is surrounded by Bio Bio river and this northern remainder of the Nahuelbuta range known as Cerro Caracol.
It covers more than 22 kilometres from north to south, its elevation in front of the city centre is 150 metres, reaching only 290 metres at its highest point, and is extremely easy to access right from the street level: just go to Parque Ecuador -3 blocks S from the main square- and find out any of the uphill paths, or simply follow the main cobblestone road leading to Mirador Aleman (German lookout).
The advantage of taking an "unofficial" path, is that through them, one can find the countless streams and natural spots that dot this range. Even in winter, after the rain, it's a refreshing place to visit, despite the muddy ground and the expectable cold: the scents of trees and vegetation, the lights and the bird's calls make it a memorable experience for nature lovers.
The picture in this tip, was taken on June 16, 1981, in the area of Cerro Caracol that has always been a part of my family home's backyard (it's good to have a whole rainforest as a playground for your own, believe me...), and it has not changed at all since then.
I used a Praktica Super TL3, a Zeiss Tessar 50 mm. lens, f.4-5,6, 1/60 sec., POL filter, Kodak Ektachrome 64 slide film.
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The Cathedral,and Hotel Araucano in the background
Pedre de Valdivia's statue in Plaza Independencia
the "richer" of the city