Chilean Sea Blog: I Promise! I Did Things in April!

Whew! I definitely dropped the ball on this for the past month. But you should take solace that in my last month in Chile I was out exploring this beautiful country, the fabulous city of Santiago, and a couple of other countries in between, instead of hiding behind my computer working on this blog. I just thought I would catch you up on what I have been doing in my last weeks in South America before I head home in a day and a half!

Mendoza, Argentina: In order to renew my tourist visa I had to leave the country and get my passport re-stamped upon return. I took this opportunity to spend a ladies weekend with some girlfriends in Mendoza, which is about a six-hour bus ride away. The weekend can only be described as lovely. We drank wine with every meal, went on tours of vineyards, olive oil factories, went horseback riding through the Andes (for me, this was not as glamorous as it sounds! My body wasn’t built for horses! Or athletics!), and explored Argentinian nightlife. Best visa requirement ever!

Lollapalooza: I have been trying to go to this Perry Farrell created music festival since I was a little girl and it used to tour around the states. When I found out it was going to be Santiago when I was in Santiago I was absolutely elated. Santiago and I were destined to be together! The festival was two days long and the most notable performers were Bjork, Foo Fighters, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts (who totally rocked, in case you were wondering!), Band of Horses, Arctic Monkeys, Foster the People, and many others! It was so much fun going from stage to stage, seeing each amazing show after the next, dancing, and singing at the top of my lungs!

La Serena: For the second days of Passover I made my way up north to the Elqui Valley in Chile armed with fruits, vegetables, a couple packs of American cheese, and three boxes of potato matzah which my friends deemed “not that bad!” and proceeded to help me eat. This region is said to have special spiritual attributes and maybe so, but for us it was just a relaxing weekend. We went to a Pisco factory, and to an observatory, which was probably was of the coolest things I have ever done in my life! Our guide pointed out different stars and planets, which we were able to see through this huge telescope that moved with a GPS. I saw Saturn! And its rings! He pointed out different constellations, galaxies, and other funky space objects that would make me want to change my major to astronomy if it weren’t for my lack of mathmatical talent. Something I did learn though, is that you cannot see the Big Dipper from the Southern Hemisphere, even though I was insistent and kept on pointing it out to everyone like a know-it-all. The Southern Cross constellation IS always visible and with that you can locate the South Pole, like the North Star and the North Pole. SO if you are ever lost with me in the Southern Hemisphere I can help you find that.

The last couple weeks in Santiago were spent checking off things on my bucket list such as the general cemetery where Salvador Allende is buried, Terremotos (the drink, not the earthquake, though come to think of it I did finally experience a Chilean earthquake as well!) from La Piojera, the top of Cerro San Cristobal to see the huge statue of Mary that overlooks the city, and I tried spent as much time with my friends here as possible, enjoying their company before we part to opposite ends of the US! Oh, and studying for my finals.

Next (hopefully either today or tomorrow) I will write up a post about my after-classes traveling.

(SPOILER ALERT: I WENT TO BOLIVIA!)

Ciao! (or Chao! I have been told I have been spelling it wrong!)