tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47214935162774056262024-02-02T15:18:54.799-08:00Adventure Is Out There!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14811161860662752098noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4721493516277405626.post-63879450583640481252013-12-17T10:05:00.000-08:002013-12-17T10:05:03.681-08:00El Valle Sagrado and... Machu Picchu!!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnEycnxSn8FgPgZdkdotiDVzooQLNvg1R-NgF3o5R3HOtrJi6Ij6WND5ZqpfG25wSkfDUQl2mHKNK60u2PTxUOIPVD9xeQJ15_5oaG8bt9TavGpNWj9z-Y9A7GkvCWhNMe0Mtm9TQ8iN4/s1600/DSC03284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnEycnxSn8FgPgZdkdotiDVzooQLNvg1R-NgF3o5R3HOtrJi6Ij6WND5ZqpfG25wSkfDUQl2mHKNK60u2PTxUOIPVD9xeQJ15_5oaG8bt9TavGpNWj9z-Y9A7GkvCWhNMe0Mtm9TQ8iN4/s1600/DSC03284.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Hi everyone! I know that many of you have been itching to hear about my visit to Machu Picchu, and I promise that I'll write about it in this post, and include plenty of photos. But first, I'm going to write about the other archaeological sites that I visited the day before (if you're not interested in that, skip down the page to where there's a centered photo of Machu Picchu). Be forewarned that there are lots of pictures!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiu91YReseoJCv0DMRFjWum1FqXZWM4mL6CPEnQEvOAhrXco_JKuD9Zx7H6omgesVfrDNOkeU8BOor3Y2OBO-KWHz34_Mc2_MG6DDigPfVQDj7_qUA0FfWn_sCoqj7JU0dT08LRZh7SOU/s1600/DSC03007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiu91YReseoJCv0DMRFjWum1FqXZWM4mL6CPEnQEvOAhrXco_JKuD9Zx7H6omgesVfrDNOkeU8BOor3Y2OBO-KWHz34_Mc2_MG6DDigPfVQDj7_qUA0FfWn_sCoqj7JU0dT08LRZh7SOU/s1600/DSC03007.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">El Valle Sagrado</span><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Monday after Thanksgiving I took a tour of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_Valley">El Valle Sagrado</a>, or the Sacred Valley of the Incas, </span><span style="font-size: large;">with the other GV girls. We were in Cusco's Plaza de Armas at 8:30 am and piled into a fifteen passenger van with nine other visitors and headed up into the mountains. After stopping at a tourist trap to get cocoa leaf tea (which helps immensely with altitude sickness) we rode until we got to the mouth of the valley and stopped for a few minutes to take pictures. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmVB8X6ok9zJRMZ1bET2z55UexQp1SNZpUFChxssqBOQ8IreTd4WR2pfWKv4IruG97u7ahe4CfA2aDFSLg2BEniBEL8qrUPNLMD12I4Xe1cDJxhuylpQRyYAY3aBI3W_lkafP5wRPsrI0/s1600/DSC03012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmVB8X6ok9zJRMZ1bET2z55UexQp1SNZpUFChxssqBOQ8IreTd4WR2pfWKv4IruG97u7ahe4CfA2aDFSLg2BEniBEL8qrUPNLMD12I4Xe1cDJxhuylpQRyYAY3aBI3W_lkafP5wRPsrI0/s1600/DSC03012.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It was utterly gorgeous; the rich green of the valley, the darker, tree-covered mountains, the low-hanging puffs of clouds, and snow-topped peaks peering over the distant mountains. As we continued driving, I couldn't help but picture how much more beautiful it must have looked before being settled, when the Incas first encountered it.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjArv77hBX_oDjZfse_sR8mY7t6DyVmUmX-iDLJCjZ1648tnD_vcfrkNtT38GzSj_AFS-xSDGhY25IfaejWaTOL3q3snYZOxLoNORgvtHNOE-GAJE3640l9wy9QY0lbApKLa_n-uYXl8-w/s1600/DSC03077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjArv77hBX_oDjZfse_sR8mY7t6DyVmUmX-iDLJCjZ1648tnD_vcfrkNtT38GzSj_AFS-xSDGhY25IfaejWaTOL3q3snYZOxLoNORgvtHNOE-GAJE3640l9wy9QY0lbApKLa_n-uYXl8-w/s1600/DSC03077.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">A first look at Pisaq</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Our next stop was the archaeological site of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C3%ADsac">Pisaq</a>. Our guide told us that this town was primarily agricultural, and strategically placed to protect the rest of the valley, especially Cusco, from enemy attack. The ruins are high in the hills above the modern-day town of Písac, and the ancient buildings overlook the farming terraces. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihqVp2ZA0agc4Ojh153QhoV7DAEPshhE_qnVdne0k3dvGF8DoAc-Bmf86nP4dJoET_hSRR_9iRNEGyWR4AEuNr3aqIDuEBLwkpT0TRFQ6Ypq3yrW8zrAQgAWkDVyt6wrS0CFy7ddpQWxQ/s1600/DSC03059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihqVp2ZA0agc4Ojh153QhoV7DAEPshhE_qnVdne0k3dvGF8DoAc-Bmf86nP4dJoET_hSRR_9iRNEGyWR4AEuNr3aqIDuEBLwkpT0TRFQ6Ypq3yrW8zrAQgAWkDVyt6wrS0CFy7ddpQWxQ/s1600/DSC03059.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The view from the top of the site</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">On the adjacent hill are a series of holes bored into the slope facing east. Our guide informed us that these were tombs, and that they faced east so that the dead would be facing the sunrise because the sun god Inti was very important to the Inca culture. He also pointed out a mausoleum that housed the bodies of over 70 of Pisaq's leaders. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCiJbaQS3dC6vbHwwsdRghD7j9ug9BjWX5eKjf9WnY326e7cD6mqmde6XBR1pbuze4QaSpKDPlyA9TPWHb1vDzQfwA2YK2zgvuEJOQd-u5Oe64qWyVWqOJ83fYvZDi69EIW3Hh9h9TUqE/s1600/DSC03064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCiJbaQS3dC6vbHwwsdRghD7j9ug9BjWX5eKjf9WnY326e7cD6mqmde6XBR1pbuze4QaSpKDPlyA9TPWHb1vDzQfwA2YK2zgvuEJOQd-u5Oe64qWyVWqOJ83fYvZDi69EIW3Hh9h9TUqE/s1600/DSC03064.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">From the top of the Pisaq site</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We got to climb up the hill and explore the ruins a bit, like the partially-covered structure that I'm pretty sure was some form of storehouse for goods. It was a great vantage point to view the valley, despite the wet and windy conditions. After about an hour and a half to explore, we got back into the van and continued with our journey. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIpgNlajCQu8XkQgBkfw2jn-Os6VOXN0kTcWWuqbG2fW0CvbrQ8gIY21O6fDNeXb8otYRGc9Ube0TZyNthWRXQcOTO307JkWTeU2x8auvNabuz5mRWENC_tlTUBGkuFY3QZsn-lT4IQ40/s1600/DSC03089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIpgNlajCQu8XkQgBkfw2jn-Os6VOXN0kTcWWuqbG2fW0CvbrQ8gIY21O6fDNeXb8otYRGc9Ube0TZyNthWRXQcOTO307JkWTeU2x8auvNabuz5mRWENC_tlTUBGkuFY3QZsn-lT4IQ40/s1600/DSC03089.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ollantaytambo</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The next stop on our tour was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ollantaytambo">Ollantaytambo</a>. This town --- named for a fictional hero Ollanta who, according to his story, stopped for a rest (or a <i>tambo </i>in Quechua) there --- is the oldest still-functioning town in the Americas. It boasts Inca streets, water systems, doorways, and foundations to its buildings. The town was the royal estate of the emperor who conquered the region, and continued to be a stronghold for the last Inca emperor during the Spanish Conquest. </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLDT-dIuU9TkivJm-IDFxIf9WjP6aIMEuX1_Ewypjk1bpQTqd39t1VSDeCUzYKUolY1KzjmPpF5EP_BXDygM5WXOQrOt2eeseMUaNATITCSkJftMZo5Mzzw2vweFpyBCquzHFgmTmcu6A/s1600/DSC03087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLDT-dIuU9TkivJm-IDFxIf9WjP6aIMEuX1_Ewypjk1bpQTqd39t1VSDeCUzYKUolY1KzjmPpF5EP_BXDygM5WXOQrOt2eeseMUaNATITCSkJftMZo5Mzzw2vweFpyBCquzHFgmTmcu6A/s1600/DSC03087.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">We got to climb up the huge agricultural terraces that overlooked the city (each was about three meters high, five meters wide, and thirty meters long... I'll let math-y people have fun with that for size). The terraces were mainly used to grow crops for the town, like the all-important corn. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_cONTaybnPztfz5QL9gRGAP9ekZrXx6sTWVBLnvgD8yrJIjUyWnC6o97QZKjq37Ue4OpX6nhyphenhyphen7jGvlF8SuL1xLgLFewX-xJgR3YxmIt6uo3xTnjzRT1FE2bNQLZjXaEh5aBtu7yG96w4/s1600/DSC03124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_cONTaybnPztfz5QL9gRGAP9ekZrXx6sTWVBLnvgD8yrJIjUyWnC6o97QZKjq37Ue4OpX6nhyphenhyphen7jGvlF8SuL1xLgLFewX-xJgR3YxmIt6uo3xTnjzRT1FE2bNQLZjXaEh5aBtu7yG96w4/s1600/DSC03124.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The outside of the temple</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Also during the tour, we climbed up to the temple on the top of the hill. This temple was unfinished at the time that the Spanish invaded the area, and in their search for gold much of the temple was destroyed. Later, another desecration of the temple came about when Catholic priests deemed the temple to be idolatrous. Today, the only destruction of the temple comes in the form of the orange lichen that grows upon the stone walls and slowly erodes them.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMXrqAgv0Ym_8bf-B3rsnmdK5daecAkVvW4C4R_JUVTCvusD6AnZfdhUQ5EK4LX89wGceAkVujR07pMFARvzfHSW5BdfrAiy5CqyZKAsZfc7fa4zh2eFJFYnpw_v79Zl-G24JXDfXGa2Y/s1600/DSC03132.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMXrqAgv0Ym_8bf-B3rsnmdK5daecAkVvW4C4R_JUVTCvusD6AnZfdhUQ5EK4LX89wGceAkVujR07pMFARvzfHSW5BdfrAiy5CqyZKAsZfc7fa4zh2eFJFYnpw_v79Zl-G24JXDfXGa2Y/s1600/DSC03132.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">At a temple door with <br />our guide Benjamín</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Our guide explained that the reason that the Inca walls have withstood so much was their unique construction. The rocks were molded in a way that water rolled off so as to not eat away at the stone, were cut to be trapezoidal in anti-earthquake architecture, and were fitted together using various methods of stonecutting; some would have bits jutting out to fit perfectly into dips in others and prevent sliding --- kind of like the blocks in a Lego house.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPom0IelEsXMTfxGHCS5FTV-SkU_Wr3dBjdmq8jCIvt_J-6od_gorTCmpaku_o7TBcmk_oVKXoRZ_wqjDmc_eFC36h6kRIvb5Fe71uZEU-Q7jhk0TgENgjMrqLndZnSpOCR7WKGnXw3co/s1600/DSC03148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPom0IelEsXMTfxGHCS5FTV-SkU_Wr3dBjdmq8jCIvt_J-6od_gorTCmpaku_o7TBcmk_oVKXoRZ_wqjDmc_eFC36h6kRIvb5Fe71uZEU-Q7jhk0TgENgjMrqLndZnSpOCR7WKGnXw3co/s1600/DSC03148.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Incas took rocks from the hill<br />behind me to build their temple</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We also learned that the Incas took the huge rocks from the neighboring mountains at least a half-mile away. They would cut the massive rocks at least three meters tall and would use a series of ramps (and a lot of man-power) to gradually haul the stones to the temple site. How crazy is that!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl465xLfanOoIW07qr5EdbB5ITYn0GyW5tB6vjq-gLqyYseV9EjwIPLcLonwKgVq53cEnXfzOMlVqe_aEvnH6A-3r12xzOugWb6nNTr7z5_zJu_HCRX8zfC43-PYz9RSWfEcwZlb_Qw0U/s1600/DSC03165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl465xLfanOoIW07qr5EdbB5ITYn0GyW5tB6vjq-gLqyYseV9EjwIPLcLonwKgVq53cEnXfzOMlVqe_aEvnH6A-3r12xzOugWb6nNTr7z5_zJu_HCRX8zfC43-PYz9RSWfEcwZlb_Qw0U/s1600/DSC03165.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Afterwards, we got to walk along the narrow ledges winding along the side of the adjacent hill. Since I'm such a fan of heights (sarcasm) this was an interesting climb, but we had a beautiful vantage point over Ollantaytambo and the rest of the ruins. We ended the miniature hike by descending the seemingly-endless set of narrow stairs alongside of the terraces.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh58KIe_R3fLAuFZ6Hn-_M1qZhgdOnxv49fE663PvyK7JSGJ3SKI2tRz6C_e9FLSO_7u1loIZ199GhotODorJC0b73r0jbYjcuqH7dgd79UPNL5XaFAZZwOmzYWHL8c01o1ATWolb7KG4g/s1600/DSC03177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh58KIe_R3fLAuFZ6Hn-_M1qZhgdOnxv49fE663PvyK7JSGJ3SKI2tRz6C_e9FLSO_7u1loIZ199GhotODorJC0b73r0jbYjcuqH7dgd79UPNL5XaFAZZwOmzYWHL8c01o1ATWolb7KG4g/s1600/DSC03177.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">During our miniature hike</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The last part of our visit to Ollantaytambo consisted of taking a peek in an Inca bathhouse nestled in the cluster of buildings at the base of the terraces. The well in the bathhouse still works beautifully without any sort of modern technology, which was pretty impressive to me. After viewing this ever-flowing fount, we trekked back through the town along some of the ancient Inca streets still in use today, and my little GV group took the train to Aguas Calientes, the tiny town closest to Machu Picchu.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJ5352oCeHeKOzYdWDVWDs8UszFS_GUOpKo018ZYbt_VXtmRQmKgOnb2l478tTGPK2b5agCh1RK7sbgizsW2dhF0hqCnup41M-fGWnm_ZBBJbi3A_cTVmAiYhRO1YOGjXtJaZ6mhsemE/s1600/DSC03290.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJ5352oCeHeKOzYdWDVWDs8UszFS_GUOpKo018ZYbt_VXtmRQmKgOnb2l478tTGPK2b5agCh1RK7sbgizsW2dhF0hqCnup41M-fGWnm_ZBBJbi3A_cTVmAiYhRO1YOGjXtJaZ6mhsemE/s1600/DSC03290.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'll just start off by saying it: Machu Picchu was incredible. I am so glad that I went, and feel extremely blessed to have had the opportunity to see one of the Wonders of the World.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We left our hostel in Aguas Calientes around 7am, and took a half-hour bus ride up the winding roads to the summit where Machu Picchu lay. I was amazed to see as we rose that little puffs of white were level with my view --- I hadn't realized that we were up high enough to be among the clouds. We waited at the gate for our guide, Dimas, and the rest of our tour group, and at 8 am we sallied forth into the site, climbing for about eight minutes until we reached the flat portion overlooking the city.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio-OZtr5paiI-X0Yb2z21XLDmaAuxy1gIrjIGeJ5Q18xpIOfL0CYE0i_43LdUPMismDjfkMAbz6pu51eGrd5cN_Lqy4AhbL6_LWr0OUeTQsQupgDL5-mcSUBaBmRVPT65CQM4EbjzUyY0/s1600/DSC03286.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio-OZtr5paiI-X0Yb2z21XLDmaAuxy1gIrjIGeJ5Q18xpIOfL0CYE0i_43LdUPMismDjfkMAbz6pu51eGrd5cN_Lqy4AhbL6_LWr0OUeTQsQupgDL5-mcSUBaBmRVPT65CQM4EbjzUyY0/s1600/DSC03286.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">GV girls at Machu Picchu!</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnEycnxSn8FgPgZdkdotiDVzooQLNvg1R-NgF3o5R3HOtrJi6Ij6WND5ZqpfG25wSkfDUQl2mHKNK60u2PTxUOIPVD9xeQJ15_5oaG8bt9TavGpNWj9z-Y9A7GkvCWhNMe0Mtm9TQ8iN4/s1600/DSC03284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">After elbowing past the crowd of people who also had tours entering the area at the same time, we got our first look. It was even more breathtaking than the pictures from magazines; the mountains are such a lush, dark green in contrast with the bright green of the fields and terraces, and the grey stones stand out against all shades of green. I don't think that I could ever get tired of looking at the natural beauty that surrounds the ancient city, or cease to marvel at the architectural and historical wonder that Machu Picchu itself is. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjF-oUcGZHc2OhiwykxxGj0E82w6yuAAOhE5P6q4ozvAnQH1VP9Ynwi8whNZxF8nAfEYoFSdbYByDmn3X_sk090oIg-fNodcbClM-Q712IfBUW5sSHcOgaXCB5R3xaywjsEgZcTONcYWg/s1600/DSC03282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjF-oUcGZHc2OhiwykxxGj0E82w6yuAAOhE5P6q4ozvAnQH1VP9Ynwi8whNZxF8nAfEYoFSdbYByDmn3X_sk090oIg-fNodcbClM-Q712IfBUW5sSHcOgaXCB5R3xaywjsEgZcTONcYWg/s1600/DSC03282.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mist literally covering the city</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Our guide was explaining how the city was "discovered" by Hiram Bingham in 1911 when my favorite part of the whole day happened. While we were overlooking the site at the first viewpoint, a huuuuge cloud rose up from the valley below and enveloped the entire city, shrouding it completely from our view for a full minute. I couldn't see the buildings at all! Then, just as quickly as it had risen up from below, it lifted off and drifted higher. I couldn't help but imagine this happening on a daily basis, and wondered how that affected the residents in the city. Did they take it in stride? Did they think it was some reaction of a deity? I guess I'll never know for certain, unfortunately.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpvEvFJnDTlqY9RUhe5D8DU8CnSeNXNtPpJKDYRkFH1LhLCMIUPpvw_Tvhk8ej06U-VKnTmsdvDu0InzZzibE8ib3PfaLgnFhxvAlblBosR3kTr1GZTYTrYZ6EgM39YNz7KGLePm2byxg/s1600/DSC03306.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpvEvFJnDTlqY9RUhe5D8DU8CnSeNXNtPpJKDYRkFH1LhLCMIUPpvw_Tvhk8ej06U-VKnTmsdvDu0InzZzibE8ib3PfaLgnFhxvAlblBosR3kTr1GZTYTrYZ6EgM39YNz7KGLePm2byxg/s1600/DSC03306.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The only door to the city</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">After this phenomenon, we went into the city through the only entrance, a ten-foot-high doorway that stands to this day. It was the only way to get into and out of the city, which makes sense from a goods-regulation viewpoint as well as from a protection viewpoint. Incas were pretty short, but the doorway was so tall to allow the passage of llamas, farming goods, and ceremonial litters carrying the Inca, or the emperor of the nation. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwPkMR65FtKgFlddMvcRCSTtJSj6ViPgEvV5qucfip_GY3y9o2Rjhl42_NwwA28g80HpaiQDr4YfXg8EJlmKcJKHnpmk2JPw0oVrVtBAIq6K27GXVfvMaYI-Bffjoz2XgxBkFnueW1o5g/s1600/DSC03346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwPkMR65FtKgFlddMvcRCSTtJSj6ViPgEvV5qucfip_GY3y9o2Rjhl42_NwwA28g80HpaiQDr4YfXg8EJlmKcJKHnpmk2JPw0oVrVtBAIq6K27GXVfvMaYI-Bffjoz2XgxBkFnueW1o5g/s1600/DSC03346.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Temple of the Sun</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Dimas showed us important structures and areas in the city, such as the Temple of the Sun, the central religious plaza, and the Sacred Rock of the Inca. He was extremely informative, which was great, and I learned a lot about the present site, its history, and the lives of the Inca who inhabited this mountainous region. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLa615XjW3vWj-SeSi2LQDd2NZmE-F3ID5G51nCZ-bGcsint6y4mTivm_C48LbtOxFptjdNYuOAmFcA6KI8WcowOM6c3d8iQWkLM4NKHTj7c4kSLuF-o1a9veZIl1qiGRkLFY7VtiHuqk/s1600/DSC03557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLa615XjW3vWj-SeSi2LQDd2NZmE-F3ID5G51nCZ-bGcsint6y4mTivm_C48LbtOxFptjdNYuOAmFcA6KI8WcowOM6c3d8iQWkLM4NKHTj7c4kSLuF-o1a9veZIl1qiGRkLFY7VtiHuqk/s1600/DSC03557.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Restored thatch roof</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">After our two-hour tour with Dimas, we got to do our own exploring throughout the city. I wandered around with the GV girls for a time, then went off by myself to make my own discoveries, be with my thoughts, and privately marvel at the city. During my time in the city, I tried to imagine all of the structures covered with the thatch roofs and bustling with Incas roving about in their daily activities. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqdWmogu-CDusKhKAJiT9LY4eAtXKGLshu7PfufL8wcsmkbbBql5duIOLmZTpiXu9t-_KSRfrXi0F3W5abfzMK36K8HaFhgaI3JO0ky2J55c8HBcw-qJ4Abx6TFADSa9qz8DZiho6kSJg/s1600/DSC03610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqdWmogu-CDusKhKAJiT9LY4eAtXKGLshu7PfufL8wcsmkbbBql5duIOLmZTpiXu9t-_KSRfrXi0F3W5abfzMK36K8HaFhgaI3JO0ky2J55c8HBcw-qJ4Abx6TFADSa9qz8DZiho6kSJg/s1600/DSC03610.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Inside an Inca house</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Apart from being impressed with how well the structures in the city have withstood the passage of time, I was also impressed with the fellow tourists visiting Machu Picchu around me. For being as early in the morning as it was, and not during the high tourist season, there were so many people exploring the city with me, which surprised me. I heard more languages during my brief time on that mountaintop than I've heard in my life. I was inspired by one brave soul who was making his way through the ruins with a pair of crutches, which is a nearly-impossible task given the uneven terrain and endless stairs in a non-handicap friendly --- that's dedication to a dream. </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinYoRciL__mGehRW82w0-ZDxKBJliGDKEOxe0U92tkR-0pxPqU-cT3TSPUsfIUPPOPWkRx4tmaIoHLV26d0hj9Q5RqXcxxtDaKwLQvRV8848tEsaCZv7IPzcLBldSu6abWsq8_Rvce280/s1600/DSC03542.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinYoRciL__mGehRW82w0-ZDxKBJliGDKEOxe0U92tkR-0pxPqU-cT3TSPUsfIUPPOPWkRx4tmaIoHLV26d0hj9Q5RqXcxxtDaKwLQvRV8848tEsaCZv7IPzcLBldSu6abWsq8_Rvce280/s1600/DSC03542.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: large;">I really don't know what more to say about Machu Picchu except that it is an utterly fantastic place, and I highly suggest that anyone able to make a trip there should do so. My pictures do more justice to the site than my words could ever do, even though photos do not capture everything that is so awe-inspiring about the place. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV_JP_Mg_P0rw8mXNpMK-FyVLoCBqOw64Nct37EaDPXqNxxPGY_BbSd3q3-iJmejrkRitb8SwWoPUJNp5P7wfFtc2UaRk0TUj1iEQI9kXfkTMhGVEMxAVNhTa7x3wl-kPd-pLQ-uN1kGY/s1600/DSC03368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV_JP_Mg_P0rw8mXNpMK-FyVLoCBqOw64Nct37EaDPXqNxxPGY_BbSd3q3-iJmejrkRitb8SwWoPUJNp5P7wfFtc2UaRk0TUj1iEQI9kXfkTMhGVEMxAVNhTa7x3wl-kPd-pLQ-uN1kGY/s1600/DSC03368.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Thanks so much for reading! I fly back to the States on Thursday, so I'll try to post about my visit to Buenos Aires before then, but no promises ;) I will hopefully see you all soon!<br /><br />Gail</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pisaq's walls</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ollantaytambo from the ground level</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQYxFUdfHGgiOSpOX6Rk1RSnuQ2gEYH8vCbrFT_YTYc6UA1lhCPVVmzx4ZnQc3IwgMypNBwMMGZlAtCvPA5zgRiaHAS3vyzJwVoClXEnyrfiuM_naZhGxgrf5obw2apd7xgiS9amCxSt0/s1600/DSC03287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQYxFUdfHGgiOSpOX6Rk1RSnuQ2gEYH8vCbrFT_YTYc6UA1lhCPVVmzx4ZnQc3IwgMypNBwMMGZlAtCvPA5zgRiaHAS3vyzJwVoClXEnyrfiuM_naZhGxgrf5obw2apd7xgiS9amCxSt0/s1600/DSC03287.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: small;">We were our guide's favorites --- he specifically<br />asked for a picture with us</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">A sacrificial temple next to the central religious plaza</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Sacred Rock of the Inca</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfv-2EJFibQBpCllQUOyn-XOWk_iHZotGLSsr1eTBgY6ZUtJNsoLuDopnFhnvCfQzlsxoOTB8PVH58AKYI-qNHuah3zfQ_2aJSv4HnCpplbmOmeU-8uiFP680FAjFC25Fry2cvR45cECo/s1600/DSC03500.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfv-2EJFibQBpCllQUOyn-XOWk_iHZotGLSsr1eTBgY6ZUtJNsoLuDopnFhnvCfQzlsxoOTB8PVH58AKYI-qNHuah3zfQ_2aJSv4HnCpplbmOmeU-8uiFP680FAjFC25Fry2cvR45cECo/s1600/DSC03500.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">So many green spaces</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">This was a sacrificial table called The Condor.<br />In the space under that huge rock is a<br />cavern where mummies of sacrificial<br />animals were discovered.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Looking out from a grain storage barn</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Under the Temple of the Sun</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Such a beautiful place</span> </td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14811161860662752098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4721493516277405626.post-57634556618398253252013-12-12T09:31:00.000-08:002013-12-12T09:31:16.004-08:00A Week in Peru<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">El Palacio del Gobierno</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Hi everyone! It's been a while since I posted last, but that's because I've been traveling South America! I won't write about everything that I've done and seen in one post, because that would be an insanely long thing for me to write and for you all to read in one sitting.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">La Catedral de Lima</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The capital of Peru, Lima was the first stop for me and the other three GV study abroad students, Hayley, Kristin, and Emily. We flew in on Thanksgiving Day and spent the next day exploring the city. We started with the Plaza de Armas, or the city's main square, and saw El Palacio del Gobierno, or the Government Palace, and la Catedral de Lima, or the Lima Cathedral. These buildings were so massive and beautiful, and still retain the early colonial style in their architecture. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOG3wIIKSJy27aU5b3BoE8nIycj_s532Q2GEw7S3Cjhac7fqgEiefeIj5pG1PBLlD2lGgmwbECcn7C_bHM40IgEqDWlgVCAAR0i8Ex3px4utWcYLfoEvIpdl_9fzSnTfwj1kD9ZYbJURE/s1600/DSC02639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOG3wIIKSJy27aU5b3BoE8nIycj_s532Q2GEw7S3Cjhac7fqgEiefeIj5pG1PBLlD2lGgmwbECcn7C_bHM40IgEqDWlgVCAAR0i8Ex3px4utWcYLfoEvIpdl_9fzSnTfwj1kD9ZYbJURE/s1600/DSC02639.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The band!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">One of the coolest parts of the Government Palace is that there are guards stationed in front all day long, and every noon hour there is the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOVK4zB7nXM">Changing of the Guard</a>. We watched the majority of this ceremony, complete with a band, heralding trumpets, and lots of high-stepping... I was quite impressed by the ability of the guards to get their legs up that high, and I can't imagine doing that every single day without fail in all types of weather. It was rather impressive.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1yYB2FPtZCCCWfSJ8R8oJwdqzhUbUm2Txz2bHmHz8j0-_Tnp_zhlrwJyNVnceuiKWvyfj05NBo4UZGm-cxVKfRY0fqZtMFW5CUvtpKC47gKxUOF8Anz3jMzg2-v-T3aIr7cF0RlAyFD0/s1600/DSC02625.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1yYB2FPtZCCCWfSJ8R8oJwdqzhUbUm2Txz2bHmHz8j0-_Tnp_zhlrwJyNVnceuiKWvyfj05NBo4UZGm-cxVKfRY0fqZtMFW5CUvtpKC47gKxUOF8Anz3jMzg2-v-T3aIr7cF0RlAyFD0/s1600/DSC02625.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">In front of </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">El Convento de San Francisco</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We also visited el Convento de San Francisco, or the Monastery of San Francisco. We toured the building and had the opportunity to learn more about the history of this beautiful church and see the ancient books in its original library --- as a book nerd, this was pretty awesome for me (: Then... we went into real catacombs! The catacombs under the church was the only burial ground until a cemetery was founded in the 1800s. Over 70,000 burials have been discovered in the crypts and ossuaries there, and many of the bones that have survived, mainly femurs and skulls, have been sorted into massive bins and lie neatly side-by-side to save space. We even saw a few full skeletons as well during the tour, which was pretty cool to me. It's so fascinating to compare views of death across the centuries and see how different cultures treat their dead.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzMt5Ya3bcfXVR0MfqDloefmv4o7MSwWxfpWFszVnL5J0Z-3bxzussMsqdF4KHRiqSio4LsjORlHervCUj7lF1tJB9jMsu6HODWjqGUvjRuVa_6qq5bej5mhE7177ujL6bG8LyX1ZHNLE/s1600/DSC02693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzMt5Ya3bcfXVR0MfqDloefmv4o7MSwWxfpWFszVnL5J0Z-3bxzussMsqdF4KHRiqSio4LsjORlHervCUj7lF1tJB9jMsu6HODWjqGUvjRuVa_6qq5bej5mhE7177ujL6bG8LyX1ZHNLE/s1600/DSC02693.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pretty ceiling</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">We also poked around Lima's Casa de Literatura Peruana, or House of Peruvian Literature. The building used to be Lima's train station, but in 2009 the station was remodeled and opened to showcase Peruvian literature. There are separate rooms filled with books and magazines sorted by theme just like a library, and an outside area overlooking the old train tracks to sit and read. I particularly loved the stained glass ceilings that allowed natural light to fill the station.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJhOF52gH8gmcxB5eA39DhVyYJrnBtLTURchXdwXqQC6UMQyky3LRJLxqQZO6hD8hwv3jqfmoB2DafapYdqKJGgiSntUdQg6IxWo9fY_Nqt8paxzfbGPrPtHD7RKsAkr-M2EWjKkmt4kg/s1600/DSC02792.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJhOF52gH8gmcxB5eA39DhVyYJrnBtLTURchXdwXqQC6UMQyky3LRJLxqQZO6hD8hwv3jqfmoB2DafapYdqKJGgiSntUdQg6IxWo9fY_Nqt8paxzfbGPrPtHD7RKsAkr-M2EWjKkmt4kg/s1600/DSC02792.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">At el Parque de la Reserva</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">By far the best part of our trip to Lima was El Parque de la Reserva, or the Park of the Reserve, which is home to the world's largest fountain complex, El Circuito Mágico del Agua. Huge and intricate fountains fill the park, and after darkness falls there are<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EqeSYQ2D-M"> light and music shows</a> to accompany the fountains. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmEYJybcmtKe2kNAb9i7JBI9KNPdAN8JtL9uE4aLO6cjMZdLQVAR_LXZOssg3BW4hBZM-dz-c-8wYy-efIfX-k9otGBmAukpADTrFmeixZGpR1TQ1AnFB-6h0k99wC1WqkG5qKbMhl7Ag/s1600/DSC02728.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmEYJybcmtKe2kNAb9i7JBI9KNPdAN8JtL9uE4aLO6cjMZdLQVAR_LXZOssg3BW4hBZM-dz-c-8wYy-efIfX-k9otGBmAukpADTrFmeixZGpR1TQ1AnFB-6h0k99wC1WqkG5qKbMhl7Ag/s1600/DSC02728.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">There's a little area of fountains for kids, a huge pool with fountains for the nightly shows, a tunnel of water, and, my personal favorite, a challenge fountain where you try to make it to the middle without getting wet. I made it to the middle, but I will admit that I wasn't dry when I got there :P to see what I'm talking about, check out 1:12 in this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kY_UPCh00E8">video</a>. It was such a beautiful park, and I absolutely adored every minute of our nighttime visit to this whimsical spot.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emily and me in the Tunnel of Water!</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp8eMZT6HhMG6PzAjwk9n97AdSKP4pzNKuIpcU1oWZqBVn02XvVG5NSqtuOMNn8P5dcxQ-twIIA6VAUcuu2A0-PaX-SQJALkM0UELM5PThs6zkn6Hb8ryaWzphlKo2t8dEFQcuFCbBHXw/s1600/DSC02827.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp8eMZT6HhMG6PzAjwk9n97AdSKP4pzNKuIpcU1oWZqBVn02XvVG5NSqtuOMNn8P5dcxQ-twIIA6VAUcuu2A0-PaX-SQJALkM0UELM5PThs6zkn6Hb8ryaWzphlKo2t8dEFQcuFCbBHXw/s1600/DSC02827.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Peruvian flag and the Cusco flag</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">After our brief stint in Lima, on Saturday we flew to Cusco, Peru. I loved this city, which was the capital of the Inca Empire before the Spanish Conquest, and for its historical significance had a totally different atmosphere than Lima, much more rustic than the industrialized capital. The Peruvian culture was displayed so prominently there --- mostly for touristic benefit, I know --- and it was just incredible to see the remnants of history that have withstood the tests of time and man. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRT1ke9LEUC1dG63B-DOqsXDNXCwuDNjs6HQ52c9a_bHU5HQNxmzCybtHkjYgIkVoNgHvm530iIjsjZ_8nyQWJ-NQVmu58wTDRG0t6aWPlF5du-vUBXO4xaBiUqIFJnqRMD9DTCLkMiF0/s1600/DSC02823.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRT1ke9LEUC1dG63B-DOqsXDNXCwuDNjs6HQ52c9a_bHU5HQNxmzCybtHkjYgIkVoNgHvm530iIjsjZ_8nyQWJ-NQVmu58wTDRG0t6aWPlF5du-vUBXO4xaBiUqIFJnqRMD9DTCLkMiF0/s1600/DSC02823.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">La Catedral de Santo Domingo</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">On our first night we explored the city and planned out the remainder of our time in Peru. We went to the Plaza de Armas and watched the sun set over the clay-colored rooftops, and admired the beautiful cathedrals and churches that bordered the square. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy1-7MpFEVu5Zr2qu6ZVmbgninNTRWnLLhHqUz-8C0QGABQqGHJj7Ii9PGe6SKzochfmMY6uN7ziQTwFTnhg_1tcT6qzKGvyrBhLX7SVWuTDQvu5GP-7TUqdTEHEKb-F0Tlrg_mx8FZ0o/s1600/DSC02810.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy1-7MpFEVu5Zr2qu6ZVmbgninNTRWnLLhHqUz-8C0QGABQqGHJj7Ii9PGe6SKzochfmMY6uN7ziQTwFTnhg_1tcT6qzKGvyrBhLX7SVWuTDQvu5GP-7TUqdTEHEKb-F0Tlrg_mx8FZ0o/s1600/DSC02810.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Me and the 12-Angle Rock</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">On Sunday we wandered further through the city in search of a few landmarks and things to see. We meandered down the ancient streets and the Inca Wall, a portion of the old city wall that still stands today. We found the 12-Angle Rock, and marveled that the wall hadn't been destroyed after earthquakes or the conquest. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Em74U-pMJPG3f2lkDKGmB0bDMimYndYkyOZIvLAqE5txmKCorgsEjsAhyphenhyphen3fFm_6-z4Zlkz3cRgheYtO0pdvcaAumOvMl8RjXCoOBbSBjfLW5IT_4UhG2PZWlCKGfFqE4xkq3WuzBRdg/s1600/DSC02861.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Em74U-pMJPG3f2lkDKGmB0bDMimYndYkyOZIvLAqE5txmKCorgsEjsAhyphenhyphen3fFm_6-z4Zlkz3cRgheYtO0pdvcaAumOvMl8RjXCoOBbSBjfLW5IT_4UhG2PZWlCKGfFqE4xkq3WuzBRdg/s1600/DSC02861.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We witnessed a town celebration in the Plaza de Armas, then visited a museum filled with pre-Colombian art. It amazed me to see so much intricate detail in these pieces, and the thought and care that was put into each work is astounding. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBRjWZQ1wmKrEQvDcftJijAoAWU77mRVGu2yj6IJ8DsjTZGChOYl-9d17A5eoV-nRJ7ebv8LfH5LsAn-t3DdZv5jvy1sQgGjg845hXIfUKVic40VOovf6CgVZJaBCwDiOwYz1D_J-Lr1I/s1600/DSC02884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBRjWZQ1wmKrEQvDcftJijAoAWU77mRVGu2yj6IJ8DsjTZGChOYl-9d17A5eoV-nRJ7ebv8LfH5LsAn-t3DdZv5jvy1sQgGjg845hXIfUKVic40VOovf6CgVZJaBCwDiOwYz1D_J-Lr1I/s1600/DSC02884.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Owl!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">There were pieces on nature, on deities, on people, ancient jewelry and pottery, and religious items. Being the dork that I am, I was rather excited to find so many pieces about my favorite animals --- owls!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiNMNXBPZ5s1YR5tbkOlbERxJ67OPyhGLwhX_Z8A_Wicm8Bcmd8kHnjvv0LJSW0hjOWiLwTGOJUXn9CkNCB5nLdURFA7iJjOoTXi6WxOQ35jjy6Np6xxnIr98Ix3wBs7PMsOnwew_Xiq8/s1600/DSC02914.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiNMNXBPZ5s1YR5tbkOlbERxJ67OPyhGLwhX_Z8A_Wicm8Bcmd8kHnjvv0LJSW0hjOWiLwTGOJUXn9CkNCB5nLdURFA7iJjOoTXi6WxOQ35jjy6Np6xxnIr98Ix3wBs7PMsOnwew_Xiq8/s1600/DSC02914.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lunchtime show!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">During our lunch of typical Peruvian food (which is delicious, I can assure you), we had the opportunity to watch a couple of shows featuring traditional dancers in flashy garb. It was really neat to see the stories played out through the dances and enjoy the upbeat music accompanying the shows. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7x3VGt8CtVjAvcTXBVdw0CKGRrXa8cSCY-maPZmSH5IsrTaI-0bSVqLcOtcqYymtV_wNKQ2TsMkMhQ1-8_5CBFHlxhF41uRPJhiars7qB57GrIgNZMDICNP-L4turojif_OxfGeureE/s1600/DSC02949.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7x3VGt8CtVjAvcTXBVdw0CKGRrXa8cSCY-maPZmSH5IsrTaI-0bSVqLcOtcqYymtV_wNKQ2TsMkMhQ1-8_5CBFHlxhF41uRPJhiars7qB57GrIgNZMDICNP-L4turojif_OxfGeureE/s1600/DSC02949.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">A view of the convent and courtyard --- see the <br />difference in Inca vs. Spanish construction?</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Afterwards, we visited El Convento de Santo Domingo, which was built on top of the Inca palace and temple Qurikancha. Inside of the convent and outside still stand some sections of the Inca foundation, huge dark stones cut to fit together perfectly without any type of mortar. These walls were built to be earthquake-resistant, and have survived devastating earthquakes that leveled the Spanish portions made with small brown stones and heaps of mortar --- the Incas were incredibly intelligent and advanced in comparison to the conquistadors. I loved seeing the contrast between the manners of building, and marveled at the Incas' constructions' durability. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkxf3V-eZy3MljOLqTLg02uKwUrWzQm_iPeyQ0HeHxhfba-equzmN-J1vF5ibspUE5Vw7UuVKoku5x1QNdR9kbelFldo8N4M0HnO5VPqquZZhlFhTkH_fNBOSlBA7dx9SeQ35TcrT6TG0/s1600/DSC03643.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkxf3V-eZy3MljOLqTLg02uKwUrWzQm_iPeyQ0HeHxhfba-equzmN-J1vF5ibspUE5Vw7UuVKoku5x1QNdR9kbelFldo8N4M0HnO5VPqquZZhlFhTkH_fNBOSlBA7dx9SeQ35TcrT6TG0/s1600/DSC03643.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">On our last day in Cusco, after our trip to Machu Picchu, we visited <a href="http://www.monasteriosantacatalinacusco.org/GaleriaFotosENG.htm">El Monasterio de Santa Catalina</a>, another convent that still is in use today --- we could hear the nuns reciting litanies and singing through the walls --- and learned about the life of the women that sequestered themselves within its walls. Ironically, this convent was also built on the site of a type of Inca convent for the chosen Virgins of the Sun. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXnrAPN-BSwSwk4l3PB-jaiEMjBc7jwLO5tCGrB76A3ZQ0Qh4k73Tbmt8hGWA0dgnxrQ2RqGAuGKb95wZntyjnZ531CQnE0jGTa510phJX8IABbVYe3Z5KEDXZMohh1bPJu2MDdQwrhAA/s1600/Shopping+Cusco.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXnrAPN-BSwSwk4l3PB-jaiEMjBc7jwLO5tCGrB76A3ZQ0Qh4k73Tbmt8hGWA0dgnxrQ2RqGAuGKb95wZntyjnZ531CQnE0jGTa510phJX8IABbVYe3Z5KEDXZMohh1bPJu2MDdQwrhAA/s1600/Shopping+Cusco.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Successful shopping!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">After touring the museum portion of the convent, we went to Cusco's market, which was a massive indoor complex filled with rows upon rows of stalls selling beautiful Peruvian handicrafts. I loved all of the colors and patterns that we found in Peru --- I have the best Christmas presents to give this year! After a full week in Peru, we flew out of Cusco and headed to our next stop: Argentina!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMjOy_F5KalQ3mYz1sqnbYDRxU8eg8WvChmmVEvOmdeu8TYgMVm_0gIFXtZyNkrep7nNC46Q28NrqIwJGi89X1RqnbHSJn4DW6EaXa5qlj2KJiPCN_cSW-ziV22B95XyQ4P64NG3a2EuQ/s1600/DSC02956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMjOy_F5KalQ3mYz1sqnbYDRxU8eg8WvChmmVEvOmdeu8TYgMVm_0gIFXtZyNkrep7nNC46Q28NrqIwJGi89X1RqnbHSJn4DW6EaXa5qlj2KJiPCN_cSW-ziV22B95XyQ4P64NG3a2EuQ/s1600/DSC02956.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I absolutely loved Peru --- the history, the landscape, the culture, the colors. I am extremely thankful that I had the opportunity to travel and see more of God's beautiful creation in this gorgeous country. I really want to go back to further experience and explore Peru, and I hope to in the future.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">That's all I'm writing for now! I know that some of you are wondering "But... what about Machu Picchu?!?" Fear not! My next post will be entirely devoted to my visit to this breathtaking site, so you'll all just have to wait a little longer (:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Thank you all for reading and for thinking of me! I will be back in the States in a week!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMjOy_F5KalQ3mYz1sqnbYDRxU8eg8WvChmmVEvOmdeu8TYgMVm_0gIFXtZyNkrep7nNC46Q28NrqIwJGi89X1RqnbHSJn4DW6EaXa5qlj2KJiPCN_cSW-ziV22B95XyQ4P64NG3a2EuQ/s1600/DSC02956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a>
<span style="font-size: large;">Love from Chile,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Gail</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh84K9f3P_Em5_kJqGMhVRFEqDo5YFz09VRoTPmvJLsqTcXx_kYfAT0sCuDR8DjZDH7W1_P-rlL95Hc31k7JgZT1x9WJAAobJ2SUD0ivrO0ZpGtkLpntVEKYMDK63gdYKL11DP7uGGGxc/s1600/DSC02585.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh84K9f3P_Em5_kJqGMhVRFEqDo5YFz09VRoTPmvJLsqTcXx_kYfAT0sCuDR8DjZDH7W1_P-rlL95Hc31k7JgZT1x9WJAAobJ2SUD0ivrO0ZpGtkLpntVEKYMDK63gdYKL11DP7uGGGxc/s1600/DSC02585.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ordering Thanksgiving dinner! No turkey for us</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyKQDHsGmT0bFhZOXxPIHt508tSKiuvtEnmNw2_3SPbSs-WH2W2v87RJMDHj2be85utCMIHvyu2UyVNiK5MAil4rfxUBNrrrmeU-wUBJOE3hyH9vLOXb9nqXOgSU_qSxVMEds5HtwPB9U/s1600/DSC02688.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyKQDHsGmT0bFhZOXxPIHt508tSKiuvtEnmNw2_3SPbSs-WH2W2v87RJMDHj2be85utCMIHvyu2UyVNiK5MAil4rfxUBNrrrmeU-wUBJOE3hyH9vLOXb9nqXOgSU_qSxVMEds5HtwPB9U/s1600/DSC02688.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">La Casa de Literatura Peruana</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRKdF4cZ2IVTMT1R_BpQ0pnq_qrVHOf3B_YckzzMwQmi5HkBRP1S-DVAWqAoJ-gToN0F_KDEFX9yykQgwISa40YhvSvcXAdI_8A88IA-jwPCL8xHKeuxdxwdYRdOAVx8_Dxer85oK0EkY/s1600/DSC02682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRKdF4cZ2IVTMT1R_BpQ0pnq_qrVHOf3B_YckzzMwQmi5HkBRP1S-DVAWqAoJ-gToN0F_KDEFX9yykQgwISa40YhvSvcXAdI_8A88IA-jwPCL8xHKeuxdxwdYRdOAVx8_Dxer85oK0EkY/s1600/DSC02682.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Outside of the Government Palace</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6GfZLFLgT-M3wOU7JHaIbCUtW9FbTSrmHOkiGcMNbM9dLMUqbDcLr1QR9IHk7kd0MJBbECjXKnTSxauDiKe_7_3nLmAuU6lvyWs7oHMNSoQAF_8fuoeVK8V2PYZl20ZDPvuXKLNI0A7k/s1600/DSC02715.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6GfZLFLgT-M3wOU7JHaIbCUtW9FbTSrmHOkiGcMNbM9dLMUqbDcLr1QR9IHk7kd0MJBbECjXKnTSxauDiKe_7_3nLmAuU6lvyWs7oHMNSoQAF_8fuoeVK8V2PYZl20ZDPvuXKLNI0A7k/s1600/DSC02715.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The biggest fountain the in park!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdDqMg0SZ7mYQsDfz53zOUaMHEJbNNCB76CH37QpXe1roFjQD3UKVsOxt9o1mc0C1z-rKnxj4XwWQzGDjNQuz73QRT-g8JGrjGNuWnjiWjIa8MeKkAGK1tYJZHAZJIWFO1NMT7xGMqsqI/s1600/DSC02905.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdDqMg0SZ7mYQsDfz53zOUaMHEJbNNCB76CH37QpXe1roFjQD3UKVsOxt9o1mc0C1z-rKnxj4XwWQzGDjNQuz73QRT-g8JGrjGNuWnjiWjIa8MeKkAGK1tYJZHAZJIWFO1NMT7xGMqsqI/s1600/DSC02905.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Another view of the Cathedral de Santo Domingo</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGeis15qSPRxEGodNg9EL0IDE33QbLXB6LmkclyfXKre3t8MCM3hImYp0gPz7lEVIZdZyH3MPD3TWQUVvBqoQcsNpmJBMLnx6ixyJPUhgFt278G-ZaaX1D1oVa8rRbTO0iB9-AhVel0VY/s1600/DSC02906.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGeis15qSPRxEGodNg9EL0IDE33QbLXB6LmkclyfXKre3t8MCM3hImYp0gPz7lEVIZdZyH3MPD3TWQUVvBqoQcsNpmJBMLnx6ixyJPUhgFt278G-ZaaX1D1oVa8rRbTO0iB9-AhVel0VY/s1600/DSC02906.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Map of the Inca's Cusco</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjpJDlNzXS8J6fU7PAM1PZ2WJDq-Bk2cfEMw0FyXy3Ye79wkB9wiIqayl9ZnETaP8zMMij_cZ_lMV2JAlxPy117ZQmksjPNPPBNBjt_xtlGe5eLkfevz8GEL1ViEfAR41TUAy5WIgEspg/s1600/DSC02907.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjpJDlNzXS8J6fU7PAM1PZ2WJDq-Bk2cfEMw0FyXy3Ye79wkB9wiIqayl9ZnETaP8zMMij_cZ_lMV2JAlxPy117ZQmksjPNPPBNBjt_xtlGe5eLkfevz8GEL1ViEfAR41TUAy5WIgEspg/s1600/DSC02907.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The courtyard behind el Convento de Santo Domingo<br />--- it used to be an Inca courtyard as well</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4twYn-XGYiculrEQvDtInUoDvFvMLxNMPi9rT3yLGqUbFzp54LPOAMmZFwZra4OOHWEZ_eyPL0-sUUbvibOyQFV4VRvfpZdJfW8_caJ2eCdTd-sHYzC4XpZuK_fUFEQkttfZPK7CFTI4/s1600/DSC02908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4twYn-XGYiculrEQvDtInUoDvFvMLxNMPi9rT3yLGqUbFzp54LPOAMmZFwZra4OOHWEZ_eyPL0-sUUbvibOyQFV4VRvfpZdJfW8_caJ2eCdTd-sHYzC4XpZuK_fUFEQkttfZPK7CFTI4/s1600/DSC02908.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">My favorite Peruvian dish --- aji de gallina</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7FnqnmFjuuDaqUhvIgArMlQsvcj1bdvaEvjmLvR_odUOBoOkw4K-TfcJCAEhtqzOgGZXYEuZoF8MSCUSpMLI3j1WtA0jLNsb2QpLwnmS3icT-Wn8veLDgnbK71Bo6oPxpjDbrFNyfbwI/s1600/DSC02942.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7FnqnmFjuuDaqUhvIgArMlQsvcj1bdvaEvjmLvR_odUOBoOkw4K-TfcJCAEhtqzOgGZXYEuZoF8MSCUSpMLI3j1WtA0jLNsb2QpLwnmS3icT-Wn8veLDgnbK71Bo6oPxpjDbrFNyfbwI/s1600/DSC02942.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">A monument for the Inca founders</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuoduBhlO1Q7sEB1m1VcDIukrYqGijxxEPQ3pM4tEeRTtnEmqjLFM0DsetEHR_pZUpp2GDveWE8I2e-qHNO2d_5hXhmaxHhGnw6J4Egn2xohAC0MBYmqUUyQ3Oh8IxLHrFiciBuooiWXI/s1600/DSC02986.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuoduBhlO1Q7sEB1m1VcDIukrYqGijxxEPQ3pM4tEeRTtnEmqjLFM0DsetEHR_pZUpp2GDveWE8I2e-qHNO2d_5hXhmaxHhGnw6J4Egn2xohAC0MBYmqUUyQ3Oh8IxLHrFiciBuooiWXI/s1600/DSC02986.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ancient Inca street next to the Inca Wall</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUz98Hq3OBLD4O9jx8EWzFdH5tvKfT-oqH-Z-YaVjqz6IDqMHbA3r2WOSMuaGnUnEkR7HtTz0NtWMy7t9eZkwVu6VGDIM1lLZ_b7uIDlXK9MlEZ2b_fdSGodsai1WXmYCuM2klkyjqU8I/s1600/DSC03641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUz98Hq3OBLD4O9jx8EWzFdH5tvKfT-oqH-Z-YaVjqz6IDqMHbA3r2WOSMuaGnUnEkR7HtTz0NtWMy7t9eZkwVu6VGDIM1lLZ_b7uIDlXK9MlEZ2b_fdSGodsai1WXmYCuM2klkyjqU8I/s1600/DSC03641.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tortilla de vegetales omnomnom</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggDgM_HM7__GUsoKmTgmLmhtCm7ok7y52aDktC5cqLX7B-o7sQHe9Qor08iyzH4eTjvTV-osW7sdixzu9wD38L_ZCxC8-c-TpkOmAKgQtKach-U_o3cFwj6zG60yUmvfLBQpdPpX9Q9ME/s1600/DSC03644.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggDgM_HM7__GUsoKmTgmLmhtCm7ok7y52aDktC5cqLX7B-o7sQHe9Qor08iyzH4eTjvTV-osW7sdixzu9wD38L_ZCxC8-c-TpkOmAKgQtKach-U_o3cFwj6zG60yUmvfLBQpdPpX9Q9ME/s1600/DSC03644.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I loved the colors so much!</span></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14811161860662752098noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4721493516277405626.post-2634563765295031042013-11-24T08:17:00.001-08:002013-11-24T08:17:51.733-08:00Mini-Vacation to La Serena!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg0_fZJg_6jAbesk8EA6k4oNqJFHq6gDEBT5tGVvyTXMbCi0MNFo6Y-XSlwvVrZH9sl7GZCUTSxdE-H0SnlIxfX-PXBKiq9rfg2-k-Nccx26MSDJhL5rhjqe1SyusB8SYmPjrr3HHJplI/s1600/DSC02350.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg0_fZJg_6jAbesk8EA6k4oNqJFHq6gDEBT5tGVvyTXMbCi0MNFo6Y-XSlwvVrZH9sl7GZCUTSxdE-H0SnlIxfX-PXBKiq9rfg2-k-Nccx26MSDJhL5rhjqe1SyusB8SYmPjrr3HHJplI/s1600/DSC02350.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Hi everyone!</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It's been a few weeks since my last post (no, I have not dropped off the face of the earth), and I've been on more adventures! I finished my schoolwork and exams about two weeks earlier than the end of the semester in order to be able to travel, and let's just say that I needed a vacation... school in another country and another language is pretty mentally trying. So I traveled northward in Chile, farther than I've ever been thus far --- La Serena, a coastal town about six hours north of Santiago.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12HxumXL6Vi6yeLx0THRXA5XK3y_rZD8o-_X6V4MRleQlHnQC1iYYw5Kbyz7GwAnRx3g6FvgqBSaFxjzHBjik0Tumxcpi3w5Ry9Irukk2PfBMM3LqN0Xmbz7aNspQ_BKZGBdYigizKBM/s1600/Bus+station.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12HxumXL6Vi6yeLx0THRXA5XK3y_rZD8o-_X6V4MRleQlHnQC1iYYw5Kbyz7GwAnRx3g6FvgqBSaFxjzHBjik0Tumxcpi3w5Ry9Irukk2PfBMM3LqN0Xmbz7aNspQ_BKZGBdYigizKBM/s1600/Bus+station.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Waiting at the bus station in <br />Santiago with Kristin,<br />Hayley, and Emily</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I left with the other three girls from Grand Valley studying in Chillán --- Hayley, Kristin, and Emily --- at 5 am Monday and we arrived in La Serena around 8 pm; talk about a lot of bus travel. We spent the rest of the night relaxing after our loooong journey and planned what else we wanted to do during our short stay in the city. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqfvzoOO-gWK1I_zP6pRDq5xXpcu-kWZpdC0nco6sYC111dm9IA33KzmJ_ZgS1sf4WXVf-0-2di_O57Y72cSZY0PSuT3cCZaG9-Xg7hhc4uCP2csVdtdm61_Hv0Qb4g6mfuKci5ADFgNI/s1600/DSC02188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqfvzoOO-gWK1I_zP6pRDq5xXpcu-kWZpdC0nco6sYC111dm9IA33KzmJ_ZgS1sf4WXVf-0-2di_O57Y72cSZY0PSuT3cCZaG9-Xg7hhc4uCP2csVdtdm61_Hv0Qb4g6mfuKci5ADFgNI/s1600/DSC02188.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me with the La Serena sign</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">On Tuesday we signed up for a tour of la Valle de Elqui, an area that produces a lot of wine and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pisco">pisco</a>, and also for an evening at a makeshift observatory because the actual observatories were on strike --- a common occurrence in Chile. Then the four of us explored the city a little. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8PcttzeXjJIM8OvS94ldG8l7T6IH6BlFUp3wf5lahEgjkAhkowUjKE8VMonezsvBBNy54vgq_rAxEKsFl7t6hqLg_UHC8VfzYv0lUSai8ReXNMtVepoAP256q5FrzWyktrrJm6tBAqO4/s1600/DSC02194.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8PcttzeXjJIM8OvS94ldG8l7T6IH6BlFUp3wf5lahEgjkAhkowUjKE8VMonezsvBBNy54vgq_rAxEKsFl7t6hqLg_UHC8VfzYv0lUSai8ReXNMtVepoAP256q5FrzWyktrrJm6tBAqO4/s1600/DSC02194.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Courts of Justice, the Archdiocese, <br />and the Cathedral </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">La Serena is the second oldest city in Chile after the capital Santiago and was founded in the mid 1500s; for this reason, the city has a distinctly colonial feel in its format, architecture, and general flavor. Some of the buildings that we saw during our excursion have been around since the early years of the city and emphasize the colonial aspect of La Serena. After exploring, we spent the rest of the afternoon browsing through the city's markets and shopping.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif6psCgMztJfQGL82LPtGb1CNH9ctpJ4NqMsa7ObBF6lJvS3Y9Ma3wCGqdDUIklRtrC9Ej9zI463UhrDlvGhhWjQeptipEIJj7EsSd4NCARsz60cklyvUljwMYTBlC5uxlP1dyeKMu22M/s1600/DSC02368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif6psCgMztJfQGL82LPtGb1CNH9ctpJ4NqMsa7ObBF6lJvS3Y9Ma3wCGqdDUIklRtrC9Ej9zI463UhrDlvGhhWjQeptipEIJj7EsSd4NCARsz60cklyvUljwMYTBlC5uxlP1dyeKMu22M/s1600/DSC02368.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Cacti everywhere!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In the evening, we journeyed to the vineyard where our observatory evening was to be situated. We passed through the Precordillera, or the pre-mountains, of the Andes and made it to the vineyard after about an hour of driving. I loved seeing the mountains closer than I had before, and also seeing all of the cacti blanketing the hills and mountains surrounding us. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN2vGfaBrLurodevT9N7e6bJSsikBgK2Ycks6GqPj_-jk1UOsMnxdXc_lX1gvZ3HHVQrqYvmfZlvUUR1EwTCrDjsUmYUxum-RsTTobhFvn1pBVCQ_BmmV_WZgQW2eiQawcTnHYTI2RVSQ/s1600/DSC02269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN2vGfaBrLurodevT9N7e6bJSsikBgK2Ycks6GqPj_-jk1UOsMnxdXc_lX1gvZ3HHVQrqYvmfZlvUUR1EwTCrDjsUmYUxum-RsTTobhFvn1pBVCQ_BmmV_WZgQW2eiQawcTnHYTI2RVSQ/s1600/DSC02269.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Red at night, sailor's delight</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Upon our arrival, however, we discovered that it was too cloudy there to see stars, unlike the clear skies over La Serena; we rescheduled to return the following night and had the opportunity to take pictures of the beautiful red sunset over the mountains and vineyard, which was utterly spectacular.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17GHfHUs0s8aUiarvRkRFg94Pv-5q8lobQomzYgrp6x1g-Wche9eEYB2wk4qXzhapyKp3EgNG0Yy3mr2OCCeQDMRmDQQxa7Qz2kZ3QfAtKHbdMZ0c9HnOc7ad0z7JPtlMGstolm-SWVM/s1600/Papaya+forest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17GHfHUs0s8aUiarvRkRFg94Pv-5q8lobQomzYgrp6x1g-Wche9eEYB2wk4qXzhapyKp3EgNG0Yy3mr2OCCeQDMRmDQQxa7Qz2kZ3QfAtKHbdMZ0c9HnOc7ad0z7JPtlMGstolm-SWVM/s1600/Papaya+forest.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Kristin, Emily, and me in the papaya forest</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Wednesday we started off bright and early with our tour of the Valle de Elqui, or the Elqui Valley. </span><span style="font-size: large;">First we went to a papaya plantation and learned about the growth and production of papaya products, and we also learned a little bit about the </span><i style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherimoya">chirimoya</a></i><span style="font-size: large;">, which wasn't in season during the time of our visit, unfortunately. We got to try some papaya products, though, which were really good. I'd never had real papaya before my semester in Chile, and I've discovered that it's a pretty delicious fruit.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjScJaoLm7fiIQ8T38hOuWtX8fJFo2hSZC1NCeLO7NsvhyphenhyphenmqxZQEwurP6q9PEb-Y-5MetfqSvKM1l7FmqcnT5K2LwNPgNKZ21c-Lo7hPwsTBKwiRFkbDstF7OxhO4JIMyhXsC7D8mYURVY/s1600/DSC02332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjScJaoLm7fiIQ8T38hOuWtX8fJFo2hSZC1NCeLO7NsvhyphenhyphenmqxZQEwurP6q9PEb-Y-5MetfqSvKM1l7FmqcnT5K2LwNPgNKZ21c-Lo7hPwsTBKwiRFkbDstF7OxhO4JIMyhXsC7D8mYURVY/s1600/DSC02332.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Next, we once again entered the Precordillera and proceeded to Tranque Puclaro, an artificial lake created by a dam in the Elqui River. We walked along the dam so that we could see on both sides of the dam --- one side to the dry, populated part of the valley, the other side the lake nestled between the mountains. The area was utterly gorgeous; I just couldn't get enough of the rich blue-green color of the water against the deep hue of the mountains and the sparkle on the lake. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglOYGZgHw9hClUJW5Vx387u3PBbWTKp7eXydbI-FIdsdXGnOs_Qv_kLreUE7orbf36bcSMcs-f8Sn4mUiSHdCim7mo_envNkLqqWB-pbZYS4t-twnUOTv0cfNaUefojAuXCH3lIM6XkaQ/s1600/Group+dam2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglOYGZgHw9hClUJW5Vx387u3PBbWTKp7eXydbI-FIdsdXGnOs_Qv_kLreUE7orbf36bcSMcs-f8Sn4mUiSHdCim7mo_envNkLqqWB-pbZYS4t-twnUOTv0cfNaUefojAuXCH3lIM6XkaQ/s1600/Group+dam2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">On the dam</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQlhS5Kg8e-XLCzjdrSHd3iMdS-MOI0X49N9pdKyawHBhH3F2_qP67lr3JI6lX0rjMj1F8PJmJTMbdpWCcOn9hzRfm99Ifl6bG6GU3v0ubIljMCD567a3f-LA5d2fFKBG9Vho1AahSQk/s1600/DSC02339.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQlhS5Kg8e-XLCzjdrSHd3iMdS-MOI0X49N9pdKyawHBhH3F2_qP67lr3JI6lX0rjMj1F8PJmJTMbdpWCcOn9hzRfm99Ifl6bG6GU3v0ubIljMCD567a3f-LA5d2fFKBG9Vho1AahSQk/s1600/DSC02339.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Cholla fruit!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">After spending a little bit of time admiring the view, we headed back down to a handicraft fair at the edge of the dam to browse through the tourist trap items for sale. I got to try a little bit of Chilean cactus fruit, called <i>cholla</i>, which was actually quite tasty; it was kind of like kiwi, though it did have some sugar added for extra flavor. I definitely wouldn't be opposed to having it again, though!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCks9Mertw7WMiAiF8i0-Uz-EkiShD9ZEwLD5-C8XPafk1PXOAKAeY2o9udlcpC93F61lsGWMV08W4Ds6L2eTLgF_Sh-yF8J262mYdHumgILD9ysCfu-nzbAXI9Ua4C4NkvYMCtFRy74/s1600/DSC02357.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCks9Mertw7WMiAiF8i0-Uz-EkiShD9ZEwLD5-C8XPafk1PXOAKAeY2o9udlcpC93F61lsGWMV08W4Ds6L2eTLgF_Sh-yF8J262mYdHumgILD9ysCfu-nzbAXI9Ua4C4NkvYMCtFRy74/s1600/DSC02357.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Church in Vicuña</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We then traveled to Vicuña for a short while, which is the principal town in the Valle de Elqui. It was also the birthplace of Chile's famous <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriela_Mistral">Gabriela Mistral</a>, the first and only Latin American woman to win a Nobel Prize for Literature to date, and I'll discuss her a little more later in the post. We visited the main center of the town for a bit and visited a few of the shops, but since we only had a half-hour in the city we didn't explore too much.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEzAZ-Z0-AnZF21DEGkHC2HMUMwFHV3V807h08341P4BnY-pi9CA1Oq2L5QMXbbTF_vN9scWtTvuCONYvMuUy3rb2Hjs9NR3-ALm4_lVdhXbRNyMrbfmwJkZ8D_OHWXZSk_1I0xzFQmxs/s1600/DSC02381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEzAZ-Z0-AnZF21DEGkHC2HMUMwFHV3V807h08341P4BnY-pi9CA1Oq2L5QMXbbTF_vN9scWtTvuCONYvMuUy3rb2Hjs9NR3-ALm4_lVdhXbRNyMrbfmwJkZ8D_OHWXZSk_1I0xzFQmxs/s1600/DSC02381.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">After venturing further into the mountains, we had the opportunity to stop and take photos. It was incredible to see the lush green of the grape plants stretched out alone the imposing gray of the mountains, and I was thankful for a lovely day to enjoy the sunshine and beauty of Chile that surrounded me. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxivk99K77ZTtFsiWpmvA0RiyYmBT6jmCX22r-UFTBPDXtDVAunvWH0VDw0wZOnb8v2pPbP-qhw0ebeW3t2s3Sv4dgqQnI781p_MzUl2hHaLYV0Tzg2bxNHrFYv4SBVZTyYi_bCgPHge0/s1600/DSC02388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxivk99K77ZTtFsiWpmvA0RiyYmBT6jmCX22r-UFTBPDXtDVAunvWH0VDw0wZOnb8v2pPbP-qhw0ebeW3t2s3Sv4dgqQnI781p_MzUl2hHaLYV0Tzg2bxNHrFYv4SBVZTyYi_bCgPHge0/s1600/DSC02388.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">GV girls</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipwAtcjggVmecOFNw_kuzj26PFMywwIZ73O_Ls-QTeu3p4DL_KFS49b5VUNCDkIxLFTDC6btlS4uhh0OtNSMfhgUk0vls5r2HW6al9Qg6IgwBCMTs-FHYTWnlIqzHsfM_th8Jei7aRGR4/s1600/Pisco+barrels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipwAtcjggVmecOFNw_kuzj26PFMywwIZ73O_Ls-QTeu3p4DL_KFS49b5VUNCDkIxLFTDC6btlS4uhh0OtNSMfhgUk0vls5r2HW6al9Qg6IgwBCMTs-FHYTWnlIqzHsfM_th8Jei7aRGR4/s1600/Pisco+barrels.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Me with the huge <br />barrels of pisco</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The next stop on our tour was the oldest distillery in Chile, Los Nichos. Located in Pisco Elqui, the only place in the country where authentic pisco is manufactured. We learned about the distilling process, and toured the buildings. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBHWjnQ6nRZqvHazb4yFoYwAWzor9f8vQSFL_iILg4O6gj8w-V4ZPuCsKM_W1jrgzl48Fr4TDP7dygsMf7FkxKhbtxozkz86caGB8paRbdigYbjaPZs7ATEF-u4lPL8Var-bde9m4MP48/s1600/Underground+wine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBHWjnQ6nRZqvHazb4yFoYwAWzor9f8vQSFL_iILg4O6gj8w-V4ZPuCsKM_W1jrgzl48Fr4TDP7dygsMf7FkxKhbtxozkz86caGB8paRbdigYbjaPZs7ATEF-u4lPL8Var-bde9m4MP48/s1600/Underground+wine.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Nothing like being in an underground <br />wine crypt</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Our guide told us about the history of the owners and showed us the underground quarters where the original owner kept his wine. Let's just say that he had a dark sense of humor --- he shaped the wine storage areas in the walls like crypts and had skeletons painted all over the walls, as well as statues of Roman and Greek goddesses of wine. Also, we got a few samples of pisco, wine, and, my favorite, pisco sour.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNDse18M96tly3jmunhuGvzku3o_9gE0CSihXIJxAR3XDzVJ-5dCmSmspJiD5sou9B2un3fjlNyn50GRdHXIkx7ez4eUb9cs89G9wZEAgtaZcg0_ljvlC3KTWcypyhlQONDjMXFkBD0wE/s1600/DSC02181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNDse18M96tly3jmunhuGvzku3o_9gE0CSihXIJxAR3XDzVJ-5dCmSmspJiD5sou9B2un3fjlNyn50GRdHXIkx7ez4eUb9cs89G9wZEAgtaZcg0_ljvlC3KTWcypyhlQONDjMXFkBD0wE/s1600/DSC02181.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Boat graffiti</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">After lunch and exploring the town a little, we headed back to Monte Grande, a little town in the Valle de Elqui where Gabriela Mistral spent the first portion of her life. After Gabriela's father left she was only two, her mother moved to Monte Grande. Gabriela's older half-sister taught in the school there, the future poet lived and attended classes there until she was eleven. The schoolhouse where Gabriela lived with her mother and sister is now a little museum, and our tour group visited there for a short time to learn more about the writer. I will admit that I was a bit disappointed with the size and quality of the "museum", but since nothing monumental happened during her life there, and since Monte Grande is such a tiny, out-of-the-way town, I can understand why there was very little to see there. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO9IklWwdof1GMhWd4pQpe1gT-vqK3anH1h-e_xQb365NVZVyNCaFH4K6klw3w5qxQn1SKDQQkpxPhcouNsssmyqrtloZfqYvffWbn-lrn53vQtK_6C8BMM_4yywM-0g62wS5Nv5GV0YM/s1600/Telescope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO9IklWwdof1GMhWd4pQpe1gT-vqK3anH1h-e_xQb365NVZVyNCaFH4K6klw3w5qxQn1SKDQQkpxPhcouNsssmyqrtloZfqYvffWbn-lrn53vQtK_6C8BMM_4yywM-0g62wS5Nv5GV0YM/s1600/Telescope.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Telescope!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We returned to La Serena late in the afternoon with the tour group, and shortly after we turned right back around to head back to the vineyard from the previous night for our evening at the observatory. There was a brief presentation prior to the actual viewing of stars to give us some background information on astronomy and the history of astronomy in Chile, which is quite extensive. San Pedro de Atacama, a desert area in the northernmost portion of Chile, is the home of one of the largest telescopes in the world, but the area surrounding La Serena is pretty good for star-gazing on account of the mountains and lack of huge cities for light pollution. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">When night fell, our guide pointed out several constellations and let us look through the telescope at various star formations, all the while teaching us about the southern hemisphere's sky, which is different from that of the north. We learned the history of several constellations and how to find the southern axis, because there is no South Star, as opposed to the famous North Star. It was awesome to see so many stars above me in that remote area, and I loved learning about how certain formations got their names; I can even point out a couple of constellations in the southern sky now!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfZSbZg4-NBLGqbBeLEiyyPivrJgXJlT2zSdiONMssJdfQOce26WD4v10YWWAqbn9SQE6dep9DdtQlGi7uz8Q53VA8cEM2qIuMGGyjgB9XcbZf48Zf2JjHRoQgJiTqPNlF7nXBfF-qq4A/s1600/DSC02455.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfZSbZg4-NBLGqbBeLEiyyPivrJgXJlT2zSdiONMssJdfQOce26WD4v10YWWAqbn9SQE6dep9DdtQlGi7uz8Q53VA8cEM2qIuMGGyjgB9XcbZf48Zf2JjHRoQgJiTqPNlF7nXBfF-qq4A/s1600/DSC02455.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lighthouse along the beach</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">After our late night at the observatory, we spent the late morning and early afternoon of our final day in La Serena at the beach. Although it wasn't nearly as warm, sunny, and beautiful on Thursday as it had been the previous two days, it was still marvelous to visit the Pacific Ocean again and just enjoy being on the beach; I don't think that I could ever get bored of watching the waves crash and topple over each other as they rush towards the shore. We splashed a little in the water (it was very cold, almost like Lake Superior but salty), enjoyed the brief moments of sunshine, and played and wrote in the sand. After a couple of hours, we ate lunch, then boarded our buses back to Chillán.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZPOK_v6eFM1q3IDwyv1sOt_6K643KwnNY1VKxziiznBswz4n8sFwGfC1tPbYcZiIVaxFammYAjdBp6Uz6M9-BaFj_5uzs3fX1pL4jVsAPNH2i6U8OXSvjn_TBuH2G3TSDrY3DR7YQ3Lc/s1600/Free.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZPOK_v6eFM1q3IDwyv1sOt_6K643KwnNY1VKxziiznBswz4n8sFwGfC1tPbYcZiIVaxFammYAjdBp6Uz6M9-BaFj_5uzs3fX1pL4jVsAPNH2i6U8OXSvjn_TBuH2G3TSDrY3DR7YQ3Lc/s1600/Free.jpg" height="248" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It was really great for me to take this mini-vacation, especially after the intense school stresses of the previous week. Now I look forward to my last big adventure of my semester abroad: I'm leaving for Peru on Thanksgiving Day, and Argentina after that! Stay tuned for posts about my adventures in these countries!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgldMSG1h72XBx7WY1yJLivj6TBBe3EK4DXOVcqSunJHNC16PbIc0Jwa3upg1cD38GgNNqEM1qiiAwXHrgkZbf4iOLHCyofExn-D0TP8nLkeh1a9Iu95xbRoo7hwJXIjtZVJVfDwygFNUo/s1600/DSC02544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgldMSG1h72XBx7WY1yJLivj6TBBe3EK4DXOVcqSunJHNC16PbIc0Jwa3upg1cD38GgNNqEM1qiiAwXHrgkZbf4iOLHCyofExn-D0TP8nLkeh1a9Iu95xbRoo7hwJXIjtZVJVfDwygFNUo/s1600/DSC02544.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Thanks so much for reading! Sending my love from Chile!<br /><br />Gail</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53VhAqz1wTnN8QqNM-OBYTqTcAETGYPSJlOJ2Xben3FiQ_U2ILMF9iJ-PU2aWOW6isRq5vsWyGE4qz05kw0BEMstW4rhGJUXBkIWPE_Lc_DVVlx6xeC10pRFkyMu_wqOAk6r4PiIJLeg/s1600/Group+dam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53VhAqz1wTnN8QqNM-OBYTqTcAETGYPSJlOJ2Xben3FiQ_U2ILMF9iJ-PU2aWOW6isRq5vsWyGE4qz05kw0BEMstW4rhGJUXBkIWPE_Lc_DVVlx6xeC10pRFkyMu_wqOAk6r4PiIJLeg/s1600/Group+dam.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">In front of Tranque Puclaro</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Kristin and me</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Papaya plantation</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">So many yummy papaya products!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The dry side of the dam</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Me on the dam</span></td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14811161860662752098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4721493516277405626.post-36715380043607815952013-10-30T18:55:00.001-07:002013-10-30T18:55:23.931-07:00Valparaíso: My Favorite City So Far <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Hey all! I'm super excited to tell you all about what I did in what is so far my favorite place that I've visited --- Valparaíso! Due to requests for a larger font, this post appears quite a bit longer than it is, plus pictures. Read on if you dare!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ-wCWrDgAI36AscHqioQz0P4RgB-m0EturM48AQqPbqJwlt_IDz6StP2BIoBNQ75NSp3BETUN5vIaybqIcFRFgh-iLFU56rI_0HvdFivczCfymLfoufIvp1VMImC8ky4NdNG1MElYB2I/s1600/DSC01809.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ-wCWrDgAI36AscHqioQz0P4RgB-m0EturM48AQqPbqJwlt_IDz6StP2BIoBNQ75NSp3BETUN5vIaybqIcFRFgh-iLFU56rI_0HvdFivczCfymLfoufIvp1VMImC8ky4NdNG1MElYB2I/s1600/DSC01809.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">In the kitchen of our hostel</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We took a bus from Santiago to the city on Wednesday and arrived in Valparaíso </span><span style="font-size: large;">(val-par-eye-EEE-so --- Valpo for short)</span><span style="font-size: large;"> late afternoon. After making our way to where we were staying, La Nona Bed and Breakfast, we met the owner, René. He was absolutely awesome, honestly one of my favorite people that I've met in Chile. He spoke English fluently, and was extremely helpful with anything and everything that we needed during our stay. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX5vyPH5LG7cvRbeZJHUV9BJyYrLuGZzDvETTtkV1n_7BIgzQGrZbc-_Fvu7QKc-1og9m3sfccIfi9PtuLJn9T-jvz2Rt8v2HC4KQHAbTd2ogneHt7-erik4179SPmn7YPlXPu2O9SH5I/s1600/DSC01678.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX5vyPH5LG7cvRbeZJHUV9BJyYrLuGZzDvETTtkV1n_7BIgzQGrZbc-_Fvu7QKc-1og9m3sfccIfi9PtuLJn9T-jvz2Rt8v2HC4KQHAbTd2ogneHt7-erik4179SPmn7YPlXPu2O9SH5I/s1600/DSC01678.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">First view of the city!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">After René gave us a thorough explanation of the city, including a bunch of recommendations and insider information, we </span><span style="font-size: large;">decided to explore, mainly so that we could find food. We went to Fauna, a fantastic restaurant on Cerro Alegre (or "Happy Hill"), and afterwards we took some pictures and explored a couple of the little shops on our road --- a pretty relaxing evening. Based on René's advice and our personal interests, we planned what we wanted to see and do during our time in the city.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEwizZJH6-lzUc22pw7EevEtpCVbuYMtNsBg_X_E_o_QiYF8QFXLu7bm3cLEj39BmtJUYscPOphRx0Yv9C8fh2iSDUvIprdCa3FdGLeW8jGa7cNDcyMLiZ1R6gSv-Y55mVyhjwFjmjf2Q/s1600/DSC01700.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEwizZJH6-lzUc22pw7EevEtpCVbuYMtNsBg_X_E_o_QiYF8QFXLu7bm3cLEj39BmtJUYscPOphRx0Yv9C8fh2iSDUvIprdCa3FdGLeW8jGa7cNDcyMLiZ1R6gSv-Y55mVyhjwFjmjf2Q/s1600/DSC01700.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">With "Wally" (Lukas) in what once<br />was the house of one of the richest men<br />in Valparaíso during the Gold Rush era</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The next morning we got up bright and early to take a behind-the-scenes tour of Valparaíso. The "Wally Tour," as it's called, was completely in English and our guide, who was dressed like Waldo from "Where's Waldo?" taught us a lot about the history of this beautiful city while showing us places a tourist would rarely think to go, such asone of the houses from Valpo's hey-day back during the Gold Rush, the Stock Exchange building, and an artisan shop run by members of Chile's largest native people, the Mapuches. Afterwards, we got lunch in a little restaurant with the rest of the people from our tour group, which, besides the four of us, consisted of two French guys and two British girls traveling through South America. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzSGbxJIeqeOrtXKlU80PXaOW_-jEK8mlNZuSW-ysfdKFMiGK3xEZLsj6Fcd7B2TR-mkCdG3Mqpt4ZD-g3gWqe0ukLXVAfOTE5xHiVVwY8kIMgrSiO1ENpm1qhBGLCzFVMexgNoiYVYLg/s1600/DSC01706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzSGbxJIeqeOrtXKlU80PXaOW_-jEK8mlNZuSW-ysfdKFMiGK3xEZLsj6Fcd7B2TR-mkCdG3Mqpt4ZD-g3gWqe0ukLXVAfOTE5xHiVVwY8kIMgrSiO1ENpm1qhBGLCzFVMexgNoiYVYLg/s1600/DSC01706.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">One of the streets on our tour; I love the colors!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">After eating, we all trekked together up one of the steepest and longest staircases that I've ever faced to explore Valparaíso's Museo de Cielo Abierto, which is an area filled with murals. This wasn't quite as exciting as we'd hoped, however, and we continued up the hill to Pablo Neruda's Valparaíso home. The French and British members of our group wanted to explore more of the city, so we parted ways and my group went into Neruda's house, La Sebastiana.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRhk-qDt8Q5sxFmGqzshXb6SSxuHHiv8Lrep2w9tOgfC-RSd7TqLnyRpDCRBFAucFaneiujmnSGunzkjVy_6Tfp4K65JOKrt9bzSewDvPNi6b8FXse3ugA4MYo1kClLeQiDg5Lyb4wIjA/s1600/DSC01735.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRhk-qDt8Q5sxFmGqzshXb6SSxuHHiv8Lrep2w9tOgfC-RSd7TqLnyRpDCRBFAucFaneiujmnSGunzkjVy_6Tfp4K65JOKrt9bzSewDvPNi6b8FXse3ugA4MYo1kClLeQiDg5Lyb4wIjA/s1600/DSC01735.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">La Sebastiana</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This house had even more of a maritime feel than La Chascona in Santiago; the house is even shaped like a boat, and all of the spaces were tight and narrow to mimic those of a ship. As in La Chascona, the eccentric writer's tastes and quirky sense of humor shine through, from the old carousel horse in the living room to the bathroom door filled with intricate holes, inviting only the most daring to use its porcelain potty. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXUWO-SFyQsSuLJp-mgToQyD8n8bTjVdvosxNPjLdyuE1RFhotmHVI_hJYkz45TZ1w1iwqTAuKT5Qrsu-gAfzdG3Mu-VWlfhMk5S9GUwFFAcOtW8bXM5TCdalKDW8cRZ-2QzotwNdqc9w/s1600/DSC01730.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXUWO-SFyQsSuLJp-mgToQyD8n8bTjVdvosxNPjLdyuE1RFhotmHVI_hJYkz45TZ1w1iwqTAuKT5Qrsu-gAfzdG3Mu-VWlfhMk5S9GUwFFAcOtW8bXM5TCdalKDW8cRZ-2QzotwNdqc9w/s1600/DSC01730.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is what Neruda would see from his living room</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Neruda had a special love for Valpo and <a href="http://www.poemas-del-alma.com/pablo-neruda-oda-a-valparaiso.htm">wrote </a>a lot about it (<a href="http://hermitina.com/2012/01/23/oda-a-valparaiso/">English version</a>). He spent a lot of time in this particular house in front of its bay windows writing from one of his favorite armchairs; I thought it was really neat that there are still green ink spots on the footstool of the writer. I can see why Neruda picked the location --- the view of Valparaíso from La Sebastiana's windows is incredible. Once again, we couldn't take pictures indoors, so here is a </span><a href="http://www.fundacionneruda.org/en/la-sebastiana/image-gallery.html" style="font-size: x-large;">link </a><span style="font-size: large;">to an image gallery from inside the house.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDNRFD2WebAq6cay9f9VmKYyVEVJPzhqJQwoRSjlOGW3WRhdxzDWTfppFTljimUsisrdOjhs-GsR-oqGwW8kJxlJgkBZZu_PBrYsqpLKaovYuo5924yb4yCe8-kZMCdbi42WExKNKyhyphenhyphenM/s1600/DSC01762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDNRFD2WebAq6cay9f9VmKYyVEVJPzhqJQwoRSjlOGW3WRhdxzDWTfppFTljimUsisrdOjhs-GsR-oqGwW8kJxlJgkBZZu_PBrYsqpLKaovYuo5924yb4yCe8-kZMCdbi42WExKNKyhyphenhyphenM/s1600/DSC01762.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Graffiti of one artist's interpretation of Valparaíso</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We ended our day's adventures by meandering through the streets of Valparaíso admiring the colors, artwork, and graffiti for which the city is famous. Our tour guide had explained to us that many people welcome, encourage, and sometimes pay for the graffiti because it helps to prevent "taggers," or those people who spray paint their names and/or messages wherever they can reach, from putting their ugly writing all over --- when there's an interesting or pretty picture on a wall, it's less likely that the taggers will mess with that area. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSpL5lYwcYSy5ClsxocjHv9PYeSMUF_TymFj0fHAmxAZ8F5i73FNWjefizeGWvdiEA8eLdsxy5eMbf_izUP9HsoqLMlrA-j3a23yRgc7Rp6Kb5hnxAy-l_eITqXTiGaWMqZe3t_SUaZnA/s1600/DSC01763.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSpL5lYwcYSy5ClsxocjHv9PYeSMUF_TymFj0fHAmxAZ8F5i73FNWjefizeGWvdiEA8eLdsxy5eMbf_izUP9HsoqLMlrA-j3a23yRgc7Rp6Kb5hnxAy-l_eITqXTiGaWMqZe3t_SUaZnA/s1600/DSC01763.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">We even saw an artist at work!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Some of the artwork was very beautiful, detailed, and intricate, and made me wish that I had even a touch of artistic ability; others... not so much. But all of the graffiti, good and bad, added to the bold flavor and personality of this city that I loved so much.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEN-H2n0NgQ-WP8zOsHAQUas0-2bRx0ENrznnilfJE3o6LA4uOmJ0uwA7BWz3waCrtkoSjTIYM8F0aiHBUf67jTkFE0dtJSb-pONFtxUUGrxb7tUfGB-yrCkaz9HYoR0qRNdpOLfbR1V0/s1600/DSC01945.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEN-H2n0NgQ-WP8zOsHAQUas0-2bRx0ENrznnilfJE3o6LA4uOmJ0uwA7BWz3waCrtkoSjTIYM8F0aiHBUf67jTkFE0dtJSb-pONFtxUUGrxb7tUfGB-yrCkaz9HYoR0qRNdpOLfbR1V0/s1600/DSC01945.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">My favorite graffiti that we encountered on our excursions</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">On Friday we started our day by visiting one of Valparaíso's three cemeteries. We visited one of the Catholic cemeteries that overlooks the ocean, El Cementerio Playa Ancha, We were accompanied by one of the security guards, who told us about the history of the burial grounds, how the plot process works, and a couple of the urban legends related to the cemetery. </span><span style="font-size: large;">For example, supposedly there's a ghost attached to the cemetery. </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89mile_Dubois_(murderer)" style="font-size: x-large;">Émile Dubois</a><span style="font-size: large;"> is supposedly the Chilean version of Robin Hood, and after he was murdered it is said that his ghost took up residence in the cemetery and can be seen on occasion. His spirit has almost reached saint status, and there's even a portion of the cemetery with a "grave" for Dubois (his body was never recovered) and people pray to him, ask for favors, and thank him for "taking care" of them by leaving gifts at the gravesite. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0jIw9F_axR_Ti815y2sEiHfJ4Zj2MiBgYZaQFFUFGdJdVNJrSQYbuh_5gHnqFPLygLAPRVk3g29GpEQRvGj-S9fYWb-yxsUg77jgNYGFzhyphenhyphenH1lfAGtnTR1GvAk9bU1K-vDm3KHufROSI/s1600/DSC01810.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0jIw9F_axR_Ti815y2sEiHfJ4Zj2MiBgYZaQFFUFGdJdVNJrSQYbuh_5gHnqFPLygLAPRVk3g29GpEQRvGj-S9fYWb-yxsUg77jgNYGFzhyphenhyphenH1lfAGtnTR1GvAk9bU1K-vDm3KHufROSI/s1600/DSC01810.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">The story behind this tomb is that the man made a pact with the devil to be successful in his life, and that when he died if he touched the earth, he would go to Hell. So, he found a loophole --- he had his coffin put on lion's feet above the earth.</span><br /><br /></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoiz2ipvGIeqijWqoeHzd8wsn-tLdMh2rtOZhHRrl-6dl4ImudUZDqoNiJbKcS4BFLRL6RngsIA0IYZePMkrgtjCwSs204O1GWoJSjV7U95-y9z869zQ-ts6R16rI5-4lEeP78EYrwNaE/s1600/DSC01842.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoiz2ipvGIeqijWqoeHzd8wsn-tLdMh2rtOZhHRrl-6dl4ImudUZDqoNiJbKcS4BFLRL6RngsIA0IYZePMkrgtjCwSs204O1GWoJSjV7U95-y9z869zQ-ts6R16rI5-4lEeP78EYrwNaE/s1600/DSC01842.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Me, Hayley, Jen, Jackie, and Sarinah on our boat tour</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">After our excursion to the cemetery, we did a little bit of shopping, had lunch, and went for an ice cream dessert in the center of town. There we met up with Sarinah, an Australian girl our age who works at La Nona, and she wandered the city with us. We took a boat tour in Valparaíso's bay and got to see what that sailors entering the harbor for the first time saw: hillsides covered with bright, colorful houses and rows of boats anchored just off the shore. It was so pretty, and I only wished that it had been sunnier so that the colors would have been even more vivid and vibrant. After, we went to the city's food market, which was much bigger than any I'd seen before (sooooo many fresh fruits and veggies!), then returned to La Nona to make homemade pisco sours --- still my favorite drink that I've discovered in Chile.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghLufe5vPq9Uc1eU0F2d3zhRd-6UfoAPrIItcz1kP8kKn6BxYdVlG2EpAaUuE4JdcyMOFTkYAZgwBkQ_-XX4r84qRECnQqKJ4n7YR1aG7omv01jWF2EZBg_udQXeOUtA_culhsX2FuDuc/s1600/DSC01867.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghLufe5vPq9Uc1eU0F2d3zhRd-6UfoAPrIItcz1kP8kKn6BxYdVlG2EpAaUuE4JdcyMOFTkYAZgwBkQ_-XX4r84qRECnQqKJ4n7YR1aG7omv01jWF2EZBg_udQXeOUtA_culhsX2FuDuc/s1600/DSC01867.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Our group pre-ride!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Saturday was quite the adventure for me. We had been hoping to do a horseback ride along the beach during the full moon of that night with René and his friend who does horse excursions, but there weren't enough people signed up for the evening ride; instead, we went for a half-day ride starting in the morning. We were joined by about 25 other American and German students studying in Viña del Mar, the sister city of Valparaíso, so our group was quite large. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAeXzkGhyl7_YeYyf2xEj9XJ7SBHjRCPwe_2kiSMxZ0rXe82T9MrA1M8bYV_WQJsHlbKNSZAUc4jEry25OjKq8HlW0DUjh9vh_65BhKZQq4kc-609eBj4MFapoJh4gvauxnxAyNImZNxg/s1600/horse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAeXzkGhyl7_YeYyf2xEj9XJ7SBHjRCPwe_2kiSMxZ0rXe82T9MrA1M8bYV_WQJsHlbKNSZAUc4jEry25OjKq8HlW0DUjh9vh_65BhKZQq4kc-609eBj4MFapoJh4gvauxnxAyNImZNxg/s1600/horse.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I had been quite nervous about the ride because I hadn't ridden in probably over a decade (thankfully, my horse was extremely calm and patient with novice-rider me), but I'm so glad that we went. The ride was beautiful as we went up and down sand dunes and along the beach. Viña and Valpo looked just as gorgeous from far away as they were up close, and I will never forget the experience. I'd really like to go back and do it again someday --- after I've gotten better at riding, of course.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6FsTMGX3s46m0qPe4Fs9rR2kVtuCSOqLJerF1D8n3EXnm512GDyrqCdPMyw7D-drhUuuBEf6SLknoqc1Tz9y5cX8o3LEKROQOmi9qvub4EKvUOL5GvGbphzfKOxGq_LY5qeDxdTv8sHM/s1600/DSC01941.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6FsTMGX3s46m0qPe4Fs9rR2kVtuCSOqLJerF1D8n3EXnm512GDyrqCdPMyw7D-drhUuuBEf6SLknoqc1Tz9y5cX8o3LEKROQOmi9qvub4EKvUOL5GvGbphzfKOxGq_LY5qeDxdTv8sHM/s1600/DSC01941.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The city from afar</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdAH0ed28gVHuxueDMXd5B74wxSrAAVm-CwyOegAsgGgbLK8OBDkzWOWhgD_XAp9uq59wksonsiDwvbZPuv728Uf-2A4rDiXkCarmWh5-reB2YayWWW0OGlh0-mmg1H52Y1WLxQidnFR0/s1600/DSC01888.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdAH0ed28gVHuxueDMXd5B74wxSrAAVm-CwyOegAsgGgbLK8OBDkzWOWhgD_XAp9uq59wksonsiDwvbZPuv728Uf-2A4rDiXkCarmWh5-reB2YayWWW0OGlh0-mmg1H52Y1WLxQidnFR0/s1600/DSC01888.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Cooking the meat</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In the mid-afternoon after the ride, we stayed at the ranch for a traditional <i>asado</i>, or backyard barbecue. We started off with <i>choripán</i>, which is a type of sausage on freshly-toasted buns and is the staple appetizer for every <i>asado </i>that I've attended... nomnomnom, one of my favorites. We also had thin-cut steak, lettuce and tomato salad, rice, shredded carrots and beets, a Chilean version of potato salad, and, of course, Chilean wine and pisco sour. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDH6iFyedz_KFNJVjVo9c6xmdB0GjhnRnB1fFJsv605q-Bl6ByG3q3mC5Di9WxGSS41EfqX_0MomK4x8GFXYZmhmg6meHlR2EbS_PLRSJDvJaZ9D5uMlrbvBfE5WnLW8AvonxIruvW2kQ/s1600/DSC01885.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDH6iFyedz_KFNJVjVo9c6xmdB0GjhnRnB1fFJsv605q-Bl6ByG3q3mC5Di9WxGSS41EfqX_0MomK4x8GFXYZmhmg6meHlR2EbS_PLRSJDvJaZ9D5uMlrbvBfE5WnLW8AvonxIruvW2kQ/s1600/DSC01885.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">With René during the <i>asado</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We ate until we were stuffed, and while we digested we just took in the atmosphere. I'd never been to the Chilean <i>campo</i>, or countryside, before, and I really enjoyed seeing how the lifestyle was different there than in Chilean cities: chickens running underfoot, cats and dogs begging for scraps, grill smoke filling the air, and children practicing shooting guns with their grandpa --- in other words, not quite what you'd see in an urban area. After the <i>asado</i>, we headed back to Valpo to rest, make last-minute purchases, and prepare for our journey back to Chillán.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Gnx1_ASigvFlMzrD6RYGcWYZyt91z6QAtGXA2Qro0O6hHEywhxWs5VQKv07lPTxWSibZn1owS0psKb2cXESQ43rmBPuU1Da0oLRkMFEoPYEkjgeirh0X5FbjzewtGdFYcUcp3m_BuU0/s1600/DSC01929.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Gnx1_ASigvFlMzrD6RYGcWYZyt91z6QAtGXA2Qro0O6hHEywhxWs5VQKv07lPTxWSibZn1owS0psKb2cXESQ43rmBPuU1Da0oLRkMFEoPYEkjgeirh0X5FbjzewtGdFYcUcp3m_BuU0/s1600/DSC01929.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Catching horses with lassos</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I really really REALLY liked Valparaíso: the colors, the artwork, the ocean, the Bohemian culture that is so unlike the Chilean culture that I've seen, everything. I'd love to go back just to explore some more, even though there's nothing specific that I want to see... I guess I'll just have to see what the future holds. From what I have seen, however, I feel like this is one city that I could spend quite a bit of time in --- maybe even live in it :O Again, I'll have to see what the future holds and what God has in store for me!</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW7eiZEKidyxrMcN_8nfDohH4aStlWdkJuFz0Zkp0itcrvZhortdTXJSCpveumf79AtpSRY6BBcoJzqsBr_ePAK3UWp4iX_Oiuj7CZ1Y3IebaZmYCTbwdpGU4dZ6I_N3NfZNRDyB-GMe0/s1600/DSC01738.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW7eiZEKidyxrMcN_8nfDohH4aStlWdkJuFz0Zkp0itcrvZhortdTXJSCpveumf79AtpSRY6BBcoJzqsBr_ePAK3UWp4iX_Oiuj7CZ1Y3IebaZmYCTbwdpGU4dZ6I_N3NfZNRDyB-GMe0/s1600/DSC01738.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Thanks for reading! I hope that you enjoyed! Until my next adventure...</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Love,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Gail</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv3y_x0_jyWdUJl817CqvMEc0v5PjgIJICW5DKamBQlGQ1f4rLoHyxtU1WckoooPaflmNZNWy2uMn-11T41DJcvZ5WHuZtFPOtUVcRrtnIPZOyPqyVgxNRS-wGZ67TwobB9s9hUG5h8X4/s1600/DSC01858.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv3y_x0_jyWdUJl817CqvMEc0v5PjgIJICW5DKamBQlGQ1f4rLoHyxtU1WckoooPaflmNZNWy2uMn-11T41DJcvZ5WHuZtFPOtUVcRrtnIPZOyPqyVgxNRS-wGZ67TwobB9s9hUG5h8X4/s1600/DSC01858.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Welcome aboard!"</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6fBXwzDtNunzFyeFwCbm4rTrJT2JQ6u8lo2ydvAaycYYBMicemsYpe9gjM3ud4pLxc7O1Fzhb2CLnxDdRnq9VQfA2PqmLeAclA8au90QZ-uac1tVK3kuZx4jxOwVCTg4fpR6orQ37TRs/s1600/DSC01813.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6fBXwzDtNunzFyeFwCbm4rTrJT2JQ6u8lo2ydvAaycYYBMicemsYpe9gjM3ud4pLxc7O1Fzhb2CLnxDdRnq9VQfA2PqmLeAclA8au90QZ-uac1tVK3kuZx4jxOwVCTg4fpR6orQ37TRs/s1600/DSC01813.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Such colorful houses</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSYuLoYgnU2adYFD3BT8h-BGyWAR8_8xPax0bQ8OzBDQ8J9aBFo49xCy6_KqBNRYZ1_JLCjJselMKRJijX774NanV70qBSKJiY9VBwAo0f2N4Wz9NjmS_Q7MFvLMEhSm26YHGya7yYrZI/s1600/DSC01720.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSYuLoYgnU2adYFD3BT8h-BGyWAR8_8xPax0bQ8OzBDQ8J9aBFo49xCy6_KqBNRYZ1_JLCjJselMKRJijX774NanV70qBSKJiY9VBwAo0f2N4Wz9NjmS_Q7MFvLMEhSm26YHGya7yYrZI/s1600/DSC01720.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I love this picture for its colors</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieyqsSI5DFZDZC_73ctigtBDV-LFhIv-I3xZOG7SlVY9DJBNKrtcNnQMDAuCetGnfHAkZzRmDKjNwxjbjoUgUgLPPkFTbg3uMmKxZpF6jErCu_pvv90omRig2R8BH5PUgcXlYAOL6C5Xg/s1600/DSC01715.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieyqsSI5DFZDZC_73ctigtBDV-LFhIv-I3xZOG7SlVY9DJBNKrtcNnQMDAuCetGnfHAkZzRmDKjNwxjbjoUgUgLPPkFTbg3uMmKxZpF6jErCu_pvv90omRig2R8BH5PUgcXlYAOL6C5Xg/s1600/DSC01715.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The artists are super creative in Valpo</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNldd20bBa53wrcrWw92cIbJeSn9nWTtUuih31blrxJkyMrQsBNi4oKXFo3wYhs_3Sotfur8cJ_9mpc1Wb4_RW1CmsqeVzx9giGkTw5zh8a_k1Uu-XiK1qKqg2BBvmXb02yVaroK9MGSE/s1600/DSC01696.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNldd20bBa53wrcrWw92cIbJeSn9nWTtUuih31blrxJkyMrQsBNi4oKXFo3wYhs_3Sotfur8cJ_9mpc1Wb4_RW1CmsqeVzx9giGkTw5zh8a_k1Uu-XiK1qKqg2BBvmXb02yVaroK9MGSE/s1600/DSC01696.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">La Armada de Chile is situated in Valparaíso</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Little Red Riding Hood!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>Fun Fact:</u></b> The houses are all painted different colors because <br />when boats would come into Valpo, they would need to be<br />repainted, and the leftover paint was used to cover the<br />houses to protect them from the elements. No two houses<br />have the same color scheme... Cool, huh?</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lizard</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">So detailed</span></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14811161860662752098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4721493516277405626.post-14984331102888344702013-10-26T20:27:00.000-07:002013-10-26T20:27:14.214-07:00Santiago!Hi everyone! I've had more traveling adventures!!! This past week was by far my favorite trip yet, and I hope that I can do justice to all of the great things I saw and the cool people I've met through this post! Since there's a lot to talk about, I'm going to split my adventures into two posts so that you don't get terribly bored reading so much (:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO4RvjTMMbkVMLmoE-FRDWyHD6w7CdJJu41vlvquM2b7j02CvYMinNMkKUI0MuNISGbb9qD4DuxGckQqRGjuqIEljLxQ7OF7aFOnwoF2zj3HMJEDkqcwbbduMVAIfxtMyu_6QgLOzO64k/s1600/DSC01428.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO4RvjTMMbkVMLmoE-FRDWyHD6w7CdJJu41vlvquM2b7j02CvYMinNMkKUI0MuNISGbb9qD4DuxGckQqRGjuqIEljLxQ7OF7aFOnwoF2zj3HMJEDkqcwbbduMVAIfxtMyu_6QgLOzO64k/s1600/DSC01428.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hayley and I on our first night in Santiago!</td></tr>
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Last week I had the opportunity to head north to Chile's capital city, Santiago, with my GV friend Hayley. Her sister Jackie and friend Jen from back home came to visit her in Chile for two weeks, and they arrived in the country on Saturday morning. Hayley and I met them at the airport and together we started exploring the city. We wandered around the city all afternoon (we're still not in agreement with how many miles we walked altogether that day... but it was a LOT) and planned what we wanted to visit during the rest of our time in Santiago.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtHQAA-cKS7C9TuMkiSqqgbz05jZrB1qa0S0D47vWC5RDFqWLoBc4b_lYVM9m3ppvts1wFpzdZAfH_z1alwuqxMaOnBfbTgfNT7Ltf5T7as_aJX5CPXA7LVWOl0xzq0G-QKgJJP9qNz40/s1600/DSC01439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtHQAA-cKS7C9TuMkiSqqgbz05jZrB1qa0S0D47vWC5RDFqWLoBc4b_lYVM9m3ppvts1wFpzdZAfH_z1alwuqxMaOnBfbTgfNT7Ltf5T7as_aJX5CPXA7LVWOl0xzq0G-QKgJJP9qNz40/s1600/DSC01439.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hayley, Jackie, and Jen!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBjBUOsFyPYp042q7GG5-67kdcaqGgIVD2Icr3bLvLozAv7CnAWqTADfwp0pr5KFlc0hlslutDzzzSkNORtZgoIQ6via8OMHJhXWihQ36vOkl9A1E05pIFZyWWBI_tio7axHdw7EWB7a4/s1600/DSC01487.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBjBUOsFyPYp042q7GG5-67kdcaqGgIVD2Icr3bLvLozAv7CnAWqTADfwp0pr5KFlc0hlslutDzzzSkNORtZgoIQ6via8OMHJhXWihQ36vOkl9A1E05pIFZyWWBI_tio7axHdw7EWB7a4/s1600/DSC01487.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Graffiti of Pablo Neruda </td></tr>
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Sunday was a fairly calm day as well. We went to tour the house of Pablo Neruda, a famous Chilean poet who won a Nobel Prize for Literature. He owned three houses in Chile during his lifetime, and the one in Santiago --- La Chascona, which means "crazy hair" --- was a "secret" abode that he shared with his mistress, who was known for her wild mane of red hair. Neruda loved the ocean, so all of his houses have maritime influences, and it was really neat to see all of the ways that he incorporated the sea in his homes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm9UoyQlDz0Exi64s1zNftIE8uxa3G_UilWrm4X2KFevmwAo2abZ2wNVbV8Xc3VEeN_GUrGsFLMEjjWMUBnQX2UJmPOqHhChDDxlVaD2tUoTT4xDUb95V8XR_RiaDfL7ajv4FUorEeU1U/s1600/DSC01462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm9UoyQlDz0Exi64s1zNftIE8uxa3G_UilWrm4X2KFevmwAo2abZ2wNVbV8Xc3VEeN_GUrGsFLMEjjWMUBnQX2UJmPOqHhChDDxlVaD2tUoTT4xDUb95V8XR_RiaDfL7ajv4FUorEeU1U/s1600/DSC01462.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">La Chascona<br />
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Neruda was also a big fan of surprises and the unexpected, and had lots of funny and quirky knick-knacks and items for decoration --- everything in his homes had a significance or a story behind it. It was really cool to walk through the house and to think that someone so influential in the Spanish literary world had designed the house and had lived there. We couldn't take pictures inside the museum, but you can check out the museum's <a href="http://www.fundacionneruda.org/en/la-chascona/image-gallery.html">image gallery</a> to see some of the things from the house. Later we met up with Hayley's Chilean mom and little sister for lunch at Chile's oldest mall, which also was the first mall in South America, if I remember correctly. We visited with them for a couple of hours, then window-shopped in the mall for the rest of the afternoon.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYLOAjZypayMkRI_sT5wisOByVGFxOcpI8x2RHU5dJmRncHil-XdK_M1XWD6g-iutrEK6MzjY_5NeUi7mp1BHkCOaJziFrQqCoArFP3WDBAnd6qpXQRN1pKydg8LvaF8KRT8vEbdiKm9I/s1600/DSC01504.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYLOAjZypayMkRI_sT5wisOByVGFxOcpI8x2RHU5dJmRncHil-XdK_M1XWD6g-iutrEK6MzjY_5NeUi7mp1BHkCOaJziFrQqCoArFP3WDBAnd6qpXQRN1pKydg8LvaF8KRT8vEbdiKm9I/s1600/DSC01504.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A "street" in the cemetery</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6voxHbAx-gs8u2lMDgq8KMKsEaBAeN73RbsVdHgeHVGkpeMLJKwsUJQuE7Bxz-I67dwRWkibix_HYExIn0qpVepuJYdGk968wsRTNwCtSdo2uJLsvCebI2EWIVYGj-7fyIiRLsrI67Aw/s1600/DSC01511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6voxHbAx-gs8u2lMDgq8KMKsEaBAeN73RbsVdHgeHVGkpeMLJKwsUJQuE7Bxz-I67dwRWkibix_HYExIn0qpVepuJYdGk968wsRTNwCtSdo2uJLsvCebI2EWIVYGj-7fyIiRLsrI67Aw/s1600/DSC01511.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are some of the buildings that are used for bodies</td></tr>
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On Monday we navigated the Subway system to get to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cementerio_General_de_Santiago">El Cementerio General de Santiago</a>. The cemetery is utterly massive and was designed to be like a "city" for the dead, including streets and addresses for the specific graves. I was impressed with the differences in how people are buried here; there are buildings with tombs stacked one on top of another, and multiple urns with ashes are often kept in the same family plot. There were few places in the cemetery with ground-burial areas that are often used in the States. Many of Chile's most influential figures are buried in this cemetery, including past Presidents, writers, and singers.<br />
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We unfortunately didn't obtain maps until the end of our visit, but we stumbled upon a memorial for those who disappeared and perished during the dictatorship from 1973 until 1990. The memorial lined with empty spaces waiting for the bodies of those who mysteriously "disappeared" during this regime was one of the most sobering sights I've ever seen. Even today there are so many families who have no idea about what happened to their loved ones during this terrible era.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji0j_uzy5TPw_h_Xhf18hoDj6ogKE9ZOncv5sAdO81qXnEXJ-5m_hlsWYZk-7LskPvPGHRVr06tkrX4rpFH33XFSFsbIBvm7Mwp4K2FHPLhJiLnBGMpAgzLb5X6EX8nEP5QO5QdMOg-pA/s1600/DSC01516.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji0j_uzy5TPw_h_Xhf18hoDj6ogKE9ZOncv5sAdO81qXnEXJ-5m_hlsWYZk-7LskPvPGHRVr06tkrX4rpFH33XFSFsbIBvm7Mwp4K2FHPLhJiLnBGMpAgzLb5X6EX8nEP5QO5QdMOg-pA/s1600/DSC01516.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"You're alive; the only death is that<br />
which is forgotten. For your body,<br />
flowers; for your soul, prayers."</td></tr>
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After this, we went back to the heart of Santiago to the Plaza de Armas, a literal town square that nearly every major city in Chile possesses. After a delicious lunch near the plaza, we visited the Catedral de Santiago, or the Santiago Metropolitan Cathedral, which was utterly beautiful. The intense attention to detail in the architecture and every aspect of the church was incredible, and I wish I could attend a service once just to hear the music echoing in that huge space.<br />
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We then went to Palacio de la Moneda, which is the Presidential Palace for Chile. It's called La Moneda, which literally means "the coin" because Chilean coins were manufactured there for over a hundred years. The building is gorgeous, and the pictures that I took really don't do it justice. This is also the building where the coup took place in 1973, so it's an important national icon, just as the White House is in the States. On the opposite side of La Moneda, there's an underground Cultural Center, and we checked that out. There were exhibits on modern Chilean art, on ancient African culture, and on Violetta Parra, a famous Chilean singer and artist.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeoNOGOpVOPEw3BhVMowa_I2Q8aUkUdirZjpXbqD8_b-U4aizROYd8Tm3TRRB5DteCZpVS-h-BGdLegWKvsl0go4XWy-0yGnoUImkIayGSKq0xzL3P6hYUo8pVqc7Rzly2wRq_2QpByuA/s1600/DSC01529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeoNOGOpVOPEw3BhVMowa_I2Q8aUkUdirZjpXbqD8_b-U4aizROYd8Tm3TRRB5DteCZpVS-h-BGdLegWKvsl0go4XWy-0yGnoUImkIayGSKq0xzL3P6hYUo8pVqc7Rzly2wRq_2QpByuA/s1600/DSC01529.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">La Moneda</td></tr>
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We still had enough pep for one more adventure, and so we went to Cerro Santa Lucía, the hill from which Santiago was founded. On the hill there's a castle, el Castillo Hidalgo, that looks almost like something out of a fairytale, and there are winding steps that take you to the top of the hill and you can look out over the city --- it reminded me quite a bit of the steep steps at Castle Rock in the U.P. By mustering the rest of our energy the four of us climbed to the summit. It was an utterly gorgeous day and you could see the Andes Mountains setting the backdrop for Santiago.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf14ESGgOxdeCW0M9c30p-eamBHz2wEM4tyXRyravju2cP5RuDgFH6P_0HDKSqTz-B_wCOVRCr3EAQgf9TUk6EwyIFduNDQiSUogdesfPHn8KSP7poLX5v46c93_uYO_ZLQwFvWav0ia0/s1600/DSC01444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf14ESGgOxdeCW0M9c30p-eamBHz2wEM4tyXRyravju2cP5RuDgFH6P_0HDKSqTz-B_wCOVRCr3EAQgf9TUk6EwyIFduNDQiSUogdesfPHn8KSP7poLX5v46c93_uYO_ZLQwFvWav0ia0/s1600/DSC01444.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the buildings on Cerro Santa Lucía</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the top of Cerro Santa Lucía</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWs7Fy2RUBXLahe3RzPQqrTeSr1fNMQmppwo2_mWQ1wVN_ecAWA0QvgaqvEvFXvxBlz-AfAG2N1Wn-mAxssWGki36W7AUy8rPiZ_diZOSPO3dvME89MeRkMOdCB2QoLcuECfJioUx3EcA/s1600/DSC01581.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWs7Fy2RUBXLahe3RzPQqrTeSr1fNMQmppwo2_mWQ1wVN_ecAWA0QvgaqvEvFXvxBlz-AfAG2N1Wn-mAxssWGki36W7AUy8rPiZ_diZOSPO3dvME89MeRkMOdCB2QoLcuECfJioUx3EcA/s1600/DSC01581.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">El Museo de La Memoria</td></tr>
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Tuesday was my favorite day in Santiago. We started off bright and early with a visit to el Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos, a museum dedicated to informing what happened during the dictatorship and the human rights violations that occurred during that period. As terrible as it was to learn about the atrocities that those in power committed and as heartwrenching as it was to imagine how so many were mistreated, this museum was honestly my favorite part of my time in Santiago because after going through it I feel like I understand so much more about what Chileans experienced, as well as how and why they are still affected today by that dark era.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPIpm_cGLXw2ngkw_U8i83r2arr827mjG4aIQ_AAKSjd4aZO9mZM1wEqKxJ-tsipiEoHmMC-XzprkH9JMgYtS2DQ3QRbDlGXisQkvgdmg0tD1dicI_2jehR6k127Vs6uCGiiIkaQUjXK8/s1600/DSC01514.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPIpm_cGLXw2ngkw_U8i83r2arr827mjG4aIQ_AAKSjd4aZO9mZM1wEqKxJ-tsipiEoHmMC-XzprkH9JMgYtS2DQ3QRbDlGXisQkvgdmg0tD1dicI_2jehR6k127Vs6uCGiiIkaQUjXK8/s1600/DSC01514.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The list of those who died and/or disappeared during the<br />
dictatorship; this is in el Cementerio General</td></tr>
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After getting lunch, we tried to go to el Museo de Arte Precolumbiano, or the Precolumbian Art Museum, but this, unfortunately, was closed due to construction. We traveled across town to el Museo de Bellas Artes, or the Fine Arts Museum of Santiago, but this seemed to be in a period of transition and didn't have many exhibits open so we didn't stay terribly long. The building itself is absolutely beautiful, though, and has been around since the 1800s.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVT3JARXAnzDM2LaXphEYWlhjUTEscueUTtiaXYJKl-K_c_x7OXIM7len0DIuiNOXkOtAEXGTJrrD5fkS66_OCrcU9AMPflRmWHO9FYLXrl45I8eJMvVJFTajwLw8A_tpZR0HxS-hsDhc/s1600/DSC01437.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVT3JARXAnzDM2LaXphEYWlhjUTEscueUTtiaXYJKl-K_c_x7OXIM7len0DIuiNOXkOtAEXGTJrrD5fkS66_OCrcU9AMPflRmWHO9FYLXrl45I8eJMvVJFTajwLw8A_tpZR0HxS-hsDhc/s1600/DSC01437.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">El Museo de Bellas Artes</td></tr>
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We decided to have a fancy schmancy dinner in Patio Bellavista. the most touristy and artsy sector of Santiago filled with pubs, bars, restaurants, and little shops. I'd really like to explore this area more if I ever get the chance because it's so colorful and full of life. We ate Peruvian food (which is utterly delicious) and drank Pisco Sour made in the Peruvian fashion (also delicious), then headed back to the hostel because Chile was playing Ecuador in a soccer match to qualify for next year's World Cup, and we wanted to watch the game, as well as to avoid rowdy fans.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH4dx_9-8kFOmchtJDZayl__SSIzHHR74jn-mZ5HPCb3kaNyWxfX0XkZVdeBsJ14F0txLMQ6fVoQUdITdaeG_bOPAkTzm4wPxyw-kGNhTfGUrocRTliUkD-XgEqePUTHowE8vjPTb3qkQ/s1600/DSC01589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH4dx_9-8kFOmchtJDZayl__SSIzHHR74jn-mZ5HPCb3kaNyWxfX0XkZVdeBsJ14F0txLMQ6fVoQUdITdaeG_bOPAkTzm4wPxyw-kGNhTfGUrocRTliUkD-XgEqePUTHowE8vjPTb3qkQ/s1600/DSC01589.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Hayley and me in the square after Chile's big win</td></tr>
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Chile ended up winning the match, and the whole city practically exploded! I was a rebellious child and went with Hayley and Jen to the plaza closest to our hostel, which was only about a ten minute walk --- there was no way I was going to miss seeing how this passionate country reacted to such a proud moment. I can honestly say I've never seen anything like it: all of the cars were honking as they passed us on the street and waited at red lights, and the crowd in the square was immense and only grew more as time passed. Everyone was yelling and throwing confetti and waving Chilean flags, and climbing on anything and everything possible; groups climbed on the top of bus stops and jumped up and down, and one guy scaled a traffic light and waved an ENORMOUS Chilean flag in a manner reminiscent of <i>Les Miserables.</i> It was absolutely incredible, and I'll be sure to post a video that I took, just so that you can all get an idea of how noisy it was. We stayed for probably twenty-ish minutes, but decided to leave when the crowd started setting off fireworks. Check out the video at the bottom, and the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-jG6vg-d5Y">videos </a>in these <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvPCx6nb2rk">links</a>!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjozWB_-jGIRfd5ZA9SdzZ3rdznH620oA26MXqupOQ0UIxRKcuKevl8E_dq_KXyZtn1kdEyFHm33N4VYIdqui_8O2fdIyu-B7WVJnZyuPprHKaoh9qS4UtTkFTQSae7FYUl9FgrJBa2x5w/s1600/DSC01649.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjozWB_-jGIRfd5ZA9SdzZ3rdznH620oA26MXqupOQ0UIxRKcuKevl8E_dq_KXyZtn1kdEyFHm33N4VYIdqui_8O2fdIyu-B7WVJnZyuPprHKaoh9qS4UtTkFTQSae7FYUl9FgrJBa2x5w/s1600/DSC01649.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">La Virgen </td></tr>
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We got up early again on Wednesday, and went to el Cerro San Cristobal, the tallest hill in Santiago. We took a funicular ride up the hill, passing the National Zoo on the way up. I'd never been on a funicular before, but I thought it was super interesting how one car of the funicular is used to balance the other completely --- no fuel required! Pretty neat, if you ask me. Anyway, we made it to the top, where there's a huge statue of the Virgin Mary that looks over the city; we could even see her from our window in the hostel. From the top of the hill you can see all of Santiago, even more that one could from Cerro Santa Lucía; unfortunately, the day wasn't quite as breezy as it had been when we climbed the other hill, so smog was pretty thick over the city.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtfnUhsQVroRdQg-FKCZSpIG3jCgeUe8fBjDSAukobUFw-21Mdce9sOEomJ5J0Llh4Eq2lxb0_srMOVhv2laMY2aMC48w0k2Vkb-lCDci1gRlQzP_5hB-9jAJ9vDoMeNuhyphenhyphenaBwDnIS2nY/s1600/DSC01633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtfnUhsQVroRdQg-FKCZSpIG3jCgeUe8fBjDSAukobUFw-21Mdce9sOEomJ5J0Llh4Eq2lxb0_srMOVhv2laMY2aMC48w0k2Vkb-lCDci1gRlQzP_5hB-9jAJ9vDoMeNuhyphenhyphenaBwDnIS2nY/s1600/DSC01633.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">High above Santiago</td></tr>
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I've never really encountered air pollution, so this was an experience for me, and that was basically the only negative that I encountered in Santiago. We explored the church and touristy shops on the hill for a bit, ate a light lunch, then took the funicular back down to pack our bags for the next leg of our trip.<br />
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In all, I really enjoyed Santiago a lot. The culture is significantly more urban than I've ever experienced, especially in comparison to Chillán and Grand Rapids. It's not exactly a beautiful city, but I like the "vibe" that I got while being there --- I could see myself living there and being content, should the opportunity arise. But, of course, that's way too much to think about at the moment, and I have absolutely no idea what the future might hold for me (:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGRxN7HND9gUXB42w0bfhsb9Cx69fENlhJR8ucsS73ZylEo_BvRXDx8RazCRAtvoOSUXjV7XIb4B7YixRPgvzfR5fqxJZOjvxVcDD_q7Nb3DNZtIopBNYmD479HsIKg8Q4iB_hXmEmw-U/s1600/DSC01473.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGRxN7HND9gUXB42w0bfhsb9Cx69fENlhJR8ucsS73ZylEo_BvRXDx8RazCRAtvoOSUXjV7XIb4B7YixRPgvzfR5fqxJZOjvxVcDD_q7Nb3DNZtIopBNYmD479HsIKg8Q4iB_hXmEmw-U/s1600/DSC01473.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colorful graffiti outside of Neruda's house</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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That's all that I have for now! Stay tuned to read about my favorite city so far --- Valparaíso! Thanks for reading!<br />
<br />
Love and besos from Chile!<br />
<br />
Gail<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRjNrNFySvh_9XxD-sCL126Mcto7i5YRopo_SHPHsc7yAfaKJZ2FInZ3AZ3SFiZre90PjfLjlJqf_6R4mNWBnAUsEz1Wki6NII3eajaEsUWRu13KVjr86O2v7icGP0Pu9YIQYO4Q1AuA/s1600/DSC01632.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRjNrNFySvh_9XxD-sCL126Mcto7i5YRopo_SHPHsc7yAfaKJZ2FInZ3AZ3SFiZre90PjfLjlJqf_6R4mNWBnAUsEz1Wki6NII3eajaEsUWRu13KVjr86O2v7icGP0Pu9YIQYO4Q1AuA/s1600/DSC01632.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Santiago <3</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxtjVz0KOWHnuwPsnoR38i5RMv_uZ2xrfDlKYn3Ix2WZ7W3ZBp6mfNZu9JcCwYV4ot81FeESAka5wGhfCoW3H5KE05kWEsPQdHzsDUmIcfWGwZmYeEbOVEifqSJZaJwH_BOb9Aiz6_QrM/s1600/DSC01656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxtjVz0KOWHnuwPsnoR38i5RMv_uZ2xrfDlKYn3Ix2WZ7W3ZBp6mfNZu9JcCwYV4ot81FeESAka5wGhfCoW3H5KE05kWEsPQdHzsDUmIcfWGwZmYeEbOVEifqSJZaJwH_BOb9Aiz6_QrM/s1600/DSC01656.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me with the Virgin</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9HGqxiBOB3T4j5wwWY3CtN8yPqneypHSw9GKW50i_c6trdAwt3SHyep2Qtp0emj-K3LHYRWjSZoHjw7RjzS6V7cXQOBwi8GcwwNNG5kHl5R1goqnl6HB-o1r5qHsd61bE8IHvFMpqx68/s1600/DSC01553.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9HGqxiBOB3T4j5wwWY3CtN8yPqneypHSw9GKW50i_c6trdAwt3SHyep2Qtp0emj-K3LHYRWjSZoHjw7RjzS6V7cXQOBwi8GcwwNNG5kHl5R1goqnl6HB-o1r5qHsd61bE8IHvFMpqx68/s1600/DSC01553.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Cerro Santa Lucía</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1atxCmtSM1r8isHbU6MtaA4nV-jl1PhF3SNXyYxCx8I-z1QSd9sHhHCYyv22CzNK25iA2ALYkUqXQiUHVdA80b7hMq1jjik77zQYBEuuczk6TJ7iisTsVYLf9MEkY7J5Eo_4S10O0yUU/s1600/DSC01574.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1atxCmtSM1r8isHbU6MtaA4nV-jl1PhF3SNXyYxCx8I-z1QSd9sHhHCYyv22CzNK25iA2ALYkUqXQiUHVdA80b7hMq1jjik77zQYBEuuczk6TJ7iisTsVYLf9MEkY7J5Eo_4S10O0yUU/s1600/DSC01574.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hayley and I are going to make a slideshow<br />
of all of the pictures we take side-by-side<br />
to show the change over time, haha</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfmxzPLfGq6Nz87-RVZqW8lVUcCLfkN-ITmN1e1zKwrJ8kOCTKGCVMtr6ubGE7ihi0A4WFzRxoD5BazBD3OkivsF6JoBqierA1JOlxMxGg2UtXmZJF5ti40Y9SxG8qk89ryjv8gHwqJ-c/s1600/DSC01432.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfmxzPLfGq6Nz87-RVZqW8lVUcCLfkN-ITmN1e1zKwrJ8kOCTKGCVMtr6ubGE7ihi0A4WFzRxoD5BazBD3OkivsF6JoBqierA1JOlxMxGg2UtXmZJF5ti40Y9SxG8qk89ryjv8gHwqJ-c/s1600/DSC01432.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cool fountain in a park</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0tan8bfcbsGBLaGOZogG7eoC-_8E5QOscny1LVnDV8GaEU3A4lpXgIcrodKD93GUxII1xzT2vPPnvYLUtnX29lsVr7_eoCm2UcMtiXrIX89QGMXDKAHCWhybAm7RCTeoSascOmvehjls/s1600/DSC01535.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0tan8bfcbsGBLaGOZogG7eoC-_8E5QOscny1LVnDV8GaEU3A4lpXgIcrodKD93GUxII1xzT2vPPnvYLUtnX29lsVr7_eoCm2UcMtiXrIX89QGMXDKAHCWhybAm7RCTeoSascOmvehjls/s1600/DSC01535.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Viva Chile! <3</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14811161860662752098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4721493516277405626.post-23713289297131882152013-09-28T17:44:00.000-07:002013-09-28T17:44:59.607-07:00My Independence Week Adventures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Hi all! As promised, here's my post about my travels during Chile's Independence Week.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoUD1ro5FCnPwfk_bvRVoObrCeMsItD6uRXZeErVeD6WSn6uYn2h09u8EKLvMLy67yZQXieubh3WUNi7eW2TM-UK7233Y78ise9KucdInoTQ1iYGykxxKPW1YxVoSHmHA5KpfTtSPghmM/s1600/DSC01105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoUD1ro5FCnPwfk_bvRVoObrCeMsItD6uRXZeErVeD6WSn6uYn2h09u8EKLvMLy67yZQXieubh3WUNi7eW2TM-UK7233Y78ise9KucdInoTQ1iYGykxxKPW1YxVoSHmHA5KpfTtSPghmM/s1600/DSC01105.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Valdivia</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Chile’s real Independence Day is in February, but the country celebrates on September 18th and continues the celebration for the entire week in which the 18th falls. Since classes were cancelled for this week, I wanted to travel and see more of this beautiful country. Since my Chilean family wasn't planning on doing any traveling for the week of vacations, my fellow GV study abroad student Hayley and her family kindly invited me to join them on their trip to a southern portion of Chile, and I gladly accepted. James also came with, and he rode with me on the bus to Valdivia, where we spent the first three days of our trip. We arrived late at night in Valdivia, a German-esque town on el Río Calle-Calle. Since we had been sitting all day in vehicles, Hayley, James, and I took a midnight stroll along the river, and while we meandered along, we came upon a sea lion just hanging out in the middle of the sidewalk under a street lamp. Yay more sea lions! I’m not quite sure why I get so excited about them, but I do. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Empanadas and pisco sour... yum!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">The next day, September 18th, was Chile's Independence Day, and we went to Hayley's Chilean "grandparents'" beach house to celebrate. A good amount of her family's family, neighbors, and friends came, too, making it a pretty full house. We listened to traditional Chilean music, shared stories, laughed a lot, and ate soooooooooo much food I was afraid my stomach would burst! </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The view from the backyard</span></td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-size: large;">While it was great to spend time with a Chilean family and experience their culture during this important week, this day really made me miss my family a lot because so much of this celebration felt like a Thanksgiving gathering with my family. Later we went down to the beach until rain snuck up on us and drove us back to the house. In the evening we went to a type of </span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">More view from the backyard</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">fair where we watched a little bit of a show featuring professional dancers performing </span><i style="font-size: x-large;">la cueca</i><span style="font-size: large;"> (Chile's national dance) with members of the audience (who all knew how to dance </span><i style="font-size: x-large;">la cueca</i><span style="font-size: large;"> as well --- Chileans are all such great dancers and I’m jealous), wandered through the vendors hawking homemade items and sweets, and played foos-ball and the balloon dart game. So much fun packed into one day!</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>La cueca</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">On Thursday we had the opportunity to visit Valdivia and a little of the surrounding area. I went with James, Hayley, and Hayley's Chilean sister Antonia around the city and we explored the towns on both sides of the river. We visited a local history and anthropology museum, took a boat tour on the river to the pre-Hispanic hamlet of Punucapa to see Valdivia's oldest church, and basically acted like the tourists we were all day. I really loved standing on the bridge and looking out over the city --- Valdivia is just so beautiful and I couldn’t get enough of the view.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The church at Punucapa</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; line-height: 20px;">One of the things that really surprised me about the city was the fact that it didn't feel like Chile to me; since the city was founded by a Germanic colony, the names, architecture and house structure, and general flavor of the city are essentially German. The city also attracts a lot of tourists, so I didn't stand out nearly as much as I do in Chillán --- yay for blending in! </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Puerto Varas</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">We all traveled even farther south on Friday to the lakeside city of Puerto Varas. We GV students took a bus early in the morning to the city, and we decided to spend the day exploring the town. This city is also rather touristy and German, and actually reminded me a lot of Sault Ste. Marie, MI --- except that nearly everyone spoke Spanish and from the beach one can view Volcán Osorno, a volcano which is located across the lake. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">El Parroquía Sagrado Corazón de Jesús</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">After a delicious lunch (the first time I'd eaten pizza while in Chile!) we all trekked through the rain to see El Parroquía Sagrado Corazón de Jesús, a church that is also a Chilean national monument and one of the most famous attractions of the town. We then walked the rocky beach (which is becoming a tradition whenever we’re next to any body of water) and just admired the view. After this, we found a café drank hot chocolate (also becoming a tradition) while waiting for Hayley’s family to arrive in Puerto Varas.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hayley and I with El Volcán Osorno in the background</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Saturday was a really great day, too. James went off on his own to tour el Volcán Osorno and the surrounding park, and Hayley and I spent the day with her family at her Chilean aunt’s house. We played tag with her Chilean sister and cousins (oh, how I’d missed being around little kids), had another <i>asado</i>, or backyard barbeque, and ate even more delicious food with her entire </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; line-height: 20px;">family. Someone told me that on average Chileans gain about five pounds just during the Independence Week alone, and I believe it wholeheartedly with the amount of food that is available during all of the celebrations! </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">El Teatro del Lago</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">In the evening, we went to a concert in Frutillar, another little town sharing the same lake as Puerto Varas. The concert hall, called Teatro del Lago, is built out over the lake so that three out of the four side are above the water, and it was absolutely beautiful. The group playing in the concert was Los Jaivas, a traditional Chilean band of five men who have been playing for fifty years! It was really cool to listen to their songs and experience traditional Chilean music made by so many instruments that I’d never known existed; some of the instruments were those used by the indigenous groups in Chile, and are very difficult to play. I’ll link a couple of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gb6qhBJO9k">videos </a>of Los Jaivas to the blog so that you can take a look/<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN9gPDEP2LA">listen </a>(: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGzONWRb2rc">Here </a>is a link to my favorite song by them.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Los Jaivas!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Me with a piano sculpture next to the lake</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Last day in Valdivia!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Sunday was the last day of my trip. Since there were no buses going straight from Puerto Varas to Chillán, James and I took a bus back to Valdivia in the early morning and wandered around the city waiting for our evening bus back to Chillán. We had the chance to explore Valdivia in more depth and with a little more freedom than what we’d had before, since we’d been with the family, and that was really nice to feel like adults and make our own “plans”, if that makes any sense. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I was able to "walk" all of Chile in Valdivia!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJu8bgrCPh64H5XW2kEZdmhb8yMs_THO3AKAMa0iSTmGRxxhnMJN6zvnD4f1HHSGaKknS68epin6C36Bu9FiK-u5h9bUSRrCyHklsyteyuCis4l51gcn6sNiNTUpIWNaNeuZDGdhMk7w8/s1600/DSC01004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJu8bgrCPh64H5XW2kEZdmhb8yMs_THO3AKAMa0iSTmGRxxhnMJN6zvnD4f1HHSGaKknS68epin6C36Bu9FiK-u5h9bUSRrCyHklsyteyuCis4l51gcn6sNiNTUpIWNaNeuZDGdhMk7w8/s1600/DSC01004.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">One last look</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Now, of course, I’m back in Chillán,</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; line-height: 20px;"> and I have to get back into the school groove after a week of pure relaxation. I will admit that this short vacation made me so excited to travel more after the semester’s over without having homework and projects looming over my head. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Thanks for reading! I promise I’ll post again soon! Love and thoughts from Chile!</span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14811161860662752098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4721493516277405626.post-17327561563256405872013-09-25T22:15:00.000-07:002013-09-25T22:15:22.516-07:00My First Trip to ConcepciónHello everyone! Sorry that I've been terrible about keeping this whole blog thing updated... two months here and only five posts! Some math-y person from my family is bound to come up with the average number of days between posts, I predict :P Anyway, now I have lots to write about and post pictures of! I'm going to split up my posts about my two separate trips that I've taken in the past couple of weeks so that my readers don't get overwhelmed.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The GV "crew"</td></tr>
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Where to begin? Well, two weeks ago classes ended for the week-and-a-half break to celebrate Chile's independence day. This week is essentially a week of partying, eating, drinking, and spending time with family and friends. I took full advantage of this break by traveling with some of my GV friends. James, Hayley, and I all took a day trip to Concepción (otherwise known as Conce by locals), Chile's second-largest city that is only about an hour from Chillán. We wandered a little around the city, then met up with our friend Chilean friend who lives near Conce, Karen. She acted as a guide for us and helped us manage the bus system to go to Talcahuano, a seaside town about a half hour from Conce. From there, we took a short boat tour around the harbor. During the tour we got to see a some of the ships up close and personal, a docked military ship and submarine, and, my personal favorite... SEA LIONS!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9BwLG-_m5QspUoMyhNijgTK5TgLHfss2S4gSHXJtphEV7upl-WgIH6Z0d1jc6MYKMOPOkcY5ZMePA987VHl2E4IlwSWAKah7J5Gjpwig4jKApJBUZ5BaltVGVAEzHsiOjD4y3zuFzPy0/s1600/DSC00819.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9BwLG-_m5QspUoMyhNijgTK5TgLHfss2S4gSHXJtphEV7upl-WgIH6Z0d1jc6MYKMOPOkcY5ZMePA987VHl2E4IlwSWAKah7J5Gjpwig4jKApJBUZ5BaltVGVAEzHsiOjD4y3zuFzPy0/s1600/DSC00819.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty excited</td></tr>
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This was my first time seeing sea lions, or <i>lobos marinos</i> ("sea wolves") in the wild. From this first encounter, I learned that they are extremely lazy and very smelly. I don't know exactly why they entertain me so much, but I really love to watch them... perhaps because their antics and sounds are honestly quite hilarious. They were by far my favorite part of the tour (:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Talcahuano harbor</td></tr>
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After the tour, we took another bus over Talcahuano's hill to another fishing town, Tumbes.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbVDoGMyy9t4o47Z2qmHq9iazDKu7cw4iCDmTS0yLRG-sdeq3h17YZY7rnatKopu32OUTfFIEgSdfHfMg2Dmv4sEoGqXrW_nR4dR-c1F9TNy6p7qijSs7tjK9ArGR9O9SCZx2n9czoLz0/s1600/DSC00841.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbVDoGMyy9t4o47Z2qmHq9iazDKu7cw4iCDmTS0yLRG-sdeq3h17YZY7rnatKopu32OUTfFIEgSdfHfMg2Dmv4sEoGqXrW_nR4dR-c1F9TNy6p7qijSs7tjK9ArGR9O9SCZx2n9czoLz0/s1600/DSC00841.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><br />
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This little town was ravaged by the tsunami caused by Chile's massive 2010 earthquake, but is now on the mend. We decided to explore the beach in both directions, and walked the length as far as we could go either way (although James, a.k.a. "Bear Grylls", would likely argue that we could have gone further if we had just gotten our feet a little wet). It was an absolutely gorgeous day, as you can see from the pictures. I really enjoyed wandering along the beach, finding seashells, and just admiring the scenery... and I got to touch the Pacific Ocean for the first time ever!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE7QPUUh9Of-2UNc6b4Z6_xtzTIUmitgFYf8UlDYlj6zu4RbQzUqZq6N2pxtRApTyAmecfzVQY3NO4CYcHeL4sZna1TMheube4LSQxsihYK5I2Ju6Lak0PXtpM5cZPOmGe_BV1z2tutW4/s1600/DSC00846.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE7QPUUh9Of-2UNc6b4Z6_xtzTIUmitgFYf8UlDYlj6zu4RbQzUqZq6N2pxtRApTyAmecfzVQY3NO4CYcHeL4sZna1TMheube4LSQxsihYK5I2Ju6Lak0PXtpM5cZPOmGe_BV1z2tutW4/s1600/DSC00846.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Touching the Pacific Ocean!</td></tr>
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That was pretty exciting for me, as silly as it may sound. One more lifetime goal completed!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hayley and me in Tumbes</td></tr>
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After exploring the beach and having lunch in a local restaurant, we returned to Conce and went to El Parque Jurásico de los Dinosaurios (the real Jurassic Park!), a children's park with four life-size statues of dinosaurs and other various dinosaur-themed play areas. I will admit --- the T-Rex was actually kind of scary. I now understand why they are known as the "kings" of the dinosaurs. After this very full day, we had a light dinner and took the bus back to Chillán.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So scared</td></tr>
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Well, that's what I've got for right now. Stay tuned for my next blog post about what I did during my Independence week trip! Teaser: there are a lot of pretty pictures ;)<br />
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Thanks for reading everyone! Sending lots of love from south of the Equator!<br /><br />Chau for now!<br /><br />Gail<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14811161860662752098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4721493516277405626.post-14246232524543091262013-09-11T23:21:00.001-07:002013-09-11T23:21:41.528-07:00A Saturday in Lota <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7gMUy-dMXu1g3e9JQC78iDdC81c62JUyfKDC7akht8Nr1bzaUWDkjMKFwiAfCQnxKHlH2EL0qODo5mmlPLI6tJKi0Zb88StToOC-V7qZI0PJjSPgvJ5k7_x_b5OqYsHZCmESRgkj8MxI/s1600/DSC00569.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7gMUy-dMXu1g3e9JQC78iDdC81c62JUyfKDC7akht8Nr1bzaUWDkjMKFwiAfCQnxKHlH2EL0qODo5mmlPLI6tJKi0Zb88StToOC-V7qZI0PJjSPgvJ5k7_x_b5OqYsHZCmESRgkj8MxI/s1600/DSC00569.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A dress made completely <br />
of napkins!</td></tr>
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Hello all! It's been a bit since I posted last, because nothing super exciting has occurred since my visit to Pucón; just a lot of classes and studying and getting into the school rhythm. I recently had my first exams here in Chile, so hopefully those went well! I've also recently joined a Bible study and church in Chillán, and I'm really excited to have found a supportive body of believers here!<br />
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This past Saturday I took a break from studying and went on a trip to Lota with the other Grand Valley students from Chillán, as well as some other study abroad students and international visitors to Chile. After traveling to Concepción to meet up with the others going on the trip, I rode with the group in a bus to El Parque Educativo Jorge Alessandri. We took a tour of the park and learned about the flora and fauna in the park. There was an exhibit of deer in the park, as well as an exhibit of exotic birds. We also got to watch a presentation on the process of making new paper from recycled paper, and each got a piece of the "new" paper to keep as souvenirs.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifyH_MJdK5OQsrJxBv198aNffz-bGcl9rr5ecjB5rGJ7r2CzVW2wjHmqVHvd-I2LJAxB8t4PyWkciy1A51SxvKfTOLWqNp7L_bWDY0GA6t_T-dfXFAh7Z-Z1111qReX-ttQKQE4TNGaqE/s1600/DSC00577.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifyH_MJdK5OQsrJxBv198aNffz-bGcl9rr5ecjB5rGJ7r2CzVW2wjHmqVHvd-I2LJAxB8t4PyWkciy1A51SxvKfTOLWqNp7L_bWDY0GA6t_T-dfXFAh7Z-Z1111qReX-ttQKQE4TNGaqE/s1600/DSC00577.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the trees in El Parque <br />
Educativo Jorge Alessandri </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3hH9ZAaVRPYWsM8auUBR6wFXtYJOeMX5rOAn-xR09iFPP2ln-fIGGyqDEwSL3mH9zf9yTdmAQUB08bp8JjzKwHCGoT6jFOzSSWq1rXl0CS0yoF2EVKRH1YPD_hC3L9_W3Ban3sUwswk/s1600/DSC00585.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3hH9ZAaVRPYWsM8auUBR6wFXtYJOeMX5rOAn-xR09iFPP2ln-fIGGyqDEwSL3mH9zf9yTdmAQUB08bp8JjzKwHCGoT6jFOzSSWq1rXl0CS0yoF2EVKRH1YPD_hC3L9_W3Ban3sUwswk/s1600/DSC00585.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the parrots in the park</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
After the park, we traveled to Lota, a mining town along the coast of Chile about forty-five minutes outside of Concepción by bus. When we got to Lota, we took a tour of El Chiflón del Diablo (The Devil's Blast), a coal mine that supported the city for over a hundred years until its closure in the 1990s. We got all suited up in our hard hats, headlamps, and battery packs, and descended into the depths of the earth. I was excited to see the differences between this mine and the last one that I toured in Michigan, which was a former copper mine. And the differences abounded! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZI30MKtZVqkRS3efaJPtsJflMr7D2n4rbj4XhCVlRI-8lg2A7DmTrU5eU9xomHriQVcRF6IWnO4QFcwy-bCGJDI9ZPtkym0jQU7Z_yH01AM_jfYZeIR18zm9c-rmvVXteyd-nlUafHHg/s1600/DSC00597.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZI30MKtZVqkRS3efaJPtsJflMr7D2n4rbj4XhCVlRI-8lg2A7DmTrU5eU9xomHriQVcRF6IWnO4QFcwy-bCGJDI9ZPtkym0jQU7Z_yH01AM_jfYZeIR18zm9c-rmvVXteyd-nlUafHHg/s1600/DSC00597.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tunnel on the way down</td></tr>
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We walked down a slope to a pair of tiny elevators that wouldn't hold more than four people at a time... and, trust me, you got verrrrrrry close (literally) to everyone in your ride down. Once down in the mine, we made our way to one of the tunnels carefully, because the ceiling was low, even for me --- and I'm not that tall. One thing that I noticed and thought was really interesting about the mine was what was underfoot. In mines that I've visited in the US, gravel is used to cover the floor; in this mine, however, crushed sea shells were used for traction. This made a lot of sense, because we were right next to the ocean --- use the resources that you've got!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyF8ffo2kiDACCW_DurXa7X_v-gVnbbBaCTiSgvjy6-1mW1LSTVmuz9Q1T1ozRxHA6ebApr2IsCdIa0tIldeNrc_-6kSGuora8TY1EDPM9I8w33Lbj4Hnkg1sfQOPnKNLM55y8Kg9utv4/s1600/Chile+mine+with+Deborah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyF8ffo2kiDACCW_DurXa7X_v-gVnbbBaCTiSgvjy6-1mW1LSTVmuz9Q1T1ozRxHA6ebApr2IsCdIa0tIldeNrc_-6kSGuora8TY1EDPM9I8w33Lbj4Hnkg1sfQOPnKNLM55y8Kg9utv4/s1600/Chile+mine+with+Deborah.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Deborah! She's from Mexico</td></tr>
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Our guide explained that the reason that the tunnels were super low was because the rock more than 90 cm above the floor was all useless, and the workers didn't dig out more space than necessary. He also explained the lamentable conditions of the miners: men, surrounded by rats and constantly breathing coal dust, would work long hours every day for only a few dollars per hour, digging coal out of the narrow tunnels while kneeling because the ceiling wasn't high enough for any other position. The coal was then transported in wheelbarrows and carts to larger carts pulled by miniature horses. These horses were tended by children as young as eight years old, and these children also kept an eye on the toxic gas warning system: a little bird in a cage. If the bird died, the child knew that the gas level was potentially fatal, and would yell down in the mine so that the workers would know to get out of the mine as fast as possible.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNBBt1Np4mAFljOa00ApMHRijLFJWWW06rYpX3Nlk1n8ujvwObkzilPUU4kJmPj9xiKJdXLyHzbm0BINgrD1nIavlzJF9VpTKVgfgbMUWsZfh2hOyzkFUrk9RukCCYfoWL45Kgd-sQpvk/s1600/DSC00600.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNBBt1Np4mAFljOa00ApMHRijLFJWWW06rYpX3Nlk1n8ujvwObkzilPUU4kJmPj9xiKJdXLyHzbm0BINgrD1nIavlzJF9VpTKVgfgbMUWsZfh2hOyzkFUrk9RukCCYfoWL45Kgd-sQpvk/s1600/DSC00600.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See how low the ceiling is? And this was one<br />of the tallest parts that we visited</td></tr>
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Without a doubt, working in the mine was insanely difficult and dangerous for all parties involved. Our tour group got a tiny taste of the pains a miner went through every day as we crouched in the low passages and shuffled through three-foot tunnels. After the hour-long tour, I can't express how relieved I was to see daylight at the top of the stairs; I truly can't imagine how the miners must have felt when they saw the sunbeams streaming through that exit after an <i>entire day</i> underground.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQPcoaLdksA4Ft6ymKvO0BDQqjev2f2cRXemO-nVjLNwIxzqzfuff7FPrLvNPF-paHJBQ4PFqL4CWWNEFdzr-67AtBuG76x-oId8U_t0RidGyEnvEEf7FFgRAHtvN_bjZsXJc2MJSAUHs/s1600/DSC00604.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQPcoaLdksA4Ft6ymKvO0BDQqjev2f2cRXemO-nVjLNwIxzqzfuff7FPrLvNPF-paHJBQ4PFqL4CWWNEFdzr-67AtBuG76x-oId8U_t0RidGyEnvEEf7FFgRAHtvN_bjZsXJc2MJSAUHs/s1600/DSC00604.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The typical garb of a miner</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA9XAfMFyhnEUkgcnl2CL-CsWEHdjEYyedanymobfFWMgItNAXdBWmvG8R56YZ-ZvI_GFy3SHSKWVNORYyOEAK0gpVBFuRUjiihnBv_JocSshA2g9r5fbCCk8D288B9eOndF-mQNjRhPU/s1600/DSC00629.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA9XAfMFyhnEUkgcnl2CL-CsWEHdjEYyedanymobfFWMgItNAXdBWmvG8R56YZ-ZvI_GFy3SHSKWVNORYyOEAK0gpVBFuRUjiihnBv_JocSshA2g9r5fbCCk8D288B9eOndF-mQNjRhPU/s1600/DSC00629.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the Parque de Isidora Cousiño</td></tr>
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After a refreshing lunch, we briefly visited a local museum about the mines and local families, then walked to El Parque Isidora Cousiño, a famous park in Lota founded by the owners of mining companies. We got to go on a guided tour through the park and explored the various sculpture and garden displays scattered throughout the area. From a portion of the park we could see the rest of Lota and the harbor down below; it was so beautiful, with all of the bright boats bobbing on the waves, the fog clinging to the coastline, and the seemingly-endless sea <span style="text-align: center;">stretching out before us. </span><span style="text-align: center;">Being so close to the ocean made me miss Michigan's lakes a little, I won't lie. After we'd walked through all of the park, we took the bus back to Concepción, and then changed buses to return to Chillán.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8GU_JOmCjzx7TMx-uLjUzf1BHN7CSBc1Os9ZJ1u0TUwZQaGOVWCJGj54eOGMPYnF6dzt48sx3573r16QT_VIkROwz7M6RfDoZE3JPNfRnqifEVSwPZeak83A3A_9so4TTIIeBc8nyhNA/s1600/DSC00654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8GU_JOmCjzx7TMx-uLjUzf1BHN7CSBc1Os9ZJ1u0TUwZQaGOVWCJGj54eOGMPYnF6dzt48sx3573r16QT_VIkROwz7M6RfDoZE3JPNfRnqifEVSwPZeak83A3A_9so4TTIIeBc8nyhNA/s1600/DSC00654.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lota and the harbor</td></tr>
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<br />
This little day trip also managed to get me thinking about my future. We were joined in our tour group by Allison, a former Grand Valley Laker. She graduated last semester with a degree in Secondary English Education, which is what I'm studying. Allison just arrived in Chile two weeks ago and started working with the staff at Univerisdad del Bío-Bío to revise the curriculum for teaching English to college students, and she's also developing a test specifically to measure the English levels of UBB students. This impressed me because I've never seriously considered doing anything with my degree other than teach English to high school students in Michigan --- until now. It would be really cool to go to another country and teach English in a college or high school, or develop curriculum to help with<br />
teaching English... the possibilities seem endless! I guess I'll<br />
just have to wait and see what God has in store for my future (:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpsvJatZTuluA2dAMhoVzI8uVvbKhLnSFkBmFrsWPDgzocv_JMO4emfyYVIv79Lk5BDva0nBP2JPOUGceJcwFoQIy7zfoak0Wit6rhlo_F0m3BNWFkmkAUdNSey9BgsqDK_p-F0yBk3w/s1600/DSC00661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpsvJatZTuluA2dAMhoVzI8uVvbKhLnSFkBmFrsWPDgzocv_JMO4emfyYVIv79Lk5BDva0nBP2JPOUGceJcwFoQIy7zfoak0Wit6rhlo_F0m3BNWFkmkAUdNSey9BgsqDK_p-F0yBk3w/s1600/DSC00661.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Emily!</td></tr>
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Anyway, that's what I have for now! Thanks again for reading, thinking of me, and praying for me! Sending lots of love from South America!<br />
<br />
Besos,<br />
<br />
Gail (:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqHC5qiTU1xFYX3p2PAExG1oFepTvxRR86tTQY46tIsiffX1DesBbR4GJieOqWBXxsBVpx5RFKajH_ou6y1wcq_KqBAgHEWcYgcI19JS_6xiJ4M23BYDMuWoYMXDLMjAphuFDkuONZmqs/s1600/Chile+mine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqHC5qiTU1xFYX3p2PAExG1oFepTvxRR86tTQY46tIsiffX1DesBbR4GJieOqWBXxsBVpx5RFKajH_ou6y1wcq_KqBAgHEWcYgcI19JS_6xiJ4M23BYDMuWoYMXDLMjAphuFDkuONZmqs/s1600/Chile+mine.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pre-mine shot courtesy of Hayley</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjz7se0SHHeKUU6VyB9_RLjHKH9y96xrjTIhENjnlNzl83BTawEoCmp9fpjp2eHWG7paD7Dzd79U-SD6DZ00lOQ09k5UKJAinilNuiZ62Huj7Smi0fAYR_6GYAyz-NMzkhgU0VoBN9oFw/s1600/DSC00619.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjz7se0SHHeKUU6VyB9_RLjHKH9y96xrjTIhENjnlNzl83BTawEoCmp9fpjp2eHWG7paD7Dzd79U-SD6DZ00lOQ09k5UKJAinilNuiZ62Huj7Smi0fAYR_6GYAyz-NMzkhgU0VoBN9oFw/s1600/DSC00619.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outside of the Parque de Isidora Cousiño</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14811161860662752098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4721493516277405626.post-14469267703535923252013-08-19T22:06:00.000-07:002013-08-19T22:10:19.792-07:00A Weekend in PucónHey everyone! I know that it's been a little bit, but I hadn't really done anything super exciting/worthy of an entirely new post... until this weekend! I finally did a bit of traveling through Chile, and now I have stories to tell you (: Just to warn you, though, this will be a semi-long post, considering that I have to cover the events of four days. But there are pictures to reward you for reading, I assure you!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRPxjZeMcgpYbO_ibWjB0Tf_u3zrMYabpeC0Q7TiiQBjfa0GKkiLQgQqUQo1esJQ_DKkUmqzNmYTgnFjbPKIqEnywWLg1IPkiV2vMpfZ4djXM3NtEE-rnhJJ51NSmxOYqPKuKAL5uRR5o/s1600/DSC00322.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRPxjZeMcgpYbO_ibWjB0Tf_u3zrMYabpeC0Q7TiiQBjfa0GKkiLQgQqUQo1esJQ_DKkUmqzNmYTgnFjbPKIqEnywWLg1IPkiV2vMpfZ4djXM3NtEE-rnhJJ51NSmxOYqPKuKAL5uRR5o/s1600/DSC00322.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lake next to Pucón</td></tr>
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We didn't have classes last week Thursday or Friday for the religious holiday <i>Asunción de la Virgen</i>, so my fellow Grand Valley study abroad students and I planned a long weekend trip to the touristy city of Pucón, Chile. On Wednesday afternoon we took a 6-hour bus ride from Chillán to Pucón, and arrived in the city around 10:30 pm. We had been planning to ask directions to the hostel --- El Hostal Wohlenberg, for anyone interested in staying in Pucón --- once we got to the bus terminal in Pucón, but to our dismay we discovered that there was no one around who knew where the hostel was. And none of us had had the foresight to look up directions from the bus station to the hostel prior to the trip. Whoops. Since it's not exactly the smartest thing for tourists to wander around an unfamiliar city in the dark whilst carrying luggage, we called the hostel owner, Eric, to ask for directions.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHHFJxzFc43NqYuhp0PJEXuGV2if_cjgGh9D1U_UtG86Rw_oeDfGXJcg1FDcXCJgda_1jDnRvw7enHlE4D9FV9PxAxCJnb-M1aizEdgLVfxZjzxh-011Zx-doHNnkxhi69_zxNNALpbB0/s1600/DSC00343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHHFJxzFc43NqYuhp0PJEXuGV2if_cjgGh9D1U_UtG86Rw_oeDfGXJcg1FDcXCJgda_1jDnRvw7enHlE4D9FV9PxAxCJnb-M1aizEdgLVfxZjzxh-011Zx-doHNnkxhi69_zxNNALpbB0/s1600/DSC00343.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">We can see the mountains! </td></tr>
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<br />
We discovered that he is a super nice person, as he came to pick us up from the terminal in his own car, and also brought us back to the station on Sunday. Upon our arrival to the hostel, we settled into our respective rooms (James was the only guy in the group, so he got a room all to himself) and relaxed a little, and we also began to plan the rest of our weekend.<br />
<br />
It was gray and rainy on Thursday when we woke, so we went on a walk to explore the city a little, taking in everything from the volcano alert system to the street musicians. Despite the overcast sky, it was amazing to see the misty mountains so close to the town, and I was struck by the sheer beauty of the area. Joined by four stray dogs who temporarily adopted us, we walked down to a huge lake bordered by a black-sand beach and just enjoyed the scenery. Afterwards, we traveled to Los Polzones, a cluster of <i>termas</i>, or natural outdoor hot springs, in the foothills of the Andes. The pools had a wide range of temperatures ranging from absolutely freezing to hot tub sans bubbles. Because it was drizzling and a little cool, the springs felt absolutely wonderful, and we had a blast testing them all out --- even the bone-chilling one.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj31uF1qK8eQPQ1habCEtkBm8Y_jzQV76JTQAZjoMuqdKub6i8AnSebNJiFY2ck_ECjJTaYKHo4-fQLf_O3ZHbpvesQthhKG_uH4VTC6mU59UGSK74ZyPpOnfMvRPqXOPXc4ooEf5NgkXA/s1600/DSC00362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj31uF1qK8eQPQ1habCEtkBm8Y_jzQV76JTQAZjoMuqdKub6i8AnSebNJiFY2ck_ECjJTaYKHo4-fQLf_O3ZHbpvesQthhKG_uH4VTC6mU59UGSK74ZyPpOnfMvRPqXOPXc4ooEf5NgkXA/s1600/DSC00362.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">This was the really cold one - no one's in it!</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0129z0eOX6oWhlA3wXtvdXa0aqHXfA4PNryFOHIJS6XBbH_DA8jCv8teuNriHmGw9a640VEGsdWxbPt5RuEY0MajE4xoz8CKO7t6TAGZITukF8rdJ16dQzF924fDOkB1sRwbibd9GgVM/s1600/DSC00367.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0129z0eOX6oWhlA3wXtvdXa0aqHXfA4PNryFOHIJS6XBbH_DA8jCv8teuNriHmGw9a640VEGsdWxbPt5RuEY0MajE4xoz8CKO7t6TAGZITukF8rdJ16dQzF924fDOkB1sRwbibd9GgVM/s1600/DSC00367.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">The termas were right next to a river. Beautiful</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDo2AjXjYOmz7ZJOpo0QR2mgAZWdeF19z-2IafG6r6RYmLeHRsL0kbcigLjLIDcqIZmmg8YWvNwQJaNzSjQq0B5kLM8eOzkTOZ-t3YATwW44_Jd1bgpoiE6xtQa64re7xPm9yyrlaUCDM/s1600/DSC00404.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDo2AjXjYOmz7ZJOpo0QR2mgAZWdeF19z-2IafG6r6RYmLeHRsL0kbcigLjLIDcqIZmmg8YWvNwQJaNzSjQq0B5kLM8eOzkTOZ-t3YATwW44_Jd1bgpoiE6xtQa64re7xPm9yyrlaUCDM/s1600/DSC00404.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gail, fearless mountaineer</td></tr>
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Bright and early Friday morning we traveled to el Volcán Villarrica, the active volcano near Pucón that we could see from our hostel's deck. We planned to hike up the volcano with a guide. I will admit that I was very nervous about this; I'm not the outdoorsy type at all, and hiking is not exactly my idea of fun. Honestly, the whole climb was a significant struggle, and I'm very grateful for the wonderful ladies from GV who were with me and encouraged me the whole way, helping me to push myself farther than I ever thought I'd go. I'll spare you the details, but I was very glad when the other girls expressed similar sentiments to return down the volcano about a quarter of the way up. Our guide, Patricia, was absolutely wonderful to us and gave us a lot of patience and encouragement.<br />
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First we had to essentially walk down the snowy slopes with claw-like contraptions strapped to our feet; this was particularly scary as you're walking down an icy, 60-degree slope and one slip can cause you to tumble hundreds of feet before stopping in a relatively flat portion; I'm sure I was not the only one fervently praying to God for safety during the descent. This was very slow going, and we were all excited when Patricia showed us a new way to descend: using little circular sleds, we could slide down the volcano, which was extremely fun (much cooler than Minneapolis Hill could ever be, my Yooper friends)! Upon returning to the lodge where we waited for the rest of the group, we discovered that our companion James was one of the two people from the group to reach the top of the volcano --- yay James! He took my camera up with him, so we've got photos as proof of his amazing feat, and we're very proud of him (:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigSMQYIHOMqLyhhVrQ7KMCP3qneqIaiGi5m8CqI_tov1PVHivGJgOVld5s7EOShbJhM7zf93IPRPjAHnP93VYo08Du9OYThK9Aw_mxZHOuYmFgOEVk8Ld1C6IhbMD5RxYI267_OZV4nl0/s1600/DSC00422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigSMQYIHOMqLyhhVrQ7KMCP3qneqIaiGi5m8CqI_tov1PVHivGJgOVld5s7EOShbJhM7zf93IPRPjAHnP93VYo08Du9OYThK9Aw_mxZHOuYmFgOEVk8Ld1C6IhbMD5RxYI267_OZV4nl0/s1600/DSC00422.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from the top of the volcano, courtesy of James</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj239BBoOZqO8v3suYuU3AEOZKbp241fF4eW5BmGRGoVCyYfKzuma6sVQbpkWQRhhTzV0m8WbYg8qHLo0B7nJ9b43Mlq3uTlZofd1j0dTAkbEGMCyNRP8kSE8MVbMoTm_O-p0S0eS_XnwU/s1600/DSC00431.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj239BBoOZqO8v3suYuU3AEOZKbp241fF4eW5BmGRGoVCyYfKzuma6sVQbpkWQRhhTzV0m8WbYg8qHLo0B7nJ9b43Mlq3uTlZofd1j0dTAkbEGMCyNRP8kSE8MVbMoTm_O-p0S0eS_XnwU/s1600/DSC00431.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The volcano's top</td></tr>
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After this extreme excursion, we were all extremely sore and tired, and fully expected to relax for all of Saturday. Wrong! We ended up meandering though the touristy shops in Pucón during the morning, and in the afternoon we went with a young couple from Colorado to Cañi National Park, which features nature trails up the side of a mountain... which meant more hiking. Surprisingly, the hiking wasn't quite as terrible as I'd thought it was (I think it actually loosened up my sore muscles from the previous day's trek), but while James headed up the mountain with the Coloradans, we ladies found a beautiful view about a quarter of the way up the mountain and just stayed there, enjoying the spectacular surroundings. Once we'd all returned to Pucón and had eaten, we went out for a final night on the town with fellow foreigners. I will say that one fantastic part of Pucón was that since it's a tourist town attracting visitors from all over the world, we were not the only gringos in the area, and therefore we received less stares than what we usually get here in Chillán.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">We climbed that volcano!</td></tr>
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Once we'd said goodbye to Eric and his fantastic dog Mack, we boarded the bus and were homeward bound. The trip was made significantly less tedious than the first because immediately in front of me sat a little girl of about three years who needed entertainment. James made it his personal goal to become her friend, and we all had a great time watching his attempts and providing ideas on how to keep her entertained. Although this was all very well and good, I cannot express how happy I was to return to my house here in Chillán and see my host family once again. Even though it was an awesome weekend, it's good to be home. Thanks to everyone for reading! Sending my love and thanks to you all!<br />
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Gail<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDhFwEz9HLWnW3g2xfxaP4-QzxsbddhCYQZod-tBeDu8RzJ0CT86BtOvaBJld7xxvuA1Z0x2Z65aA_HepTGSBSrSk5XbUpp7dcGz14ewrvuT_4o9fszgRkfHaRncmgczvgRgxel30mwlw/s1600/DSC00351.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDhFwEz9HLWnW3g2xfxaP4-QzxsbddhCYQZod-tBeDu8RzJ0CT86BtOvaBJld7xxvuA1Z0x2Z65aA_HepTGSBSrSk5XbUpp7dcGz14ewrvuT_4o9fszgRkfHaRncmgczvgRgxel30mwlw/s1600/DSC00351.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">At the termas!</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioWpBoZ36bF3BGf-qdJeiUinjd5ua7lwVZUOArYxHVEYVL93XfmE581o6ipmpeD6aWoTVMOmjMGiHdvoLNuMC2CE2NFYbW4e-RUA_65X2nPbz3nHEp34gj_jsr5PqPB8oqIMCaEAkDu8M/s1600/DSC00459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioWpBoZ36bF3BGf-qdJeiUinjd5ua7lwVZUOArYxHVEYVL93XfmE581o6ipmpeD6aWoTVMOmjMGiHdvoLNuMC2CE2NFYbW4e-RUA_65X2nPbz3nHEp34gj_jsr5PqPB8oqIMCaEAkDu8M/s1600/DSC00459.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">The view from our vantage point in Cañi</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14811161860662752098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4721493516277405626.post-52925895899619039472013-08-04T21:46:00.002-07:002013-08-04T21:47:38.102-07:00Changes in My LifeIt's hard to believe that I only arrived in Chile a just over a week ago; it feels like a lot longer than that. I guess that means that I'm settling in and getting used to life here. I mean, there're still a LOT of things to get used to: eating breakfast around 11 am, lunch between 2-4 pm, and dinner (called <i>once </i>here) between 8-10 pm; the stray dogs wandering the streets (there have been two that I seriously wanted to ship back home for me... I feel like resisting their sweet eyes and wagging tails is going to be one of the most difficult parts of my time here); and of course being surrounded by the Spanish language every day and in every place, just to name a few differences between my life in the States and my life here.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWR144VSzsFACp3BaRime0tykU4fLCTEwVBL9jVDy1yLqgJEpUXqNmBvw_fHk4m6pHCxwnJ6kZC3257tOgw625owIfpoebef-ARaJ0r8_VZHCIQ5B-AwjhoqUQAfMHfIjttHnIz5Yjy94/s1600/DSC00210.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWR144VSzsFACp3BaRime0tykU4fLCTEwVBL9jVDy1yLqgJEpUXqNmBvw_fHk4m6pHCxwnJ6kZC3257tOgw625owIfpoebef-ARaJ0r8_VZHCIQ5B-AwjhoqUQAfMHfIjttHnIz5Yjy94/s1600/DSC00210.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My room!</td></tr>
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I think one thing that really surprised me about here is the amount of English that I come into contact with during daily activities. A pet peeve that I've run into is that people here automatically try to talk to me in English while I'm here. Instead of trying to communicate with me or try to explain in Spanish, they instead try to speak to me in broken English --- which usually just confuses me more. Just because I'm not a native speaker doesn't mean that I can't understand Spanish; I may just need a little more explanation and/or time to process. Grr.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3Nz-zy60kGG_JNyxYOjvllzD8Pq7mKUZPygwLIWCDRFY8N0D6QViMz88_kbcJ4XG94rV2tH0-fu-8xrYmtkDSgtboIamOc3FjWWhdZim7RMA9j0Mr8n-2Moyr2vK4w4cqdqyhc_Agpc/s1600/DSC00212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3Nz-zy60kGG_JNyxYOjvllzD8Pq7mKUZPygwLIWCDRFY8N0D6QViMz88_kbcJ4XG94rV2tH0-fu-8xrYmtkDSgtboIamOc3FjWWhdZim7RMA9j0Mr8n-2Moyr2vK4w4cqdqyhc_Agpc/s1600/DSC00212.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bathroom!</td></tr>
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I've also encountered a lot of English in programs playing on TV. It seems like every day there's at least one American show or movie on the TV with a Spanish translation superimposed over the images that are obviously spoken in English. In fact, I was just joking with my family tonight that I might watch more English movies here than I do back home. In addition to the television, American music is also super popular here --- I've been hearing everything from Maroon 5 to Rihanna to Queen. Sometimes it makes it hard to focus upon what's being said in Spanish around me and on the TV when I recognize the songs in the background and have the English lyrics flowing through my mind. I can't wait for the day that I won't have to focus hard and fight to tune everything else out in order to understand the Spanish shows.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of storage for my treasures</td></tr>
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But enough about that. Time to relate a little bit of what I've been up to and experiencing thus far. Last Sunday I got to move into MY room. It's extremely nice; I have my own queen-sized bed, a lot of storage space, a personal propane heater, and a bathroom --- all to myself! The only downside is that it's not on the same level as the rest of my family's rooms are, so I'm farther from them :( but this just forces me to leave my room more and be social... oh darn.<br />
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Also this past week, I was able to go to the local market twice with the other GV study abroad students. I really love the market --- so many colors, trinkets, and pretty things to admire. Pretty sure I'm going to be back there many times, and a lot of my purchases are probably going to be from there. I actually broke down and bought a scarf (thanks to Hayley) when there the first time, and I absolutely love it. Hayley and I actually got little handcrafted clay pigs as gifts from the scarf vendor. It's so adorable and currently has a place on my nightstand.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clay pig!</td></tr>
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Today I went with my family to Concepción for my Chilean sister Natalia's handbol games. It was a really interesting sport to watch, even though after two games I haven't quite figured out the rules. The game is played inside a big pavilion with a court larger than a basketball court, and there are soccer nets at each end. Each team has six player on the court at once, and the object is to make goals by throwing the cantaloupe-sized balls past the goalie. It almost seems like a game of soccer, except that you seem to be able to almost tackle people like football. I've never heard of this game being played in the States (it's obviously much different from what I'd considered to be handball, haha), but I definitely have a respect for the high school girls that I watched play for an hour straight in this grueling game.<br />
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Well, that's all for now! I have to head to bed because I have a long week of classes ahead of me, which I'm sure to write about soon! ¡Adios a todos!<br />
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Gail (:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mi estufa</i>... finally figured out how to work it!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My pretty scarf (=</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14811161860662752098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4721493516277405626.post-31796654179856024472013-07-26T23:29:00.001-07:002013-07-26T23:29:24.399-07:00Traveling and My First Day in Chile Hello everyone! Thanks for coming to check out my blog about my adventures in South America... get the Disney and Pixar's <i>UP</i> reference in the blog title? ;)<br />
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Today was the first day ever that I woke up and I wasn't in the United States. In fact, I'm not even in North America, or the Northern Hemisphere! It's still super surreal to me; it almost seems like a dream and I'm afraid that suddenly I'm going to wake up in Michigan. But I know it's not a dream at all, and I'm about to spend the next five months surrounded by the Spanish language and Chilean culture --- how cool is that? Super cool! Anyway, time to get everyone up-to-date on the events thus far in my adventure, and I promise that I'll be as brief as possible, because I tend to babble in both my speech and in my writing.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-d466kivK47mfvVhwADtS1G3pI52TpvxgLRZzeZgH4ZaPWMZ1vjSL56D9bFi3MJJlt74hHzcDy9Ak7BJ6eK2YfYhVnepL0gxRkQBJp15JKQDqsITOErrHqa8EHTQi7faI4B1oXQEqkc/s1600/DSC00206.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-d466kivK47mfvVhwADtS1G3pI52TpvxgLRZzeZgH4ZaPWMZ1vjSL56D9bFi3MJJlt74hHzcDy9Ak7BJ6eK2YfYhVnepL0gxRkQBJp15JKQDqsITOErrHqa8EHTQi7faI4B1oXQEqkc/s1600/DSC00206.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
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Wednesday afternoon I arrived at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport with my parents and sister. I'll admit that the airport was kind of overwhelming --- I'd never flown before, and I hadn't been in an airport since I was knee-high to a grasshopper. But we got everything figured out and soon I was boarding the plane with Kristin, my traveling buddy and fellow GVSU Laker, for my first flight ever.<br />
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It only took an hour to fly from Detroit to Atlanta, so Kristin and I were excited because we had arrived early and had about two hours to relax and eat and such before we were to take our second and final flight to Chile; however, this excitement quickly turned to disappointment and frustration when we learned that our flight had been delayed for ten hours due to mechanical issues, meaning that instead of arriving in Santiago at 8 am as we'd initially planned, we were going to be leaving Atlanta at that time. Delta Airlines did impress us, though, because they gave us vouchers and a toiletries kit to make up for the inconvenience, as well as got us nice rooms in the Westin Airport Hotel (yay Delta!). Although we were a little less than bright-eyed and bushy-tailed on Thursday morning, we boarded the plane for the long flight to Chile, which actually wasn't nearly as bad as I'd expected it to be.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg__GZ2K2yIT35PS8ufcH6SfmYMrzxPdutocYoVUUjh6cWv7e53z0qk4L-4NOnRrcQqDVOBJjx1fh9uHRDLqsve9pAowrOaZnv4tEysEZMs-4WFOF-RCnEUp0T72xe_Q470yDu0zDfA2KA/s1600/DSC07037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg__GZ2K2yIT35PS8ufcH6SfmYMrzxPdutocYoVUUjh6cWv7e53z0qk4L-4NOnRrcQqDVOBJjx1fh9uHRDLqsve9pAowrOaZnv4tEysEZMs-4WFOF-RCnEUp0T72xe_Q470yDu0zDfA2KA/s1600/DSC07037.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My swanky hotel room... ignore my mess, por favor </td></tr>
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The arrival in Santiago was a bit more stressful than I'd imagined, between dealing with the unfamiliar Chilean accent, the complicated shuttle system, and a busy bus station in which Kristin and I stood out like sore thumbs because of our blonde hair. Never was I more grateful to get on a bus for a five-hour ride than last night at 9:30 pm, but everything was well-worth it to finally get to meet my host mom Jeannette and house brother JuanPablo immediately after my arrival in Chillán. I'm extremely excited to live with them and to learn everything that they can teach me about Chilean culture, Chile itself, and the Spanish language. (:<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigBfnCF63y8r15rVTViNTU_7JjnU4AciulPeZatKte12YNBNQM8yWcQy3l9dYDgpyin6hxniKr_3fCrfBiOQfPVk7SS9ggIJZ_g5FmBhBC8REjfs-OOWj-LCfvBNTjicU8p-8badSx_mk/s1600/DSC00198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigBfnCF63y8r15rVTViNTU_7JjnU4AciulPeZatKte12YNBNQM8yWcQy3l9dYDgpyin6hxniKr_3fCrfBiOQfPVk7SS9ggIJZ_g5FmBhBC8REjfs-OOWj-LCfvBNTjicU8p-8badSx_mk/s1600/DSC00198.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">My first view of the mountains of Chile!<br />Taken by my French seat buddy Cyril<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs2fGaXVQMrPf5s04L4k_LtRVbsAdVDSxaCGwZKOjka-Br8m9EkoWgeATF-Irp4N4aaxZ33hKfFSQs8YulE2b8dSY0Jw_LweWrFzhxCHFvNaqE0YiSQao5Tl3ra4JekOsnIZzuop8Rlp0/s1600/DSC00207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs2fGaXVQMrPf5s04L4k_LtRVbsAdVDSxaCGwZKOjka-Br8m9EkoWgeATF-Irp4N4aaxZ33hKfFSQs8YulE2b8dSY0Jw_LweWrFzhxCHFvNaqE0YiSQao5Tl3ra4JekOsnIZzuop8Rlp0/s1600/DSC00207.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Emily and Kristin, two of my fellow GVSU Lakers in Chile (:</td></tr>
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Today I got to meet up with the four other GVSU students studying abroad in Chile, and also got to meet the other students studying abroad at la Universidad del Bío-Bío. We met up in Concepción, the city in which the main campus of UBB is located, then visited the museum for Pedro del Río Zañartu, a Chilean entrepreneur and writer closely associated with Concepción. Despite the rain, we then went to a nearby beach and got to take pictures of both the ocean and with the group. I got to see the Pacific Ocean for the first time! :D After this, we traveled to a seaside portion of the city and tried three different types of <i>encantadas</i>, which are essentially the Chilean version of a pasty --- very delicious! I can't wait to return in order to further explore Concepción.<br />
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Anyway, it's time for this girl to hit the hay --- it's been a longgggg two days. Thank you everyone for bearing with me through this super long post, and I promise that my future posts will be more exciting and thought-provoking! Lots of love!<br /><br />
Gail (:<br />
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