Today Sara and I decided to take a half-day trip to Elqui Valley, which, of course, turned into a day-long adventure. We should have known. We bought tickets to leave at 11:30 am and got back at 7:00pm.
The Elqui Valley and the surrounding towns are famous first and foremost for the vineyards and the grapes used to make the Chilean liquor pisco. Up in the mountains there is a very picturesque valley with miles and miles of vineyards. We ate lunch today at a pisco distillery so Sara could sample the pisco, while I enjoyed my fruit juice blend. We walked the plazas in some of the towns along the way, took pictures of churches (so many churches!) and visited artesan booths and shops.
We also visited the Gabriela Mistral museum in Monte Grande--she is a very famous Chilean author who was the first Latin American to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature (check out some of her poetry when you get a second). She is also famous for being a school teacher and an advocate for education. She had an incredibly tragic life and had very few people that she loved, but her poetry reveals a side that many didn't see in person.
We got back to La Serena just in time for "onces". We decided against going to the cafe in the mall just down the street because we've been there twice and there are a couple of waiters who think we go there just for them. So we went downtown to have a sandwhich and some hot chocolate.
Tomorrow we travel back to Santiago. My host family was planning to come up north next week, but I think those plans have fallen through. So I'm not sure yet what I will be doing for the second week of vacation. Sara will be going even further north to San Pedro de Atacama. I think we'll spend tomorrow and Sunday in Santiago, though, and see another one of Pablo Neruda's houses. Besides, Santiago and I need to make peace since she stole my camera.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Thursday, July 19, 2007
The Penguin Reserve
What Sara and I thought would be a tour for a few hours only turned into an all-day event. The same tour that was supposed to pick us up yesterday afternoon at 4:00 picked us up at 8:30 this morning and brought us back at 5:00pm. It took us an hour and a half to get to the port, winding through the desert and small towns on gravel roads and up in the mountains. Once we were there, we put on our life jackets and got in a large boat with no top and motored around Choros Island. It was beautiful, and we saw lots of sea lions and only a few penguins because it's winter and they're nesting. Then we went to Damas Island and hiked around for an hour looking at the birds and rock formations and collecting large sea shells. The return trip in the boat back to the continent was much more chilly and wet from the wind and the spray from ocean waves--not the best combination for the middle of winter, but what were we doing on a boat tour in July in Chile in our right minds anyway??? After we got our land legs back we headed to at a little restaurant for a lunch of shrimp and cheese empanadas and grilled fish. Delicious. Everyone on our tour fell asleep in the tour van on the way back, despite the roads. Sara and I were exhausted but happy by the time we finally got back to the hostel. We're going to recoup for a while, then go out for "onces" and get some hot chocolate. Pictures will be forthcoming on my Facebook.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Vacation: 3rd Day in La Serena
Today we were supposed to go to the Penguin Reserve at 4:00. However, because it got a little overcast and chilly, the tour was cancelled. The thing about Chile is that you have to be flexible. You don't plan, you have possibilities. Nothing is ever certain until you're doing it. It seems that many Chileans are like that, too--you have an idea of what you want to do, and then you wait to see if it happens. We were told that the tour will happen tomorrow at 8:00 or 8:30, if the weather cooperates.
This morning while waiting to go on the tour Sara and I did some more sight seeing around town. We visited the Cathedral, a museum of religious art, and two artesan fairs. We're becoming quite the connoisseurs of Chilean crafts. The funny thing is, wherever we go everyone talks to Sara in Spanish, not me. Sara's family is from Iran, so she is easily mistaken for hispanic. Wherever we are, I ask the questions and the people tell Sara the answers. Apparently no one believes that the gringa can speak Spanish!
At one of the artesan fairs we were accosted by the workers of several restaurants. They go around recruiting people to eat at their restaurant. At one point Sara and I were surrounded by 6 or 7 woman shoving business cards at us and trying to convince us that their food was the best. Sara is convinced none of this would happen if I weren't blonde. Poor Sara, she has no peace with the tall American.
Tonight we're going to go out for tea, then we're going to check out a Tango bar. Could be awesome. Tomorrow, penguins (hopefully).
This morning while waiting to go on the tour Sara and I did some more sight seeing around town. We visited the Cathedral, a museum of religious art, and two artesan fairs. We're becoming quite the connoisseurs of Chilean crafts. The funny thing is, wherever we go everyone talks to Sara in Spanish, not me. Sara's family is from Iran, so she is easily mistaken for hispanic. Wherever we are, I ask the questions and the people tell Sara the answers. Apparently no one believes that the gringa can speak Spanish!
At one of the artesan fairs we were accosted by the workers of several restaurants. They go around recruiting people to eat at their restaurant. At one point Sara and I were surrounded by 6 or 7 woman shoving business cards at us and trying to convince us that their food was the best. Sara is convinced none of this would happen if I weren't blonde. Poor Sara, she has no peace with the tall American.
Tonight we're going to go out for tea, then we're going to check out a Tango bar. Could be awesome. Tomorrow, penguins (hopefully).
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Vacation: First Days in La Serena
The semester ended at school here, and I have two weeks of vacation. Originally the government wanted us volunteers to provide some kind of English winter camp during one week of the vacation, but when I talked to my director (principal) about it, he was against it. No staff or students will want to come, he said. So I get two weeks to explore Chile.
Sara and I decided to go north, partly because it's warmer. Sara is another volunteer, the one I spent the weekend with in Viña a couple weeks ago. The way to come north is to catch a bus, either from a bus station or on the road. It's cheaper to try and catch the bus on the bus route, but you never know if the bus will stop and so you don't know how long you're going to be waiting on the road. We decided to catch a bus to Santiago and buy a bus ticket at the bus station there--that we we knew we would have a ticket and a ride. We arrived in La Serena late last night and found a hostel close to the bus station and downtown.
La Serena is the second oldest city in Chile. It was founded in 1544 (or thereabouts) and is famous for the colonial architecture of the houses and the 39 churches from that era. It also has miles of beaches that we would frequent if it weren't one of the coldest months of the year. It was warmer than Santa María, though--we happily went around with only sweaters on. ¡Qué rico el sol!
Today we walked all over the place visiting plazas, shopping centers, the Archaeological Museum (where we saw one of the Maoi from Easter Island) and the beach. On the beach we rode horses next to the water. It was Sara's first time on a horse, and it was a little scary for her. But she's glad she did it.
The next couple of days we plan to go to the Elqui Valley and to the Nature Reserve to see the penguins. I will keep you posted on our adventures throughout the week.
Sara and I decided to go north, partly because it's warmer. Sara is another volunteer, the one I spent the weekend with in Viña a couple weeks ago. The way to come north is to catch a bus, either from a bus station or on the road. It's cheaper to try and catch the bus on the bus route, but you never know if the bus will stop and so you don't know how long you're going to be waiting on the road. We decided to catch a bus to Santiago and buy a bus ticket at the bus station there--that we we knew we would have a ticket and a ride. We arrived in La Serena late last night and found a hostel close to the bus station and downtown.
La Serena is the second oldest city in Chile. It was founded in 1544 (or thereabouts) and is famous for the colonial architecture of the houses and the 39 churches from that era. It also has miles of beaches that we would frequent if it weren't one of the coldest months of the year. It was warmer than Santa María, though--we happily went around with only sweaters on. ¡Qué rico el sol!
Today we walked all over the place visiting plazas, shopping centers, the Archaeological Museum (where we saw one of the Maoi from Easter Island) and the beach. On the beach we rode horses next to the water. It was Sara's first time on a horse, and it was a little scary for her. But she's glad she did it.
The next couple of days we plan to go to the Elqui Valley and to the Nature Reserve to see the penguins. I will keep you posted on our adventures throughout the week.
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