It's so beautiful here...I was wearing shorts and a tshirt and felt perfectly content.
More photos after the jump :)
Monday, February 28, 2011
La ciudad jardín
After waking up super late (noon, to be exact, and I'm still tired! haha), I unpacked completely--my clothes are all folded, hung up, or put in drawers, which is a miracle, I know. My host mom, Tatiana made a tomato and basil pasta for lunch, which was delicious. Among other things, I brought 3 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies (Tagalongs, Thin Mints, and Samoas) for my family, which they were excited about because of course they've never even heard of Girl Scouts, let alone had Girl Scout Cookies. Then mi madre took me on a driving tour of Viña/Valpo, taking the scenic beach highway even though it takes longer to get around. We stopped at a few spots so I could take pictures.
More photos after the jump :)
More photos after the jump :)
Finally here!
I'm finally in Viña del Mar! The fight from Dallas to Santiago was 10 hours, and luckily the seat between the guy in my row and me was empty! So we switched off who got to lay down and sleep, haha. He was super nice--he and his brother own a lodge in Chaiten and go down to check up on things a few times a year. (I totally looked them up online--check out their photos here, they are unreal! How can you catch fish that big??) The meals weren't bad either--breakfast was a hot croissant/yogurt/fruit, and lunch/dinner was an indian curry with spinach and rice. Nommm.
One thing I am sad about is that since I was in the center part of the row, I wasn't near a window, so I didn't get any photos of the Andes when we were coming in. Big regret because the sun was setting and the view was breathtaking. I should have just asked someone. Oh well. On the flight back, I'll get some shots.
We got into Santiago around 8:30 CLT (CLT is 2 hours ahead of EST, just as a reference), but then I didn't get off the plane til around 9 because I was in the back. It seemed like forever that I had to stand in line--I think that both the visa line and customs took 2 hours total. I met some girls going to PUCV on the plane/in the airport, and it turned out that the three of us were all riding in a taxi van to Valparaíso together. The two hour ride was long, but it was fun to chat with people who are also international students! Valparaíso at night is so pretty--the lights on the hills were reflecting in the water so beautifully. Viña del Mar, where the three of us all are living in a home stay, is about a 15 minute drive from Valpo. It's equally beautiful in it's own way--it's called "La ciudad jardín" or "The Garden City," and there's flowers and trees everywhere. It's also much more gridded than Valpo.
After a hot shower, a quick tour and some food cooked by my host mom (it was so precious, she had rice and mushroom casserole and salad for me), I called my parents, and went to bed. Phew.
One thing I am sad about is that since I was in the center part of the row, I wasn't near a window, so I didn't get any photos of the Andes when we were coming in. Big regret because the sun was setting and the view was breathtaking. I should have just asked someone. Oh well. On the flight back, I'll get some shots.
We got into Santiago around 8:30 CLT (CLT is 2 hours ahead of EST, just as a reference), but then I didn't get off the plane til around 9 because I was in the back. It seemed like forever that I had to stand in line--I think that both the visa line and customs took 2 hours total. I met some girls going to PUCV on the plane/in the airport, and it turned out that the three of us were all riding in a taxi van to Valparaíso together. The two hour ride was long, but it was fun to chat with people who are also international students! Valparaíso at night is so pretty--the lights on the hills were reflecting in the water so beautifully. Viña del Mar, where the three of us all are living in a home stay, is about a 15 minute drive from Valpo. It's equally beautiful in it's own way--it's called "La ciudad jardín" or "The Garden City," and there's flowers and trees everywhere. It's also much more gridded than Valpo.
After a hot shower, a quick tour and some food cooked by my host mom (it was so precious, she had rice and mushroom casserole and salad for me), I called my parents, and went to bed. Phew.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
still stateside...
I'm sitting in a hotel in Dallas, Texas, instead of sleeping on a plane heading to Santiago, and I am very saddened by it. My flight was delayed until 7am, but I didn't get to the hotel until midnight because our bus driver lacked any sense of direction and couldn't find the hotel. (Seriously...we were driving around for an hour. wtf.) Considering my tiredness level and the fact that I have to be back at DFW at 5, I think that if I sleep I'll oversleep my flight. Which would be bad.
Aside from the whole arriving-in-chile-9-hours-later-than-expected thing, today has been a good travel day.
Knoxville was beautiful from above.
The Tennessee River and surrounding clouds were stunning--definitely going to miss them.
I sat George on my tray table because he was just not getting enough room to breathe, and I thought he looked quite dapper. Thus begins my airplane picnic photo shoot...I should do airplane photo shoots more often, they're quite fun.
I just loved the way the sun was setting on these wave-like clouds. So pretty.
Aside from the whole arriving-in-chile-9-hours-later-than-expected thing, today has been a good travel day.
Knoxville was beautiful from above.
The Tennessee River and surrounding clouds were stunning--definitely going to miss them.
I sat George on my tray table because he was just not getting enough room to breathe, and I thought he looked quite dapper. Thus begins my airplane picnic photo shoot...I should do airplane photo shoots more often, they're quite fun.
I just loved the way the sun was setting on these wave-like clouds. So pretty.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
"happy birthday"
Because yesterday was my last full day in America, and also because I'll have my birthday when I'm in Chile, my dad took Chelsea and I out to our favorite mexican restaurant to celebrate. Cheese dip, fajitas, and a pie in the face. Best unbirthday dinner :)
Thursday, February 17, 2011
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