I’ve officially spent an entire month in Chile, but it feels like I’ve been here for so much longer. Everything is becoming more familiar. I know which streets the city bus takes to get from the school back home, I understand the dialect more and more every day, I’m training with the university’s basketball team and I’m finally feeling comfortable. I still have a lot to learn, but the initial shock of being here has passed.
One of the highlights of this month has been spending the weekend in San Fabián to celebrate Semana Santa and el Día de Pascua (Easter). Izzy and I both went with our families who have vacation houses next to each other.
We spent Saturday taking a short hike through the countryside nearby. At the end of the trail there was a beautiful river where we relaxed in the sun and took photos with our family. The rest of the day was spent lounging under the shade of a huge tree in a field near the end of the trail, surrounded by the picturesque Andes Mountains. We enjoyed a delicious picnic with many popular Chilean snacks such as crackers with cheese or salsa, ham and cheese sandwiches, fruit and a pastry called calzones rotos.
After eating, my host dad showed us the national Chilean bird, the Condor, flying in a flock above us amongst the tall trees. We found flat rocks to skip and had a competition for whoever could skip them the furthest. All in all, it was a day of enjoying each other’s company and the beautiful area around us.
Another highlight has to have been our recent trip to Valparaíso and Viña del Mar, two more touristy cities in Chile about an hour northwest of Santiago. This was a trip that we got to take with our study abroad coordinator, Florencia, who has visited these cities many times before with other students.
As part of our study abroad program, there is money included to be able to go on two trips with her, and this was our first one. We stayed in Viña del Mar, in a hotel called Cape Ducal that was built to look like a vintage boat. Our room overlooked the sea and some of the city and we watched the sunset from our balcony the night we arrived.
The next morning, we wanted to see a couple famous locations in Viña del Mar before we headed to Valparaíso. The first was called Castillo Wulff, a historic castle overlooking the sea, which was built for the Wulff family of German immigrants in 1906. We then stopped at the Reloj de Flores, which is a giant, functioning clock made of flowers and a popular spot for tourists to take photos.
We were then off to Valparaíso, a city known for its steep hills and colorful houses. The architecture is reminiscent of Europe, which is attributed to the influx of European immigrants who arrived in the 19th century. We caught a micro, (a local bus), to make the short ride over from Viña del Mar. The area that we stopped in was filled with shops, restaurants, colorful buildings and wall murals. We probably spent two hours just walking around, taking photos and soaking everything in. The city was so refreshing for us to see since it had a completely different feel and style than our small town of Chillán.
After we explored for a while, it was time to grab some lunch. We stopped at a restaurant called Fauna, where we could see an expansive view of the city right from our table. Valparaíso is known for its seafood, so I figured I had to try their salmon, and it was absolutely delicious! It was so relaxing to just talk with each other and enjoy our surroundings.
Izzy and I ventured off on our own after lunch to shop at the markets in Plaza Sotomayor. There were all kinds of handmade products being sold, such as jewelry, clothing, spices, magnets, key chains and knitted stuffed animals amongst many other items. To end our day, we stopped for a scoop of ice cream before catching another micro back to our hotel and watching the sunset from the beach.
The next morning, we visited sand dunes in Concón, a city about 20 minutes away from Viña del Mar. We hiked to the top of the highest dune and had so much fun taking photos and running barefoot through the soft sand. It was a relaxing change of pace from the bustling city of Valparaíso and we were grateful that we were able to experience both environments. Once we returned that afternoon, it was time to make the long drive back to Chillán.
April has held a wide range of experiences for us. While we’ve been able to enjoy lots of family time and become more comfortable speaking Spanish, we’ve also become more confident in ourselves and have taken our first trip away from our families. Each day spent here leaves us more sure of our ability to communicate and get around in an area that at first seemed so foreign. If we’ve already changed and learned this much in just a month, I can only imagine where we’ll be by the end. All I’m focusing on is appreciating every moment.
Hasta pronto,
Jordan