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Santiago
The view of Santiago from the top of Cerro San Cristobal. There should be mountains in the background but they are hidden by the smog. Howdy! Sorry it has been a while since I last wrote but there is always somehing going on and its hard to find time to sit down on the internet. Either that or i am just lazy, you decide. So, the last time i wrote i mentioned that i was going to a Roger Waters concert, which I did and it was brilliant. The setting was really cool and the music hasn't lost its affect over time. The weekend after that, three weekends ago, i went to Mendoza, a city in Argentina of about a million people. I really liked the city and the spanish they spoke there was easier for me to understand, everything was a lot cheaper and the food was great. The bus journey was about seven hours (well six hours on the way there and seven hours on the way back because the Chilean border guards were freaking out because someone had the cheek to try and smuggle two apples into their country) and it goes right through the heart of the Andes so it was pretty cool even though i was exhausted. This was because me and a Hawaian named Owen decided that, because we had
Cerro Santa Lucia
This is a castle on the top of a hill in Santiago. Everyday at noon a cannon is fired there. I dindn't realise this and I was a bit scared when it happened (only a bit) to catch the bus at eight in the morning, it would be best to stay out all night. It turned out to be quite a good idea because it was quite a funny night which included us stumbling into an after hours gay bar where it took us about an hour to realise that it was actually a gar bar (maybe a bit drunk?) The line of the night was "para mi solamente las mujeres pero mi amigo no estoy seguro" which means "i only like women but my friend, I am not sure" we found out the next day that both of us had been saying the same thing.
Anyway Mendoza, on the Saturday we explored the city and did a little shopping making the most of the prices and on the Sunday we went white water rafting in the Rio Mendoza. The ride was three hours long and the river cuts straight through the Andes so either we were amazed by the scenery or we were crapping ourselves about the waves. Me and a Canadian, Mark, managed to go overboard at the same time and I found the brief swim quite exhilerating but Mark didn't agree. This was
probably because he managed to hit his knee on a rock and had to swim back to the boat whereas I didn't hit anything and surfaced right next to the canoe man who dragged my sorry ass back to the boat 😊 It was a great experience and my only complaint is that I couldn't take my camera with me. So in conclusion Argentina is really cool, so cool in fact that I have deided to make it my next stop. On Saturday I will take a 16 hour bus ride to Bariloche, a town in the lake district of Argentina. I have booked two weeks in the language school there (which is run by the same people as the one I am currently in) and I may book a few more if I like it. I am already really anxious to get there because, even though I like it here in Santiago, after experinceing just a little bit of what else South America can offer, I am keen to leave.
Ok so the following weekend on the Saturday, I went on a marathon horse ride in the Andes. It lasted about seven hours with a few breaks for a
The Virgin Mary
She looks over Santiago from the top of Cerro San Cristobal barbecue and to swim (well stand) under a waterfall. It was a kind of surreal experience and at times I really couldnt believe where I was and the landscapes I was seeing. I suffered for the experience the next two days though, everytime i sat down it was I was in a lot of pain. On the Sunday, I took a bus with a few friends to a place called Isla Negra. This is a coastal town most famous for the house of the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda and I have to say its probably the coolest house I've seen. Unfortunately no pictures were allowed and I got told off for trying to take one. Anyway the house is right on the beach and is full of loads of quirky maritime things. after visiting the house and spending a bit of time at the beach (all suncreamed up) we headed on to a Port town called San Antonio, which wasnt such an amazing place but the trip was worth it just for the bus journey were a Chilean couple brought a TV and some other things they had just stolen on to the bus. I know this because five minutes
La Plaza de Armas
The central square in Santiago with the Cathedral in the Background down the road the bus was pulled over by the police and the man managed to get out of the back of the bus and a chase ensued. The women was left on the bus, where after a brief interrogation she was reprimanded and all was well in the world. We never saw if the man was caught though.
The following weekend, last weekend, I did little other than stay in bed on the Saturday but on Sunday I visited Valparaiso, a port town about 1 and half hours from Santiago. Valparaiso is built into the side of a hill and consequenlty has a really unique feel to it. The coolest thing about it is riding its fenicular railways, of which there are many. Also there is another uniquely designed house of Pablo Neruda with amazing views out to the sea. So far Valparaiso is the nicest town I have visited in Chile.
Apart from my weekend trips, my weekdays usually involve classes between 2 and 6 and the school usually organizes activities or trips to places of interest which I attend if I can get myself out of bed in time. As for the school itself, I really couldn't
La Moneda
The presidential palace that was bombed in the 1973 coup and where the then president Salvador Allende supposedly took his own life. have hoped for more. i have had four teachers so far and every one has been excellent, all the other staff who work here are all really friendly and there is a good mix of students even if the there is maybe to higher percentage of english speakers here, which makes far to easier to speak english all the time. My understanding of spanish has improved quite a lot, I am confident I can understand most of what is bing said to me, and even if I dont understand the words I can usually grasp the general idea. However, i dont feel as if my speaking has really progressed a great deal, but this is always the hardest part. I am enjoing staying with my Chilean family, theya re all really kind and accommodating. A couple nights ago I found out that the parents were both and still are Pinochet supporters. This is not such an unusual thing considering approximately 40% of the population are the same. However, what the Dad told me did shock me. Immediately after the miltary coup in 1973, many of the left wing elements of society were rounded into the Esdadio Nacional and many were
Our toilet in Mendoza
This is the only picture I have of Mendoza but its a good one. Mark is kindly demonstrating the "ass hose" feature on this toliet. When i tried I sprayed myself in the face. tortured and some killed. I already knew this when the Dad started explaining but he finished up his explanation by saying that he belived that there was no other alternative. I choked on my tea
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