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Published: March 24th 2009
Hey all!
I made it safely to Santiago! I would have written yesterday but I think travelblog.com's server was down. I've been having a blast. My flights were not bad. They were LONG but not bad. I had a beautiful view of Panama City out of my window but I had stowed my camera and couldn't get it out in time to take a picture. We also flew over Cuba and I had a great view of the island as well. I arrived at about 6:30am on Sunday, March 22nd which means I totally lost Saturday to the plane.
The shuttle to the hostel gave me a glimpse of what the roads in Santiago would be like: the bigger and faster your vehicle the more right-of-way you have.
The hostel is pretty awesome. It has lots of character and a huge patio/courtyard in the back. I'm on the 4th and top floor. I definitely was displeased with this when I arrived with a backpack on my back and one on my front, both packed full. But I like my room and my roommates. There are about 37 volunteers from all over the United States (mostly CA and the NE),
2 from England, 2 from Sweden, and 1 from Australia.
I went for a walk around the city when I first arrive with one of my roommates who had studied abroad in Santiago about 2 years ago. He showed me the Presidential Palace, some side-streets with shopping, and an amazing park called "Cerro Santa Lucia" or "The Hill of Saint Lucia". Check out the pics to get an idea of what it looked like. The staircase was the steepest staircase I've ever seen! It seemed so dangerous but it was definitely worth it for the view from the top.
Today we went to the UN building for an amazing presentation by the program directors. We meant Chilean students and former teachers. Later we took a 2-hour Spanish test which we will retake at the end of the program to see how much we improved. We also stated a Spanish lesson which we will take every day this week. We find out on Friday where we are placed and on Saturday or Sunday we will travel to our sites.
Right now I am waiting for dinner and a beer.
Hope everyone is well!
Zach
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Mary Severson
non-member comment
Hi Z Fed!!
Hi Z Fed! Thanks for posting your notes and pics. Glad to hear you made it there. It looks like a beautiful place! It looks sunny and warm and pretty - it's interesting to see the mix of old stone historical structures and new high rises. I'm glad your hostel is OK. Have fun, be safe. I see you got rid of your beard! We miss you! It's busy as......you know.