Julie Shearer's Chile Plus3 Trip
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Day 13: Departure!
Friday, May 20, 2011
Day 12 in Chile: Our Last Day!
Today is Thursday May 19 2011 and unfortunately it is our last day in Chile. This morning, I started my day off with shopping at nearby stores and souvenir shops. I wanted to get some last minute gifts for people, but I did not end up buying anything but some cute postcards. We went to the pasteleria, which is a bakery close to these shops in Vina del Mar. I ordered a QueQue Individual, which was a muffin. It was very good, but I have no clue what kind of muffin it was. After the bakery, we went in search of a soccer store that was no longer open. At about this time, our small group had to return to the hotel so we could take a bus to the University. When we arrived at the University, we learned more about the majors offered at the University and becoming an exchange student. When we were walking to the cafeteria for lunch, we saw some dancers performing outside. They were doing certain traditional dances like the cueca. After some lunch, we went to the soccer and basketball courts where we had teams of Gringos versus Chileans. The teams were slightly mixed then afterwards with some Chileans and some Gringos on either team. A few others and I went back to the hotel early to pack and go to some shops before we eat dinner. I found a way to pack my steel-toed boots in my suitcase with all of my clothes and everything else. At around eight o’clock, everyone headed to a really nice pizza place to eat dinner for the last time with our Chilean friends. These individuals have really made our stay in Chile wonderful and we thanked them for showing us around and teaching us so much about their country and customs. It has been a wonderful experience and truly amazing opportunity. I cannot believe our two weeks has come to an end, but I loved every moment I spent here in Chile. Thank you to all of our Chilean amigos! Now, the only problem is the extremely long flight back home tomorrow.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Day 11 in Chile: Santiago!
It is Wednesday May 18th 2011 and we went to Santiago to visit Bolso de Comercio. This company was not as I had hoped it would be because its trade room for stock exchanges was under construction and we were not allowed to see inside it. I learned a lot about stock exchanges, banks, and brokers though. After this company visit, we walked around the city and saw where the president lives. This building was surrounded by many guards including the ones who cannot move or talk. We took a picture next to them and they did not look too pleased. Additionally, we stood out as gringos and many school kids were visiting this area and wanted to take pictures with us. I avoided the photographs, but some other people decided to join them in their photos. Next, we went to the Central Plaza in Santiago where many people were selling paintings. At this point, we went inside one of the nearby Catholic Churches. It was absolutely gorgeous with beautiful decorations on the inside. It reminded me of the churches in the movies with the very high ceilings and a large main aisle. After seeing the Catholic Church, we went to a museum that contained many different artifacts such as war related pictures and old pesos. At this time, it was close to 1:30 p.m. and we were all getting hungry, so we went to Mercado Central, which had a fish market inside and many restaurants. We ate here and I had chicken and mashed potatoes again because it has become my favorite meal here. Afterwards, we went to the hill where we could sightsee and buy some souvenirs. It was a really great view of Santiago, but it was slightly difficult to see with some of the fog. It took a few hours to drive back to the hotel, so most of us slept on the way back. My day ended with getting McDonalds for dinner and then going to a pub with just our group.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Day 10 in Chile: Spa Day!
It is Tuesday May 17 2011 and we went to the spa, which was actually like a resort and day spa. When we arrived, we had no clue what to expect. There were a bunch of little houses everywhere and we did not know what this “spa” was going to consist of, but tucked in between these houses was a resort, which was absolutely beautiful. There were palm trees and outside pools all over. We had a free bar and ice cream for the day. When we arrived, I had an empanada with meat, olives, onions, and eggs and it was pretty good, but definitely not the best one I have had so far. After settling in at the resort, a game of soccer started and a couple of us decided to watch. I was taking pictures most of the time. The soccer field was on concrete and surrounded by a large fence. After watching some of the soccer game, some of us went to get towels and changed into our bathing suits to tan because it was such a gorgeous day. We needed to buy swimming caps to go into some of the pools and I did not want to get my suit wet, so I decided not to get in. No one else really went into the water besides Jon, who ended up jumping in and then screaming because the water was cold. They had separate pools and a jacuzzi inside that were heated. We went to lunch around 1:30 p.m. and it was a delicious buffet. I had white wine and an assortment of foods like empanadas, mashed potatoes, rice, noodles, and salad. After lunch, we went back to tanning. A little later, some people played beer pong and we got ready to leave since it became colder. We had two hours at the hotel and then left to have a barbeque. The girls drove in cars, while the boys took a bus. I had two sausages, which were really good. Later, there were shiscobobs with steak and onions. We danced most of the night at the barbeque. It was pretty entertaining. At one point, we started dancing to popular songs that we know the dances to. Tomorrow, we have to leave by 7:45 a.m. so I am calling it a night.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Day 9 in Chile: Horseback Riding!
Today is Monday, May 16 2011 and we went to Ritoque Expediciones. To be honest, this was the best day I have had so far in Chile! The weather was perfect for horseback riding because it was humid, but not too hot. My horse’s name was Galguay and he was absolutely beautiful! I ended up with one of the larger horses and right when I got on him, he would not cooperate. He was biting other horses in the butt before we even left for our long journey. At one point, he decided that he wanted to get some water and not listen to me, so we walked over to get a drink, which I wasn’t supposed to let him do. When I pulled on the reins, he just flew his head around and decided to ignore me. After a little, we bonded and I let him do what he wanted, which happened to be getting in front of the horses that were behind us. If horses behind us ran to try to get ahead of us, he would run and push to stay in front of them. We traveled for a long time through completely different regions of land. We ran on the beach, through water, in a dessert area with sand dunes, and through an area like the plains. This experience was amazing and in most areas it was not along a specific path. When we were traveling on the sand dunes, my horse charged up and down the hills. The first time we went up the hill, he scared me because I did not expect him to just run up it. At another point, my horse and Chris’s horse charged down a hill and up another one at the same time and we were in pain from bouncing up and down. Sometime in the middle of our journey, we stopped for a snack of freshly cut pineapple and some water. The pineapple was so delicious and sweet. When I was off my horse, I was petting him and he bowed his head down. It was so cute. On our way back, we were traveling along the beach and my horse wanted to be closer to the front when everyone else started trotting, so he tore off a little quicker than I expected. I loved when he ran along the beach. After our horse ride, we came back to an amazing and huge barbeque of chicken, sausage, steak, and pork. I had sausage and chicken with salad and rice. It was one of the best lunches I have had here in Chile. After barbeque, we came back to the hotel and took showers. Sarah and I went outside and ended up watching an amazing sunset on the beach. Afterwards, I added all my horse pictures to Facebook and then we went to check out the supermarket. Once a few hours passed, we went to a pub. The horseback riding seems to have everyone sore already, so we will see how we all feel tomorrow.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Day 8 in Chile: Shopping!
Day 7 in Chile: Exploring!
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