tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52920955579445408322024-03-06T01:07:10.809-05:00¡Cheers from Chile!Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049551569431573226noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292095557944540832.post-83618188852140683042011-12-09T10:37:00.003-05:002011-12-09T10:44:21.398-05:00Goodbye ChileAll week I've been saying goodbye to people here in Chile. Having lived and worked here for nearly two and a half months, I've met a lot of amazing people and have some good friends here now. A part of me is really sad to leave, but I hope my work will bring me back some day (hopefully a shorter trip next time though!). <br /><br />Yesterday, my friends and I went to a pool party and barbecue at our friends' house outside of the city. It was so awesme to be swimming and grilling hamburgers outside in December. It was a perfect last day in Chile. <br /><br />Now I've checked out of my hotel, and my cab comes to pick me up at 7PM tonight to go to the airport. Hopefully I'll sleep well on the flight so I'll be ready to jump right back into my routine in Greenville when I get back. I can't wait to see everyone! Lots of fun times ahead with my graduation, Christmas, starting on a new project in Greenville, and lots more. <br /><br />I will probably post on the blog at least one more time, but I will go ahead and thank you all for following my travels in Chile! What an adventure!<br /><br />Ciao!Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049551569431573226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292095557944540832.post-26603166395609218472011-12-06T16:02:00.004-05:002011-12-06T16:07:07.041-05:00A Day in the Life of Anthony BourdainAnthony Bourdain, also known as Tony in the Taylor household, is one of our travel heroes. I think I’ve mentioned him on the blog before. If you don’t know who he is, you need to watch one of his shows and you will be hooked. His show is called No Reservations, and he travels the world seeing places, learning about different cultures, and eating crazy food. Before you judge him on his horrendous smoking and drinking habits, try to appreciate the fact that he is a French-trained chef and speaks fluent French. He is an amazingly creative writer, and you can get a taste of his talents in the narrations of his show which he writes himself. He has also authored a few books, but I haven’t gotten around to reading any of them yet (thanks to grad school). <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQO88KRpmYEHV4F4b-QLqYWKtGpRl_HrHN3CxYDgjnxCZG97q78RW4aKvv0PwoSnZhlJ4vxkgbQG8zRoeV6xV9_hyphenhyphenZtoNsAQ9374ZZFplaUsek_PXEXngshpunKeHnAijAcYuoHsYNH9Y/s1600/Anthony-Bourdain.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683124054734175026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 215px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQO88KRpmYEHV4F4b-QLqYWKtGpRl_HrHN3CxYDgjnxCZG97q78RW4aKvv0PwoSnZhlJ4vxkgbQG8zRoeV6xV9_hyphenhyphenZtoNsAQ9374ZZFplaUsek_PXEXngshpunKeHnAijAcYuoHsYNH9Y/s320/Anthony-Bourdain.jpg" border="0" /></a> Tony came to Chile a few years ago, and on Friday my friend Lindsay and I watched the No Reservations Chile episode. On Saturday, we walked Tony’s Santiago footsteps. It was three Americans, two Chileans, two Puerto Ricans, and a whole day of seeing the “real” Santiago.<br /><br />Our day started at Fuente Alemana (German Fountain), a sandwich shop near downtown. It reminded me of an old-time soda shop. This was Tony’s first stop in Santiago, and the place is known for their lomitos, or pork sandwiches. We all ordered our sandwiches “completo” with all the fixings: avocado, mayo, diced tomatoes, and probably plenty more that I am not aware of. <br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVt0UCQU2wklSXH-IIOQu5xB5fUxJZ-AuRF9R3ACPSG4rjz08b3f-nVALy6BsT47edlZBWmPIwFixVji6Hx9jyhKDPCjq1jZ-lOVQJ6cEQBYRQvy1jbLnNU6Snneww1o4na1BGaPRYzXE/s1600/IMG_1882.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683123955119283122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVt0UCQU2wklSXH-IIOQu5xB5fUxJZ-AuRF9R3ACPSG4rjz08b3f-nVALy6BsT47edlZBWmPIwFixVji6Hx9jyhKDPCjq1jZ-lOVQJ6cEQBYRQvy1jbLnNU6Snneww1o4na1BGaPRYzXE/s320/IMG_1882.JPG" border="0" /></a>Left to right: Lindsay, Ethel, Lina, me, Eric, Trinidad<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDEg8bt33VkITIcPjsczqvdWVXlG0BNFwdjTNhz8GnA156zIq1kmOeq58DIOdkDgVQy6jWu4uGU1Iot7r2bu4y8-nlk28rBMN3shSUu3wYSgmvwjTYN6M_QAV7mQd0Zs7W9q0jR9geuto/s1600/IMG_1885.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683123945221525202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDEg8bt33VkITIcPjsczqvdWVXlG0BNFwdjTNhz8GnA156zIq1kmOeq58DIOdkDgVQy6jWu4uGU1Iot7r2bu4y8-nlk28rBMN3shSUu3wYSgmvwjTYN6M_QAV7mQd0Zs7W9q0jR9geuto/s320/IMG_1885.jpg" border="0" /></a>Me with my lomito...I conquered almost half of this enormous sandwich<br /><br /></div><br /><div>Our second stop of the day was a deviation from Tony’s agenda, and it was also the most disgusting “restaurant” I have ever been to. It was called La Piojera. It smelled terrible, was filled with smoke, and let’s just say the clientele was not too classy. We went for the purpose of trying a Terremoto (earthquake), which is a famous Chilean drink consisting of pineapple ice cream and sweet wine. You need to try one if you come to Chile, but you don’t necessarily need to finish it. I’d rather have a coke (or better yet, sweet tea). We bought a Polaroid picture of our group at the restaurant (if you can even call it a restaurant), and here is a picture of that picture:<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU1Kp1UuxCz5Tya8JwjYfr2z_tsH6XrMkgjohFOmrPqRPyqLRdkSHPK-nS5cfR5P_pyKqZwLXVb74dw1yY5cT044ApXEIz10_O2aSaKAjv7J57YFBEBtNgTpnRs-wT43C365gDsKFlq1M/s1600/la+foto.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683123941764776322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 239px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU1Kp1UuxCz5Tya8JwjYfr2z_tsH6XrMkgjohFOmrPqRPyqLRdkSHPK-nS5cfR5P_pyKqZwLXVb74dw1yY5cT044ApXEIz10_O2aSaKAjv7J57YFBEBtNgTpnRs-wT43C365gDsKFlq1M/s320/la+foto.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Qn1_rBK5FwDVBPL89CMN2qZ4HEttbnJblNPFvY87qFks6L-KNQAUtalt0rDct_BN1bnocdyk7c4diH0rhLOmMQfFqfOzOD5XBJxZu7g2IUVcFZCoiV6oPBm7UvM-CcTMqz1Ll2DFsV4/s1600/IMG00771-20111203-1516.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683123935655824994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Qn1_rBK5FwDVBPL89CMN2qZ4HEttbnJblNPFvY87qFks6L-KNQAUtalt0rDct_BN1bnocdyk7c4diH0rhLOmMQfFqfOzOD5XBJxZu7g2IUVcFZCoiV6oPBm7UvM-CcTMqz1Ll2DFsV4/s320/IMG00771-20111203-1516.jpg" border="0" /></a>The famous terremoto...the white on top is the ice cream</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Next, we went to El Hoyo, or “the hole” in Spanish. The restaurant got its name because it is basically a hole-in-the-wall dining establishment. This was Tony’s favorite restaurant in Santiago, and in my Frommer’s Chile book it is listed as Anthony Bourdain’s favorite. It is no surprise that Tony liked the place so much since they serve intestines, sausage, cow hoof soup, and plenty of other delightful delicacies (gross). Our group stuck with French fries, but at least now we can say we went to Tony’s favorite Santiago restaurant, right?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPX5NJyJTU59y6iV1wUJYdHsnIic2ViodHLZS8BMRvGJxt_Uj8TNhx7xwzOzhhkK7aALrguYAkk7GjPHGur1HX4FqizgBa3CWW4e9ivaezseWgrPk9wK-LMFFNwGimyuJ_Y5SS9dfYiPQ/s1600/IMG_1891.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683123929752535938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPX5NJyJTU59y6iV1wUJYdHsnIic2ViodHLZS8BMRvGJxt_Uj8TNhx7xwzOzhhkK7aALrguYAkk7GjPHGur1HX4FqizgBa3CWW4e9ivaezseWgrPk9wK-LMFFNwGimyuJ_Y5SS9dfYiPQ/s320/IMG_1891.jpg" border="0" /></a>Our group in front of the restaurant</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>We finished our day at a restaurant in Patio Bellavista. It was a nice day, and all-in-all, I think Tony would be proud. </div><br /><div><br />Ciao!</div></div></div></div>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049551569431573226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292095557944540832.post-84846569310707180622011-12-02T20:40:00.004-05:002011-12-02T20:57:25.755-05:00Fiesta!On Saturday night, Fluor Chile held its annual Christmas party. This was the same night that Zack had to go home to Greenville. I was so sad for him to leave, but it was nice to have something fun to do after he left. The party was humongous. And it wasn’t just a party…it was an experience.<br /><br />The fiesta started at 8:30, and they literally rolled out red carpets for the guests to walk in on. The party began with an outdoor cocktail hour with fancy appetizers and cocktails, as well as a DJ. They moved us all inside around 10 PM, and as soon as I walked inside I felt like I was at the Oscars. It was amazing.<br /><br />The 4-course dinner was served around 10:45 PM (thankfully I had eaten my first dinner earlier with Zack), and after dinner the party really got started. There was tons of entertainment, prizes, music, and karaoke. I left the party at 3:30 AM, but the party didn't stop until close to 5 AM. Crazy!<br /><br />Here are some pictures from the evening:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS7LwKFc-S5gXQVjj_q-E7pwlFXW6lzuvb7AWvGwswUeJLPTFAELvpDX0qMPlAx11aY7gLzJi7Bf7wW5CowiHZdPAeuSuqCyWUp2b7VCJU2TUaN5rM4LZov-mUsSPZrDSHx_LhB6fLqFc/s1600/IMG_3193.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681711821160517474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS7LwKFc-S5gXQVjj_q-E7pwlFXW6lzuvb7AWvGwswUeJLPTFAELvpDX0qMPlAx11aY7gLzJi7Bf7wW5CowiHZdPAeuSuqCyWUp2b7VCJU2TUaN5rM4LZov-mUsSPZrDSHx_LhB6fLqFc/s320/IMG_3193.jpg" border="0" /></a>In the hotel lobby before Zack left<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVBKVskIRj9Rc2jintA1d_621AX28hKTq8I0EtsLX5XiI8x4QtrSOaB2p_vaJFuPJPvzOlkpk9E4P2oHfacjcFpHGZuzHiXN19CpY6Zd5uXUmfj9QYffZWSppi1AamcZn6Abme_1Kmy1o/s1600/IMG_3195.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681711815622256450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVBKVskIRj9Rc2jintA1d_621AX28hKTq8I0EtsLX5XiI8x4QtrSOaB2p_vaJFuPJPvzOlkpk9E4P2oHfacjcFpHGZuzHiXN19CpY6Zd5uXUmfj9QYffZWSppi1AamcZn6Abme_1Kmy1o/s320/IMG_3195.jpg" border="0" /></a>With my friend Lindsay from Texas<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrPxUBRWchea-6dNAiU0EtHf9CzQCtuYoYHyzzk4TAlaUnHG0JQFm5DIJ7F63rT9Azu7or2U_Y04RcIQA4SIuPoa5NFdGlE76lTk49Nd4xS_gobrV_VbLZphmazferNSI7vQjFahfdRTQ/s1600/IMG_3197.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681711800018465218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrPxUBRWchea-6dNAiU0EtHf9CzQCtuYoYHyzzk4TAlaUnHG0JQFm5DIJ7F63rT9Azu7or2U_Y04RcIQA4SIuPoa5NFdGlE76lTk49Nd4xS_gobrV_VbLZphmazferNSI7vQjFahfdRTQ/s320/IMG_3197.jpg" border="0" /></a>After you walked the red carpet, you walked through the crazy fog machine thing<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDUvIICkazTdzUteLCAvlIT0MiEIBwZidUJolOjBcTm4jsNQvYejbxBf3ks1bQwzseDtamIyixna2rcUfgeVdS1S8wvUQ67LXCWnXrIVcbBnk6YLqczEXqppOvi_AGbUKXnQgs7Sgo_wE/s1600/IMG_3199.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681711797788135154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDUvIICkazTdzUteLCAvlIT0MiEIBwZidUJolOjBcTm4jsNQvYejbxBf3ks1bQwzseDtamIyixna2rcUfgeVdS1S8wvUQ67LXCWnXrIVcbBnk6YLqczEXqppOvi_AGbUKXnQgs7Sgo_wE/s320/IMG_3199.jpg" border="0" /></a>Humongous and beautifully decorated<br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681711555762762514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_aJ5PHevkQ_TXyc7ap-H-miJa50RSxp_hsxzTZo2X5DvOXbEg5VOC4xwVysKQO_gb-J8jtaEF_9X_rjRwN8l8bYc_9pG0uQeC629huKsvNxMgEyuJbUuiyo4YAmXmP6EFDsnvEZXme9k/s320/IMG_3202.jpg" border="0" />I'm going to miss my co-workers when I leave: Carolina, Maria Angelica, and Daniela<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3giHBSKb0j8hBGw8kPCkqhukzJA4Is0JUO6z4CWvNfGOYZ0VSYo8D78y2WQyOliL-aB10BIelpIZ9wLPwjFMWmQdgbnWr3kwlMLP1KySf9kQC_d6R2-xZ1Z2XECxV7qq0Rcyp4bP25w/s1600/IMG_3204.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681711543640638386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3giHBSKb0j8hBGw8kPCkqhukzJA4Is0JUO6z4CWvNfGOYZ0VSYo8D78y2WQyOliL-aB10BIelpIZ9wLPwjFMWmQdgbnWr3kwlMLP1KySf9kQC_d6R2-xZ1Z2XECxV7qq0Rcyp4bP25w/s320/IMG_3204.jpg" border="0" /></a>I didn't win the trip to Buenos Aires, but six other lucky people did...the party was hosted by famous Chilean TV personalities (you can see them on the stage, but I was really far away)<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaslNZ5oL0giBH5oRcu8Bj0oP6gMM9-B-K0pW9Pd1g01m4S5-Dbe9Uj08QPGsTw731l0jMunQC4c5RDJro2X9n4Rz_wGMBX8jSayjgHTGuc7nAc5Sg2tNq1HsjlsBW2s6GV1HcMWdvk-M/s1600/IMG_3208.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681711531317479762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaslNZ5oL0giBH5oRcu8Bj0oP6gMM9-B-K0pW9Pd1g01m4S5-Dbe9Uj08QPGsTw731l0jMunQC4c5RDJro2X9n4Rz_wGMBX8jSayjgHTGuc7nAc5Sg2tNq1HsjlsBW2s6GV1HcMWdvk-M/s320/IMG_3208.jpg" border="0" /></a> Maria Angelica and Daniela<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV1_uahSmvj_YoG2G7MQ7Oifd1Gy6g3IKjj3XfQvwXxeLZhwjqRVI5k8MsPk0MXcmcBZtH5xlVb7aT4UAtm6rZzaQI6qOsJAIV3oh8J3-2qX3RKRrBkkxapETBx-AC_pty0nQreXYNVIQ/s1600/IMG_3210.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681711515827930386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV1_uahSmvj_YoG2G7MQ7Oifd1Gy6g3IKjj3XfQvwXxeLZhwjqRVI5k8MsPk0MXcmcBZtH5xlVb7aT4UAtm6rZzaQI6qOsJAIV3oh8J3-2qX3RKRrBkkxapETBx-AC_pty0nQreXYNVIQ/s320/IMG_3210.jpg" border="0" /></a>Carolina and her husband Patricio<br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681711509654809810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiARGNjY4CVEka5Zi1X5NdWpgmeeS3to71Q8DjdntG_sAi8cENtyFlN6KtpPBYnqqLH4ECJ0iKMIeDTbwuYD9MiApVo8Td8onGeLAip8eZOjFMqrOI5_QyKjwWTl7J3GZ1ULkr_ydhnX8/s320/IMG_3211.jpg" border="0" />The first band of the evening played Latin music...the dance floor was full all night</div><br /><br /><div>If you haven't already figured this out, Chileans really love a good party!</div><br /><br /><div>Tomorrow is my last Saturday in Chile! I can't believe I will be en route to Greenville in only one week! They've started to decorate for Christmas at my hotel, and that has really made me ready to go home because I'm eager to get my own house decorated for Christmas! (Not to mention that it's odd seeing Christmas trees and lights when it's 85 degrees outside.)</div><br /><br /><div>Ciao!</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049551569431573226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292095557944540832.post-59654220767783624342011-11-29T19:24:00.009-05:002011-11-29T19:58:42.820-05:00Valparaiso and Viña del Mar with Zack!I'm forcing myself to catch up on this blog, which means nightly blogging. Have I mentioned that in addition to being a semi-professional blogger and travel guru (just kidding) I am also in grad school and working 45+ hours per week? I'm tired! But alas, for the sake of my faithful readers, I am here updating you on my life in Chile...enjoy!<br /><br />On Friday, Zack and I took a day trip to the coast. It is really cheap and easy to travel by bus in South America, and buses run to Valparaiso and Viña del Mar every 15 minutes from Santiago. We originally intended to explore Valpo and Viña on our own for the day, but when we arrived at the bus station we decided to take a tour. It ended up being a much easier way to see the highlights of both coastal towns, and as a bonus the tour took us to Reñaca (a beach town) for lunch. The weather was gorgeous - around 80 degrees and sunny - and we had a great time. Here is a pictorial account of our day:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg76DBeam9GmZuWdO4M_zss-FmrfXlenzPjOA94sfqdJplbtoL2jSH5kIVdhD1WIeo2VX9abnGNT1JIPpLGiZMPPMnGE5rQNbVQXt2L1MDyNKk1RF1qJA4Ju8jWi_Bf0ZzKpb9DrpMT1lI/s1600/IMG_3120.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680580899279060674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg76DBeam9GmZuWdO4M_zss-FmrfXlenzPjOA94sfqdJplbtoL2jSH5kIVdhD1WIeo2VX9abnGNT1JIPpLGiZMPPMnGE5rQNbVQXt2L1MDyNKk1RF1qJA4Ju8jWi_Bf0ZzKpb9DrpMT1lI/s320/IMG_3120.jpg" border="0" /></a> One of three moai statues outside of Easter Island is in Viña (there is another one in Chile and one in London)<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiDGtvME0rYW9Fm8fxMhRqcDG2Vlq0aHVWwTmpGH7dJ5fkkc3OAwonH4o4EAedD4t-eslDqwR3iwYRT_EZnMxGjnV5mk050mk9rHYrmMZmP7fnaU_Bxn1wICw7rmSB7AxG9YbSnYJ4Xuc/s1600/IMG_3121.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680580896869880082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiDGtvME0rYW9Fm8fxMhRqcDG2Vlq0aHVWwTmpGH7dJ5fkkc3OAwonH4o4EAedD4t-eslDqwR3iwYRT_EZnMxGjnV5mk050mk9rHYrmMZmP7fnaU_Bxn1wICw7rmSB7AxG9YbSnYJ4Xuc/s320/IMG_3121.jpg" border="0" /></a>This house belonged to the founder of Viña...it was severely damaged in the 2010 earthquake and is still condemned<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyJXBLDYa3jeuXKmxGQD-wiYQFOb0b3BDpGSExYpwiKUBNk_GLNZK5RY_mIwFHujp5c1rnEN9Ie5A2LEnlWIWxM2w27FJ4r956iwzXRliR7xiC0vSuPPNPkc2-KG4-mE3vF2NwjLkV6HA/s1600/IMG_3122.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680580879361881554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyJXBLDYa3jeuXKmxGQD-wiYQFOb0b3BDpGSExYpwiKUBNk_GLNZK5RY_mIwFHujp5c1rnEN9Ie5A2LEnlWIWxM2w27FJ4r956iwzXRliR7xiC0vSuPPNPkc2-KG4-mE3vF2NwjLkV6HA/s320/IMG_3122.jpg" border="0" /></a>At a park...you can't tell by the picture, but at this point I was starving for lunch and slightly annoyed by some of our fellow tourists<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQwyVeh0dGx44IXKHxqehOvdf3NNbpNzdR-H6hCu8DH-ALEG9m12GHmx9fYylSq0CsSjyl5XmaI71LAGcIYcV8kMqctMLQ9EU_BOuo9nXGRzJjr5r9ir7PT-GDSnTV_078oD10u8ORS4g/s1600/IMG_3123.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680580868502905074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQwyVeh0dGx44IXKHxqehOvdf3NNbpNzdR-H6hCu8DH-ALEG9m12GHmx9fYylSq0CsSjyl5XmaI71LAGcIYcV8kMqctMLQ9EU_BOuo9nXGRzJjr5r9ir7PT-GDSnTV_078oD10u8ORS4g/s320/IMG_3123.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3PHMgrwIjiThdiycRCLMyVrp98Mm6bIieoUPMS5i6lMF9Hzc2SFcFiex6qhz6kQkhtGQXQ1Q1aKc3GJQpE9A1SB5a-xftQlt0iwgkEPXwTRidBtE8DcprbBqPko0C0MOAl-rvx5aYjmw/s1600/IMG_3126.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680580863677462370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3PHMgrwIjiThdiycRCLMyVrp98Mm6bIieoUPMS5i6lMF9Hzc2SFcFiex6qhz6kQkhtGQXQ1Q1aKc3GJQpE9A1SB5a-xftQlt0iwgkEPXwTRidBtE8DcprbBqPko0C0MOAl-rvx5aYjmw/s320/IMG_3126.jpg" border="0" /></a>At the beach in Reñaca<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3UKdAmPPbGK0gwUXaCdCQh8iwrk8_rGH4sPqSlxmSc933p4UAjSD5hG0egH8YKNECmxWoknNPKNOpg_pE-C9umVm5mlDC1hWgiEv_AHddPbWCU1vKpMoC9Dqo8yTbFv6S6Hvd3R-PzuQ/s1600/IMG_3127.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680580511862060114" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3UKdAmPPbGK0gwUXaCdCQh8iwrk8_rGH4sPqSlxmSc933p4UAjSD5hG0egH8YKNECmxWoknNPKNOpg_pE-C9umVm5mlDC1hWgiEv_AHddPbWCU1vKpMoC9Dqo8yTbFv6S6Hvd3R-PzuQ/s320/IMG_3127.jpg" border="0" /></a>We ate lunch at a restaurant right on the beach<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGP1t1VbCEKP0xuHB1o5OzWxOxUthFl3R6tAv6LsLV_Qw8g-RkxlGkBCUdPPvF6hgG75J54pugzbUv2UpeP_qpf7dvm11QA5kKoCW21zVKoAlaEVNVBIOoXGVSjd1h2a2GddmGc0YpoHg/s1600/IMG_3128.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680580505185210274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGP1t1VbCEKP0xuHB1o5OzWxOxUthFl3R6tAv6LsLV_Qw8g-RkxlGkBCUdPPvF6hgG75J54pugzbUv2UpeP_qpf7dvm11QA5kKoCW21zVKoAlaEVNVBIOoXGVSjd1h2a2GddmGc0YpoHg/s320/IMG_3128.jpg" border="0" /></a>You can't really tell in the pictures, but the waves were huge<br /><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmalCf5nSrIOh4wdCcg7nbEbyPjqQS03APBDJdjl2RJibPn3kC7-8RmUYqWIGfecioJtdtFLqUpSqPKoJRk1IcxVd_TRiCsjk4ISQAveQeMs4EzlFtEfaM914t8bOWS3U5K6I2IHXJHTs/s1600/IMG_3132.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680580485571607778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmalCf5nSrIOh4wdCcg7nbEbyPjqQS03APBDJdjl2RJibPn3kC7-8RmUYqWIGfecioJtdtFLqUpSqPKoJRk1IcxVd_TRiCsjk4ISQAveQeMs4EzlFtEfaM914t8bOWS3U5K6I2IHXJHTs/s320/IMG_3132.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6UB0sBNC8Fu7uPa3X1ViUKVMuXufF5mnYit10NKfUz3XFnVka-BZ1mtzrFw7IUJTsgdnn7lsioBYjM2dONnznNQbByfdS0lFOiZMEojvWeg2fg4ekYm2RLpLWSJyW5cU4l3A_4BhxVhE/s1600/IMG_3133.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680580144238428114" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6UB0sBNC8Fu7uPa3X1ViUKVMuXufF5mnYit10NKfUz3XFnVka-BZ1mtzrFw7IUJTsgdnn7lsioBYjM2dONnznNQbByfdS0lFOiZMEojvWeg2fg4ekYm2RLpLWSJyW5cU4l3A_4BhxVhE/s320/IMG_3133.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNqUmkC_v_BTZQJ9PSguatP2W7ooN69VQ0QXsIz5M3Dw0_4PQStuOePD-bGsYOW2n81_2P8-FnhA4RIoMUKzGYI73p7B1M9Gmc5_SvT85ZkBpdqo_kHADv9RrJjmHs70OPBHVS_x4uWSs/s1600/IMG_3136.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680580139480156178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNqUmkC_v_BTZQJ9PSguatP2W7ooN69VQ0QXsIz5M3Dw0_4PQStuOePD-bGsYOW2n81_2P8-FnhA4RIoMUKzGYI73p7B1M9Gmc5_SvT85ZkBpdqo_kHADv9RrJjmHs70OPBHVS_x4uWSs/s320/IMG_3136.jpg" border="0" /></a>The water was FREEZING!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyVewbPFpS8K9Es9GUmqHjXMqqZJKAcc9moG1iuL-q7oBrG6pb5JHAwL1zQrttN5z1I-1MpKixVnA3iu-dMyOyUF1z1ji0wemnqHhAvWHhX6n5HvkgPJKmMxJT2M3GSJ93P6ZCDN33xc8/s1600/IMG_3137.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680580118377827602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyVewbPFpS8K9Es9GUmqHjXMqqZJKAcc9moG1iuL-q7oBrG6pb5JHAwL1zQrttN5z1I-1MpKixVnA3iu-dMyOyUF1z1ji0wemnqHhAvWHhX6n5HvkgPJKmMxJT2M3GSJ93P6ZCDN33xc8/s320/IMG_3137.jpg" border="0" /></a>The water was also very blue, but the pictures don't really do it justice<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ75vuJyVDRVfD0cnicFyTd8qw-AhZQQzYZAZy9seNh0UuVwz6v-H3M2ktGKLXgyfCEisoSn7Ahb5WtLdkU-RDcitjzDhqVtM-D4E0zPLwyStb7zCfVQvjBO3yaS85CGpidYMRh7ycWt8/s1600/IMG_3138.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680580114519675842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ75vuJyVDRVfD0cnicFyTd8qw-AhZQQzYZAZy9seNh0UuVwz6v-H3M2ktGKLXgyfCEisoSn7Ahb5WtLdkU-RDcitjzDhqVtM-D4E0zPLwyStb7zCfVQvjBO3yaS85CGpidYMRh7ycWt8/s320/IMG_3138.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO9qatfRcKfQ-RBNUxHGh0rlAASZrJv2wXPXZaVcDFuHD0oNg2inw5lnsh-hAM2qPuK1CETn5k4ejd1xbv_R1pORw8kn9zMiYHdmf5dI2RCJvW8yF6GZSvNeircmVmWC8ogbIMfLwmvG0/s1600/IMG_3142.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680580116516214050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO9qatfRcKfQ-RBNUxHGh0rlAASZrJv2wXPXZaVcDFuHD0oNg2inw5lnsh-hAM2qPuK1CETn5k4ejd1xbv_R1pORw8kn9zMiYHdmf5dI2RCJvW8yF6GZSvNeircmVmWC8ogbIMfLwmvG0/s320/IMG_3142.jpg" border="0" /></a>The famous flower clock in Viña<br /><br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3qcUIWrub58xrwy92AdwmKhEq2Mr7V-62lcKhBdJlN2d8TobNpz7S6bLk_Kr2m_6rw_bmi24sd5j7pevgTdLwbvh-LUWlQxGtTGGjNsr9JO948XavcsnJ1gQXRaLK2J1m4RvZCEqhhXA/s1600/IMG_3144.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680579791187756546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3qcUIWrub58xrwy92AdwmKhEq2Mr7V-62lcKhBdJlN2d8TobNpz7S6bLk_Kr2m_6rw_bmi24sd5j7pevgTdLwbvh-LUWlQxGtTGGjNsr9JO948XavcsnJ1gQXRaLK2J1m4RvZCEqhhXA/s320/IMG_3144.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKSs0lJPNhkpKFP-g23HWw3x2ebuv5v54X7-fH27XzKO9IoC2ExehAf-l5oKD4LtiH0Nn2ZbOFgeMxWLryCqDNPVySVv1Iujbhvjh16RQg2C7kiriJ_qQyW5NBXlgYjiHeb6jB8HDBcBc/s1600/IMG_3145.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680579790448185250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKSs0lJPNhkpKFP-g23HWw3x2ebuv5v54X7-fH27XzKO9IoC2ExehAf-l5oKD4LtiH0Nn2ZbOFgeMxWLryCqDNPVySVv1Iujbhvjh16RQg2C7kiriJ_qQyW5NBXlgYjiHeb6jB8HDBcBc/s320/IMG_3145.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY1PjmiluvJQXLP0KxEo_dCiL14OyNqbPceHcLjMrxa1vP_6S8r8j7itzt9EJaowax6P100-zYuFZXzDZ25CZ1Q5s4WkOfcEI02gvrvswKTFvdQjXLRrT6IFaj5T1SvKVuJXiwfnROleM/s1600/IMG_3149.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680579777104484978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY1PjmiluvJQXLP0KxEo_dCiL14OyNqbPceHcLjMrxa1vP_6S8r8j7itzt9EJaowax6P100-zYuFZXzDZ25CZ1Q5s4WkOfcEI02gvrvswKTFvdQjXLRrT6IFaj5T1SvKVuJXiwfnROleM/s320/IMG_3149.jpg" border="0" /></a>Our guide called this the sea lion hotel<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHTGhGkPJw1cBcDfpbP5Bsl9_vR1TZtn4-CIQXVWnIooZHnXIaBeWw6OcwoF5cKkNveUTFt0hZfWEcHm8u5mMd-LqRA8KJhBVPU5RvhDah9uTHA8F-Pn1D20XFY4gOYW-EAzjdoGpMgrk/s1600/IMG_3150.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680579770445443154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHTGhGkPJw1cBcDfpbP5Bsl9_vR1TZtn4-CIQXVWnIooZHnXIaBeWw6OcwoF5cKkNveUTFt0hZfWEcHm8u5mMd-LqRA8KJhBVPU5RvhDah9uTHA8F-Pn1D20XFY4gOYW-EAzjdoGpMgrk/s320/IMG_3150.jpg" border="0" /></a>See the sea lion swimming?<br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680579223213186066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGjSX1sAfnMlTkRGAzSH1yQtC-0W0TJfy_RFAr52xI2zphGo0lA2SADcXpc7wHBq6CsiQalEZ1LZk_3hWv5W6KzJpua-4H8xE86tci1R_dfyEOMYX0XBsMfRDrXsVHb9wuWi9sqPHrbL4/s320/IMG_3152.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn4vtcxOE5DxcT4hbE-KgTmvPAnHnWQTdU_VbaR8r33sZNsfjAB6EvReN6mYO-ndohD54NjRHJjhDc7rRTIuWtgii0-82PQjA8ti5T2U54v438JQ2SS8AXDENpiJM1QCOXlaO1RBPEWtU/s1600/IMG_3155.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680579205640893490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn4vtcxOE5DxcT4hbE-KgTmvPAnHnWQTdU_VbaR8r33sZNsfjAB6EvReN6mYO-ndohD54NjRHJjhDc7rRTIuWtgii0-82PQjA8ti5T2U54v438JQ2SS8AXDENpiJM1QCOXlaO1RBPEWtU/s320/IMG_3155.jpg" border="0" /></a>Pablo Neruda's house in Valparaiso...shaped like a boat<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRlRWKEzYICHU_H2-5LV85pi5pa6w4uqXyiMRaN1cI9Gao0ZzhZgJoeV3Fgc9ie1LSJg1okHfKZrS7kVXEVFUXJRIKsGbjShxhpKyqIjF5ixhQ7v_ygW798vh3367CUWgow06qpEtPFoY/s1600/IMG_3156.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680579199785872850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRlRWKEzYICHU_H2-5LV85pi5pa6w4uqXyiMRaN1cI9Gao0ZzhZgJoeV3Fgc9ie1LSJg1okHfKZrS7kVXEVFUXJRIKsGbjShxhpKyqIjF5ixhQ7v_ygW798vh3367CUWgow06qpEtPFoY/s320/IMG_3156.jpg" border="0" /></a>The view from Pablo's place<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhuklAB70P5EEN0z7R4BuFS1DscRW9xW9nG-Y9ZT8CTrgl53SIt84naHKccHlJH_F8HUY97Y6KU-ZcuqjPb5saFYDBm3qWFuFZFOnr-YCLEKIghf7EaNj4ShGDAhvcbiOZFms6kv9saY8/s1600/IMG_3157.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680579184284676354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhuklAB70P5EEN0z7R4BuFS1DscRW9xW9nG-Y9ZT8CTrgl53SIt84naHKccHlJH_F8HUY97Y6KU-ZcuqjPb5saFYDBm3qWFuFZFOnr-YCLEKIghf7EaNj4ShGDAhvcbiOZFms6kv9saY8/s320/IMG_3157.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_eqlohex_zSyxpFW-eY2Qlpcn3RNUkGlE7ykxF1p2DD31rz2OyGg_Bn99NdzGL6lnjOcSIRi4RVfxsbFNKSx1zLGtDvIuxadlLK0qvXNWoxU7xlC7pFpcOI-nSbLOX_rYVwbSIxiSFKk/s1600/IMG_3159.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680579180696524690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_eqlohex_zSyxpFW-eY2Qlpcn3RNUkGlE7ykxF1p2DD31rz2OyGg_Bn99NdzGL6lnjOcSIRi4RVfxsbFNKSx1zLGtDvIuxadlLK0qvXNWoxU7xlC7pFpcOI-nSbLOX_rYVwbSIxiSFKk/s320/IMG_3159.jpg" border="0" /></a>This photo was taken by a Virginia Tech student...no hard feelings<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiTbG7q5eGzBYddYr8XobJWFUssJ6WrIBOwK4geQxvnSGe-DExoGWMxwNnvM_63q8yoJM3PZAshiRZCqZyADK8CkexQMEyTAakwrZHBrGNZliZzW-rpWcvVFN847MRJVAXxjSw_WM2vnM/s1600/IMG_3160.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680578874756764434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiTbG7q5eGzBYddYr8XobJWFUssJ6WrIBOwK4geQxvnSGe-DExoGWMxwNnvM_63q8yoJM3PZAshiRZCqZyADK8CkexQMEyTAakwrZHBrGNZliZzW-rpWcvVFN847MRJVAXxjSw_WM2vnM/s320/IMG_3160.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20myQL94kgk_HJfy_0hcX-Au-MfffEfY0PSFtdODU1kHNK9p6NqVevuCoWdzjkz3VnDljqPl-djwAkJBN9eXRpV6ym56tsF3hdtQXrurVgrr7jLBBiVpLSZNThvPstAUCAII6W762qD8/s1600/IMG_3164.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680578851303143650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20myQL94kgk_HJfy_0hcX-Au-MfffEfY0PSFtdODU1kHNK9p6NqVevuCoWdzjkz3VnDljqPl-djwAkJBN9eXRpV6ym56tsF3hdtQXrurVgrr7jLBBiVpLSZNThvPstAUCAII6W762qD8/s320/IMG_3164.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJcDgQnQXWnF2K2eEBMn69UKQwY3Nqy5CWDd8iACaTi91-6kQvJjbYEehDcAStA8q6gebWfwEN_iagTkIO6BYXRO493ZxVk7zmmhUxX2nJ-BRDJHv57mGVovH2BkQ7rwmdJUXX53iBu2Q/s1600/IMG_3166.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680578847460923394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJcDgQnQXWnF2K2eEBMn69UKQwY3Nqy5CWDd8iACaTi91-6kQvJjbYEehDcAStA8q6gebWfwEN_iagTkIO6BYXRO493ZxVk7zmmhUxX2nJ-BRDJHv57mGVovH2BkQ7rwmdJUXX53iBu2Q/s320/IMG_3166.jpg" border="0" /></a>Riding the "elevator" in Valparaiso...there are tons of "elevators" around the city since it is so hilly. Of the 15 "elevators," only 3 still work (they're really old). I feel lucky that we survived the three minute ascent.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWh71bYRETAZYlJrshrgeMVN_5QnyVVWAd2rhkr5SVV3cNBOll7DLFugLQq9CO5yW9ctZ2ysZBhg8i3HwbsDIkyu7gzO2XlcVVscxeiQRX3Zi0b8o_ecIlzvMK-IqtAYvHAq3eTjksgSY/s1600/IMG_3177.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680578833204365842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWh71bYRETAZYlJrshrgeMVN_5QnyVVWAd2rhkr5SVV3cNBOll7DLFugLQq9CO5yW9ctZ2ysZBhg8i3HwbsDIkyu7gzO2XlcVVscxeiQRX3Zi0b8o_ecIlzvMK-IqtAYvHAq3eTjksgSY/s320/IMG_3177.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680578832786802818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGcSR0iRwc11TDIZjC69E7sE0MULVz1TBI8zlIAC8LcT_LHAFqxeWmeIKfH1xqw7j58pYUcExTtn18Ld-WCcdvn7l9nPOc2imbQV_Ghhwjey6c8z2aPXPruRXeGDoo1DkIy-jcVEiqV9U/s320/IMG_3185.jpg" border="0" />The views of the colorful port were definitely worth the risky elevator ride. (Just kidding, I'm pretty sure they are safe.)</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>I think that's it for tonight! </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>Ciao!</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049551569431573226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292095557944540832.post-21626817865805170002011-11-28T17:02:00.007-05:002011-11-28T17:23:24.744-05:00Adios Argentina, Hola ChileLast Monday morning we were so sad to leave Mendoza. If we could have stayed a few more days, we would have liked to have gone hiking or rafting…there is lots of adventure tourism in Mendoza. Our friend Hannah even recommended hang gliding in Mendoza, but I don’t think we are quite that daring, haha. Argentina was much a more laid back country than Chile. The food was also a lot better, and the Spanish was easier to understand. Don’t get me wrong – Chile is great – but I would really like to go back to Argentina some day (Buenos Aires!).<br /><br />Our bus was scheduled to depart from the Mendoza bus terminal on Monday at 1 PM. The process was 100 times easier than it was in Chile. We spent the last of our Argentinean pesos on snacks for the road, boarded the bus a few minutes before 1, and left almost on time (and we both had visas this time J ). The trouble came when we got to the Argentina-Chile border. The line of cars was backed up for miles, and it ended up taking over 4 hours to get through customs. It was brutal. I had to keep reminding myself while we were waiting that at $25 USD each way the bus tickets were a lot more affordable than plane tickets. The views along the way were really nice, but 10.5 hours on a bus is a loooooong time.<br /><br />Here are a few pictures that we took on our last day in Mendoza and on the way back to Chile. I'll try to narrate with captions as well as I can! Enjoy!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPvYEJegdGbIYIqYxeLe-7LayJuQ9wVskA1bQ43B7bre0u3oKqGWHr7q29hN0bXGoruEs1WGRzaxX9hfBTb9WAouX3juUfedH-qtooVPklANsH9xKD7jslbS0mVyo47i8aUkeReUXQ2mo/s1600/IMG_3017.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680172316547685858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPvYEJegdGbIYIqYxeLe-7LayJuQ9wVskA1bQ43B7bre0u3oKqGWHr7q29hN0bXGoruEs1WGRzaxX9hfBTb9WAouX3juUfedH-qtooVPklANsH9xKD7jslbS0mVyo47i8aUkeReUXQ2mo/s320/IMG_3017.jpg" border="0" /></a> View of Mendoza from the top floor of the hotel<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYXs6tAmhlxxbwGmd9uxLFEExeDLPwnKZpZwXkM3zU70tmjpuSOIDTqFELTVSKqp73s6Jvcqg-06eTBOn4f6rRyb7mvBfmLd8wFzVuMPloR51Yh5T3ODetzArdfNkvdEDX0wYsP3AbWEI/s1600/IMG_2945.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680172305538799458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYXs6tAmhlxxbwGmd9uxLFEExeDLPwnKZpZwXkM3zU70tmjpuSOIDTqFELTVSKqp73s6Jvcqg-06eTBOn4f6rRyb7mvBfmLd8wFzVuMPloR51Yh5T3ODetzArdfNkvdEDX0wYsP3AbWEI/s320/IMG_2945.jpg" border="0" /></a> The Park Hyatt Mendoza - amazing hotel<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6hPCQ2_EKnOJu7uU_1_12zmtGP4S_2nW4oTZx6-m8gPODn8wikwkZPnLUVHUj1XRFs0_GAgAVp8oGSDe29vgDsg-kHRLPji_vUw0dAtAutW4ShLdv1FSyzPhMdCmYSZbRPzuBMwNCYe0/s1600/IMG_3020.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680172293659545618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6hPCQ2_EKnOJu7uU_1_12zmtGP4S_2nW4oTZx6-m8gPODn8wikwkZPnLUVHUj1XRFs0_GAgAVp8oGSDe29vgDsg-kHRLPji_vUw0dAtAutW4ShLdv1FSyzPhMdCmYSZbRPzuBMwNCYe0/s320/IMG_3020.jpg" border="0" /></a> Packed up and so sad to leave<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Kp1WY3XzH-P8rTlPMf1uRCeebZBfA0OJBS1drh5coQxpti7ur8DWR6a1e4AnC_A1hyphenhyphenepN31s6DBtnYOqk1TjTVLkI5W2iNPgeJ5qETtDpIdlOSODmsugyxI7P7dbbku4QragnbyGe30/s1600/IMG_3022.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680172289460231074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Kp1WY3XzH-P8rTlPMf1uRCeebZBfA0OJBS1drh5coQxpti7ur8DWR6a1e4AnC_A1hyphenhyphenepN31s6DBtnYOqk1TjTVLkI5W2iNPgeJ5qETtDpIdlOSODmsugyxI7P7dbbku4QragnbyGe30/s320/IMG_3022.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3tH4tcuydLI0VQJDD4vghTPm-rzppWjKton5Qh8s966BVlgLrbvkat-eUJqjZU_DOQyTurmAjTzoDPGt3NScNRTvuNKAdqr7ay60rfv9qBRqITfeikNeGheNlsY5eaOcg0-jhNe2SBO8/s1600/IMG_3025.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680171879807116754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3tH4tcuydLI0VQJDD4vghTPm-rzppWjKton5Qh8s966BVlgLrbvkat-eUJqjZU_DOQyTurmAjTzoDPGt3NScNRTvuNKAdqr7ay60rfv9qBRqITfeikNeGheNlsY5eaOcg0-jhNe2SBO8/s320/IMG_3025.jpg" border="0" /></a>There are little canals throughout Mendoza - see the right side of the picture above. They built this system to keep the plants watered. It paid off...the trees lining the streets are really nice.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGpJNHoEgBh2H2hT9dQGzIUBpf4iK5QS_u0Uqi2EzsruWEGxolUzxoLrze7cuQdGi3pT7Q9gcLGgHu5db7-kUceBbZjbJPQqfAJf7RaWGq00iaTPl5wT8Ujy-D8Ve_L5t9P8sywRUiphk/s1600/IMG_3027.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680171870247749042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGpJNHoEgBh2H2hT9dQGzIUBpf4iK5QS_u0Uqi2EzsruWEGxolUzxoLrze7cuQdGi3pT7Q9gcLGgHu5db7-kUceBbZjbJPQqfAJf7RaWGq00iaTPl5wT8Ujy-D8Ve_L5t9P8sywRUiphk/s320/IMG_3027.jpg" border="0" /></a>Canal and tree-lined street near the hotel<br /><br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvvV3WXeAtoq-gvI4IJgO9T5rfYq1HgmwGdt11cBTCtNKAgI7vDv9SNmeGbQ94vEzek7XY_XOpSaVMbIgzRmDeOejqQb-VBFXlXI6XFf8UESMoM8psv0HwbORe0HIg2ET77Vazfq-Wj5M/s1600/IMG_3031.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680171865819232418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvvV3WXeAtoq-gvI4IJgO9T5rfYq1HgmwGdt11cBTCtNKAgI7vDv9SNmeGbQ94vEzek7XY_XOpSaVMbIgzRmDeOejqQb-VBFXlXI6XFf8UESMoM8psv0HwbORe0HIg2ET77Vazfq-Wj5M/s320/IMG_3031.jpg" border="0" /></a>That's right...ketchup-flavored potato chips (didn't try them)<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYfOCV8M2vt6XDS3rRKLF_xK1rLKrD2gCyPlXOogFFPnc3iF506an1YCRKBts9umhdy0-E7scuC5itaWdGMdB9fnQMuIY_wCAI3htMED80rv1QlUvKkcUCZtrlmcXKbuoFR2WPHxSJTM/s1600/IMG_3032.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680171849220586946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYfOCV8M2vt6XDS3rRKLF_xK1rLKrD2gCyPlXOogFFPnc3iF506an1YCRKBts9umhdy0-E7scuC5itaWdGMdB9fnQMuIY_wCAI3htMED80rv1QlUvKkcUCZtrlmcXKbuoFR2WPHxSJTM/s320/IMG_3032.jpg" border="0" /></a>At the Mendoza bus station, loaded up with snacks and ready to board the bus<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhDwub8uXKZHpXCfrX0gyR-eZ4UYDVlWgb7t6-aWg7RPdvA4t3qGi6CNhrnEoqlm8a07uOGRJWAAwoioko-v9NN7Je4zDbqpvy-Xj9M5MPrBIymlaA2zlsDRVy3Nd6f8UxMgkdvn1Dtl0/s1600/IMG_3036.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680171845084146866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhDwub8uXKZHpXCfrX0gyR-eZ4UYDVlWgb7t6-aWg7RPdvA4t3qGi6CNhrnEoqlm8a07uOGRJWAAwoioko-v9NN7Je4zDbqpvy-Xj9M5MPrBIymlaA2zlsDRVy3Nd6f8UxMgkdvn1Dtl0/s320/IMG_3036.jpg" border="0" /></a>There were awesome views of the Andes Mountains on the trip back to Chile<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVMV7-VsZd4SU0HoZShCBcVAL2FSpwIIFu9NtgxPjlbtB2Fnr7CRw2dZ3P41GhaoqagEzt5b98EuM2HI0skGUPSK0SOhLqXAqfYVIbUzw_ESVjteulCMLWwH-9hS6wdk6BuXSMXemK2k4/s1600/IMG_3038.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680171489397268258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVMV7-VsZd4SU0HoZShCBcVAL2FSpwIIFu9NtgxPjlbtB2Fnr7CRw2dZ3P41GhaoqagEzt5b98EuM2HI0skGUPSK0SOhLqXAqfYVIbUzw_ESVjteulCMLWwH-9hS6wdk6BuXSMXemK2k4/s320/IMG_3038.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc3jECmpmOX0CB6Ycs8sdSV2HrWiuZox8vAiEBBvyz-OlADzmrnTEWW4nJhKg9mBkWx9rPC2KUXs4y1WUL26zmfELV1W7acRvV7eIEFaAT0v3kKo1eAwDuuTPDoz4qbhQFvoNUZSXHqio/s1600/IMG_3040.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680171472822546594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc3jECmpmOX0CB6Ycs8sdSV2HrWiuZox8vAiEBBvyz-OlADzmrnTEWW4nJhKg9mBkWx9rPC2KUXs4y1WUL26zmfELV1W7acRvV7eIEFaAT0v3kKo1eAwDuuTPDoz4qbhQFvoNUZSXHqio/s320/IMG_3040.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRpdTRvQnsoxW0lxJGreNjwqECy8iNmYglbG6M345R73OBlZ-qeI6hyphenhyphenqKvm-05bQIqstTAGg7jv4gFRCIKr_r2UAzFqul-DaVMsyWjBjYTnJASDKIqUsHY_TuAvhCc7Lm8ytdfkGdTpK4/s1600/IMG_3045.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680171471664750050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRpdTRvQnsoxW0lxJGreNjwqECy8iNmYglbG6M345R73OBlZ-qeI6hyphenhyphenqKvm-05bQIqstTAGg7jv4gFRCIKr_r2UAzFqul-DaVMsyWjBjYTnJASDKIqUsHY_TuAvhCc7Lm8ytdfkGdTpK4/s320/IMG_3045.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPNa4ZwgKE1JbXiWWqSST2CuHPr9nghV2wJcg2JPtiYnDZzFzwWKBy5GZ3zAujEHAGoiSMo9wiwgevHzWZCGlJ6nIG0RwRs0dl4XmIQwX4mladRonfLWNgsTNlQ75Wu2Td1GR5HHgu7JE/s1600/IMG_3049.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680171463352137138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPNa4ZwgKE1JbXiWWqSST2CuHPr9nghV2wJcg2JPtiYnDZzFzwWKBy5GZ3zAujEHAGoiSMo9wiwgevHzWZCGlJ6nIG0RwRs0dl4XmIQwX4mladRonfLWNgsTNlQ75Wu2Td1GR5HHgu7JE/s320/IMG_3049.jpg" border="0" /></a>This lake was just outside of Mendoza. It is a snow-melt lake, and the minerals in the water give it the gorgeous color. The pictures don't do justice to the color.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-KXQTfH8g7vXZgwzMS0YU7lFzzvB1wolIuhgfhrK2Hy0yoGYuP3q5dMmyfFBYXbNYuo43yw8Ebj8uRrCUsQpNI9VmDn1510JXifFZl1RYF5K4KDNNacTNapV_qOCr34Me7kopGXFHvfA/s1600/IMG_3051.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680171456967385154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-KXQTfH8g7vXZgwzMS0YU7lFzzvB1wolIuhgfhrK2Hy0yoGYuP3q5dMmyfFBYXbNYuo43yw8Ebj8uRrCUsQpNI9VmDn1510JXifFZl1RYF5K4KDNNacTNapV_qOCr34Me7kopGXFHvfA/s320/IMG_3051.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjopuxirCXc5JXGO36IMQwi6-b79UuH6n1oXnLJQ_vd2N00AD9VAiDvI1UdYdFOHf_kaRCHiN7MEXw4Q_LvIIJEcFMf0boGIFJihvdt1_h-Z5-7KEeHqUEeg7aN1Mx3nb-pgZXgmI-DyMo/s1600/IMG_3055.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680170875521809122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjopuxirCXc5JXGO36IMQwi6-b79UuH6n1oXnLJQ_vd2N00AD9VAiDvI1UdYdFOHf_kaRCHiN7MEXw4Q_LvIIJEcFMf0boGIFJihvdt1_h-Z5-7KEeHqUEeg7aN1Mx3nb-pgZXgmI-DyMo/s320/IMG_3055.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-EgAg2f1tf494AK3g6cOiIct5uSPtMEYKtrvk3hL9tQTB7ucOFufFCitqTgpydDX6qsQq9j8dAeaJp-nC6eeVqvVVR_uK4R7wevrcrpMo-9SNbkHrvai6tbo-Nz9IR23y0ENkFJ9mIZU/s1600/IMG_3060.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680170865536875474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-EgAg2f1tf494AK3g6cOiIct5uSPtMEYKtrvk3hL9tQTB7ucOFufFCitqTgpydDX6qsQq9j8dAeaJp-nC6eeVqvVVR_uK4R7wevrcrpMo-9SNbkHrvai6tbo-Nz9IR23y0ENkFJ9mIZU/s320/IMG_3060.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3EhVtib7grppHSxGUJPNxs8u25cLa3xPYUHP5tmXopwECf4Kls2PIuUEexDn-bt2trPgC69Kd0Ng7Axk2iH8FywnV_WJBAPz3XEVYSQt5tWTggHkmdA13PqqJu9sRUR_3YAlv8qaHpg4/s1600/IMG_3063.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680170860038395106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3EhVtib7grppHSxGUJPNxs8u25cLa3xPYUHP5tmXopwECf4Kls2PIuUEexDn-bt2trPgC69Kd0Ng7Axk2iH8FywnV_WJBAPz3XEVYSQt5tWTggHkmdA13PqqJu9sRUR_3YAlv8qaHpg4/s320/IMG_3063.jpg" border="0" /></a>The line of vehicles at the Chile-Argentina border<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCsihCMFwbrVvZuOHoxBK46OSj5oMbSjlrOf6sk82vdHFq9GrCVSNmMbxcsJx6hUkopSXoTN3WIqif2NxelU2vSsF79m_OscbBVNFB2mYaP6ES4wP1VpIlKTcOT7C6UBL_UCfdKObnC9M/s1600/IMG_3066.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680170844147621138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCsihCMFwbrVvZuOHoxBK46OSj5oMbSjlrOf6sk82vdHFq9GrCVSNmMbxcsJx6hUkopSXoTN3WIqif2NxelU2vSsF79m_OscbBVNFB2mYaP6ES4wP1VpIlKTcOT7C6UBL_UCfdKObnC9M/s320/IMG_3066.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguNlLB_1WQzYgoZa0uJfSSTYzOsRWxFOSpAYC9z9lqNxjEnE_DCoVkH0H4Iacg0Qg6oOckfGSAMlhUXGB1NqzLsKO5-hd_n6_Ta8GFeu3-meVDBhIlk5aPm4NXIsDwgM2PhDVvJ6xTyfI/s1600/IMG_3071.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680170837246777666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguNlLB_1WQzYgoZa0uJfSSTYzOsRWxFOSpAYC9z9lqNxjEnE_DCoVkH0H4Iacg0Qg6oOckfGSAMlhUXGB1NqzLsKO5-hd_n6_Ta8GFeu3-meVDBhIlk5aPm4NXIsDwgM2PhDVvJ6xTyfI/s320/IMG_3071.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>We got off the bus after a few hours to stretch and take some pictures...still smiling because we didn't realize that we wouldn't be crossing the border until after dark</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>That's it! Zack, please take me back to Argentina some day!</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>Ciao!</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049551569431573226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292095557944540832.post-64986697528999029302011-11-27T15:25:00.009-05:002011-11-27T15:55:00.472-05:00Mendoza...Land of Steak and WineIf I haven't already said it enough, Zack and I had the most wonderful weekend in Mendoza, Argentina last weekend. It was very relaxing, and we loved everything about Argentina...the people, the scenery, the food...everything.<br /><br />Sunday in Mendoza was a very relaxing day. We took a winery tour through a company called <a href="http://www.troutandwine.com/">Trout and Wine</a>. The tour was a lot of fun and offered a great way to see the wineries which make Mendoza so famous. We also got to try the two wines that Argentina is known for: Malbec (red) and Torrontes (white). If you ever have the opportunity to visit Mendoza, we definitely recommend taking a wine excursion. You will get to try great wine, fantastic food, and see beautiful places.<br /><br />The weather on Sunday was really nice when we woke up, but while we were at the first winery the clouds and rain rolled in. Here is the view from our hotel room before it got cloudy (obviously we did not pay for an upgraded view...but we could see the pool):<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_rLwJRHDcKcfJIBTJyaH34KSouWMoMwvm5Lfs6y8Zmzz2rqtoOPoXgCAOxYNM_L2a8-AISy5MG-s_gO_6AAzAt5IQ4ilD24ml1g8KDvnwXMJdenzhd-nS4w6WquPF6TNpdNV-isWN0EA/s1600/IMG_2975.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679775789603539314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_rLwJRHDcKcfJIBTJyaH34KSouWMoMwvm5Lfs6y8Zmzz2rqtoOPoXgCAOxYNM_L2a8-AISy5MG-s_gO_6AAzAt5IQ4ilD24ml1g8KDvnwXMJdenzhd-nS4w6WquPF6TNpdNV-isWN0EA/s320/IMG_2975.jpg" border="0" /></a>Our first winery was <a href="http://www.altavistawines.com/">Alta Vista</a>, which is a really old and relatively large winery. The winery was originally owned by Spaniards but a French couple owns it now. The land was really beautiul, and we could see the Andes Mountains briefly before the heavy clouds came. Still beautiful though, despite the rain!<br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679775775836510546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJmoFjqUo4P1DiTD3LU9eFXU4mrzFfDvGc00lKoSfSmtjrAF9eV0Dof-xRZdfLrLL3NbgQ-JFpxohdVJCxIc3jUh4uI26MAUaWuF6wG4Xzw0IJTZP46l9lwPZkAV1jRguObFv6kkWMuS4/s320/IMG_2978.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHrJnO_tt__-ad0NHEv00lrXXsmUFTXv7zzdktwGBMsd3fCiWZM1ZKQhaqBwMw9WSJNogQeUY43RQ18dL2H78PLah_GClzIMKMXXtEDQfZiV7DWBvIDjKYrjodpleFLrypKk_sNoKnQhM/s1600/IMG_2979.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679775772753035010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHrJnO_tt__-ad0NHEv00lrXXsmUFTXv7zzdktwGBMsd3fCiWZM1ZKQhaqBwMw9WSJNogQeUY43RQ18dL2H78PLah_GClzIMKMXXtEDQfZiV7DWBvIDjKYrjodpleFLrypKk_sNoKnQhM/s320/IMG_2979.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-0Vi3GgL1PPlcfQ1NFoGS8k4dqGoDslrHotlQfoxPDGsSEXl9Znk4K_2o-YnihseXcATf5UOhSDFjdk3HANcL-I54c4r_44tBbtQIRmmMTRyjystxvIO111qmaLURkdzLJarMtNF3cQ/s1600/IMG_2984.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679775525762070098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-0Vi3GgL1PPlcfQ1NFoGS8k4dqGoDslrHotlQfoxPDGsSEXl9Znk4K_2o-YnihseXcATf5UOhSDFjdk3HANcL-I54c4r_44tBbtQIRmmMTRyjystxvIO111qmaLURkdzLJarMtNF3cQ/s320/IMG_2984.jpg" border="0" /></a>The barrels at Alta Vista are painted down the middle with red wine. This prevents stains from wine drops from showing. Alta Vista claims to be the first winery to come up with this idea.<br /><br />Our next winery was <a href="http://www.achaval-ferrer.com/placa.html">Achaval Ferrer</a>, which is a boutique winery that I think would have been gorgeous if the weather had been nicer. Even though the winery was really pretty and unique, I was not a huge fan of the wine.<br /></div><br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbC04Pp-lUGTMMJ2T0fxTat3dH38bJS-QOIa5IrLH0p5FufuPvy2mBCzhCARdFsvBvsrGWuqwJ7fBtyFtWHpDikXaVbPv1119l5x5Zcob4pfiiEIjywlZBwDvWx9K7c8SB9vdjczurrxg/s1600/IMG_2986.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679775511496645074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbC04Pp-lUGTMMJ2T0fxTat3dH38bJS-QOIa5IrLH0p5FufuPvy2mBCzhCARdFsvBvsrGWuqwJ7fBtyFtWHpDikXaVbPv1119l5x5Zcob4pfiiEIjywlZBwDvWx9K7c8SB9vdjczurrxg/s320/IMG_2986.jpg" border="0" /></a>Next was <a href="http://www.tapiz.com.ar/index.html">Club Tapiz</a>. This was not only a vineyard but also an inn and a restaurant. Here we toured the winery, and also had an olive oil tasting. They made us take a sip of the olive oil first to get a taste of it, and then they passed the bread around. The restaurant at Club Tapiz was really nice, and our tour included lunch on the second floor of the restaurant. Again, I think there were probably some really nice views of the Andes Mountains, but the clouds were pretty heavy. The 4-course lunch was amazing and included the famous Argentinean steak. I hope I didn’t offend the locals by asking to have my steak cooked well-done!<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcm2sCMcqjN6s_7yerZPt79NxEfOxHIf_seUMztBkuwpaJZfyhXR5q2CrZ-MX4lG4jqkgxlSq3YYTe9Dh8qbJV1OSVe6dYofsvDyk6r-2V5S7P8wSrd2A8Jln0DWILd6QeEz7tu6ddkrQ/s1600/IMG_2992.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679775508773685282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcm2sCMcqjN6s_7yerZPt79NxEfOxHIf_seUMztBkuwpaJZfyhXR5q2CrZ-MX4lG4jqkgxlSq3YYTe9Dh8qbJV1OSVe6dYofsvDyk6r-2V5S7P8wSrd2A8Jln0DWILd6QeEz7tu6ddkrQ/s320/IMG_2992.jpg" border="0" /></a> You can get married here...everything was really beautiful<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEd_BVU7kW1pZ6X2uw82GKKaEIlIbsMxJrIbXbstAQ2eANbVTMt7cPXeItEjs4d_fJgndJ0XblHwXWAA7Vln4E3X2KWQ1cLQi16hmymqc6YrTjuKyTX3twTuybEy1zcM3PQLLc6Hk1Hao/s1600/IMG_2994.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679775490746649186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEd_BVU7kW1pZ6X2uw82GKKaEIlIbsMxJrIbXbstAQ2eANbVTMt7cPXeItEjs4d_fJgndJ0XblHwXWAA7Vln4E3X2KWQ1cLQi16hmymqc6YrTjuKyTX3twTuybEy1zcM3PQLLc6Hk1Hao/s320/IMG_2994.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR-AmVlM7lKdgsaz4mtqjaG_jHWyV_biuoVZTADKdiG6lyE0q2En23ozsmed4xm6ni15VEhOtaFQn6D1TNEOttiqqS5THzKjKQQT4dyOvBmvgcQVby0uCiqXpLc5QAcBXHnu_15if5T4w/s1600/IMG_2995.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679775490663900770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR-AmVlM7lKdgsaz4mtqjaG_jHWyV_biuoVZTADKdiG6lyE0q2En23ozsmed4xm6ni15VEhOtaFQn6D1TNEOttiqqS5THzKjKQQT4dyOvBmvgcQVby0uCiqXpLc5QAcBXHnu_15if5T4w/s320/IMG_2995.jpg" border="0" /></a> Zack with his glass of olive oil to taste<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfCz1IrSxW4_JVh_GWUGnZzqeR1qFKoiqvuqP4jxE4AAc3zWOgufNTB5O2vWsFkbNwIG9yVvt8U4IkqVkGYy5Ahm1nJ_2vYhu_ir_abwwNv6IKUGlKu26vFZ5hyphenhyphenBURPnmYCGiJHcIizKg/s1600/IMG_2996.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679775142763045042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfCz1IrSxW4_JVh_GWUGnZzqeR1qFKoiqvuqP4jxE4AAc3zWOgufNTB5O2vWsFkbNwIG9yVvt8U4IkqVkGYy5Ahm1nJ_2vYhu_ir_abwwNv6IKUGlKu26vFZ5hyphenhyphenBURPnmYCGiJHcIizKg/s320/IMG_2996.jpg" border="0" /></a> The view from the restaurant at Club Tapiz where we had lunch</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>Our last stop of the day was at CarinaE, which was the smallest but most unique of all the wineries. A French couple owns the winery, and when they bought it in the 1990’s they basically had to rebuild the entire place. The owner gave us the tour and explained that he and his wife love stargazing, and the name CarinaE comes from their favorite constellation Carina. There was stained glass in one of the buildings that they designed, and these little touches are found on the labels of their wine. Everything was so unique and personalized!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB6rI9XIF-VkKiHjLUc_nzfOKAid170bvnKx0l1ekFmaygw1go0edSp29DSVbPcBnMw0DEx-UeAGb45_oEghk_7y9oRN9NfWliHDI-K3_aS9o9LcNzxll4WJP8hlTm0pD7ult7AwIg1LY/s1600/IMG_2999.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679775128188719010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB6rI9XIF-VkKiHjLUc_nzfOKAid170bvnKx0l1ekFmaygw1go0edSp29DSVbPcBnMw0DEx-UeAGb45_oEghk_7y9oRN9NfWliHDI-K3_aS9o9LcNzxll4WJP8hlTm0pD7ult7AwIg1LY/s320/IMG_2999.jpg" border="0" /></a> Us with the owner, Philippe<br /><br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWXBJosNTT_xRSTzIBxEb-t7Byv7nizGsDPbcXI5busrqYq0jwFnOnElmWyGnWYlQ-iopCBBOz2KzqDiiAV-eG1lEc-RZZ6pZUDtLtIxdidkewA7eVb-gxO4ztg8zKgen2YiMjNqT6BYA/s1600/IMG_3001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679775117250869938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWXBJosNTT_xRSTzIBxEb-t7Byv7nizGsDPbcXI5busrqYq0jwFnOnElmWyGnWYlQ-iopCBBOz2KzqDiiAV-eG1lEc-RZZ6pZUDtLtIxdidkewA7eVb-gxO4ztg8zKgen2YiMjNqT6BYA/s320/IMG_3001.jpg" border="0" /></a> This was a photo that they had which shows how beautiful the mountains are when it's not cloudy<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx05ju7BrSvSroHV0W4C9zDnaQTdGJNyc_xXuAkFTYAI2XptuizB_zg93VGslW_WMz3wAi_jdWVYWTleLdgKV6v3P8J4trYLCK65dIliykiXCIjG8otv-mkTXkoj7PrR1rTVo_S9Ungpw/s1600/IMG_3004.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679775108947850722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx05ju7BrSvSroHV0W4C9zDnaQTdGJNyc_xXuAkFTYAI2XptuizB_zg93VGslW_WMz3wAi_jdWVYWTleLdgKV6v3P8J4trYLCK65dIliykiXCIjG8otv-mkTXkoj7PrR1rTVo_S9Ungpw/s320/IMG_3004.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1UBFhHHudpuM-BUKHCGYQl4tckXIrGezEl-Ogkj1iazHeRMUwEArVBp0yTd9ky3VspPv8pac-hWJxu4RTB57a3Cejx3WUAkZRnIGDaiEz6SdBXLFoeOpibvg4tLRr2MwaHfpPo-xKXiU/s1600/IMG_3005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679775111181534690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1UBFhHHudpuM-BUKHCGYQl4tckXIrGezEl-Ogkj1iazHeRMUwEArVBp0yTd9ky3VspPv8pac-hWJxu4RTB57a3Cejx3WUAkZRnIGDaiEz6SdBXLFoeOpibvg4tLRr2MwaHfpPo-xKXiU/s320/IMG_3005.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUoTdqiITalHBVMwy_gxbqQn7ywdkw9v1-547bQyhkpXJy-kLKhdr4SFovuheIqA4ng_3mJh4YsUI3Phb5w9Qem9f5tu1BT32Myc9EpJWC1al0ISBFV1_Xdtpz5kI4W8SiSl42bUvrzHs/s1600/IMG_3006.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679774785550153698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUoTdqiITalHBVMwy_gxbqQn7ywdkw9v1-547bQyhkpXJy-kLKhdr4SFovuheIqA4ng_3mJh4YsUI3Phb5w9Qem9f5tu1BT32Myc9EpJWC1al0ISBFV1_Xdtpz5kI4W8SiSl42bUvrzHs/s320/IMG_3006.jpg" border="0" /></a> This one won't make Clemson World, but I thought it was good enough for the blog</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>When we got back to our hotel after the tour the sun decided to come out. We took the opportunity to check out the pool at the hotel and enjoyed some time reading in the warm sun. It’s not too often that you can go to the pool in late November, so that was really nice.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpctrL1Jpg1OEQBDeYgkumnyr-9wEBQSTZtCXoy2ygoYvX6uNYDdHEY-1OhbrVnkYXOpFzIMLfhyLYh7j5BLNlLDP_PXVgzm11NijKTlv7XYvZaNvKu1OKDeIbmT1MQciXmoneXSDrj2s/s1600/IMG_3010.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679774787469362450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpctrL1Jpg1OEQBDeYgkumnyr-9wEBQSTZtCXoy2ygoYvX6uNYDdHEY-1OhbrVnkYXOpFzIMLfhyLYh7j5BLNlLDP_PXVgzm11NijKTlv7XYvZaNvKu1OKDeIbmT1MQciXmoneXSDrj2s/s320/IMG_3010.jpg" border="0" /></a>We ended our Sunday in Argentina with a fancy dinner at Francis Mallman’s famous restaurant called <a href="http://www.1884restaurante.com.ar/">1884</a>. The restaurant is an Argentinean steakhouse that many, many people recommended to us. Our reservations were at 8:30 PM, and we were the first ones in the restaurant. Argentineans eat even later than Chileans, apparently. By the time we left around 10:30, the restaurant was finally full. It was vacation though, so it didn’t really matter that we were eating so late.</div><br /><br /><div>The food at 1884 was another one of the best meals we have ever had. I had my fill of steak for the day at Club Tapiz for lunch, but Zack could not pass up the opportunity to have another Argentinean steak (and I stole a few bites). The restaurant was so beautiful and everything was just so nice.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEineqwuq_FuxRp1kqLEVDnl30Tqu7pzU5NHckh9Nd8bUCNE2sgQxHTxmK9oSJLO6Ke3DRfVSAeI8kaWGNhU7Z_j5IBXN2VQpP2g7QEx9ZutDSztt0Ni2onKtng6IaRPdptRumnRg_dQgkE/s1600/IMG_3013.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679774766890922626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEineqwuq_FuxRp1kqLEVDnl30Tqu7pzU5NHckh9Nd8bUCNE2sgQxHTxmK9oSJLO6Ke3DRfVSAeI8kaWGNhU7Z_j5IBXN2VQpP2g7QEx9ZutDSztt0Ni2onKtng6IaRPdptRumnRg_dQgkE/s320/IMG_3013.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9YN0RuXn7ZZWm2DOA6PVK-iiXwGlvX6cCbdJ6ZAl_P1j-k8OGGsvsWsoIwB0pGx-gYNazkO-AUTSoH6neVHyRORpyxyd_DLZlOrA3V9YyreNwLtanJh7ri7FeqrIy2YVEK7N3RGI1C0o/s1600/IMG_3014.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679774760723942290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9YN0RuXn7ZZWm2DOA6PVK-iiXwGlvX6cCbdJ6ZAl_P1j-k8OGGsvsWsoIwB0pGx-gYNazkO-AUTSoH6neVHyRORpyxyd_DLZlOrA3V9YyreNwLtanJh7ri7FeqrIy2YVEK7N3RGI1C0o/s320/IMG_3014.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiNS-x2S8q1KmayRkW0yWxS6kHgOHgOLBnJ1j8T3J1ytWeOwXBEqKpiXTMJ-0qMHcjkc39TdcJ5c4ysRFX9ldUQn_-vYoTDk5rRsrLXQF0xYyQNLOE1KYjNFR4Fg9NHX0QYAg5oWbzptM/s1600/IMG_3015.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679774758496166002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiNS-x2S8q1KmayRkW0yWxS6kHgOHgOLBnJ1j8T3J1ytWeOwXBEqKpiXTMJ-0qMHcjkc39TdcJ5c4ysRFX9ldUQn_-vYoTDk5rRsrLXQF0xYyQNLOE1KYjNFR4Fg9NHX0QYAg5oWbzptM/s320/IMG_3015.jpg" border="0" /></a>On Monday, sadly we had to return to Santiago. Check back soon for our pictures and stories from the epic journey going back to Chile through the Andes Mountains.<br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>I apologize that I am a few days behind on blogging. I've got lots of pictures to post this week though, including the ones from our trip to the coast and from my company Christmas party. </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>Ciao!</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049551569431573226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292095557944540832.post-53150148217656908092011-11-24T20:35:00.003-05:002011-11-24T20:50:43.710-05:00Happy Thanksgiving! (Chilean Style)Originally, I wasn't all that sad about being out of the country for Thanksgiving. But the closer the holiday got, the more I got to thinking about how much I was going to miss the great meal, the parade, the relaxation, family, and the tradition. So when one of my co-workers told me that a local restaurant in Santiago has a "traditional Thanksgiving dinner" for gringos, I knew that we needed to do it.<br /><br />Today was business as usual for me. I woke up at 6:30, went to work at 8, and worked until 6:30. It was a strange feeling working on Thanksgiving, but it was nice to know that at the end of the day I would get a "traditional" turkey dinner with my husband. We had reservations to eat at Akarana at 8 tonight, and we had a wonderful Thanksgiving meal on the terrace of the restaurant. It was definitely a Thanksgiving that we will never forget.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDdOhEiGcoxA_l17VEG-zUmS1Kxf6ufqN6oA4n63h-QCwjd498CKI5jZV0LFEJqiPSOVHqFvdBQo81aouJyCjzm0Vw4iuVcMhRz5Dtlaq2E9KAFJe3m8P9FsobiT6IFH5-md9X4Aeq8YU/s1600/IMG_3111.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678741449044272770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDdOhEiGcoxA_l17VEG-zUmS1Kxf6ufqN6oA4n63h-QCwjd498CKI5jZV0LFEJqiPSOVHqFvdBQo81aouJyCjzm0Vw4iuVcMhRz5Dtlaq2E9KAFJe3m8P9FsobiT6IFH5-md9X4Aeq8YU/s320/IMG_3111.jpg" border="0" /></a> The Traditional Thanksgiving Menu...at 16,500 pesos it was a pretty good deal too!<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM4NTVgmiaM9YsTf90nKz5VlvdXxvRr-egr9JayIzJW9A4gKtPgjpksIdqJ0viJ2sX85bfmTRCUelzjg2hBC2nTUlbFjmNM1GDcXHk4JcvWAqNP-zJyTaNwBrCt8zvhEnzRJXS8hjnySk/s1600/IMG_3114.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678741441646158946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM4NTVgmiaM9YsTf90nKz5VlvdXxvRr-egr9JayIzJW9A4gKtPgjpksIdqJ0viJ2sX85bfmTRCUelzjg2hBC2nTUlbFjmNM1GDcXHk4JcvWAqNP-zJyTaNwBrCt8zvhEnzRJXS8hjnySk/s320/IMG_3114.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp_VOmf377g6P5Rq5r8m_It61meSzeo1dG3npQkOTwqlUYnrtKVcq2PtPpoAw01HWn6ijkJvrohKlvb2v_m_4I7lonnDDS0caoUv5UUFjCSJYsd_KI06z8zNVjnk4vWmxSRsThHrHUkPY/s1600/IMG_3115.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678741436341427122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp_VOmf377g6P5Rq5r8m_It61meSzeo1dG3npQkOTwqlUYnrtKVcq2PtPpoAw01HWn6ijkJvrohKlvb2v_m_4I7lonnDDS0caoUv5UUFjCSJYsd_KI06z8zNVjnk4vWmxSRsThHrHUkPY/s320/IMG_3115.jpg" border="0" /></a>The food was actually a pretty good interpretation of Thanksgiving dinner, considering the restaurant is owned by a couple from New Zealand and situated in the heart of Santiago, Chile<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnuw9j-v9RVRSnHgxSaZFG6mMac73an4dEcAl5IeCo4EFWwJY9BSfxYxB0n3nCLKWZIYQYW3sp_RMJFbxnODEBIaYDGfbSaguGJ95FRKTLKust2w7hyphenhyphenQtnXowTqS3MyFeu7OZDPJJZU8c/s1600/IMG_3116.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678741432958437938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnuw9j-v9RVRSnHgxSaZFG6mMac73an4dEcAl5IeCo4EFWwJY9BSfxYxB0n3nCLKWZIYQYW3sp_RMJFbxnODEBIaYDGfbSaguGJ95FRKTLKust2w7hyphenhyphenQtnXowTqS3MyFeu7OZDPJJZU8c/s320/IMG_3116.jpg" border="0" /></a> Dessert was a classic Thanksgiving indulgence...pumpkin and apple pies<br /><br />We hope everyone in the States had a nice holiday! I have to add that we were very blessed to be able to talk to both our families today! I'm so thankful for the technological capabilities that I have here, including an IP phone, a Blackberry and a webcam. All in all, a great day for Zack and I here in Chile. </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>Sorry we are a little behind on blogging. Zack will be a guest blogger soon to update on some of his adventures while he's been here, and we also have a lot more to post about Mendoza. </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>Happy Thanksgiving!!!!</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>Ciao! </div></div></div>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049551569431573226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292095557944540832.post-77302730906824645472011-11-22T20:00:00.007-05:002011-11-22T20:30:33.087-05:00No Visa, No ProblemZack and I took a weekend trip to Mendoza, Argentina this past weekend. Despite a rough start, it was a fantastic trip. On Saturday morning, we took the metro out to the Terminal de Autobuses to catch our bus to Mendoza. We arrived at the bus station at 7:30…plenty of time to make our 8 AM departure. When we arrived though, there was no one from our bus company in sight. Not only that, but I’m pretty sure that no one in the entire station spoke English, so I was forced to exercise my Spanish skills all morning. Finally, at 7:50 the man from our bus company showed up only to tell us that our original bus was not making the trip and we had been moved to a 9:30 departure via another company. The man was really rude to me, and my Spanish skills were good enough to understand what he was saying to me but not good enough to respond rudely back at him. The only good part was that we were upgraded from semi-cama (semi-bed) to cama (bed) seats which are much bigger, recline farther, and are more comfortable.<br /><br />After waiting in the cold weather for an hour and a half for the 9:30 bus, it was finally time to board. When we were boarding, the man taking the tickets asked to see our passports and our Chilean visas. I had my visa with my passport, but Zack could not find his anywhere. (Later he realized it was in the hotel room in Santiago.) I had to explain to several bus employees (in Spanish) that he had his passport but no visa, and I was trying to find out whether it would be a problem crossing the border into Argentina. Nobody gave me a very reassuring answer, but they did let us board the bus. Finally after we departed, the bus attendant told me that Zack might be able to cross into Argentina but “It depends on the mood of the customs police.” It was a rough 2.5 hour ride to the border since we were not sure yet whether our trip was ruined, but the views of the Andes were nice!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGxvuAjqGrwV3WOXJ9YlQPNJZF8sUNWddZHNXvPrqnnCg_U4fx5UsbvEdLwAuX4WGLYxkrSahuJtztQAgzmXwKApmYDthrlQCN9g9ZvLOOKKx3uXah-cYpdnXPudhpAbEzjDtFg681YM0/s1600/IMG_2925.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677993914816481474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGxvuAjqGrwV3WOXJ9YlQPNJZF8sUNWddZHNXvPrqnnCg_U4fx5UsbvEdLwAuX4WGLYxkrSahuJtztQAgzmXwKApmYDthrlQCN9g9ZvLOOKKx3uXah-cYpdnXPudhpAbEzjDtFg681YM0/s320/IMG_2925.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCFzDWHMtyYSiqGtWp5Wh6-3VdqodhKN_GuO5D5BnKDQJzhIu6LQJlVg_J6yqDU_58MYfkFIyxvKEmMOE9WJdTSlEMgJOLRKkMh_JkEVyfhmWOCvcVmKjJbEM7MsCLLHK133euBUpA1oo/s1600/IMG_2927.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677993780976161746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCFzDWHMtyYSiqGtWp5Wh6-3VdqodhKN_GuO5D5BnKDQJzhIu6LQJlVg_J6yqDU_58MYfkFIyxvKEmMOE9WJdTSlEMgJOLRKkMh_JkEVyfhmWOCvcVmKjJbEM7MsCLLHK133euBUpA1oo/s320/IMG_2927.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAQzTNJBk7eC03aCpgQ5mgKmBJwX2i6W33r8E3twhBAziINl0HXwQgpWgf76Ei0dmqs3uPzxoos7NoLzkgtQGpOP-FLAZk4Pnu0g2GKAbPkwvAxm87tFHBNxCgDM1PsoTgGvTtsUc9Urg/s1600/IMG_2928.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677993774196869026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAQzTNJBk7eC03aCpgQ5mgKmBJwX2i6W33r8E3twhBAziINl0HXwQgpWgf76Ei0dmqs3uPzxoos7NoLzkgtQGpOP-FLAZk4Pnu0g2GKAbPkwvAxm87tFHBNxCgDM1PsoTgGvTtsUc9Urg/s320/IMG_2928.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1S43VnjQav3rRX6eWeEoYJ36XyyZi2gQcdAv-99CAFyp8WDGKtVakFz-smvYl1qBtAIW7MV6yc8LH6Rz49aB0EQvgRPtmOq_O1-B_A6N-QeI0T2njZUpBHcnR_Rbudpm8caHrKECHte0/s1600/IMG_2929.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677993766928269762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1S43VnjQav3rRX6eWeEoYJ36XyyZi2gQcdAv-99CAFyp8WDGKtVakFz-smvYl1qBtAIW7MV6yc8LH6Rz49aB0EQvgRPtmOq_O1-B_A6N-QeI0T2njZUpBHcnR_Rbudpm8caHrKECHte0/s320/IMG_2929.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677993762755577922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidI1A9uNAUml2kRDSMRrF12vMFRRwq9z01iPdF-XuUvVgygKrkwOFrwHclxk70215szBlOVBGahRF6vhTJXezTlMY7m7lZNVuQruQSrX2R6fUiOKIlxLRHu8hyphenhyphenMKRqlO450a_dt7eFcXE/s320/IMG_2930.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoIMZHV9f2Y3Y83i_ht1QG4-lN7eYAnv1w3Wqr17UxQCXrWmqA7U-MIoL3HoRg-xK3_SksS4SxasbAlcSOTWS3tvLn4wKJycD2G77p6kGcJahbQ7M4cnY4RECFoIK6HX26F_Ia7v4w_qY/s1600/IMG_2932.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677993757758009362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoIMZHV9f2Y3Y83i_ht1QG4-lN7eYAnv1w3Wqr17UxQCXrWmqA7U-MIoL3HoRg-xK3_SksS4SxasbAlcSOTWS3tvLn4wKJycD2G77p6kGcJahbQ7M4cnY4RECFoIK6HX26F_Ia7v4w_qY/s320/IMG_2932.jpg" border="0" /></a> Can you believe I wasn't scared and didn't get carsick? This road was incredible!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6qhjZ0hztI2F01fqt1mMe8hF4Ha6CdLg4XcfqFdBOTYeuw4oUQIB2QE5Jcpnv776HDwsS6QN1nXHF7vQ2CXmFmfBE9O18KtXVtz6eLBha3xsciGLTsnrzloxuDAf4wY_dLuDFCVjX5F0/s1600/IMG_2935.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677993273001883090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6qhjZ0hztI2F01fqt1mMe8hF4Ha6CdLg4XcfqFdBOTYeuw4oUQIB2QE5Jcpnv776HDwsS6QN1nXHF7vQ2CXmFmfBE9O18KtXVtz6eLBha3xsciGLTsnrzloxuDAf4wY_dLuDFCVjX5F0/s320/IMG_2935.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>Curve number 26!</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>When we arrived at the border, fortunately there were no problems getting through. It took a total of 7 hours to get from Santiago to Mendoza (including the time it took to go through customs and immigration). When we arrived in Mendoza, we took a cab to our hotel and checked in. We stayed at the <a href="http://www.mendoza.park.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp?null">Park Hyatt Mendoza</a>, which was super nice. We really loved the hotel, and it was in a great location right in front of the park in the city center. </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>The weather was nice and warm that afternoon, so we walked around and found a little open-top bus tour. The tour was great and took us through Parque San Martin (Saint Martin Park) and the Cerro de la Gloria (Glory Hill). We were only in Mendoza for 2 nights, so the bus was a good way to see a lot in just an hour and a half (not to mention that it was super-cheap – only $6 USD per person). Even though the tour was 100% Spanish, I was able to understand some of it and translate to Zack. Here are some pictures from our walk and the tour:<br /></div><br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLFS3r8FJ5cwEXi4jxxJ8ft5j6D_i1P-Sq60KOCjHnkM8wohXBmfO3_okVZUaFQUHWrfiEosV-dG879941AdnsgsQAjCGfOdP7N8cewQcD0-xoMa0TOCz16ps8yJvuBT9aWpLnSE1LuKc/s1600/IMG_2939.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677993262816491298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLFS3r8FJ5cwEXi4jxxJ8ft5j6D_i1P-Sq60KOCjHnkM8wohXBmfO3_okVZUaFQUHWrfiEosV-dG879941AdnsgsQAjCGfOdP7N8cewQcD0-xoMa0TOCz16ps8yJvuBT9aWpLnSE1LuKc/s320/IMG_2939.jpg" border="0" /></a>The fountain in the Central Square of Mendoza<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpmEXUNuhUrbEp1WOy33zNEtw4KsYg0yjN-RKzE63ORa7XdJs7kREfW-5xppJbmJtreFbus6jSEDIKGJcG1wU7eTCihrdDrg5V80BUy1zBYrG1lP2Mv9XaLhFjn8LA8caXRdp1pf0fKk0/s1600/IMG_2940.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677993261435554066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpmEXUNuhUrbEp1WOy33zNEtw4KsYg0yjN-RKzE63ORa7XdJs7kREfW-5xppJbmJtreFbus6jSEDIKGJcG1wU7eTCihrdDrg5V80BUy1zBYrG1lP2Mv9XaLhFjn8LA8caXRdp1pf0fKk0/s320/IMG_2940.jpg" border="0" /></a>A market in the Central Square<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34nyov_wFwMeK8AS8rdRZHDrE3Bqe-Tj5h3BxedH6_L5wJsPRyb2iZMgZN5_xtOaBkARwLe-eEsJ2zAqhRTlkiKiiA08ek917puH3NY6OBYBxv-0md2mfxdPiNSO7fCgmThLMEcOpoXs/s1600/IMG_2943.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677993243963366386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34nyov_wFwMeK8AS8rdRZHDrE3Bqe-Tj5h3BxedH6_L5wJsPRyb2iZMgZN5_xtOaBkARwLe-eEsJ2zAqhRTlkiKiiA08ek917puH3NY6OBYBxv-0md2mfxdPiNSO7fCgmThLMEcOpoXs/s320/IMG_2943.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0VvwLWP8IO36QCeDa9EgpesTYKJc2uxpLDBihJY1KO2QoPx5kwJ7WRI_eS4rLIvR9980xpq1TSZZfllrWIwnLCDSn6OeNl8Kg97DV4S9dsoAy_1EqWuGF3GHCqMLXihWn2rRupP4Wqe4/s1600/IMG_2944.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677993239258413474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0VvwLWP8IO36QCeDa9EgpesTYKJc2uxpLDBihJY1KO2QoPx5kwJ7WRI_eS4rLIvR9980xpq1TSZZfllrWIwnLCDSn6OeNl8Kg97DV4S9dsoAy_1EqWuGF3GHCqMLXihWn2rRupP4Wqe4/s320/IMG_2944.jpg" border="0" /></a> On the open top bus tour<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPhlPJXSEyIG6LM85Gw-Kc6JXHi6NzPYeD1KDMxcts37aHFagSPPsfsCzWN8SH5uB30gPMH_ZM_yW4qGWurMF3dl6tsA7Zprf2zqTJExRBlS43rbcqKs07jaPKRDUGDehrr8v95DVAh8/s1600/IMG_2949.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677992728135709618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPhlPJXSEyIG6LM85Gw-Kc6JXHi6NzPYeD1KDMxcts37aHFagSPPsfsCzWN8SH5uB30gPMH_ZM_yW4qGWurMF3dl6tsA7Zprf2zqTJExRBlS43rbcqKs07jaPKRDUGDehrr8v95DVAh8/s320/IMG_2949.jpg" border="0" /></a> Entering Parque San Martin<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIWqqKIUyM1ChYKkRWLsd2UlkvXUiEOyVRfniJRGEVUJRgHDFJzaYWyoJGaktTXb2P4CQmxvstIh-Glt9IM1xiFm5cYvY16g68Ce02h3mlG9OFJOPSqcMQymdC5dsPM4TaoCT7SVA9XBg/s1600/IMG_2950.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677992719928060930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIWqqKIUyM1ChYKkRWLsd2UlkvXUiEOyVRfniJRGEVUJRgHDFJzaYWyoJGaktTXb2P4CQmxvstIh-Glt9IM1xiFm5cYvY16g68Ce02h3mlG9OFJOPSqcMQymdC5dsPM4TaoCT7SVA9XBg/s320/IMG_2950.jpg" border="0" /></a> The fountain in Parque San Martin<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjynkcIvWPPjlMKacsPpsqCB26vl5wnX0bImOpQAHHIqGXaj48umh4OVIuU-5uNAlFJJlhR2ICAOacmAt3UPOyBi9eclVUG6bJI7gEIb0k80kYBvZX1m6TlTrZSmmx4zEHMo0TWua2yjM4/s1600/IMG_2959.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677992711963134162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjynkcIvWPPjlMKacsPpsqCB26vl5wnX0bImOpQAHHIqGXaj48umh4OVIuU-5uNAlFJJlhR2ICAOacmAt3UPOyBi9eclVUG6bJI7gEIb0k80kYBvZX1m6TlTrZSmmx4zEHMo0TWua2yjM4/s320/IMG_2959.jpg" border="0" /></a>At the top of Cerro de la Gloria there was an interesting monument<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU2NEiYCn-ryCCehiZMH42lMIfdSGZsKjsIT0yQUNePyJg0N2zgs1psoKEKMSLRl5rVJELLKbWyeEDQc5QNcCjBZsVe0XEldTi-VE7xv-zh9k-GMI_f47-dbdepBhDHlwwS4LdO-ZiKyY/s1600/IMG_2960.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677992708381146754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU2NEiYCn-ryCCehiZMH42lMIfdSGZsKjsIT0yQUNePyJg0N2zgs1psoKEKMSLRl5rVJELLKbWyeEDQc5QNcCjBZsVe0XEldTi-VE7xv-zh9k-GMI_f47-dbdepBhDHlwwS4LdO-ZiKyY/s320/IMG_2960.jpg" border="0" /></a><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677992700948860002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi51s6MzGDPII4U8shOqn_3kJibZErrOj1JcGhPEb5cQ_hjdWO4m4WvZVW8BiJ7YFtpIRPO3hnwpi0brsmZTwPqWU-uoDuTs2lxeDhp_2MkjbLiTFw49iG0X2ViFCI_1s9U_MGoV-34zAg/s320/IMG_2965.jpg" border="0" />The city of Mendoza is in the background<br /><br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvQvVPF4RroXZKXSnL8iGP_VJS6OAXkmdLPr0Hql3y1CSwGjpl0Ac4NG-6WqPJom7WQnNy9MeGjzK2xzuO-nn4JafkOjEiOwz1wy3_hlSBZryP5ziWpmMgGeR4PiLZ0chFK-qeDWSHIOw/s1600/IMG_2962.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677992230810696066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvQvVPF4RroXZKXSnL8iGP_VJS6OAXkmdLPr0Hql3y1CSwGjpl0Ac4NG-6WqPJom7WQnNy9MeGjzK2xzuO-nn4JafkOjEiOwz1wy3_hlSBZryP5ziWpmMgGeR4PiLZ0chFK-qeDWSHIOw/s320/IMG_2962.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHbf1tjAiQLmiovs95c8ncZcQJhXW7_bpMAx93-9fXkMoc2qbUSNZ87yzR826ugaz2fRUnjLrbHzmZFFARdLGlm8prJAajFNghqN06cXAjTR4rxua4udWP_j4mep6OiqlxBQxLh9cdjbE/s1600/IMG_2966.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677992215244795058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHbf1tjAiQLmiovs95c8ncZcQJhXW7_bpMAx93-9fXkMoc2qbUSNZ87yzR826ugaz2fRUnjLrbHzmZFFARdLGlm8prJAajFNghqN06cXAjTR4rxua4udWP_j4mep6OiqlxBQxLh9cdjbE/s320/IMG_2966.jpg" border="0" /></a>Views from Cerro de la Gloria<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-aJ_PFAMVfWYq9QLyLz8RyaUE9J5vhRq8L3nGqEndAm0haAFxiGl5KzqCm1QQmBtgnClmWFoBKanLEoQka1K_j4392lpRl1dTSNfdOxuf36AlC8oHUJVDiEfZqi_dkY4lHq0twYieas/s1600/IMG_2969.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677992211453237986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-aJ_PFAMVfWYq9QLyLz8RyaUE9J5vhRq8L3nGqEndAm0haAFxiGl5KzqCm1QQmBtgnClmWFoBKanLEoQka1K_j4392lpRl1dTSNfdOxuf36AlC8oHUJVDiEfZqi_dkY4lHq0twYieas/s320/IMG_2969.jpg" border="0" /></a>We ended our first day in Argentina with dinner at a fancy Italian restaurant called <a href="http://francescoristorante.com.ar/">Francesco</a>. We were a bit skeptical when the concierge recommended Italian food, but there is a good bit of Italian influence in Argentina. It was definitely the best Italian food I have ever had. Zack and I both ordered a dish that had an assortment of fresh homemade pastas: lasagna, a pasta filled with veal with a pink sauce, and a pasta filled with spinach and ricotta with a cream sauce. We sat outside in the garden for dinner and it was literally one of the best dinners we have ever had. Our waiter was nice enough to take a picture:<br /></div><br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5TGxvFYwKhb_wM2uDnmrH2HlnJ3vcq-hlEJoEoICHjlXFsfPylLlE0fSeYZ_0AlySar0dZYs7hFw7IOMK4pXw4vPP4RG2QmlL5s81QuPRNJ-65zWJ5w0f1ortM61QU1ECCHoFGrjQqyY/s1600/IMG_2970.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677992202305286738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5TGxvFYwKhb_wM2uDnmrH2HlnJ3vcq-hlEJoEoICHjlXFsfPylLlE0fSeYZ_0AlySar0dZYs7hFw7IOMK4pXw4vPP4RG2QmlL5s81QuPRNJ-65zWJ5w0f1ortM61QU1ECCHoFGrjQqyY/s320/IMG_2970.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQm_HXzpma2jbi701eXlsWQQH5JVli5wtPSmKrJm0SbfznNP5UdGaVQYufL_jLEXuUmZlWMlymDMn5GVHEpYZb6UTClemCscU22WMoEz89KiEVFBayNgKQHtISmeHDvPF76omJ3UC3qNQ/s1600/IMG_2974.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677992203547992386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQm_HXzpma2jbi701eXlsWQQH5JVli5wtPSmKrJm0SbfznNP5UdGaVQYufL_jLEXuUmZlWMlymDMn5GVHEpYZb6UTClemCscU22WMoEz89KiEVFBayNgKQHtISmeHDvPF76omJ3UC3qNQ/s320/IMG_2974.jpg" border="0" /></a> The park in the city center is decorated for Christmas!<br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>We have lots more stories and pictures from Argentina, but I think I’ll continue with those on another day. Stay tuned!</div><br /><br /><div>Ciao!</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049551569431573226noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292095557944540832.post-7237603639276025902011-11-18T19:50:00.006-05:002011-11-18T20:14:52.691-05:00Happy Birthday to Me, Part 2!Yesterday, I got the best birthday present...Zack arrived! I met him at my hotel at around 10 AM, and then I had to go back to work. We went to lunch together, and then I had to go back to work. Fortunately that gave him a good opportunity to nap and catch up from his airplane-induced sleep deprivation. When I got home from work (and woke him up from his nap) we went to dinner at Patio Bellavista, which is a fun part of town. There are a ton of restaurants and lots to see in Bellavista. Even though we ended up eating pizza for dinner, we did get to see tango dancers on the patio which was neat.<br /><br />Today, I had to work until 2 PM. While I worked, Zack took a bicycle tour with <a href="http://www.labicicletaverde.com/">La Bicleta Verde</a>. Maybe he will agree to be a guest author on the blog to tell you more about it, but from what he tells me it was quite the adventure.<br /><br />This afternoon we took the metro out to Los Dominicos to do some Christmas shopping. Los Dominicos is an outdoor market with lots of shops and a neat atmosphere. It's a fun area to browse around, and we were pretty productive with our Christmas shopping.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoYyupWELf7jzwUGp8z5BSmS2c4oFqPZnk-_msWsrWbzy8fcOepTsLjkOFWtmCjZDVo_G8GNAV5TFumAj1mg8tUcJrMjHM6oVL7UFYiiQ8Ny3mQEERZdG71f97oQ145cN6azDB10uI9YM/s1600/IMG_2909.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676504409828279234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoYyupWELf7jzwUGp8z5BSmS2c4oFqPZnk-_msWsrWbzy8fcOepTsLjkOFWtmCjZDVo_G8GNAV5TFumAj1mg8tUcJrMjHM6oVL7UFYiiQ8Ny3mQEERZdG71f97oQ145cN6azDB10uI9YM/s320/IMG_2909.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHgEaIoj6QH_j-GjqEAfy31qpOSCkPIzUtIlAKnmf3rJf31Fbd3MPJO_MSvE30A6BbMJLKD7wUB5b2nnefCBJ-w3bE5OLnvaMok_s5N1YdTBcfpSGStS0Nro8BJzcL9C2RDerIKYuawIg/s1600/IMG_2904.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676504395337467458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHgEaIoj6QH_j-GjqEAfy31qpOSCkPIzUtIlAKnmf3rJf31Fbd3MPJO_MSvE30A6BbMJLKD7wUB5b2nnefCBJ-w3bE5OLnvaMok_s5N1YdTBcfpSGStS0Nro8BJzcL9C2RDerIKYuawIg/s320/IMG_2904.jpg" border="0" /></a> There was an assortment of wildlife on display at the market. Does anyone want a little chick or a peacock for Christmas?!<br /></div><br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnNt_cCVGXEjGjTnsR06_W77uyQhdRW0rNWNtpCDVWMXBf9iQe4RMXNuz3ty99mOOvuvzPTCyCsu_a8UQ3lk_ZkzvKjr7TpxJtnJGoh7jnZTPEHyKkEEIJlsnkuVcgHWW9lNz7XwH9ogI/s1600/IMG_2906.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676504389126539346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnNt_cCVGXEjGjTnsR06_W77uyQhdRW0rNWNtpCDVWMXBf9iQe4RMXNuz3ty99mOOvuvzPTCyCsu_a8UQ3lk_ZkzvKjr7TpxJtnJGoh7jnZTPEHyKkEEIJlsnkuVcgHWW9lNz7XwH9ogI/s320/IMG_2906.jpg" border="0" /></a> Spring flowers...so pretty!<br /></div><br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjufEDpfTLnUja1HbN-iEOQAvLZPFtYdFU-aAZkLhIlTvbTGjzjVosTGpq5nG-tel20UFZh2qexfE8OiS159y4RD2KVeScGx12eKSYtvjhttH6KFgYOBSGpCFD6XsNi9NHsPbt3OMZeELA/s1600/IMG_2908.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676504382576718290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjufEDpfTLnUja1HbN-iEOQAvLZPFtYdFU-aAZkLhIlTvbTGjzjVosTGpq5nG-tel20UFZh2qexfE8OiS159y4RD2KVeScGx12eKSYtvjhttH6KFgYOBSGpCFD6XsNi9NHsPbt3OMZeELA/s320/IMG_2908.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD1Wsnqf1pSQemxFtYMmax6UsZJDfdNPR3_-7Hs4EBzwcJOoAR3Vgbg4xmRipNRVPYC9cn8VS61hI5TQ5EuXf5NSeju0qWWbS0AHnRYSzQeCfVfq5efJvejj_dqohS0YctfC7PHFgoDqc/s1600/IMG_2911.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676504045289895346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD1Wsnqf1pSQemxFtYMmax6UsZJDfdNPR3_-7Hs4EBzwcJOoAR3Vgbg4xmRipNRVPYC9cn8VS61hI5TQ5EuXf5NSeju0qWWbS0AHnRYSzQeCfVfq5efJvejj_dqohS0YctfC7PHFgoDqc/s320/IMG_2911.jpg" border="0" /></a> There weren't many people there since it was early afternoon on a Friday!<br /></div><br /><br /><div>Tonight Zack took me out for my birthday dinner! We went to Baco, which is a French restaurant in Providencia. The food was really good, and the atmosphere was even better. We went all out and each had a glass of wine, an appetizer, entrees, and dessert! When we got back to the hotel, I had lots of birthday cards from home that Zack brought for me. It was so great to have so many nice cards to top off the birthday celebration!<br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizYIMCVWBEMSaTm9mOmU4ZhHSHi3AzZUiX61vTlwB1F7bukq3sV_Ngajw_79YvfY9VTkg2cS92WCvM9Vhig8MghhqA1l-5ixP5rnm22cjcPW8aROJLAXcpdg2Y_l4chycZbJ2LZ7fYhDM/s1600/IMG_2915.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676504035538844386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizYIMCVWBEMSaTm9mOmU4ZhHSHi3AzZUiX61vTlwB1F7bukq3sV_Ngajw_79YvfY9VTkg2cS92WCvM9Vhig8MghhqA1l-5ixP5rnm22cjcPW8aROJLAXcpdg2Y_l4chycZbJ2LZ7fYhDM/s320/IMG_2915.jpg" border="0" /></a> Zack in front of the restaurant<br /></div><br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-u6opmacVF-rcrLeuSq4W1FlHkOczOh9Y2kRe3xF5VJl1tmNY7N-cMYXhUDQdd90CsF6SXDS4L0g0_rZ20ztRSl5Vy3kCm7EbFqzR4jhKpH2PaVxKEOyVxgwwaExO61YRc5GZU4fFFew/s1600/IMG_2918.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676504033524700114" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-u6opmacVF-rcrLeuSq4W1FlHkOczOh9Y2kRe3xF5VJl1tmNY7N-cMYXhUDQdd90CsF6SXDS4L0g0_rZ20ztRSl5Vy3kCm7EbFqzR4jhKpH2PaVxKEOyVxgwwaExO61YRc5GZU4fFFew/s320/IMG_2918.jpg" border="0" /></a> Lots of birthday cards from home!<br /></div><br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCw78CZ66NLIrafFeHQmgxUthu1kgi9WOEM4KTiFCcwVWB9aAQke22klh-ucJJZWrqDe2XFqdDEtltYBCsHG7Zo6cHzfr-pbm8hruXvdlrXpI2IaFubBNbho7CF8Ru1vVtWO69YUKojgc/s1600/IMG_2919.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676504023031400994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCw78CZ66NLIrafFeHQmgxUthu1kgi9WOEM4KTiFCcwVWB9aAQke22klh-ucJJZWrqDe2XFqdDEtltYBCsHG7Zo6cHzfr-pbm8hruXvdlrXpI2IaFubBNbho7CF8Ru1vVtWO69YUKojgc/s320/IMG_2919.jpg" border="0" /></a> My sister found an all-Spanish card - it was hilarious! And I love my gift from her...a Trader Joe's cookbook! I can't wait to get home and get back to shopping at my favorite grocery store!<br /></div><br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAAoX2KQNXKBsBHPZZfo-V_e3Yl3t2RfiwgC609kuTQbvi6UGzHEDY8X_MNh-tcTsxqDJEPGavOH2dIJ0sC5332sR12n7ccj6xoC-aO7zWB69dTxGv_bep_O9Llcfupt1Zaln0X-aRv8Y/s1600/IMG_2922.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676504017936077170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAAoX2KQNXKBsBHPZZfo-V_e3Yl3t2RfiwgC609kuTQbvi6UGzHEDY8X_MNh-tcTsxqDJEPGavOH2dIJ0sC5332sR12n7ccj6xoC-aO7zWB69dTxGv_bep_O9Llcfupt1Zaln0X-aRv8Y/s320/IMG_2922.jpg" border="0" /></a>We forgot to get someone to take our picture at dinner, so we had to resort to the automatic timer in the room. </div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /><br /><p>Tomorrow we leave for a weekend in Mendoza, Argentina! We will be sure to update the blog with stories and pictures when we get back. Hope everyone has a great weekend!</p><br /><p>Ciao from Kristen and Zack!</p>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049551569431573226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292095557944540832.post-53278383463505196832011-11-15T19:33:00.003-05:002011-11-15T19:35:44.792-05:00Go Tigers!For those of you who don’t follow college football, Clemson has had a pretty incredible season this year. With the exception of one game that I won’t mention, we have had a “perfect season.” I hate missing out on college football while I’m in Chile, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we’ll go to a good bowl game in December/January and Zack and I can make a road trip out of it.<br /><br />In the meantime, we gave our niece a girly but sporty little Clemson outfit for her birthday this year. She was at the game this past weekend (Clemson beat Wake!) and was sporting her new pink Clemson warm-up. So cute!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIkzsnfpdwXY9F-4EEq9_0BfhVovPylesrjCIezVQz_LwUOsV-8EBVIMOkd5BX0SZ_wzOQ9jYO9sMKRLiKlf9mJAl2pWwjrM8Z_1c9FN27Z_cvWmmWQEGLAPN1EVyQg75CzLbdJV9A9Mg/s1600/Hazel.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675385482049347682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIkzsnfpdwXY9F-4EEq9_0BfhVovPylesrjCIezVQz_LwUOsV-8EBVIMOkd5BX0SZ_wzOQ9jYO9sMKRLiKlf9mJAl2pWwjrM8Z_1c9FN27Z_cvWmmWQEGLAPN1EVyQg75CzLbdJV9A9Mg/s320/Hazel.jpg" border="0" /></a>This weekend we face North Carolina State in Raleigh. Zack and I will be enjoying wine and steak in Argentina, but we’ll be cheering on the Tigers from afar. Go Tigers! Beat the Wolfpack!<br /><br />Ciao!<br /><br /><div></div>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049551569431573226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292095557944540832.post-1241755636240145532011-11-14T19:24:00.005-05:002011-11-14T19:33:53.750-05:00Happy Birthday to Me!Yesterday was my 28th birthday, and it was really strange but kind of cool to be spending it in a foreign country. Since it was Sunday and I didn’t have to work, I had a very relaxing day. The only disappointment was that it was cloudy and a little cool most of the day, so I didn't get to go to the pool. I did get to talk to my parents and my sister on the phone, and also got to talk to Zack and see Sadie on the webcam. I got lots of nice emails and messages on Facebook too, so thank you for all of the nice birthday wishes!<br /><br />Last night, I had a great birthday dinner with friends here in Chile. We went to a restaurant called Kilometer Zero (KM 0) in the W Hotel. It was really nice with a great atmosphere and delicious food. It was a fun evening with my friends (a mix of Chileans and Americans), and it was a fantastic way to spend my birthday. I even got a few gifts and they brought my dessert out with a candle!<br /><br />Here are some pictures from the evening:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi0rJdu4byw8uMYohmpY7-1v9MKwQ1Gn0Pv_QJVilvibbvEDNygvhUJkk62KmkogCzWNehTEv_a1yYS-NpuwA_9du3IzJ-rvwox0DDPQxmIM_3Lta5YX1L0ja0dFRnZ-SWBSiw5weWn6k/s1600/IMG_2890.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675012134926130754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi0rJdu4byw8uMYohmpY7-1v9MKwQ1Gn0Pv_QJVilvibbvEDNygvhUJkk62KmkogCzWNehTEv_a1yYS-NpuwA_9du3IzJ-rvwox0DDPQxmIM_3Lta5YX1L0ja0dFRnZ-SWBSiw5weWn6k/s320/IMG_2890.jpg" border="0" /></a> From left to right: Carolina, me, DeeDee, Daniela, Lindsay, Lynn (Carolina's husband Patricio took the picture for us)<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdI_qnKNeUjGZsmQDY0eUbrdX7SX9uO5i9f3wx3xy4PpVH5SngQ_jxOExDf5zEZ0CSKtjPkDnOCENJ8q1tMMaM8gEIeLLDJur-Hg7Yyxx-ywLterbKetLU8P92qzE69-YrjtQ3cVqmqMQ/s1600/IMG_2893.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675012133813338610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdI_qnKNeUjGZsmQDY0eUbrdX7SX9uO5i9f3wx3xy4PpVH5SngQ_jxOExDf5zEZ0CSKtjPkDnOCENJ8q1tMMaM8gEIeLLDJur-Hg7Yyxx-ywLterbKetLU8P92qzE69-YrjtQ3cVqmqMQ/s320/IMG_2893.jpg" border="0" /></a>My dinner matched my shirt...it was a delicious spinach and mushroom gnocchi</div><br /><div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidlRDjHZq8pNhlvo5mgtjgbnS5wzwL-Ay0iTOxWur7wq258e2JVeG4Wrsw_SUoVbJBU5vgQ2liKowJoSVbiQWXzyXMQ1BQZqRmz2NmVkzRldrIPEtLAFkQ7NqjS4ymilv9I3AibejZy_o/s1600/IMG_2897.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675012120272786546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidlRDjHZq8pNhlvo5mgtjgbnS5wzwL-Ay0iTOxWur7wq258e2JVeG4Wrsw_SUoVbJBU5vgQ2liKowJoSVbiQWXzyXMQ1BQZqRmz2NmVkzRldrIPEtLAFkQ7NqjS4ymilv9I3AibejZy_o/s320/IMG_2897.jpg" border="0" /></a> DeeDee and Daniela with their desserts<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpt3Uy_Np4ZUVNjYoCPpquBwZzAwbFbvsxXhS2FjHgfKirxQBFw2glD62B_xweccVSNM1tx36Rd1O7A1sXA9lVLHXl9R-jgT1mpwKOqnwAH9jfK0PsszYtfa8NNZXGUlLtGi8Kh7-lvu4/s1600/IMG_2899.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675012119590114514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpt3Uy_Np4ZUVNjYoCPpquBwZzAwbFbvsxXhS2FjHgfKirxQBFw2glD62B_xweccVSNM1tx36Rd1O7A1sXA9lVLHXl9R-jgT1mpwKOqnwAH9jfK0PsszYtfa8NNZXGUlLtGi8Kh7-lvu4/s320/IMG_2899.jpg" border="0" /></a> Me with my amazingly delicious chocolate mousse!</div><br /><br /><div>Zack and I will be continuing the birthday celebration this weekend in Argentina! I can't wait! Hope everyone’s week is off to a good start!</div><br /><br /><div>Ciao! </div></div></div>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049551569431573226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292095557944540832.post-26634966209355102312011-11-13T15:52:00.006-05:002011-11-13T16:03:50.493-05:00Hiking and PedicuresYesterday I hiked to the top of Cerro San Cristobal with my co-worker Daniela and a few of her Chilean friends. The hike was about 6 miles roundtrip, and it was a great day! The weather was just perfect – nice and warm with a refreshing breeze. You may remember that I went to the top of Cerro San Cristobal a few weeks ago via the funicular (tram-type thing). Hiking to the top was definitely a great experience, and I would say it is something you shouldn’t miss out on if you ever visit Santiago. There were tons of cyclists, runners, walkers, and just lots of people outside enjoying the day. I took a few pictures, but the smog was really bad yesterday so they didn’t turn out very well.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9kBXhtQ4A3r3ph0I8pA-L3xyVWmfrfFUuIwieBhCLy4yizjZ71QhjmCWlDKHhXQlq6ih2i9SCHtE_iDm3PePbiBrruzvEzLa1keJs3-AFYxloIpLP2K_SiHsy9UPxhoeABDhmzieXncw/s1600/IMG_2874.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5674586595816043490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9kBXhtQ4A3r3ph0I8pA-L3xyVWmfrfFUuIwieBhCLy4yizjZ71QhjmCWlDKHhXQlq6ih2i9SCHtE_iDm3PePbiBrruzvEzLa1keJs3-AFYxloIpLP2K_SiHsy9UPxhoeABDhmzieXncw/s320/IMG_2874.jpg" border="0" /></a> Daniela and I at the top of the hill (and a random lady on the left). We are looking rough because we just walked 3 miles uphill! I wore orange all day yesterday in honor of the Tigers!<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlXRAxclIRA7_5H9BoRlvk0Gl_V-qQpDbq15JCPSBF4qyHg1YpegLLE3xy2c-yw-SneCD3aCGGFm8A4ZZ3Co-oyg79Ap-Cbhl8oxdsPq_YUs44XWQd6zzeO5oS3eRHmqD4zfKi09OJAXA/s1600/IMG_2875.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5674586584217053378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlXRAxclIRA7_5H9BoRlvk0Gl_V-qQpDbq15JCPSBF4qyHg1YpegLLE3xy2c-yw-SneCD3aCGGFm8A4ZZ3Co-oyg79Ap-Cbhl8oxdsPq_YUs44XWQd6zzeO5oS3eRHmqD4zfKi09OJAXA/s320/IMG_2875.jpg" border="0" /></a> Do you see the Andes Mountains? No...you can't because of the smog...it's just terrible<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw7sUQ-Lmk0S3sxE1S85kdEeShB-TuISnEbNJiqXTiEda5WY6TUe3IKU7mWV5m7ecXPOCO3zhn18qAG2Vd4ljQVAaDBTlOa-VIZx9dM2qr9Qmgvoo1rhWUxEvf5aCshr7hgfpraatFmA8/s1600/IMG_2876.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5674586577626114626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw7sUQ-Lmk0S3sxE1S85kdEeShB-TuISnEbNJiqXTiEda5WY6TUe3IKU7mWV5m7ecXPOCO3zhn18qAG2Vd4ljQVAaDBTlOa-VIZx9dM2qr9Qmgvoo1rhWUxEvf5aCshr7hgfpraatFmA8/s320/IMG_2876.jpg" border="0" /></a> I work in the tall building on the left. It is currently the tallest building in Santiago. The one on the right is under construction, and when they finish it will be the tallest building in Santiago.<br /><br /></div><br /><br /><div>Last night, one of the expat wives here had a Minx party. You may be wondering what Minx is. Well, it is a special manicure/pedicure that is really popular with celebrities. My friend’s wife just started the first Minx business in Chile, and yesterday was her open house.</div><br /><br /><div>The Minx application lasts for weeks or months and it doesn’t chip at all – the only reason you ever have to remove it is when your nails start to grow out. I got my toes done, and my pedicure was actually a birthday gift for me from my friend Lindsay. If you’re interested, check out the <a href="http://www.minxnails.com/">Minx</a> website – there are some pretty crazy things you can get done to your nails.<br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6a8CthRs7OhyphenhyphenBdBNpGsMdt2bF9Lg4Wxhv2zIBQS_eUwJI-ydnS4z2erlhXiBdePdJHcZp04pSgH83oI897UJ2t3RLTmpW6xG8JzZsA7Zo0f3cFUhyphenhyphenYnj8cRu4SRUD88Jr0qkhyphenhyphenVWoxjk/s1600/IMG_2881.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5674586566609467250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6a8CthRs7OhyphenhyphenBdBNpGsMdt2bF9Lg4Wxhv2zIBQS_eUwJI-ydnS4z2erlhXiBdePdJHcZp04pSgH83oI897UJ2t3RLTmpW6xG8JzZsA7Zo0f3cFUhyphenhyphenYnj8cRu4SRUD88Jr0qkhyphenhyphenVWoxjk/s320/IMG_2881.jpg" border="0" /></a> At the party with my pedicure birthday gift...and still wearing orange...Go Tigers!!<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicOiZkqoyrg_2sIpYk0m1g0BAHaFsNJh0rD8cSDPNbAvQEVXsYQZleS-De4MhdecOXH-FTBTHbO43aM_4yjVUUoR5zHQ_wRc6UipHF3hROO_PYHEBHYCtdpfBfj_0JNvtkKf65kkrDWVU/s1600/IMG_2884.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5674586564357436402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicOiZkqoyrg_2sIpYk0m1g0BAHaFsNJh0rD8cSDPNbAvQEVXsYQZleS-De4MhdecOXH-FTBTHbO43aM_4yjVUUoR5zHQ_wRc6UipHF3hROO_PYHEBHYCtdpfBfj_0JNvtkKf65kkrDWVU/s320/IMG_2884.jpg" border="0" /></a> My toes are metallic pink...the picture doesn't do it justice!<br /><br />Well, today is my birthday so I’m about to head out with some of my friends from work for dinner. I will be sure to take some pictures and update the blog again early this week. Hope everyone is having a great day!</div><br /><br /><div>Ciao!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049551569431573226noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292095557944540832.post-12085027072255309172011-11-08T19:11:00.004-05:002011-11-08T19:18:20.175-05:00Oh, by the way, we had an earthquake today...<p>There are small earthquakes almost every day in Chile, but most are so minor that nobody feels them at all. A few weeks ago, one of the earthquakes was big enough that I could actually feel it. It was around 7:30 in the morning, and at the epicenter it was a magnitude 5.0. We only had a mild rumble in Santiago, but it was enough for me to realize that it was a small earthquake. It actually made the windows of my hotel room creak!</p><br /><p>Today while sitting at my desk at work, I felt my second earthquake. This one felt quite a bit stronger (nothing extreme though) and the shaking lasted a few minutes. I checked the earthquake tracking website, and the epicenter for this one was only about 90 miles from Santiago and it was a magnitude 5.3. The shaking literally made my desk chair rock.</p><br /><p>Chileans are very chill about earthquakes, but it is a strange experience for most of the gringos. The good news is that the infrastructure here is built to withstand earthquakes. When the big earthquake (magnitude 8.8) hit in early 2010, Santiago made it through with only minor damages because of the way the buildings are constructed. I think I heard that the building I work in is constructed to make it through a magnitude 9 without sustaining substantial damage (not sure where I heard that?). You can actually see in the stairwell the way sections of the stairs are separated intentionally to give room for seismic activity.</p><br /><p>Like I said yesterday, I don’t have any new pictures or any exciting excursions to write about right now. At least I blogged though! I hope everyone is having a good week!</p><br /><p>Ciao!</p>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049551569431573226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292095557944540832.post-20995398721641630712011-11-07T17:15:00.004-05:002011-11-07T17:23:37.853-05:00I don't have any new pictures, sorry!You may have noticed that I haven’t blogged in a few days, and that’s mainly because I haven’t really had anything interesting to say. This past weekend was really good, but I toned it down in terms of touring. On Friday afternoon, my friend Daniela from work took me out to see some more parts of the city. I took absolutely no pictures, but I promise I’ll start using my camera again soon!<br /><br />Daniela and I went to Patronato to shop for shoes for our company Christmas party, then we went to Bellavista for dinner, walked around the Bellas Artes neighborhood, and saw the Lastarria area. I know this means nothing to most of you reading this, but basically I saw some other Santiago neighborhoods, and I really liked them. I live in the business/financial district, so it is quite different from most other parts of the city.<br /><br />The weather has been fantastic lately. It is cool enough for a jacket in the morning, hot enough for shorts and a tank top in the afternoon, and the perfect temperature in the evening to sit outside for dinner. I sat outside for dinner Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights here.<br /><br />As of yesterday, I have officially been here four weeks. I am really enjoying my time here, but I know I’m going to be very ready to be home by the time December rolls around. I am so grateful for everyone who has sent me messages either via the blog, Facebook, or email while I’ve been here!<br /><br />Since I don’t have any new pictures from Chile to post on the blog, I’ll indulge you with more pictures of Sadie. Zack sends me plenty of pictures of the pup, which is great because I miss her so stinkin’ much! Here she is with her toy Yoshi (Zack says he did not pose these):<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK7YX21AmTrQ9hH4Fi-WwtyR-quh1mTEAmwib6P57Qu03LvMMNK4jaIi6hKqyMCak3vvV3VBUM5hOMCKez3gQk7zyodA3gjsX3NIrXhduFOTk56rryF8sX9zZzkCwbuEPs59Ia2sMdZ8E/s1600/SadieandYoshi2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672382585750428194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 191px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK7YX21AmTrQ9hH4Fi-WwtyR-quh1mTEAmwib6P57Qu03LvMMNK4jaIi6hKqyMCak3vvV3VBUM5hOMCKez3gQk7zyodA3gjsX3NIrXhduFOTk56rryF8sX9zZzkCwbuEPs59Ia2sMdZ8E/s320/SadieandYoshi2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo7TlXPIfYSeEl3wmv4fKd_rIqxAxqJTlNNK4a04D3_CwmqTZZE4yxlsLNoBptthKHNVkuMNtBeAh4TH0gExBv-heK4Zfjf2v1-tNTgB4dRbK-5B8BXZ9cKgeyGssYoXpXKZgsUp5kG_k/s1600/SadieandYoshi1.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTPsig1QJKS9kraidPtQBd-E50zPJ1Q6hneHz1kdIEneYtXiQDNxG7wPO9yjlPWiEwsPvksCkLEO3A4J4_R4c0iTDnlynQ4hmLGFU4RkixBrIk98xlPsPQVIEfm7qgRyI51JutjyFgLLY/s1600/SadieandYoshi.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672381708747969474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 191px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTPsig1QJKS9kraidPtQBd-E50zPJ1Q6hneHz1kdIEneYtXiQDNxG7wPO9yjlPWiEwsPvksCkLEO3A4J4_R4c0iTDnlynQ4hmLGFU4RkixBrIk98xlPsPQVIEfm7qgRyI51JutjyFgLLY/s320/SadieandYoshi.jpg" border="0" /></a> And last but not least, I am super-proud of my talented husband and his successful engineering design review at work on Friday. That is a huge milestone for his project at work, and it’s a big relief for him to have it completed. While he was working ridiculous hours last week, Zack took Sadie over to visit with his parents and Sophie one night so that she could have some company and get some exercise. Sadie and Sophie wore each other out playing with the dog toys – here is a picture that Jean-Marie sent me:<br /><br /><div><br /><div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijRkt9KDZmlLmwifFgmjMgrAci1X-IcRllV-EuozzNi7wMx5gENHgwqajKh3y4-rILfBK3pu_bCoNcyP4rFRWfAuJ9W6bRsIgXey0OxAf9NgwNbX1OtlXE5MrvCxeS05SS0ROXZfqnm1I/s1600/SadieandSophie.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672381697084390818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijRkt9KDZmlLmwifFgmjMgrAci1X-IcRllV-EuozzNi7wMx5gENHgwqajKh3y4-rILfBK3pu_bCoNcyP4rFRWfAuJ9W6bRsIgXey0OxAf9NgwNbX1OtlXE5MrvCxeS05SS0ROXZfqnm1I/s320/SadieandSophie.JPG" border="0" /></a> Ciao!<br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049551569431573226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292095557944540832.post-34818820694386691272011-11-03T19:53:00.003-04:002011-11-03T20:04:52.914-04:00A Trip to the CoastOn my day off on Monday, I joined two other Americans for a day trip to the coast. They had already arranged for a private driver to “chauffer” them for the day, and it was nice to be able to join in. The driver was a local Chilean, and he knew exactly where to go so that we could see the highlights on our quick day trip.<br /><br />Valparaiso and Viña del Mar are only about 1.5 hours by car from Santiago. The drive is really nice, with lots of mountains, vineyards, and small towns to see on the way. Here is a map to give you an idea of where we went (sorry it is so small, but Valparaiso is near the top-left of the map):<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixceFjtuNmTmOUDZrZibSv5wGwBPSsLEm5K52npLDgPnmnXjy6S3rJVc1-oWEqACGHsjCykks0Yr5BlLVcVShb4jiXUTeOLx8paPItZNZvz34NZfyM6Xf9PS01B4zfP_YiABUiKgetM6g/s1600/Map.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670922733530182946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 225px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixceFjtuNmTmOUDZrZibSv5wGwBPSsLEm5K52npLDgPnmnXjy6S3rJVc1-oWEqACGHsjCykks0Yr5BlLVcVShb4jiXUTeOLx8paPItZNZvz34NZfyM6Xf9PS01B4zfP_YiABUiKgetM6g/s320/Map.JPG" border="0" /></a> You can see on the map that the drive takes you through the Casablanca Valley, which is one of Chile’s white wine regions. There were vineyards everywhere, and also lots of other crops. We stopped at <a href="http://www.veramonte.com/home.html">Veramonte</a> to sample white wines and see the vineyards.<br /><br />After Casablanca we went to Valparaiso, and it was not quite what I was expecting. It is a large port city, and before the Panama Canal was built it was one of the most important ports of the Pacific Ocean. It is still an operating port, but not quite as busy or important as it once was. The city is very colorful with houses built close together on the hills. There was lots of graffiti, and everything seemed somewhat dirty and run down (in my personal opinion). There must be some appeal to it though because it is a popular destination for both locals and tourists. I took a few pictures in Valparaiso, but they did not turn out very good because it was gray and cloudy (and chilly). I pulled some photos off the internet so you can see what it might have looked like if my photography skills and the weather were both a little better.<br /><br />My pictures:<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfAJ7Vhi2r1m65Dj9aqKaj5MKn44OwLLsYSwA4ctf1uU8qLD-7dY_kCfpL6fHkBExH674r5cEbuFDACrBY7DszDmjcJHatOKbSMtRvXEndI0M_tSm47-JdyC9U4YJlqiLfvDHZtj3GJrM/s1600/IMG_2833.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670922729345830674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfAJ7Vhi2r1m65Dj9aqKaj5MKn44OwLLsYSwA4ctf1uU8qLD-7dY_kCfpL6fHkBExH674r5cEbuFDACrBY7DszDmjcJHatOKbSMtRvXEndI0M_tSm47-JdyC9U4YJlqiLfvDHZtj3GJrM/s320/IMG_2833.jpg" border="0" /></a> At the waterfront at the port<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7MNKhDF4H-0PbMWJEmA6zZrvy5mOCSS6Syf2dRRpQl-w40dCTt6nvDldwJWbjV5EwPwCmsodtT-g0W2BEayk5z6luWtRQY_8Ut_rBfGScp4eR2WPzhELXf6mC2kvoVt6bWTioJaZvbBE/s1600/IMG_2840.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670922727398965858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7MNKhDF4H-0PbMWJEmA6zZrvy5mOCSS6Syf2dRRpQl-w40dCTt6nvDldwJWbjV5EwPwCmsodtT-g0W2BEayk5z6luWtRQY_8Ut_rBfGScp4eR2WPzhELXf6mC2kvoVt6bWTioJaZvbBE/s320/IMG_2840.jpg" border="0" /></a> Rocky coastline in Valparaiso<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil_oEQYndjot3yVaA8xhT5ubxdTHrq3_4sl36A9Zt6R9Nva65pz5NfnzfR6i6Vhrwc_Y-e-GRWqLHFoABb1l48-83gyDM1X74ufJWdNCN6VSl__fhfrJJ5HgNz36AzVQLbjG4v_0LZV_c/s1600/IMG_2835.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670922521648392946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil_oEQYndjot3yVaA8xhT5ubxdTHrq3_4sl36A9Zt6R9Nva65pz5NfnzfR6i6Vhrwc_Y-e-GRWqLHFoABb1l48-83gyDM1X74ufJWdNCN6VSl__fhfrJJ5HgNz36AzVQLbjG4v_0LZV_c/s320/IMG_2835.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7pFlPkKSsd9kuxJHVVPb_p6YXaaCr3UVDnP5WsnaBoVjvWhpuJ7jY-Ti9HeVuSKASPrAyMnOPQaFugCNe5gpYAe44LCy5Q1ICatf9Eb4IOD9k3nBJQ5hyphenhyphen8cB5FuN_ZcnaeB6KQBTJn6A/s1600/IMG_2841.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670922511073066178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7pFlPkKSsd9kuxJHVVPb_p6YXaaCr3UVDnP5WsnaBoVjvWhpuJ7jY-Ti9HeVuSKASPrAyMnOPQaFugCNe5gpYAe44LCy5Q1ICatf9Eb4IOD9k3nBJQ5hyphenhyphen8cB5FuN_ZcnaeB6KQBTJn6A/s320/IMG_2841.jpg" border="0" /></a>Pictures from the Internet:<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgd_BQCP4skeekhtKw9oVF4PXMmmf5U7AIgNI7xvNZLTKTPaPKrVfGrGOd8MagWmGT585gkbZJ-dBRfHCiAgR2HobR_9mwc6g1i91xio_VAw9Wx9qTv0PUQlWzqyio8eGc54ue9K-defQ/s1600/valparaiso.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670922508552557378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgd_BQCP4skeekhtKw9oVF4PXMmmf5U7AIgNI7xvNZLTKTPaPKrVfGrGOd8MagWmGT585gkbZJ-dBRfHCiAgR2HobR_9mwc6g1i91xio_VAw9Wx9qTv0PUQlWzqyio8eGc54ue9K-defQ/s320/valparaiso.jpg" border="0" /></a> The houses and buildings are really close together and very colorful - it would've been nicer if the sun had been out!<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLx6WvKvi3eQ3thucPuOQAtkp2RpZSUqIIda0SX5_IbZITcryCCOj1i7DqH16raEMHmpsrnnKxFsBUdROYT1U6GXMO_c7ckpTklNfE4fk5id_-1ljh-ZZvlz7AZJIsaCIXmX5GNJweuZc/s1600/valparaiso2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670922500080235394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLx6WvKvi3eQ3thucPuOQAtkp2RpZSUqIIda0SX5_IbZITcryCCOj1i7DqH16raEMHmpsrnnKxFsBUdROYT1U6GXMO_c7ckpTklNfE4fk5id_-1ljh-ZZvlz7AZJIsaCIXmX5GNJweuZc/s320/valparaiso2.jpg" border="0" /></a> You can see the port on the left side of this picture. There are funiculars (trams) that you can take to get views of Valparaiso</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>After Valparaiso, we drove about twenty minutes north to Viña del Mar. Viña is like the most popular place in the world for locals to go for all holidays. I heard someone say that on holiday weekends about 300,000 cars leave Santiago and head to the coast – primarily to Viña. I liked Viña del Mar a lot, and when Zack comes we are planning to take a day trip there. Hopefully the weather will be a little nicer when we go! In Viña del Mar, you can go to the beach, there is a big fancy casino, and there are lots of nice restaurants on the ocean. It’s also a nice place to just walk around and people-watch. I regrettably did not take ANY pictures in Viña (another reason why we have to go when Zack comes), but the weather was so gray the pictures wouldn’t have been good anyway. Here is one that I pulled from the internet - this is the nice hotel and casino:</div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Ccd02ntKn-SCwqLHDowNPjCyas82vW7fSWBKq9OAYRP9W7tL5U0qZYk4ZeF0xt66o9m13RPLSFN6u6QIrDixsXdR9iXmlNf-oXL7wRn-6nCg4o80BbsdXiiaX736SV1n2uwLwUzOnBk/s1600/Vina2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670922493171203538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Ccd02ntKn-SCwqLHDowNPjCyas82vW7fSWBKq9OAYRP9W7tL5U0qZYk4ZeF0xt66o9m13RPLSFN6u6QIrDixsXdR9iXmlNf-oXL7wRn-6nCg4o80BbsdXiiaX736SV1n2uwLwUzOnBk/s320/Vina2.jpg" border="0" /></a> On the way home, we stopped around 3:30 PM for lunch (typical lunch time for Chileans). We ate at a very local-type restaurant in Casablanca. I wasn’t very adventurous so I just had a sandwich and fries (I’m so tired of French fries!), however the local grub looked pretty good. </div><br /><div><br />I think that just about sums up my day trip to the coast. I can’t wait to go back in a few weeks with Zack!</div><br /><br /><div>Ciao!<br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049551569431573226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292095557944540832.post-51351569621365121752011-11-01T09:58:00.006-04:002011-11-01T10:16:13.329-04:00Happy November!Hi everyone! I am super-happy today because today is November 1st! There are lots of reasons to be happy that it's November:<br /><br />1) Zack visits this month for almost 10 days!<br /><br />2) My birthday is this month.<br /><br />3) Thanksgiving is this month. Even though we won't have a proper Thanksgiving feast, I will be spending Thanksgiving with my husband here in Santiago. If anyone would like to DVR the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and freeze a few leftovers for us, that would be great! (I'm only half-way kidding. I love the parade and who doesn't love the food?)<br /><br />4) November is my last full month of graduate school! My project partner and I are making a big push this month to finalize our Senior Capstone Design Project.<br /><br />5) Did I mention already that Zack is visiting this month?!?!<br /><br />Today I am enjoying my 2nd day off as part of a national holiday in Chile. I celebrated the holiday by sleeping in, updating my blog, and I might take a field trip this afternoon.<br /><br />In reality, I found out that the holidays are for Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and Dia de Todos los Santos (All Saints Day). They celebrate these days by visiting the cemeteries with fresh flowers and they have a big feast. Or they just use the time off as an excuse to go to the coast. Either way, it's a big holiday here. In Valparaiso yesterday, I saw lots of flower vendors on the streets selling fresh flowers for the holiday.<br /><br /><br /><p>While I'm on the subject of holidays, I will be here for one more national holiday in Chile! Thursday, December 8 is a holiday here, and that will give me some time to pack since I go home the next day. All these holidays are great!</p><br /><p>So, I will leave you with this so that I can spend the rest of my morning editing our paper. Later this week I will write about my day trip to the coast yesterday. My pictures are terrible because it was so gray and cloudy. I promise I'll try to do better with pictures! </p><br /><p>Ciao!<br /></p>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049551569431573226noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292095557944540832.post-55307288098793518482011-10-31T20:33:00.002-04:002011-10-31T20:37:46.920-04:00Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos (and a few other things)<p>On Saturday I took the metro out to the Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos (Museum of the Memories and Human Rights). The museum is relatively new, and it details the history of the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet from 1973 to 1990. The museum is really sad (and quite graphic), but it is important to go if you want to learn about Chile’s political history. </p><br /><p>One thing that I learned at the museum which was interesting is that the coup that overthrew the Chilean government occurred on September 11, 1973. That’s when the violent dictatorship of Pinochet began. It’s interesting that September 11 is an infamous day in history for both Chile and the United States. </p><br /><p>Anyway, the museum was really interesting and the metro ride to get out there was worth it. It’s kind of like the Holocaust Museum in DC – it’s really somber to go through it but you really shouldn’t miss out on going. </p><br /><p>Saturday night I went to the California Cantina in Providencia to watch the Clemson game. It was a rough night for the Clemson family, especially for me since I was the lone Tiger in a restaurant full of Yellow Jackets. Regardless, it was really cool to be able to see Clemson play all the way down here in Chile. (Side note: I ordered a burrito at the cantina and in addition to the normal rice, beans, veggies, it was filled with French fries. Bizarre.) </p><br /><p>Well, this is a four-day weekend in Chile, so even though it’s Monday I didn’t have to work! I went on a day trip today with some co-workers to Valparaiso and Vina del Mar (the coast!). I’ll write about that another time after I have my pictures uploaded. </p><br /><p>In the meantime, Happy Halloween to everyone! </p><br /><p>Ciao!<br /></p><br /><p></p>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049551569431573226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292095557944540832.post-38264499148854027842011-10-29T09:39:00.004-04:002011-10-29T09:52:20.778-04:00Santiago City Tour – Part 2I’m just going to pick up where I left off on my previous blog post…<br /><br />After stopping in Plaza de Armas on Saturday, I stopped at the Mercado Central (Central Market). This building was originally planned and built to be a gallery, however somewhere along the way that changed and they decided to use it for a market. Today it is still a hugely popular market. I was a bit disappointed, but probably only because it didn’t even come close to comparing to the market in Nice, France. Regardless, it is certainly a huge market and they sell lots of fresh fish, seafood, fruits and vegetables. When I walked past all the fish and seafood, I literally had to hold my breath because it was so stinky. There are a ton of restaurants inside the market, and every single one was packed to the brim. It was mostly seafood restaurants, and they serve some of the fresh fish that is sold in the market.<br /><br />Here are some pictures that I took at the Mercado Central: <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYZLg2hWsJjhgG7bXHXDWMbeW92Q0opZwfCpA8VF213QjtJWBixAx8EJXJdYsmbDLbRNtlgxz-QIFkGcVPBAJqhw2SMFXvNsLchoy8HBFNpD88oXsC08zFttN5nej3aaG8u_56e3mNT3A/s1600/IMG_2825.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668910055503904018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYZLg2hWsJjhgG7bXHXDWMbeW92Q0opZwfCpA8VF213QjtJWBixAx8EJXJdYsmbDLbRNtlgxz-QIFkGcVPBAJqhw2SMFXvNsLchoy8HBFNpD88oXsC08zFttN5nej3aaG8u_56e3mNT3A/s320/IMG_2825.jpg" border="0" /></a> The entrance (excuse my photography skills) - the Chilean flag is at the top<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZjhdnX3wmJgOe82VcmcgV7lUMeSCDX76Uce0KHl-_RggV3qdfYbPXYFbEH4qpkMTKymdFjui91NcpCRkSBslTlN7IEolvE6TcMvONqiSOdPoYZJoDHHXCZeFz7H9dxm779Q9aIlmZei8/s1600/IMG_2818.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668910048324355026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZjhdnX3wmJgOe82VcmcgV7lUMeSCDX76Uce0KHl-_RggV3qdfYbPXYFbEH4qpkMTKymdFjui91NcpCRkSBslTlN7IEolvE6TcMvONqiSOdPoYZJoDHHXCZeFz7H9dxm779Q9aIlmZei8/s320/IMG_2818.jpg" border="0" /></a> Stinky fish<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhclIOPN0w4VNKfFA3pzhDh9-gPhzZ_xaWSFzNLkAX1wSIPUGysdQPAPjUq_fvF4J3HHyywRW8eDjS95hU8raP7PCFyryMG-jGsHAXAQd2WSdHnjbkOfatVon95WlbM2dZFIN9UJFmohDU/s1600/IMG_2820.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668910040965473906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhclIOPN0w4VNKfFA3pzhDh9-gPhzZ_xaWSFzNLkAX1wSIPUGysdQPAPjUq_fvF4J3HHyywRW8eDjS95hU8raP7PCFyryMG-jGsHAXAQd2WSdHnjbkOfatVon95WlbM2dZFIN9UJFmohDU/s320/IMG_2820.jpg" border="0" /></a>More stinky fish<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyENHfGiRNfqpQ_ty_U8mRVmFNOOIpaDZXMqCxw7jMZzFFSlivoltSAWzdHHufr86hFdMfT986X30VREEg93NakrI9M8fJgHHw9H0wr-fTCr9VNzKXbrebOc3Ede4KS-_5swrrbYtHpaM/s1600/IMG_2821.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668910022720000482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyENHfGiRNfqpQ_ty_U8mRVmFNOOIpaDZXMqCxw7jMZzFFSlivoltSAWzdHHufr86hFdMfT986X30VREEg93NakrI9M8fJgHHw9H0wr-fTCr9VNzKXbrebOc3Ede4KS-_5swrrbYtHpaM/s320/IMG_2821.jpg" border="0" /></a> Fresh vegetables for sale<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjTDkVcxK3EDDVbvwkKrEoVTwj9aikR9eI1tkLoWTwW-ws55jwq3L9l2EMH4R4DhyphenhyphennfQwquygjcrIKwFqLTz3Lp1lM6OkCNzjgbopxmMRkoTi7mO6-8ML-h4YzzFpidViLkgvlsVEl2kg/s1600/IMG_2822.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668910019923766226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjTDkVcxK3EDDVbvwkKrEoVTwj9aikR9eI1tkLoWTwW-ws55jwq3L9l2EMH4R4DhyphenhyphennfQwquygjcrIKwFqLTz3Lp1lM6OkCNzjgbopxmMRkoTi7mO6-8ML-h4YzzFpidViLkgvlsVEl2kg/s320/IMG_2822.jpg" border="0" /></a> Fresh fruits - the green fruit on the left is a local fruit called cherimoya<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-marHS7TcgnBzBlDzA2Br77mDCYyOmW5uh3k4sjHo4giYwJArEqZSNAYsOqJ0g_0tqveE9_v3nKQBs4i75yWWWsaRfMtNXhirsqkcnvddlhC1dh80WTSfxCIffeczjLrM_JK55PZ2pPw/s1600/IMG_2824.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668909487163713442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-marHS7TcgnBzBlDzA2Br77mDCYyOmW5uh3k4sjHo4giYwJArEqZSNAYsOqJ0g_0tqveE9_v3nKQBs4i75yWWWsaRfMtNXhirsqkcnvddlhC1dh80WTSfxCIffeczjLrM_JK55PZ2pPw/s320/IMG_2824.jpg" border="0" /></a> The crowded restaurants<br /><br />The stop after the Central Market was Cerro San Lucia. This is another (smaller) hill in the city. The park is really nice, and I walked to the top. There are also great views here, and I think I liked it slightly better than Cerro San Cristobal. Near the hill was a local artsy-type market where people sell clothing, purses, jewelry….anything. I browsed around for a little while and picked up a few Christmas gifts for some undisclosed recipients. </div><br /><div><br />Cerro San Lucia was my last stop on my bus route. The other stops were either places that I’ve already been or places that are close enough for me to walk from my hotel. All in all, it was a nice day and an excellent way to see the city. I think I’m finally starting to get a sense of direction here and know my way around certain parts of the city. <br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge_FNItWVqaGen8cboYw2c6DE8cmtVEcI9gEyf03WFihyewkkSe6pLmphHWyr-Oy598TlvnZpYkXcPwOORVvfQLt4fvSxZqCU58yrHVfd2gcsfsqzmHUGmLxbhPo8l1A2zgfprOZHteNc/s1600/IMG_2826.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668909480546797106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge_FNItWVqaGen8cboYw2c6DE8cmtVEcI9gEyf03WFihyewkkSe6pLmphHWyr-Oy598TlvnZpYkXcPwOORVvfQLt4fvSxZqCU58yrHVfd2gcsfsqzmHUGmLxbhPo8l1A2zgfprOZHteNc/s320/IMG_2826.jpg" border="0" /></a> One of the few pictures I had someone take of me - this is at the foot of the Cerro San Lucia hill<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcx_ezNrCKLTM1Vp7-Yjhdgn-5w-Srjq1veuR7LBkrbQBCwHkYi-0MNJl34pDCNCfRZLZcza64Tr7VJvuz6ozxmXN7-pM525OSklVjq56pxxaLBFwW6yBCqGAPCQVDtU_Kh70xH-Fa3kg/s1600/IMG_2828.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668909468450326210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcx_ezNrCKLTM1Vp7-Yjhdgn-5w-Srjq1veuR7LBkrbQBCwHkYi-0MNJl34pDCNCfRZLZcza64Tr7VJvuz6ozxmXN7-pM525OSklVjq56pxxaLBFwW6yBCqGAPCQVDtU_Kh70xH-Fa3kg/s320/IMG_2828.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbL10M_ozc06dBGcL0zLPh_VXKYYUM8aSipsB-Pwn0-qGRUlpG1hzUefSw86M2O09F9Oysx-eTbdLgDGvySb0Md5AM-LO39EpZkEOEsrH0GHpsA09xYt90c4nz3JEZQBx9OrImLhV8148/s1600/IMG_2827.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668909455936921442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbL10M_ozc06dBGcL0zLPh_VXKYYUM8aSipsB-Pwn0-qGRUlpG1hzUefSw86M2O09F9Oysx-eTbdLgDGvySb0Md5AM-LO39EpZkEOEsrH0GHpsA09xYt90c4nz3JEZQBx9OrImLhV8148/s320/IMG_2827.jpg" border="0" /></a> Cerro San Cristobal in the distance<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7qxyxxVAomMFW679m2em0A9zfL0LTXcxDr6vX2NFXU9CxaIvKAg3VsPr8ufZ4aVyY2WFR2Mfl4I6eYgCYil6x3H51uBhw4Dwm9WfOb7UiIyc0dUTqpT_nXxbsRYu9qZK8LUvJ19XI68s/s1600/IMG_2830.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668909450022517970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7qxyxxVAomMFW679m2em0A9zfL0LTXcxDr6vX2NFXU9CxaIvKAg3VsPr8ufZ4aVyY2WFR2Mfl4I6eYgCYil6x3H51uBhw4Dwm9WfOb7UiIyc0dUTqpT_nXxbsRYu9qZK8LUvJ19XI68s/s320/IMG_2830.jpg" border="0" /></a> That's all for now! Hope everyone has a great weekend!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Ciao!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049551569431573226noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292095557944540832.post-9723941483063462432011-10-28T17:18:00.004-04:002011-10-28T17:33:39.748-04:00Santiago City Tour – Part 1On Saturday I played tourist here in Santiago. Since I’m still getting familiar with the city – and because the city is really big – I decided to take one of those bus tours where you can hop on and off all day long at the various stops. It was a great way to see the city without having to worry about being ripped off by a cab. And yes, I did go by myself because all of the other Fluor gringos here have already done the tourist thing and I want to take advantage of my time here and see as much as I can. Plus, I’m scoping out activities for Zack to do while he’s here since I’ll have to work 4 days during his stay.<br /><br />The first stop that I got off at was at Cerro San Cristobal (St. Christopher Hill). This is a hill in the city that is the second highest point in Santiago. There is a zoo half-way up, and you can either hike to the top or take the “funicular” (tram-type vehicle). I opted for the funicular since I wanted to maximize my time on the bus route. The top of San Cristobal hill offers great views of the city (and associated smog), and there is a huge statue of the Virgin Mary on the top. There is also a chapel on the top of the hill and of course plenty of touristy souvenirs for sale. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyD_jen6mlp_2TnaqER714MUB9ioQbA8XcsRo34v9mg3U-oooB9B2z3I3M0Y75wxOouN09xk-kJDUkaLwRPc2x3Acz2MwfKIwtbj_fakIkwPIEGyd0IMShLg-PTOTtAo6jnqT-PxjSQ3I/s1600/IMG_2789.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668657195647009250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyD_jen6mlp_2TnaqER714MUB9ioQbA8XcsRo34v9mg3U-oooB9B2z3I3M0Y75wxOouN09xk-kJDUkaLwRPc2x3Acz2MwfKIwtbj_fakIkwPIEGyd0IMShLg-PTOTtAo6jnqT-PxjSQ3I/s320/IMG_2789.jpg" border="0" /></a> On the funicular, ready to ascend to the top!<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxmMpn2sK8N1IihhSNlDN9wI96LS0Ay31JJm59L51_HB4CNnKKvPURmejlrFmPBHnIOFy2n__tMCsNXH62CctOBiaa5Kfgly_-jJLLHZjg_ppw3zWCnlUpz0IvHTpnyIR7UlDdSmVPtkY/s1600/IMG_2792.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668656990937861538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxmMpn2sK8N1IihhSNlDN9wI96LS0Ay31JJm59L51_HB4CNnKKvPURmejlrFmPBHnIOFy2n__tMCsNXH62CctOBiaa5Kfgly_-jJLLHZjg_ppw3zWCnlUpz0IvHTpnyIR7UlDdSmVPtkY/s320/IMG_2792.jpg" border="0" /></a> Check out the nasty smog in the distance...that is the worst part about being in Santiago<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKhH3CHjzhzO9JEiFhyPOvJQBAz7fJ9fmr6nbx7r3UL27n8QMq1Kp3_aqB0IgIQfEGNivSZXbfD1UhE6cE4foG2g0Q1wCEIQBQn_9YImLpsc3YPlR69dHBcMjiRizpLHKEHM7IypWopOE/s1600/IMG_2795.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668656982722206850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKhH3CHjzhzO9JEiFhyPOvJQBAz7fJ9fmr6nbx7r3UL27n8QMq1Kp3_aqB0IgIQfEGNivSZXbfD1UhE6cE4foG2g0Q1wCEIQBQn_9YImLpsc3YPlR69dHBcMjiRizpLHKEHM7IypWopOE/s320/IMG_2795.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhm8xzM0qkasbxPrQkUjGtEvImy4nYqxEh7iMnYujkMNfh-ZsDngmUv3Af8AKRvb1tPwZrloTrIIbb-Ml2Ec5QdR7pj3Ixe7CAzVrNFU65MlF8CrYFaFp4H3GS_Sq6V3965MDx0D25XOk/s1600/IMG_2797.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668656982608707426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhm8xzM0qkasbxPrQkUjGtEvImy4nYqxEh7iMnYujkMNfh-ZsDngmUv3Af8AKRvb1tPwZrloTrIIbb-Ml2Ec5QdR7pj3Ixe7CAzVrNFU65MlF8CrYFaFp4H3GS_Sq6V3965MDx0D25XOk/s320/IMG_2797.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQgS2cbKUwIF8Hp_AY7V4sxOSZJ8uZL5GdE3c4VpWYqdbINBJaRO3228YdTcp8DJkoe_lS9jj9OytWXYABSsLWeAQ4woH2gzju5IMhPkYh_9H0whjK4ofmWeSDCdld6cmrfAVytVZjOI4/s1600/IMG_2800.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668656964273911090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQgS2cbKUwIF8Hp_AY7V4sxOSZJ8uZL5GdE3c4VpWYqdbINBJaRO3228YdTcp8DJkoe_lS9jj9OytWXYABSsLWeAQ4woH2gzju5IMhPkYh_9H0whjK4ofmWeSDCdld6cmrfAVytVZjOI4/s320/IMG_2800.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY46lTu90d3ScQLPPGjF5uRcAV9DuaU9yH7ttyN2aNttTAAZwWVbHn0OeW6brZSXouioGuJzN-euRNPw_JH0Exy_3LCKAzxoihv1FHCsL9irvp43l0eHuttYT4aSOpjF9jl6VnhLogOMY/s1600/IMG_2803.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668656961257586034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY46lTu90d3ScQLPPGjF5uRcAV9DuaU9yH7ttyN2aNttTAAZwWVbHn0OeW6brZSXouioGuJzN-euRNPw_JH0Exy_3LCKAzxoihv1FHCsL9irvp43l0eHuttYT4aSOpjF9jl6VnhLogOMY/s320/IMG_2803.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />After Cerro San Cristobal, I stopped at Plaza de Armas. This area is kind of like the city center, and it is always packed with both locals and tourists. The square is filled with artists, comedians, preachers, old men playing chess (seriously), and on Saturday there were tons of Caribineros (Chilean police) and each had their own German Shepherd. I got some pictures because the dogs were just so awesome. </div><br /><div><br />There’s a 18th century chapel in Plaza de Armas which is open to the public. I think there’s a good bit more history about this area, but I haven’t learned it yet. Although you get a really local feel in Plaza de Armas and you can get some of the good local food, I really don’t like the area all that much. It is crowded, feels dirty, and you need to be aware of your surroundings all the time because pick-pockets and scams are rampant (maybe that’s why there were so many police?). Especially someone like me who looks so different from everyone else here, I did not feel totally at ease in this area. (My light skin, blonde hair, and the fact that I am a foot taller than everyone here makes it 100% obvious that I am a foreigner.) Nonetheless, it is a pretty interesting area and is known as the heart of Santiago.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQMvjlTabzncJgl0QsiEaj6KpCEk3LPQ-CNbz-Ah1Gk0s7T3U3Dhq5vET99Pl86-OGS3kZoo0q7htURnDpSdQZyckvD7QuUQjKwDC1mjwrZkMQBgjTfT480goF147NKD6wo_ir7vUq9C4/s1600/IMG_2809.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668656363585574690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQMvjlTabzncJgl0QsiEaj6KpCEk3LPQ-CNbz-Ah1Gk0s7T3U3Dhq5vET99Pl86-OGS3kZoo0q7htURnDpSdQZyckvD7QuUQjKwDC1mjwrZkMQBgjTfT480goF147NKD6wo_ir7vUq9C4/s320/IMG_2809.jpg" border="0" /></a> Artists everywhere!<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPSVoXax-LSF7cpVD9RZWVxSFoDcOqR9d31ACIIdfGZoF8wGm1jiNB3of0WrspEZHw9kIHKNrnsPSKwh0rpw83B0ggxgmBd1LvE77INvZ5v__JKaKBRK6u0ND7lKDyfQttfDKpwMzjbzA/s1600/IMG_2817.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668656349572843650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPSVoXax-LSF7cpVD9RZWVxSFoDcOqR9d31ACIIdfGZoF8wGm1jiNB3of0WrspEZHw9kIHKNrnsPSKwh0rpw83B0ggxgmBd1LvE77INvZ5v__JKaKBRK6u0ND7lKDyfQttfDKpwMzjbzA/s320/IMG_2817.jpg" border="0" /></a> The Metropolitan Cathedral - construction began in 1748 and it was completed in 1800. There were cathedrals in this location prior to the existing buildng, however they were all destroyed in earthquakes.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8LhehH8cFz6MkfIs4Xtt3YF74MYP3ySb95b-JrF4VFitXa62-H-ddJSjjEtqAKsWy4st6dvAhVx24uLv38x3CufYO5glkzYZAnrt9Byi8jczojnWWdoTFzmoPQdSsG-6Gb5gFwixi5w/s1600/IMG_2816.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668656339490206338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8LhehH8cFz6MkfIs4Xtt3YF74MYP3ySb95b-JrF4VFitXa62-H-ddJSjjEtqAKsWy4st6dvAhVx24uLv38x3CufYO5glkzYZAnrt9Byi8jczojnWWdoTFzmoPQdSsG-6Gb5gFwixi5w/s320/IMG_2816.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI7Ef4gZjuacRRNkDV902CCIKlvZ9DZnOXN409um4fhrbi_bQw5W1E7b_n_mbCkfyzBBA26w3NFFchwn8KuVTE1J4QOlZZgaL5bwWL6px8x5f2ETjGfuePoPIdUeUQfhtneCQ0JFmU4vU/s1600/IMG_2812.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668656328731467106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI7Ef4gZjuacRRNkDV902CCIKlvZ9DZnOXN409um4fhrbi_bQw5W1E7b_n_mbCkfyzBBA26w3NFFchwn8KuVTE1J4QOlZZgaL5bwWL6px8x5f2ETjGfuePoPIdUeUQfhtneCQ0JFmU4vU/s320/IMG_2812.jpg" border="0" /></a> I think the dog on the right looks like Sadie!!!!<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1SDfzBQb_yPIJV-FitkqKk0ydP1i4ETiVJrzfjdBAyernk1nIulHi_xYSwWDbLZbVFpl3-8IhGpBnmUUJ4Yt5Lf9xTGWrAsiAZgbR9uaCbDJglbDUH4YWdntbKxZwgSz19WZZE2LUj_Q/s1600/IMG_2813.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668656324968681442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1SDfzBQb_yPIJV-FitkqKk0ydP1i4ETiVJrzfjdBAyernk1nIulHi_xYSwWDbLZbVFpl3-8IhGpBnmUUJ4Yt5Lf9xTGWrAsiAZgbR9uaCbDJglbDUH4YWdntbKxZwgSz19WZZE2LUj_Q/s320/IMG_2813.jpg" border="0" /></a>I’ve got a lot to document about last Saturday in Santiago, but I think I’ll stop here and do a separate post to cover the rest of the day. Thanks to everyone who follows my blog – hopefully you’re finding it interesting!</div><br /><div><br />Ciao!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049551569431573226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292095557944540832.post-19899580854796971232011-10-26T20:04:00.003-04:002011-10-26T20:07:44.069-04:00Quick UpdateI just want to write a quick update today to give people time to catch up (and to give me time to catch up too). I think I’ve mentioned before that we work 10-hour days here in Chile (typical Chilean work-week), so it’s hard to come home and get back on the computer to update the blog at night. <br /><br />The weather has been great here over the past week. The highs every day are in the upper 70’s, so it’s nice and warm but not too hot. The sun here is extremely strong. I think this has something to do with the ozone layer (or lack thereof). I got a little sunburned on Saturday… I need to be more careful and use my sunscreen. I bought a new bottle of sunscreen to bring with me since I was forewarned about the sun, so I’ll be sure to use that next time I go to the pool.<br /><br />In other news, Zack and I are taking a weekend trip when he comes to visit! We will be going to Mendoza, Argentina for a weekend and I could not be more excited! We have our bus tickets and hotel booked, and I think it’s going to be so great!<br /><br />Last but not least, I wanted to share a picture that Zack sent me of Sadie with her new friend (toy). We decided to name him Yoshi, and Sadie just loves this little guy. According to Zack, she loves playing with it and she even sleeps with it. Here she is resting in the kitchen with Yoshi:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjza7GhSVroOWbBKG1V9pCMFpPRgHxt9Akkp4a0NqX2QWc9KiT4k28LRx9TOh1l15OYa6l6mcOMtxI8leZvDwOjPokUFwj8k4aQiuFexaiOc4HKZIciALr3sYfifXaUxkfSp1t5nKoanuY/s1600/Sadiesnewtoy2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667956363158674930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 191px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjza7GhSVroOWbBKG1V9pCMFpPRgHxt9Akkp4a0NqX2QWc9KiT4k28LRx9TOh1l15OYa6l6mcOMtxI8leZvDwOjPokUFwj8k4aQiuFexaiOc4HKZIciALr3sYfifXaUxkfSp1t5nKoanuY/s320/Sadiesnewtoy2.jpg" border="0" /></a> I’ll be writing soon about my Santiago city tour that I took this past weekend. I took lots of pictures to post on the blog! Sorry this is so short…more to come later this week!<br /><br />Ciao!<br /><br /><div></div>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049551569431573226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292095557944540832.post-8675321504807486282011-10-24T20:30:00.002-04:002011-10-24T20:44:43.310-04:00Good Eats in ChileThe food in Chile has been really good! Most of it is not much different from what we eat in the states, but I have tried a few authentic Chilean dishes. <br /><br />Last weekend I had “cazuela de vacuno,” which is literally translated “beef casserole.” Anyone who knows me at all knows that I typically do not like super-meaty dishes (much to the dismay of my carnivorous hubby). Meat is actually one of the only foods that I’m somewhat picky about – especially the way it is cooked. But this one was actually pretty good. Cazuela de vacuno is less of a casserole and more of a stew or soup. The primary ingredients are: some sort of broth, a hunk of meat similar to roast beef, corn on the cob, a potato, an orange veggie similar to pumpkin, green beans, rice, and cilantro. Here is a picture:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiytLvRtnCDwUK9MrnnLswxX8mD_TRiSud8_yl4vgGkNwudyM2NXkHEte1F_1UBYcDPxvqn7ZXCXGG5V3-p6Kh5DzJ7it8_o8_ckTdtpVK5mo5tdIjK_Zs-NiSzi9enJlMCQ-YtW0z_uBw/s1600/IMG_2708.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667221400171019490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiytLvRtnCDwUK9MrnnLswxX8mD_TRiSud8_yl4vgGkNwudyM2NXkHEte1F_1UBYcDPxvqn7ZXCXGG5V3-p6Kh5DzJ7it8_o8_ckTdtpVK5mo5tdIjK_Zs-NiSzi9enJlMCQ-YtW0z_uBw/s320/IMG_2708.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />This past Saturday I had my second authentic Chilean meal: pastel de choclo (literally translated “corn cake”). This is like a casserole baked in individual clay pots. The bottom layer contains beef, chicken, onions, raisins, and maybe other things. The top layer is like a corn soufflé. Very delish – here’s a picture:<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8vNURp05aiQxhsJ9KFgM5LlcuT2PvMcJSUz8JS4coiN6lDZoARa173Nxss_TrflJQm0hMViCbk-nMWwFWApdkuiVBRDkMkQlEMRg5as7g_nuWU3AeUgAt2LGJYNcW4lutTU7MdQVLFbI/s1600/IMG_2806.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667221387039054674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8vNURp05aiQxhsJ9KFgM5LlcuT2PvMcJSUz8JS4coiN6lDZoARa173Nxss_TrflJQm0hMViCbk-nMWwFWApdkuiVBRDkMkQlEMRg5as7g_nuWU3AeUgAt2LGJYNcW4lutTU7MdQVLFbI/s320/IMG_2806.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Another thing I’ve noticed about the cuisine here in Chile is that there is an abundance of really good fresh fruits and vegetables, especially avocado. I’ve probably eaten a whole avocado every other day here, and I love it. They also have a lot of dishes that they serve “a lo pobre.” This means “to the poor” in English, but for whatever reason if you order food “a lo pobre” in Chile then your meal is served with an egg on top. I took a picture of a display case at one of the restaurants, and you’ll notice the various authentic-type dishes…some of them are a lo pobre. Take a good look because you can be certain that I will NOT be ordering anything a lo pobre (gross):<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3WupttVjV9yTTB8QtfAeAWvj1BOGKd0E4Z2toJf_Ea7XzeUxIwoOpw8ALQR-1u7UItkr0_4GYwSxyOS5pCGYThAveUbsJ0AC8G0PsHZIksuGakFQO9kCYeOPK30iUUNWwbszScrh9CE/s1600/IMG_2808.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667221380606958130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3WupttVjV9yTTB8QtfAeAWvj1BOGKd0E4Z2toJf_Ea7XzeUxIwoOpw8ALQR-1u7UItkr0_4GYwSxyOS5pCGYThAveUbsJ0AC8G0PsHZIksuGakFQO9kCYeOPK30iUUNWwbszScrh9CE/s320/IMG_2808.jpg" border="0" /></a> A couple of other random thoughts about the food here specifically related to mayonnaise and coffee (but not at the same time). Chileans love, love, love mayonnaise. I’m telling you they sell mayo by the gallon here, and they eat it on everything. They eat hot dogs with mayo on them, and you can’t even see the dog due to the mayo coating. The coffee is one of the biggest disappointments here…it’s absolutely terrible. Even the Starbucks is sub-par. I can’t wait to get home and have a decent cup of coffee. We bought a Keurig the week before I left (Mr. Krups bit the dust)…when I get home in December dear Mr. Keurig will be my best friend.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Another thing that is huge here is soda. At restaurants, you pay for your drink even if it's water and there are NO free refills. Unfortunately, this makes soda very tempting. I've had more cokes in the last two weeks than I've had all year. This has seriously got to stop! I am hoping to gain more self control and start ordering more "agua sin gas" (water without carbonation) even if I have to pay $3 for it.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>And last but certainly not least, the ice cream here is fantastic. It is similar to gelato, and it is awesome. There is the best ice cream restaurant right next to my hotel, and the best/worst thing is that they have happy hour. So for about $1USD you can have a nice serving of any flavor between 5-9 PM Monday through Friday. Yikes. Here is my happy hour treat from Friday...Nutella flavored ice cream:<br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9vRzm011gRlaias3t1EvPX1pCuubr8b4BNT7Dsiqv6rhWRlhH9u9sZpdtkWu01vszJAJKv8oQOFGvRyLzfJQQaHr1bhjO5FS6a1Vww303bujqmR0TTgcMiKtlXLDX6YL2QG5gLp5NFBA/s1600/icecream.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667221377028758530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9vRzm011gRlaias3t1EvPX1pCuubr8b4BNT7Dsiqv6rhWRlhH9u9sZpdtkWu01vszJAJKv8oQOFGvRyLzfJQQaHr1bhjO5FS6a1Vww303bujqmR0TTgcMiKtlXLDX6YL2QG5gLp5NFBA/s320/icecream.jpg" border="0" /></a> Alright, I guess that takes care of my blog post about food here in Chile. I hope that Anthony Bourdain is proud that I’ve ventured out to eat some authentic meaty cuisine. And if you don’t know who Anthony Bourdain is, you are truly missing out. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Ciao!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049551569431573226noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292095557944540832.post-58047336608025072302011-10-23T12:26:00.004-04:002011-10-23T12:36:58.217-04:00Halloween PartyOn Friday night my friend Lindsay (an expat here from Texas) hosted a Halloween party at her apartment. Halloween is a relatively new "holiday" here in Chile, and most of the Chileans had not ever been to a Halloween party before. There were some great costumes, and everyone had a lot of fun. I did not bring a costume from the states, so a few of us went shopping last Friday and found some costumes at a store that sells uniforms for various occupations. I was a doctor, Lindsay was a miner, and Ethel was a Chilean nana (maid/housekeeper). Here are some pictures from the big fiesta:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVy7PToSx1I7lMGTQP8-hbpSHaU3OScaVObnYSXHhaysRcKILCWCkR8LROUiABnpmzfnSNFVTN6QiNDo_yLKVz1nAeY9PhvTyHJWENkqqJ18nWNXd1J1W97iWOikB_3N5RwyvEbGTYfGc/s1600/IMG_2765.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5666725557384132434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVy7PToSx1I7lMGTQP8-hbpSHaU3OScaVObnYSXHhaysRcKILCWCkR8LROUiABnpmzfnSNFVTN6QiNDo_yLKVz1nAeY9PhvTyHJWENkqqJ18nWNXd1J1W97iWOikB_3N5RwyvEbGTYfGc/s320/IMG_2765.jpg" border="0" /></a> There was a great spread of food for the party<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgux6sIdT2fJpUYqL4l2y_lR_kOxVazaW8XatUsK8O4Cuf9AaPZ-6w5AGgu1NCI_1XgsAZ1Ol4RK3WoD8OxcwDp0HjOaCy-3zvlf_jVGP-N4JkHbj2WiergsusV8zfLit6DKOfAueI0t2c/s1600/IMG_2766.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5666725383308500690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgux6sIdT2fJpUYqL4l2y_lR_kOxVazaW8XatUsK8O4Cuf9AaPZ-6w5AGgu1NCI_1XgsAZ1Ol4RK3WoD8OxcwDp0HjOaCy-3zvlf_jVGP-N4JkHbj2WiergsusV8zfLit6DKOfAueI0t2c/s320/IMG_2766.jpg" border="0" /></a> My favorite - Oreos dipped in white chocolate (colored orange)</div><br /><div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheK__xy4riFAPanmnRCkGjlolU_Gz7eQppNfQb0588gn1zj_-PMN0Jd4nGiC3Ppqy_yvSbyxAVwsFQHr_3eTmZ6QJDE9gSN4BFzGNzYzDBUt9FcgxnghHHM8STsnfkiEPkdA8oe6P9KDQ/s1600/IMG_2767.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5666725363110891138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheK__xy4riFAPanmnRCkGjlolU_Gz7eQppNfQb0588gn1zj_-PMN0Jd4nGiC3Ppqy_yvSbyxAVwsFQHr_3eTmZ6QJDE9gSN4BFzGNzYzDBUt9FcgxnghHHM8STsnfkiEPkdA8oe6P9KDQ/s320/IMG_2767.jpg" border="0" /></a> Me, Lindsay and Claudia</div><br /><div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT0baDJo6f4XsDikL0CQOC7EwHDb3aOo3kjvas7mYQJc1lcDBPnmjZmbB7fgyvg0hw5JvwhCAOhFQBMUGqaZGCRLLaW-cmxxQSJm9klvxMzTSmubiVfHUyxSAZpc3qGozJjaFdPgXyfRk/s1600/IMG_2771.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5666725358072305842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT0baDJo6f4XsDikL0CQOC7EwHDb3aOo3kjvas7mYQJc1lcDBPnmjZmbB7fgyvg0hw5JvwhCAOhFQBMUGqaZGCRLLaW-cmxxQSJm9klvxMzTSmubiVfHUyxSAZpc3qGozJjaFdPgXyfRk/s320/IMG_2771.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibs8DLYWiERmGO4eHlxEwHdGUjNraUwdWaot_iOPaPn9I5qvAgSIdLz_53YdC8C5Vcyus77u_rxC4CmyLakxD_PdXjzWeofNUvjx63aDdG0S2zKOIIbGASK3ge1SC-BK40YVB0vYiqZjU/s1600/IMG_2781.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5666725328090397138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibs8DLYWiERmGO4eHlxEwHdGUjNraUwdWaot_iOPaPn9I5qvAgSIdLz_53YdC8C5Vcyus77u_rxC4CmyLakxD_PdXjzWeofNUvjx63aDdG0S2zKOIIbGASK3ge1SC-BK40YVB0vYiqZjU/s320/IMG_2781.jpg" border="0" /></a> Ignacio and George (George is from our Greenville office and travels here regularly)</div><br /><div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79ZzZ_Rady2Ih9rAUiTrambZLoVVWfeIa3I-0ocu_gWmWJ24raqp-weOaUaCyGTvQCMuissPsHdpgd9mllxMIYcaPaMXhyphenhyphenELiwi7FrJrZh5b7IcvBxI0RzV8YjtpIhWWwYvB9DYrBwls/s1600/IMG_2780.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5666725324264175010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79ZzZ_Rady2Ih9rAUiTrambZLoVVWfeIa3I-0ocu_gWmWJ24raqp-weOaUaCyGTvQCMuissPsHdpgd9mllxMIYcaPaMXhyphenhyphenELiwi7FrJrZh5b7IcvBxI0RzV8YjtpIhWWwYvB9DYrBwls/s320/IMG_2780.jpg" border="0" /></a> Ethel the nana</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Yesterday I played tourist and took a hop on hop off bus tour of Santiago. It was an easy way to see a lot of the highlights of the city. I got lots of pictures, so be looking for another post very soon. Meanwhile, I'm headed to lunch then back up to the rooftop pool to read. The weather has been so nice lately, and it's perfect that my hotel has a pool.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Ciao!</div></div></div></div></div>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049551569431573226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292095557944540832.post-6260245175246802011-10-20T19:29:00.002-04:002011-10-20T19:34:51.997-04:00Student ProtestsIf you look at any news from Chile, you will surely see reports from the student protests that have been occurring over the last several months. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Chilean_protests">Here is a link to the Wikipedia article on this subject</a>.<br /><br />The protests are not happening in the neighborhood that I live in, so no worries, but on Saturday I was out and passed by a school where it was evident that there are problems. From what I’ve heard, some students have not been in school for over four months due to the protests. Most of the protests have been peaceful, but there has been some rioting. Here are the pictures that I took of the gates outside the school. You can see the chairs hanging from the gates…around the corner, there were hundreds of displaced school chairs (I didn’t get a picture of that):<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUAn3KYiOZ8ZC9_-qazsWvmS94SopqGmBhjbPPxTC1CAIs2g9xrC3tgbICbPqXwOpINvNHKhXsW0DIHoWk1p9ksLwv4AtVrWLMV-PvX5-jh0t-K_Uw5AEf1p3kMFdjOYd4tss5cjtxQWk/s1600/IMG_2710.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665721175626485266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUAn3KYiOZ8ZC9_-qazsWvmS94SopqGmBhjbPPxTC1CAIs2g9xrC3tgbICbPqXwOpINvNHKhXsW0DIHoWk1p9ksLwv4AtVrWLMV-PvX5-jh0t-K_Uw5AEf1p3kMFdjOYd4tss5cjtxQWk/s320/IMG_2710.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyJiJh91YYG1_UjoU-iot3RosOzac5vUbvfIYnc8F0gxPfQLQUQyJXsp_Rhp2JuzRFP7vYZAEN_p4kadOnxweBn4_3k18rTkwdELHJUqwFzhJ0k2bPRfea8aVfiTN5DFflrYqfASvRZII/s1600/IMG_2709.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665721170989371170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyJiJh91YYG1_UjoU-iot3RosOzac5vUbvfIYnc8F0gxPfQLQUQyJXsp_Rhp2JuzRFP7vYZAEN_p4kadOnxweBn4_3k18rTkwdELHJUqwFzhJ0k2bPRfea8aVfiTN5DFflrYqfASvRZII/s320/IMG_2709.jpg" border="0" /></a>Zack commented recently that he likes the "educational aspect" of my blog, so hopefully those of you who are reading are becoming a bit more cultured and informed, in addition to reading about my life. :)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Ciao!</div>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049551569431573226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292095557944540832.post-89032827226671427972011-10-19T18:49:00.007-04:002011-10-19T19:06:48.891-04:00Concha y Toro WineryThis past weekend I visited the Concha y Toro Winery. It is on a huge estate about 45 minutes outside of Santiago in the Maipo Valley. The Maipo River flows through this region and is one of the primary sources of water for the city of Santiago. <br /><br />The house on the property and the winery were built in the 1800s, and the property was really beautiful. I took the “English” tour which was great because there were only 3 other people on it – it was almost like having a private tour. The rest of the group took the “Spanish” tour.<br /><br />Even though the Concha y Toro Winery is very touristy and commercial, I wanted to go because it is the 2nd largest winery in the world. Wine is a very important export for Chile (they export over 70% of what they produce) and it is a huge part of the culture. In fact, if you ask a local Chilean what you should do while visiting Chile, they will almost definitely mention that you should tour a winery.<br /><br />Concha y Toro produces the Casillero del Diablo wine (literally translated - Cellar of the Devil). It got its name because back in the 1800s, the owner realized that people were stealing his wine so he started telling people that the cellars were haunted by the devil. The theft immediately stopped, but the legend carried on through history that the cellars are haunted. We got to go down into the cellars, which was neat because you really could tell that they date back into the 1800s.<br /><br />At the end of the tour, we got to sample some wine (Don Melchor) that sells for about $200 USD per bottle. I guess that’s why they charge so much for the tour. :) If you want to try a more reasonably-priced wine produced by this winery, try the Casillero del Diablo line. It is not too expensive and is readily available in the US.<br /><br />So there’s your wine lesson for the day. Now, here are some pictures from my visit:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb1bC1Fn_UlKSunK78h-0iCAhtIZ5cwftkCISAZrVCcJhf08ElyyRP3FB0TW-E9SarNw1YtlY-nYcdJibXTYnnpkKQ3luL4Q02DvbhXmq0uYc-zujQ-DQB9LVz2okkATAjzjdT8oLUHZo/s1600/IMG_2717.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665341112033737986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb1bC1Fn_UlKSunK78h-0iCAhtIZ5cwftkCISAZrVCcJhf08ElyyRP3FB0TW-E9SarNw1YtlY-nYcdJibXTYnnpkKQ3luL4Q02DvbhXmq0uYc-zujQ-DQB9LVz2okkATAjzjdT8oLUHZo/s320/IMG_2717.jpg" border="0" /></a> The grounds were beautiful!<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDesOonCItdrl5ZsYNqsQM0SFPXUrTviXzwyls9tCOPEQqRl-9yi7RBH77rS18XW2RG_f6H76TeZN3C219V2r4bFZ9p9y7wf0eYgw4vR8xve477DRJ4HNx3HT2K-7ewehxDzbZqvhItLk/s1600/IMG_2719.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665340777960242930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDesOonCItdrl5ZsYNqsQM0SFPXUrTviXzwyls9tCOPEQqRl-9yi7RBH77rS18XW2RG_f6H76TeZN3C219V2r4bFZ9p9y7wf0eYgw4vR8xve477DRJ4HNx3HT2K-7ewehxDzbZqvhItLk/s320/IMG_2719.jpg" border="0" /></a> Part of the owner's mansion, built in the 1800s<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ybtlv2ui_xmNM8gKnamMiwFZgkSOSv8ex98jhNhoYStFzV1xGUtAegZtBAFtG9CaomA4eL5u9kIQIlVGogKW8IU1EGHFjvCGrXbxsVxCgM70FohP4sQeh5BsafZdl6N1GPh4by9Odx4/s1600/IMG_2716.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665340563013882610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ybtlv2ui_xmNM8gKnamMiwFZgkSOSv8ex98jhNhoYStFzV1xGUtAegZtBAFtG9CaomA4eL5u9kIQIlVGogKW8IU1EGHFjvCGrXbxsVxCgM70FohP4sQeh5BsafZdl6N1GPh4by9Odx4/s320/IMG_2716.jpg" border="0" /></a> Proof that I was there ("Welcome to Concha y Toro")</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcvrWQ6FHouGtu40EIdea1qljPqhXkgNtAgFZcQtA6-HTNqNp26yj2TnhV0S2Fnsi79kXkK7GClvW0nd-vQUv_i0BrB17jUlBfIzAzOCa3KU9lgGfAkWNEkBnE1-Q1qbRHwTpejNm6qts/s1600/IMG_2725.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665340358204683442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcvrWQ6FHouGtu40EIdea1qljPqhXkgNtAgFZcQtA6-HTNqNp26yj2TnhV0S2Fnsi79kXkK7GClvW0nd-vQUv_i0BrB17jUlBfIzAzOCa3KU9lgGfAkWNEkBnE1-Q1qbRHwTpejNm6qts/s320/IMG_2725.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9DFPl3LWsAJKkfsy5rOlqn-IyGBbpNtxgFxFLzmbcjNOB9GnPw2n0pOf06yuFI3bkmIFruzW04iMbRTpGImovECzeDBUsQzQLPwcTAeiXItB9Qh3Lrnkp_jX-TiwGENuCJPc7_8r07A8/s1600/IMG_2729.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665340355688725218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9DFPl3LWsAJKkfsy5rOlqn-IyGBbpNtxgFxFLzmbcjNOB9GnPw2n0pOf06yuFI3bkmIFruzW04iMbRTpGImovECzeDBUsQzQLPwcTAeiXItB9Qh3Lrnkp_jX-TiwGENuCJPc7_8r07A8/s320/IMG_2729.jpg" border="0" /></a>Baby grapes (it's spring right now)<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGSBDFjkAhrnEF9cYKp-3IyVDgoGKwIphNLmF1lRqyfnnXwcXvmfZl6sSH55W3nmuHMjhwCnXimGexyJ5SfNJIAoe33gtX-dBFubIzxpBWotxcA_urXG-ehMr52ZnscAIwV_v7-DLuMs/s1600/IMG_2730.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665340342674765826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGSBDFjkAhrnEF9cYKp-3IyVDgoGKwIphNLmF1lRqyfnnXwcXvmfZl6sSH55W3nmuHMjhwCnXimGexyJ5SfNJIAoe33gtX-dBFubIzxpBWotxcA_urXG-ehMr52ZnscAIwV_v7-DLuMs/s320/IMG_2730.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGZHo3su8N3ItJihXLN2IuhsVkr1lzNipTnoNQdj4VmvcaHFosW4cSfe_4qg0iUtFUS88EtAnM-Sfadzalqi_0flcXQsGGInVry-K1nsriq1SdwO6XrsmT_bk9Xq6vkRq4qIfHKnWjB7s/s1600/IMG_2734.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665340332978686978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGZHo3su8N3ItJihXLN2IuhsVkr1lzNipTnoNQdj4VmvcaHFosW4cSfe_4qg0iUtFUS88EtAnM-Sfadzalqi_0flcXQsGGInVry-K1nsriq1SdwO6XrsmT_bk9Xq6vkRq4qIfHKnWjB7s/s320/IMG_2734.jpg" border="0" /></a>Going down the stairs into the Casillero del Diablo (and our tour guide Barbara on the right)<br /><br /><div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLiWdTCMudALOoRlG606vVhUpNUUVp8b5VZ2snWijMJuYDm86NXqlD9WTCG2a1iplMZn8kpr2Xu5WZNae_AASGXQGO4bw9DPiUJntFvc49bnMQjqPtIICAkeG_PbeJZZajQXqPu3YdSqQ/s1600/IMG_2742.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665339773613228818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLiWdTCMudALOoRlG606vVhUpNUUVp8b5VZ2snWijMJuYDm86NXqlD9WTCG2a1iplMZn8kpr2Xu5WZNae_AASGXQGO4bw9DPiUJntFvc49bnMQjqPtIICAkeG_PbeJZZajQXqPu3YdSqQ/s320/IMG_2742.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNmEPeDxp5NISobPQ5pPBXhFiUlqbXUCGTNixE_U7KHk5679xNM3Q_B8OaKve-U7tzTX8Nuu-f5kRHM3_QSr6GPDTvDYxcm19Qr2whchsdM4k-atuxpmp9TlU9h-R2cUGx0U_A1jOcU0I/s1600/IMG_2743.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665339759463210338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNmEPeDxp5NISobPQ5pPBXhFiUlqbXUCGTNixE_U7KHk5679xNM3Q_B8OaKve-U7tzTX8Nuu-f5kRHM3_QSr6GPDTvDYxcm19Qr2whchsdM4k-atuxpmp9TlU9h-R2cUGx0U_A1jOcU0I/s320/IMG_2743.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-jgkg5JKXDrMM90cZae7tboRgdT6PtVrP-KVOSnSWSR1cvZXWpC_nRjEMXzmCpUGGAzO8BKwE6kep_DLhNNWbajeUy13-YBOTsXNKv2c3cFczITssAw6LtjoaeD91VyqwjK2o2vuidS8/s1600/IMG_2745.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665339744292260866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-jgkg5JKXDrMM90cZae7tboRgdT6PtVrP-KVOSnSWSR1cvZXWpC_nRjEMXzmCpUGGAzO8BKwE6kep_DLhNNWbajeUy13-YBOTsXNKv2c3cFczITssAw6LtjoaeD91VyqwjK2o2vuidS8/s320/IMG_2745.jpg" border="0" /></a> The reserve wines.....</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>That's all for now. Tonight I'm going to dinner with my colleague who I've been helping for the past two weeks. We are going at 8:30...joining the Chilean custom of eating a late dinner.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Ciao!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049551569431573226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5292095557944540832.post-91470752355070181052011-10-18T20:09:00.002-04:002011-10-18T20:24:37.523-04:00A Tribute to Fall (even though it's spring)It's spring here in Chile - and we have finally had some warm days - but I got some nice fall pictures from Zack today that I thought I'd share. I hate missing fall because it's my favorite season, but at least I've got these nice pictures from home. The first is a mum that I bought last year, planted in our backyard, and now it's blooming. The second is the maple tree in our front yard, which might possibly be the highlight of fall colors on our street every year.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvEu884N1mQp8nf2W-Cnsk1jBzSdpi8vEVYIBL_RTHP_NVS1EV_Qmrr-zmWOZBnrTzerFXHshuqjh93yV2NLx4TSE7yI1wKjenUK5w__YDJQhMY_ufDzt4eDqHvNgRNJBAN6oYunydvyM/s1600/Mum.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664991377853462098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 191px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvEu884N1mQp8nf2W-Cnsk1jBzSdpi8vEVYIBL_RTHP_NVS1EV_Qmrr-zmWOZBnrTzerFXHshuqjh93yV2NLx4TSE7yI1wKjenUK5w__YDJQhMY_ufDzt4eDqHvNgRNJBAN6oYunydvyM/s320/Mum.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGekva-zzF0X-2fwE68VSkTSb3hWixkgJwSe2v5mCidSok8NH6EaMJrf25hB1e-pU3eUtIw-qWGfdeBxaoeDmEHfBMqYCyaveiMzwaNuR5cTe_PeTvzVlfbj8SIADFmHcrdS2bRqyVCW4/s1600/Mapletree2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664991372155321314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 191px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGekva-zzF0X-2fwE68VSkTSb3hWixkgJwSe2v5mCidSok8NH6EaMJrf25hB1e-pU3eUtIw-qWGfdeBxaoeDmEHfBMqYCyaveiMzwaNuR5cTe_PeTvzVlfbj8SIADFmHcrdS2bRqyVCW4/s320/Mapletree2.jpg" border="0" /></a>Hopefully tomorrow I'll have some time to post some more pictures and stories from Santiago. I work on the 29th floor of our building, so one day I'll make time to take pictures of the view from our office - it's fantastic!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Ciao!<br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09049551569431573226noreply@blogger.com0