Chilling in Chile: Wines, Mines, and Sunshine!

Buenas noches!

Well, my last full week in Chile has come to an end. The time has gone by so quickly!!! I cannot believe I only have three more days in South America! It's rather bittersweet.

My week was really good!! On Monday, my group toured a vineyard and had a wine tasting! The vineyard was so beautiful! We learned all about the history of the place, as well as the wine-making process. Our guide shared some fun stories about the vineyard, including a tale about how, after the earthquake in February, so many huge tanks filled with wine broke that there was a lake of red wine in the middle of a field! He told us that all the rabbits and birds were drunk for a few days after, but we did not believe him. The wine tasting was fun, too! I am not very into wine, but I still tried the white wine, the two red wines, and the dessert wine we were served! We also got to eat cheese, crackers, and dried fruit with it! I felt very classy. After the tasting, we were told that we could keep our wine glasses! They have the name and logo of the vineyard on them. What a cool souvenir! I hope that mine doesn't break in transit back to the U.S.!

Tuesday I went to el Museo de Bellas Artes in Santiago with a friend. The museum was so cool! There was a display of old photos taken of families on vacation in and around Santiago in the 20s, 30s, and 40s! I think old photos are very cool, so I enjoyed that a lot! There were also tons of paintings--some by Chileans and some not! It was a very interesting excursion.

Wednesday was just a chilling day for me in Santiago. I hung out with friends and got some homework done. On Thursday, though, my friends and I went to Santa Lucia, a beautiful park on top of a small hill in the middle of the city! We saw a really adorable puppy, bought ice cream, and walked around! It's always fun to find nature in the middle of big cities! We also found tons of cute shops. I was tempted to buy even more souvenirs, but I really am trying to cut myself off! Soon I won't have enough room to take all my new things home!

Friday we did not have classes, so my friends and I took advantage of the free time and walked all around Santiago. We re-visited some places and found some new areas downtown! It was a really nice day. I love living in the city! I don't think I would want to live in one forever, but I have really enjoyed getting to know Santiago so well. It's so nice to be able to walk everywhere. No need for a car! My host family does not even own one! Anyway, Friday night my friends and I went out to dinner and got ice cream and walked around. Going out to dinner in Santiago is always a treat, since we almost always eat in our houses! So that was fun.

We had a free weekend this weekend, so my friends and I decided to visit a copper mine! We left very early on Saturday and took a bus two hours away to a mine deep in the Andes. It was the biggest copper mine in the world! We learned all about the history of the mine, as well as the many safety precautions that they take in the mines. Then we were given jackets, boots, helmets, lights, and breathing masks for our tour! Don't worry--most of these things were just a precaution. I liked dressing up like a miner, though! It made the tour seem so legit. We took a bus inside the actual mine, then got out and walked around! It was definitely chilly in the mine. Our guide told us all about the different parts and functions of the mine, and we got to see where the rocks and taken and crushed. It was actually sort of scary. I can't believe I was inside one of the Andes Mountains!! We even ate lunch inside the mine!! (They have cafeterias inside it!) After eating and exploring, we got to tour an old mining town that was high up in the Andes. We visited the mining museum, the old church, and other old buildings. It was a very cool experience. I learned so much!

Today (Sunday) my friends and I went to the beach! After a 1.5 hour bus ride, we arrived back at Vina del Mar! We spent the day walking around, lying on the beach, and enjoying one of our last days of summer until June! I got really sunburned, but it was worth it!!

Now I am back in Santiago. I can't believe that I only have two more days of classes and three more days in Chile! I have to start packing soon! So weird. This month has gone by so quickly!