Every day is an adventure

Hello again!

So, last weekend I hade my first out-of-Region experience! I went with 4 other girls from my program to La Serena which is North of where I am, and in Chile's 4th Reigon (Coquimbo). I am in the 5th in the Valparaiso Region. It was about a 6 hour bus ride, and we left at 11 on Saturday night. Arriving EARLY that next morning, we found a super cheap, great hostile that was about a 5 minute walk from the bus station. We stayed in this apartment-style place with a kitchen and everything! It was about $5,000 pesos per night (like $4USD) and just great. So we slept in Sunday for a little then went to this eco-tourism agency and set up an appointment to go to the Humbolt Wildlife Reserve and go on a boat/wildlife tour of these two islands off the coast. We scheduled it for the next day, so we had the rest of Sunday to just do whatever. So, we decided to get on a bus and go to Valle de Elqui and visit a Pisco Factory and an Observatory! So that is what we did. We got to drink some Pisco in the beautiful place f Vicuna, then later that evening we got to see stars, constellations and the Moon! Like up-close and personal (picutre). It was probably one of the coolest things I have seen.

Then the next day we went on our boat tour and saw all of the animals! We saw dolfins, sea-ottors, penguins, starfish, birds of ALL kinds, sea lions and millions of others! It was SOOOO cool, and afterward we had seafood for lunch. Ha, ironic, no? But it was so beautiful and cool. We got to walk around one of the islands, and it was just.... so awesome. Ah, so nice and relaxing to be by/in the sea. Then we left that next afternoon (after I got to dip in the ocean) and came back to Vina by 8 ish. The Bus ride back along the coast at sunset was just beautiful. And I saw a huge wind turbine farm! Go Chile! So that was cool....

So, got back to Vina and had my first day of classes yesterday- well, kind of... I went to my first one (navigated the micro system finally!) and found the room, and waited.... Then another girl from my program came, too and we waited... The these two nice Chilean boys came in and talked with us for a bit, and then proceeded to tell us that we did not have classs because the professor was in Valpo (?). So, either way, no class, met some Chileanos, and got to spend the afternoon almorzando and reading my book. Then I had another class about Interpersonal Relationships that is going to be just fascinating. Then today we didn't have classes because of some festival or something? I am not sure, but I have until Tuesday until I have another class, so life is pretty good... :)

Caio!