Arrival in Santiago, Chile

  Santiago, Chile
Sunday, July 17, 2005

Hola Todos!!
 
Felicitaciones!  You have been selected to be part of my 2005-2006 email list from South America!  If you do not want emails from me, let me know and ill remove you from my list. 
 
I hope everyone is doing well this summer, for me it was an extremely short one.  I completed a 3 week internship at the U.S. Dept. of Energy in Washington D.C. on July 3rd.  I arrived in Santiago, Chile to begin orientation for study abroad this thursday the 14th.  I must say that it has not hit me yet, even with the winter temperatures, chilean accents, and meeting tons of new students that are in many ways very similar to myself.
 
Santiago is a huge city, and the views of the Andes are absolutely breathtaking. 

Andes

  I plan on including photos on my webshots account as soon as I have access to a computer for more extended periods of time.
 
I will be transferring to Valparaíso on Sunday to meet my host family, the Gonzalezes,  and begin classes.  My host family is two boys 17 and 15, who surf and play basketball, and their mother.  They live in vina del mar, which is the town next to Valparaiso. 
 
I will be studying at the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso until Dec. 10, and then hopefully my family will be visiting around Christmas-time.  Around the beginning of Jan, I have tentatively planned to join some friends on a grand trek around the continent, with a possible return to the united states in early march.  I am very excited about the entire trip.  The other exchange students seem great, and although of course I will miss all of you, this will surely be a life changing experience for me (and all you others studying abroad). 
 
What we have done so far:  Museo de Bellas Artes- special exhibition featuring Rondin´s the thinker. 

Rodin Exhibit

Museo de arte precolombiano -museum featuring many funeral artifacts from incan, mayan, and aztek origins.  We also took a funicular (elevator up a hill) to the top of the big hill in the middle of the city for breathtaking views of santiago, and the majestic Andes. 

Santiago View

At night we have gone to several clubs and things, and dinner at the restaurant Giratorio - a rotating restaurant at the top of a tall building- very neat.  We also toured the home of Chile's most famous poet, Pablo Neruda, in Santiago. 

La Chascona, Pablo Neruda's home in Santiago

 
 
Well I hope that i have not bored you too much.  My intentions with these emails will be to keep you informed of interesting happenings.  If you want specifics, clarifications, or want me to write you a more personal note when i have time---send me an email!!  I will love hearing from you!
 
Un abrazo