Sand everywhere!

Well, it’s mid-April and I’m a little over a third of the way through my program.  It’s crazy how fast time is flying by, but it’s so exciting that I can say I still get 3 months in Chile. The weather is still incredible (knock on wood) and I’ve enjoyed running to and from the gym I joined and also on the boardwalk by the ocean. I’d like to think I’ve settled down a little bit, but I don’t think I will ever experience the feeling of being settled here. There’s always so much going on, and as soon as I sit down, I’m planning somewhere new to go explore. 

On Sunday a large group of us from ISA took a day trip to Boca Beach, Horcon, Zapallar, and the sand dunes in Con Con.  At Boca Beach we relaxed and some of us went horse-back riding.  Horcon was a very small sea town, full of artesanias and restaurants with really good empanadas. It was on a pelican beach with beautiful clear blue water.

Next we headed to Zapallar which is a white-sand beach.  The wealthiest of wealthy in the area live in Zapallar.  The beach is located in a cove, and these huge houses overlook the beach/ocean from the hills that surround the cove.  The houses were fun to look at because they were so big, but each one was different.

After swimming and laying out for a few hours we headed to the bus again and they surprised us by taking us to the sand dunes over Con Con for sunset and some sandboarding. Sandboarding is like snowboarding minus the nieva (snow) and with arena (sand). We got to see an incredible sunset and had a great view of Vina and Valpo from the dunes.

My friend Ryan clearly has natural talent for sandboarding.

I’m about to head to my dance class now. Last time we learned the salsa and samba, and the moves came in handy when we went out to a salsa club this weekend! I just finished my first real homework assignment, a 4-page essay on some place in Valpo or Vina. I went to the Cerro Concepcion in Valparaiso because of the beautiful/colorful architecture, graffiti, and miradores (viewpoints).  We found a great art store/coffeshop where my friend Carrie and I ate torta and café (cake and coffee) and talked to the owner for a long time about the area.

I’m hoping to head to Santiago this weekend and maybe catch a futbol game if Colo Colo is playing! You will hear again from me soon!