Chile

My time in Chile flew by. On Tuesday, I spent the day exploring Santiago and hanging with the locals at La Vega Central, a huge market in the middle of the city. There were hundreds of vendors all selling the same thing, but I guess there are lots of mouths to feed in a city with 7 million people. I also made it to the top of El Gran Torre Santiago, the tallest building in South America. 

The first thing I do whenever I get to a new city is go to the highest point possible, take in the views, and see where I want to explore next.

On Wednesday, I took a day trip to the beautiful towns of Viña del Mar and Valparaíso. I spent 4 hours chillin’ on the beach in Vińa del Mar and then bussed over to the oldest and largest port town in Chile (dating back to the 1500′s), Valparaíso, or “Valpo” for short. The city is said to be built on 42 hills, and I spent the rest of my day climbing as many as possible. Every single building and wall in the city is covered in graffiti, but in Valpo it’s not graffiti; it’s art. 

On New Year’s Eve, I spent the night celebrating with Annalise (my friend who moved here from Seattle) and about half a dozen new Chilean friends. At Midnight, we toasted with Champaign and watched the fireworks from the rooftop of her apartment. Definitely a New Year’s Eve to remember. 

Today I’ve spent most of my time indoors, as I underestimated the Chilean sun and didn’t apply nearly enough sunscreen (sorry mom). I have the worst farmer’s tan (burn) of my life and a v-neck sunburn line that the locals laugh at when they walk by.

Next stop Argentina!