Hello all!! So it's been a couple weeks and I am still having an amazing time here in Chile. A little change in travel plans I will not be going to Argentina because I love my host family so much I'm spending the week with them!! Anyways I am here in Chile until March 7 when I go to Peru for my semester.
So I completed my intensive month of Spanish so now I am hanging out in Chile. I just got back from Patagonia which is basically the farthest south you could go in the world, besides for Antartica. They did have ferries to Antartica!! Anyways it was amazing I went to a national park called Torres del Paine, named after the stone towers in my pictures. I went with six of my friends and hiked 32 miles in five days! It was such a different experience for me because I go camping at home but this was harcore...everyone was dead by the end. It was so gorgeous the only thing we kept comparing it too was Neverland and Lord of the Rings! The mountains were beautiful and the lakes were green!
We drank glacier water the whole time, which was so good. We climbed to the top of mountains and the boys were crazy enough to go swimming in the freezing cold water! Something I noticed about this country and people who are here is everyone is so welcoming. After eating peanut butter, bread, and trail mix for six days we stumbled into a resturant where we asked, "Is the bread free?" Haha we were just so hungry, we didn't consume enough for the amount we were hiking but it didn't even matter because we were so happy. Some points it was so hard with the really heavy packs that we had on our backs.
We went to a gift shop after the six days to buy souveniers from the park, and we all were in shock. There were Americans in the shop asking everyone, "HOW MANY AMERICAN DOLLARS IS THIS?" And my friends and I just looked at eachother in shock...these Americans couldn't comprend that English is not the only language and didn't even try to ask in Spanish. It really was pathetic and my friends and I realized how important it is for people (especially Americans who for some reason think that we are the center of the world) to get out and travel! It's better to try and ask in Spanish and then fail rather then raising your voice asking, "HOW MANY AMERICAN DOLLARS IS THIS?" Guess what buddy your not in America or have you not realized that? Idiots...anyways it was the most amazing experience of my life. I met some people on the trail from Isreal who lived in Conneticut, it was crazy! We also met some guys who are going to Peru to study around the same time as me so that was cool.
I really do love it here...the people are so warm and welcoming...everyone takes their time. I mean it's not all about money here...and even though my friends and I struggle with Spanish they are usually patient and help us out. So now I have a week of relaxation (meaning going out todos los noches
and then I'm off to Peru. It's bittersweet but I'm sure my time there will be just as amazing My spanish is improving but it needs work so check back in a couple weeks when I am in Peru!! Love you all and miss everyone a lot!
Besos, Nicole
Love,
Baba