Valparaíso

What a nice trip! I spent Mon - Fri in the charming port city of Valparaíso. It is known for its endlessly winding hills, brightly colored houses, ubiquitous street murals, and hillside elevators (ascensores). And people are actually friendly! Not only did they smile back when I smiled at them on the street (what a concept), but they also went out of their way to engage in conversations with me. The warmth of the people and the calm of the city were a welcome change from Santiago.

I arrived Mon afternoon, treated myself to a fancy meal overlooking the ocean, then headed down to Muelle Prat for a harbor tour (it's a bit hard to navigate the hills immediately after having a glass of wine!). I hopped on a boat with about ten other people and had an excellent reverse view tour of Valpo. To get back to my hostel, I took the ascensor up and starting asking people how to get to Templeman street. It turned out I was on the wrong hill, so a woman offered to escort me in the right direction. I finally made it back to Hostel Luna Sonrisa and was welcomed by my four dormmates who had arrived the day before. They immediately poured me a glass of wine and invited me to join them for the dinner they were cooking at the hostel. I was glad I had taken no one's hostel recommendation (about five people suggested another one, which I think is just a party hostel) and found this gem instead. It felt like a family setting since we ate dinner together, went to bed around the same time, and had breakfast together as well. Definitely suggested if you're ever in Valpo!

On Wed I took a bus south to Isla Negra, which isn't an island despite the name. Its main attraction is Pablo Neruda's house (the most famous of three and the site of his tomb). On my bus ride there I met three people from Spain in their 50's, who ended up being on my tour of the house, and they invited me to eat lunch with them. The house is pretty incredible, but the setting is even more incredible! It's right on the ocean, which had massive waves the day I was there. After the tour I wandered around the beach by myself and had fun with my camera's self-timer.

I wasn't that excited to come back to Santiago, but it was actually quite good to return to my hostel and be in a familiar environment. Many of the same people are still here and although they're not close friends, it's nice to have immediate companions. However, I am very much looking forward to going to Easter Island/Rapa Nui tomorrow morning! I will be there until Oct 14 and leave for Mendoza Oct 16.

The hostel scene is fun, and it's an amazing experience to live with people from so many countries, but I'm anxiously awaiting finding an apartment with Argentinians. Living in a hostel is a fairly sheltered microcosm of the area. I don't feel like I'm experiencing the full reality of the city. I'm looking forward to having an increased sense of purpose/meaning on this trip and figuring out how I can contribute to the communities I interact with. I do know that I am incredibly privileged to travel and have these experiences. My one month mark is almost here, and I hope the next seven don't go as quickly! Ok, I must pack and go to bed soon (we went to a club last night, so I didn't get back to the hostel until 6am!). Talk to you when I return from the middle of nowhere...