TId Bits

Colegio General Velazquez: this is where it all goes down.  This photo was taken from the high school part of the school (where my class room is) facing the elementary part of the school.  Behind the school is Puchuncavi.  You can see the church steeple.  And behind that the cerros!  I'm not sure if I've talked about the structure of school but it's pretty different in Chile: in between every class there's 15 min breaks, which really turn into 20-25 min breaks.  Therefore, for every 1.5 hours of class (but in reality 1 hour 15 mins) there is 20-25 mins of break.  Terribly inefficient.  Also, the teacher's change rooms.  The students stay in the room.  You have the same classmates all year long, and I actually think for you're entire high school career.  In reality, however, I think there are little more than 100 students per grad in my school, meaning only 2, maybe 3, different 10th grade classes for example.  I hate this system.  The students OWN the room, there is no mercy here.  Thank god.... I AM THE EXCEPTION.  I have my own room :) and oh how it is liiiiiiinda.

This is a really awesome stain glass window at the Naval Museum in Valparaiso.  That's Neil Armstrong I believe in the lower right hand corner, yes even the explorers of the moon are included here.

These are some photos that I took at Pablo Neruda's house in Isla Negra.  His house has an incredible view of the Pacific Ocean and waves crashing on the rocky coast.  His bedroom was are windows.  It is literally the ideal bedroom view. And if you enjoy poetry, I highly suggest reading some Neruda.  He's quite amazing.  The picture to the right is the north view from his house and the other are this super strange and awesome plants here in Chile, with the ocean in the background.

These pictures are from two weekends ago.  We had a holiday Monday so I had a four day weekend.  Me and some of my gringo friends left Thursday night for the north, a 6 hour bus ride through the strange terrain that is Chile.  SUPER hilly (like intense hills, ravines, and yet weirdly plateaued at the top and then DEEP immediate ravines that provide glimpses of the Pacific to the west and to the east, just higher higher hills... and very arid.  dry soil/sand? and cacti!! everywhere.) Anywho, we went to La Serena and stayed with the sister of my friend's co-teacher.... yeah this is how it is Chile, complete strangers totally welcome you.  Literally upon 10 minutes in La Serena, 2 different people approached to ask us if we needed help.  Just a super friends and hospitable culture.  We stayed with her sister, her husband and cutie little daughter with the roundest face every.  On our last day, the only day of sun, we went east, towards the mountains.  It takes you almost 2 hours to drive the width of Chile, btw. So we took the bus inland and arrived at Valle Pisco and Pisco Elqui.  This is where Chile produces the national liquor, Pisco.  It's a delicious liquor produced from sunrippened grapes I believe. y que rico con sprite, ginger ale o coca cola.  OR the famed Pisco Sour which can involved egg white.  Anyways, these are pictures taken from Pisco Elqui, the pueblito at the bottom of the Pisco Valley.  The hills are super dry, nothing grows on them nearly. And at the top, snow sprinkled them and behind you can see the ANDES and shortly thereafter gives way to Argentina. That beautiful church is in the center of town and the other is of the Mistral Pisco Distillery, one of the more if not the most delicious of the Pisco brands.  And an example of the strange plants up in here.

THE ANDES in all their glory!

In more news, winter vacation is next week and I'm going first to La Termas de Chillan in the south of Chile and on Tuesday I am going to Peru! Can't wait!

I'm obsessed with this song right now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxuAWU_VX34

It's called 'My bed smells of you' of course in spanish. Disfrutate!