Saturday morning we woke up early to get on a bus to head to La Isla Negra, about an hour away from Vina del Mar. Isla Negra is the third and final home of Pablo Neruda in Chile, and also the most beautiful. His house is not actually an island, but it has one of the most beautiful views of the ocean I have ever seen! We took a tour of his house (which has been turned into a museum) and then we went down to the beach to take pictures and play in the sand. The house was probably my favorite of the three we have seen so far, it is so serene and secluded and I could almost imagine him writing his beautiful poetry from one of the rooms that overlooks the ocean. The sound of the waves crashing on the rocks below is so nice, and the view is just breathtaking. His classic symbols, of the eye, fish, and seashells are all over the estate. We have seen so much of Pablo Neruda in the last week that we feel like we know all there is to know!
After the museum, we drove to a small restaurant on the shore to eat lunch. They served the most delicious pineapple juice I have ever tasted! After lunch, we headed a half an hour away for a wine tour at a “Casablanca.” The vineyard was incredibly beautiful, surrounded by the mountains, and it smelled delicious. We saw the vines that grow the grapes for Pinot Noir, and then we went inside and saw the grape squishers, the bottling machines, and finally the special room where they store the wine while it ages (they play the barrels of wine classical music, as they believe the vibrations of the music gently move the wine inside the barrels and give it a better taste!)
Then they allowed us to taste 4 different kinds of wine, two white and two red. We tasted sauvignon blanc, sryah, pinot noir, and chardonnay. They were all delicious! After our wine tour we all returned to Vina, exhausted from our weekend of excursions, and tipsy from all the wine. I stayed home that night and crocheted some more with my host mom!
On Sunday, my host family and I slept in until noon, and then had a big family lunch. After lunch, I went out with my friend Kelly to the artisan tents on the beach, to the yarn store in the mall, and then to a Chinese restaurant for a snack. It rained for the first time while we have been in Chile, and the saying “when it rains it pours” was an accurate description of the weather here yesterday!
This morning, I our classes started up again, and I went to school at 9:15 for my first class. However, since the strike at the University is still going on, the other exchange students and I had to wait outside for 30 minutes before we could get inside the building!
The office of international studies is the only department that is continuing to hold classes during the strike (since we are only here for such a short time) but some of the students organizing the strike would like all departments at the school to be closed down. The professors and students at the school have barricaded the doors shut, and as the days go by the strike is getting more and more press attention. Also in the news here is the volcanic eruption in the South of Chile. It is not near where I live, but it is a huge deal for Chileans. It is affecting Argentina more than it is affecting Chile though, because the ashes and lava are flowing in the direction of the Argentinian border.
I have also learned a lot in the last few days about Chilean/Peruvian relations, as there is still some (slight) animosity between Chileans and Peruvians over the outcome of the Pacific war between the two countries. Therefore, Chileans are extremely interested in the outcome of the Peruvian presidential elections taking place now.
After the museum, we drove to a small restaurant on the shore to eat lunch. They served the most delicious pineapple juice I have ever tasted! After lunch, we headed a half an hour away for a wine tour at a “Casablanca.” The vineyard was incredibly beautiful, surrounded by the mountains, and it smelled delicious. We saw the vines that grow the grapes for Pinot Noir, and then we went inside and saw the grape squishers, the bottling machines, and finally the special room where they store the wine while it ages (they play the barrels of wine classical music, as they believe the vibrations of the music gently move the wine inside the barrels and give it a better taste!)
Then they allowed us to taste 4 different kinds of wine, two white and two red. We tasted sauvignon blanc, sryah, pinot noir, and chardonnay. They were all delicious! After our wine tour we all returned to Vina, exhausted from our weekend of excursions, and tipsy from all the wine. I stayed home that night and crocheted some more with my host mom!
On Sunday, my host family and I slept in until noon, and then had a big family lunch. After lunch, I went out with my friend Kelly to the artisan tents on the beach, to the yarn store in the mall, and then to a Chinese restaurant for a snack. It rained for the first time while we have been in Chile, and the saying “when it rains it pours” was an accurate description of the weather here yesterday!
This morning, I our classes started up again, and I went to school at 9:15 for my first class. However, since the strike at the University is still going on, the other exchange students and I had to wait outside for 30 minutes before we could get inside the building!
The office of international studies is the only department that is continuing to hold classes during the strike (since we are only here for such a short time) but some of the students organizing the strike would like all departments at the school to be closed down. The professors and students at the school have barricaded the doors shut, and as the days go by the strike is getting more and more press attention. Also in the news here is the volcanic eruption in the South of Chile. It is not near where I live, but it is a huge deal for Chileans. It is affecting Argentina more than it is affecting Chile though, because the ashes and lava are flowing in the direction of the Argentinian border.
I have also learned a lot in the last few days about Chilean/Peruvian relations, as there is still some (slight) animosity between Chileans and Peruvians over the outcome of the Pacific war between the two countries. Therefore, Chileans are extremely interested in the outcome of the Peruvian presidential elections taking place now.
After my class this morning I returned home quickly to change for my first official day of my internship! My internship (or pasantia, in Spanish) is at UCV TV, La Catolica’s TV station. I am waiting at my desk for the editors meeting to start in a half an hour, so I am sure I will have more to share about my internship soon! So far everyone I have met talks really fast, so I am hoping I will be able to keep up!
Viva La Chile!
Julia Marie
Me practicing my crocheting on the bus to Isla Negra with Martin!
Entrance to Pablo's estate
Front door of Pablo's house
One of the beautiful murals leading up to Pablo's home
One of Pablo's famous symbols, the fish
One of the only pictures I was allowed to take inside his home
More fish
Artwork on the grounds of the home
Visitor's entrance to La Isla Negra home
The Poet
Pablo's Isla Negra house
The beach
The beach from atop Pablo's house
The group at Pablo's grave
On the grounds of Pablo's home overlooking the beach
The beach!
Kelly, Lauren, and I on the beach!
Playing at the beach near Pablo's house
One of Pablo's poems: An Ode to Wine
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| The Casas del Bosque winery |
Chilean winery, Chilean flag, and the beautiful Andes mountains in the background!
Vines at the Casas del Bosque winery
Grounds of the Casas del Bosque winery
The grape squisher!!
Casas del Bosque wine
The barrels of wine listening to classical music
Wine tasting, Chilean style!
