Back in Vina...briefly

Well, I made it back from Concepcion (2nd largest Chilean city, south of here)!
I spent a week there visiting Dan. It's a very different city from what I've grown used to in Vina and Valparaiso. Conce was a bit more "typical-city" like for lack of a better explanation. For one thing, it's by the Bio Bio river instead of the ocean and it's flat. Wonder of wonders my calves weren't burning after an hour long walk, very different from the extreme ups and downs in Vina. I have to say of all the cities I've visited so far Valparaiso and Castro are the most 'south american' in the sense that we north americans think of it.

Dan lives in a pension in Conce with 15 other chilean students. I think I met half of them since some are pretty reclusive. We were served a fabulous lunch everyday with a little 'once' each evening by the lovely (albeit totally crazy) Maria. There was also a lot of soccer watching/discussing going on, most of which was over my head since I'm not really following the games much (I don't have TV here and forget about understanding those games over the radio!)

The University there is HUGE in comparison to mine! It reminds me much more of back home in Montana, complete with a clock tower and everything. It occurs to me that I haven't put up any pictures of my school, Adolfo Ibanez, but it is very small and takes up about one block with a few extra buildings scattered around about a 3 block radius.

Tomorrow bright and early I'm heading off to Mendoza, Argentina to meet up with Ian (finally)! I've only been home from Conce for three days, just long enough to go to school :) I'm a little bit nervous about Mendoza because the buses have to drive over a large mountain pass and apparently it's not all that uncommon for the pass to be closed for a week or so at a time due to snow....so they tell me I should be able to get there tomorrow just fine but keep your fingers crossed for my return trip on Monday! If I do get stranded I think the first option is a super long (like 48hour) bus ride around the pass or worst case scenario I'd have to buy a plane ticket to get back. Yikes. However, I'm super excited to see Ian and help him celebrate his high school graduation on the 31st! I've been reading up on Mendoza and I think there will be plenty of things to keep us happily busy for a few days.

That's the really quick, kind of vague update, sorry! But I've got to go pack :)
I have pictures from Santiago, Valparaiso/Vina (thanks to Dan for letting me steal these), Concepcion and soon from Mendoza so there will be a rather large upload to Photobucket next week when I get home.

Hope the summer is off to a swingin start for everybody back in the States, I'll be seeing you all before too long!
Paz-
Clare