Valparaiso

Today we woke up early and got picked up by two Chilean students who took us to their university for a tour and for lecture. They came to the hotel and we took the public bus over to the university, which was quite an experience- they drive way past the speed limit and fit as many people as they can onto the bus. We got to the university and it was so gorgeous! It overlooked the ocean and had beautiful buildings and scenery. The girls took us around the university and showed us where all their classes are, and then they dropped us off at a classroom for a lecture on the Chilean economy. It was really interesting and the professor was very informative and knowledgable. He talked about the Chilean economy as a whole, the economy compared to other Latin American countries, and how the economy is growing. After the lecture, we went to lunch in the school's cafeteria. Then we went back to the bus and two new students took us on a tour of Valparaiso. It was so beautiful- the scenery and the mountains all looked over the ocean. We took a short hike up a mountain and then went and passed Pablo Neruda's house but it was closed. Then we went down to the water where there were vendors that you could shop at. After we walked around this area for a little, we went to dinner and got empanadas which were amazing! Mine had crab and cheese in it. It was so delicious. After dinner, we went back to the university and had dancing lessons. The instructor was great and we had a really good time even though most of us weren't very good dancers! After that, some students took us to karaoke and we had a blast! Tomorrow we are going to Santiago. I'm really excited to see the city; I've heard so many great things about it! Hasta luego!