Querido Puerto: Valparaíso

 This past weekend we went to Valparaiso, about and hour and a half north of Santiago.  Before the construction of the Panama Canal, this city was the most important South/Central American port and every boat crossing the Americas had to go through it.  It is still a very major shipping port. 

After visiting a technical girls school we had a traditional Valpo lunch, Chorillana and some of the famous Cerveza del Puerto.  Chorrillana is french fries, cheese, and meat, served on a heaping plate that is shared between three or four people, with a very excessive amount of grease.

 The vast majority of streets are filled with incredible art and graffiti, more than in Santiago

 The city is built on hills along the waterfront... here are my Carleton buddies looking out over the water

 And art

 Art (translation: Valpo, don't forget us)

 Even the stairs are painted in places!

 That night (after the most boring lecture ever and a long nap) we started the night out with some good Chilean wine and Spanish conversations in the hotel room.

 The next morning I went HORSEBACKRIDING at a rural school we visited between the mountains and Valpo.  The school was incredible (I'll tell you more about it in my school visit blog) and the kids were really sweet.  One rides her horse to school occasionally, and offered us a ride.

 After a really long run on the waterfront we went to a traditional seafood restaurant on the coast

 And looked out over the coastline

 And ate a traditional food... I think with clams... and also very fishy fish

 There was a festival going on the weekend we were there called the Mil Tambores (thousand drums) and we went out to one of the events Saturday night

 It was very hippie-ish... painted VW van, dreadlocked hair, long skirts, smoking circles and all :)

 While people we setting up we were entertained by adorable children playing games with themselves (this was at least equally as entertaining as the music later on)

 The show opened with a student band....

 And student dancers, from a nearby high school.  They were quite good

 

Then, while the real bands started setting up a clown performed, involving many of the little kids sitting under our outdoor circus tent.  You could see the ocean at the bottom of the Cero (hill) in the background.

 For awhile the kids had free reign of the open space in the middle and the music accompanied them playing

 Then a few adults came in to dance the Cueca (national Chilean dance)

 And pretty soon the everyone was dancing

 Obviously, we were in on the dance party too

 Then an indigenous band (mix of Brazilian music and Mapuche clothes and lyrics) rocked out with only drums and vocals, we were right in front, watching the incredible dancers and being mesmerized by the drumming.  It was incredible

 After a solid night of dancing, walking through the deserted, steep streets of Valpo, and taking a long bus ride home, we popped the cork on some pineapple flavored champagne and waited for some friends to join us.

 On the way home a few of us sat in the minivan with our luggage (the seats faced each other like on a train) and played music, singing along the whole way home to Santiago!

It was such a wonderful weekend that coming home to Santiago was bittersweet.  No worries though because my adventures ahead include Temuco this week (living in the country with Mapuche families) and then a two week stay in Buenos Aires before we start our independent projects!