photo of me eating chocolate by the river, taken by Anna.It has been exactly two months since I got on a plane to come to Chile. I can't believe it! I feel like I have been here forever but I also feel like I've barely arrived. (Cliche, I know.) Recently I have been totally in love with Chile/Valdivia so it is slightly heartbreaking to think that I'll have to leave in two months. At the same time, I know my next two months will be AWESOME and when I return to the states my life there will be awesome, too. I have been feeling very sentimental and thankful and mushy in general lately because I seem to be always surrounded by wonderful people and things!
One of those wonderful things is SPRING in Valdivia. It still rains, of course, but all of the sudden there are flowers EVERYWHERE! On Saturday Anna & I went to the botanical garden on our campus and it was breathtakingly beautiful. It's still a little wonky to me that I'm on the opposite side of the earth and that it is spring during all the fall months, but I'm totally loving it.
Speaking of things I love... This past weekend there was a beer festival in Valdivia! Because Valdiv has so much German influence, we are known throughout the country as the city with the best beer, so it makes sense that we get our own Oktoberfest. People from all over the world were there! Most of the booths were giving out free samples, and it was really fun to walk around and try all the different kinds of beers. But I have to admit, one of the best parts of beerfest was actually the cheese booth.
Quick update on cheese in Chile: It does not compare to cheese in the US at all. Chileans say they have different types of cheese, but it all tastes the same and is pretty bland at that. Cheddar cheese doesn't exist here, and neither does feta cheese, goat cheese, bleu cheese, pepperjack cheese, muenster cheese, etc. It's a rough life.
BUT at this cheese booth at beerfest, I had OREGANO CHEESE and CURRY CHEESE. (Another thing that Chilean food is lacking is curry, so this was a double surprise.) And it was delicious. I don't know if curry cheese exists anywhere else in the world, but holy cow, what a combination.
But that's enough about cheese (for now). Last Wednesday and Thursday, all the trapped miners were rescued!!! It was amazing to be in Chile during such an incredible event. I watched the last four miners being rescued and reunited with their families and it was incredibly heartwarming. When they first sent up the message saying they were alive, I remember hearing that it could take up to four months to rescue them, and then all of the sudden people from around the world started coming together to form a plan to get them out as soon as possible. And it worked!
On Friday morning, my history class took a field trip to Isla Mancera, which is an adorable little island off the coast where Spanish fortress and castle used to be. The ruins of the castle are still there, so we spent a whole beautiful morning exploring. It's only a short micro ride and a short bus ride away from Valdivia, so I plan to go back again once I have my new camera and explore some more.
One of those wonderful things is SPRING in Valdivia. It still rains, of course, but all of the sudden there are flowers EVERYWHERE! On Saturday Anna & I went to the botanical garden on our campus and it was breathtakingly beautiful. It's still a little wonky to me that I'm on the opposite side of the earth and that it is spring during all the fall months, but I'm totally loving it.
Speaking of things I love... This past weekend there was a beer festival in Valdivia! Because Valdiv has so much German influence, we are known throughout the country as the city with the best beer, so it makes sense that we get our own Oktoberfest. People from all over the world were there! Most of the booths were giving out free samples, and it was really fun to walk around and try all the different kinds of beers. But I have to admit, one of the best parts of beerfest was actually the cheese booth.
Quick update on cheese in Chile: It does not compare to cheese in the US at all. Chileans say they have different types of cheese, but it all tastes the same and is pretty bland at that. Cheddar cheese doesn't exist here, and neither does feta cheese, goat cheese, bleu cheese, pepperjack cheese, muenster cheese, etc. It's a rough life.
BUT at this cheese booth at beerfest, I had OREGANO CHEESE and CURRY CHEESE. (Another thing that Chilean food is lacking is curry, so this was a double surprise.) And it was delicious. I don't know if curry cheese exists anywhere else in the world, but holy cow, what a combination.
But that's enough about cheese (for now). Last Wednesday and Thursday, all the trapped miners were rescued!!! It was amazing to be in Chile during such an incredible event. I watched the last four miners being rescued and reunited with their families and it was incredibly heartwarming. When they first sent up the message saying they were alive, I remember hearing that it could take up to four months to rescue them, and then all of the sudden people from around the world started coming together to form a plan to get them out as soon as possible. And it worked!
On Friday morning, my history class took a field trip to Isla Mancera, which is an adorable little island off the coast where Spanish fortress and castle used to be. The ruins of the castle are still there, so we spent a whole beautiful morning exploring. It's only a short micro ride and a short bus ride away from Valdivia, so I plan to go back again once I have my new camera and explore some more.
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