Spring Break in Chile

Time has flown by and Spring Break has drawn near. Before coming to Argentina, I hadn’t thought much about what other countries I would like to travel to. Luckily, I had some great friends who had come prepared with ideas.

Before I knew it, we had decided. I was going to Santiago De Chile (The Capital City) and Valparaiso (a neighboring town).

After successfully completing Midterms, a couple of booked AirBnb’s, and a quick two hour flight later, I was in a new country with wonderful friends.

Our first day was pretty simple. Food, exploring the area around where we were staying, and getting some Sopaipilla (a sweet chilean pastry that is made with Pumpkin).

Prices were a bit scary at first. A meal can costs up to 20,000 pesos which seems impossible but the conversion rate is pretty high. In fact, 1 USD is equivalent to 650 Chilean Pesos so most things seemed rather expensive at first. Compared to Buenos Aires, they were a lot more expensive but not more than what we would pay in the States.

During planning for our first whole day in Chile, my friend Sophie picked out a mountainous excursion for us in the Andes. I was a bit hesitant at first because I had no idea what to expect. After some convincing, my other friend Kayla and I decided to join the adventure hike, and I’m so glad we did.

Although I forgot my coat, I was still captivated by the beautiful sights and blizzard like conditions at the top of our hike. (Don't worry the weather was only this cold in the mountains. The city climate was perfect.) These were some of the most beautiful views I had ever seen. I was freezing cold but I didn’t want to leave the magnificent scenery. Luckily, the adventure didn’t stop there. Another day brought another hike. This time Cerro San Cristobal. At the top of the hike there’s this beautiful Virgin Mary statue and to our surprise we bumped into a few more of our IES Abroad friends. Talk about good timing!

We rode a lift downwards and took in some more unforgettable and magnificent views from the highest point in the city.

Chile was incredible and another beautiful surprise that studying abroad gave me. However, alfajores and Argentine empanadas were calling my name and I knew it was time to head back.