Travelling

Well, I've been working on my globalization project on crime in Chile. I think its going to be very interesting and challenging. Kristin and I have been writing questions to use in our interviews. Hopefully we can get some good resources and contacts.

Dylan got back this weekend...now I have someone to talk to again! Yay : ) I got internet in my room finally, so I spent part of the morning lying in bed, eating chocolate, and talking to him. Such a nice and relaxing way to start the day.

So, I've been here nearly one month already! Its pretty incredible that's its been that long. It seems like yesterday when I was reluctantly filling out the forms to apply to CIEE. At that point I was still doubting that I would come here. But here I am!

In honor of that, I've made a list of the places I hope to see in Chile before I leave. Some of them are just wishes, but hopefully I will make it to most of them:

LA SERENA: "Peaceful most of the year, La Serena is a trendy beach resort in summer. Founded in 1544, the city sports a good deal of interesting architecture: some of it is orginal colonial (this is Chile's second oldest city." Besides its beaches, La Serena has numerous attractions in the surrounding countryside, including quaint villages, such as Vicuña (home to Nobel Prize-winning poet Gabriela Mistral) with nearby vineyards, and several international astronomical observatories, which take advantage of the region's exceptional atmospheric conditions and dark skies"

PARQUE NACIONAL PUYEHUE: "Situated in the beautiful Lake District, this is Chile's most popular national park. It preserves 107,000ha (264,290ac) of verdant montane forest and starkly awesome volcanic scenery. Dense forest hides puma, the rare pudú (a miniature deer) and prolific bird life, including the Chilean torrent duck. Nature trails, lake views, ski resorts, thermal springs, waterfalls and examples of some of Chile's strange plant life, in particular the umbrella-leaved nalca and multi-trunked ulmo, are some of the many attractions which draw visitors."

CHILOE: "Only 180km (112mi) long and 50km (31mi) wide, the Isla Grande de Chiloé is a well-watered, densely forested island of undulating hills, with a temperate maritime climate. Its towns feature distinctive shingled houses and stilt homes, and its weather is known for precipitation and fog. When visible, however, a majestic panorama across the gulf to the snow-capped volcanoes of the mainland are revealed. Ancud and Castro are the only two sizeable towns, but there are over 150 picturesque wooden churches servicing the island's small villages. Parque Nacional Chiloé protects extensive stands of native coniferous and evergreen forest and a long, pristine coastline. The rare pudú also lives here."

MENDOZA, ARGENTINA: "Mendoza is in northwestern Argentina and the gateway to the high Andes and the Chilean border at Aconcagua National Park, at over 21,000 feet hosting the highest peaks on the South American continent. The city is light years away from the capital. It is very clean, quiet with mature trees everywhere and a wonderful city centre. The city and province is based both on internal tourism and its wineries in the foothills of the snow-capped mountains. The vineyards were started by Italian immigrants in the 19th century and the city boasts many bodegas with visits to nearby rural wineries possible. Out of town, there are van tours to the Altas Montanas: the ski area and Inca ruins."

SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA: "The charming village of San Pedro de Atacama, located at 2,450 meters above sea level, near the north side of the great salt deposit of Atacama (the biggest of the country), is perhaps one of the places in Chile which offers the widest number of attractions.The village is located in one of the many oasis originated by the ‘Bolivian winter’, in the driest desert of the world: the Atacama Desert. That’s why it is even more incredible to find, in the middle of it, a place with really exuberating vegetation, formed by chañar trees, carob trees, and capsicums.The majestic and mystic volcano Licancabur (5,916 meters above sea level) is in front of the village, only 40 kilometers away. The name means ‘village hill’, and it was venerated by the Incas, who carried out ceremonies and left offerings in the crater of its top. The mysterious Valley of the Moon is only 15 kilometers away. As its name indicates, the form and colors of the rocks give the landscape a lunar look. Watching the sunset from this place, gazing how the light varies the colors of the volcanoes, which can be seen far away, towards a bright red, transforms this spectacle into an incredible and overwhelming experience.The great geological activity of the area has not only created the volcanoes, but also the remarkable Geysers del Tatio (4,200 meters high). To observe the geysers at full, the best time of the day to get there is at dawn, so it is recommended to leave San Pedro at 5:30 a.m., to get to ‘Tatio’ at 7 a.m. Some geysers reach up to 3 – 4 meters high. The thermal waters near the geysers allow you to enjoy a wonderful thermal bath, while watching the dawn. The water temperature may reach up to 54 degrees Celsius.

PARQUE NACIONAL TORRES DEL PAINE: "Near Chile's fragmented southern tip, this park is Chile's showpiece: a world biosphere reserve with all the diverse scenery of Alaska in only 180,000ha (444,600ac). The Torres del Paine are spectacular granite pillars which soar almost vertically for more than 2000m (6560ft) above the Patagonian steppe. Cascading waterfalls, sprawling glaciers, dense forests, and the chance to see Patagonian guanaco make it a truly awesome experience."

!!!!!!