Santiago, Hello!

            ¡Hola todos! We are currently residing in the beautiful Santiago, where the Andes Mountains are found at every direction you look. Our environment changed immensely from the oceans to the mountain ranges, but that just shows how much Chile has to offer.

We are now at the Hoteles Plazaelbosque, which is a fifteen-story tall building with a view that one could have always asked for. There is a park next to the hotel, where people skate, walk around, and relax in. Even more, there is the Parque Arauco near this park, too, which is the mall that provides plenty of options to dine and shop. For extra convenience, there is a large supermarket near this hotel, too, that we can purchase water and snacks for our trip without worry!        

Our Hotel

The View from the Hotel

I asked my classmate, Laura Hayes, on her thoughts about our newest destination. She is in love with Santiago because it is beautiful from the architecture and mountains, the people are very nice here, and it reminds her a lot of her trips in Europe. And she is not the only one to think that this place is stunning! We went to the mall last night for comida (food), and had a decent meal at Cocina Chile, but what made the experience at the restaurant even better there was the waiter, Martin. We were able to know him very well and he told us about some of the areas around Santiago. Many other students also went to this mall for food, and I believe that they had a good night here.         

 

El Parque Arauco

Karine Mikitarian noticed a lot more people in the area than Buenos Aires. There were plenty more street vendors who sell hand-crafted jewelries, toys, and more, perfect of souvenirs. She feels comfortable in Santiago due to the people she have talked to and the places she has seen.

Marta Gravier Trujillo-Bencomo talked about the climate of this country. Due to the intense heat wave just earlier, there was an uncontained fire that has occurred. Smoke blanketed the city, and it was difficult to see even the Andes Mountains. Thankfully the fire has seemed to die down slightly, but the smoke still remains. Many other students have been finding themselves sunburnt, too, something they did not expect to happen in a January day. Still, we are applying more sunscreen and drinking plenty of water to keep ourselves safe from the sun while still enjoying our trip.

            Overall, we are very excited to be in Santiago and wish to see even more! We hope to see you join us more on our adventures in Santiago, Chile! ¡Adios!