In Santiago Chile!

So here I am in Santiago, Chile! It's taken my awhile but I finally started a blog and I promise to keep up with it now.
It is officiall the end of week two in Santiago, and we just returned from Valparaiso and Vina del Mar.  It was our first trip as a group and of course we go to the sea coast when it is still freezing cold outside! I went to Valparaiso with my family here the first day I flew in though: I dropped my luggage off, we ate breakfast, and then we drove two hours to the coast! What a long first day (but I would not have changed it for anything!).  Today we just spent two hours walking around and getting a tour: half was the slums of the city due to the houses living so close together, and the other half was beautiful, very trendy houses and neighborhoods.  I loved all the colors and all the insane and awesome graffiti.  Valparaiso is known for its graffiti, or as it is called, el Museo de la Calle (Street Museum). The announciation for the city is hard: the accent is on the i.  When I was trying to announciate it with my family and said it wrong, my brother laughed at me for 20 minutes! He said he was laughing with me but I don't believe it.  He still calls me 'gringa' instead of Caroline (it means an American traveling in Chile).
Vina del Mar was not as awesome as Valparaiso: we stayed the night there and attempted to "carrete" (it means party in chilean slang btu I'm sure that is spelled wrong) and ended up being chased by weird men and stray dogs. An intersting night, but I bough a liter of local beer for only 3 dollars! I do love the exchange rate here.
On the ride back to Santiago we had to take a local bus to the hotel than another bus to the bus stations, then that bus to the edge of Santiago, then get on the metro from 45 minutes then I had to walk home from the station.  Overall, not the best way to end the trip but it was still fun to see Becca fall asleep on the bus while I listened to Jurrasic 5 and played Angry Birds on my iPhone.
Now I am home where my family very much missed me I am sure and start my classes on Friday.
Until then!