Carrete Cultural and back to Valparaiso

I just put up a bunch of pictures, so feel free to look. They’re from the carrete cultural I went on, which was essentially a field trip. We went to the Palacio Cousiño, a beautiful mansion built with money from the mining industry; coal and silver mostly. The guy who built it died before its completion, so only his wife and children lived there. She never remarried, and is one of the richest women in history. So rich, in fact, that she loaned money to the Chilean government so they could have a naval fleet in la Guerra Pacífica.

We also went to the Mercado Central, which is a gigantic fish market with several attached seafood restaurants. We were like a parade of white people when we were wandering through the market, and it made me feel the most visible and most US of any experience I’ve had here. All of the stall owners hailed us and asked us where we were from, pulling out their high school English, and all of the restaurants tried to convince us to eat at their establishment. It wasn’t scary or intimidating to be so noticed; it was more like being in a parade. Everyone we walked past was thrilled to see us and talk to us, and we just walked on past, enjoying their good wishes. A little odd, but definitely a valuable experience.

The other photos are from the program trip to Pablo Neruda’s house in Isla Negra and Valparaíso. Since this was the second time in Valpo, I concentrated my photography on the awesome street art. I think I want to learn how to paint and find some artistic talent so I can just go to Valpo and paint these awesome murals for a living. Sometimes I just crave eating something that is really un-Chilean, so when we went to the beach afterward, two of my friends and I went to McDonalds and got some French fries, and then some ice cream at a fancy ice cream place next door. I’m sure you’re all delighted to know that Chilean French fries taste exactly like US ones. I was pretty surprised. Too bad there wasn’t a Wendy’s around, because frostys and French fries are a beautiful snack! Oh how norteamericana did I feel right then… Oh and Pablo Neruda is really into his nautical themes and collected those statues they put on the front of ships. His house is full of knickknacks and there’s a whole room of seashells. And he only wrote his poetry in green ink, because it is the color of life and positive energy. His bedroom has the most beautiful view of the ocean ever and I want that to be my bedroom. That’s the sum total of what I will take with me about Pablo Neruda’s Isla Negra house.

I also got to go out on a boat in the Valparaíso harbor/port/bay thingy (I’m not up on my sea terminology). But I didn’t take any pictures of the military boats because that’s illegal.