Algarrobo, Chile

Below is Javi and Marcello dancing the traditional dance of Chile, La cueca. It was so fun to watch and so pretty! marcello and javi would be mad to know i posted these since they thought they did such a bad job. Erin took a video, i will have to get it and show you guys! 

Below: constancia (she is just gorgeous), erin, me, and Javiera (javi)

Just a cool graffiti/drawing i saw on a door on a beach building

Below are photos of erin and i with traditional chilean singers and dancers, in their traditional clothes

This was the feast in his honor

Below is a statue of San Pedro..he was carried down the street and taken to this little place

Erin and Marcello

These are the "carabineros" the chilean word for policemen

Below: the view from my window when i woke up this morning :)

Below: sunday night on the beach and the sunset...just beautiful!

Below: the view walking down to the town and the beach from the house

Javiera on the left, erin, me and then Marcello 

below is a photo of the side of the house and then the view from the house

Yesterday (Sunday, June 28th) and today (Monday June 29th), I spent in Algarrobo, Chile. My host family has a beach house there. It was absolutely amazing... I didn't want to leave! Erin, Marcello, Constancia, Sergio (pololo (boyfriend) of constancia), Javiera (or Javi for short) and I all went. It was so nice, because we are all in our 20's, so we had great conversation and just had a relaxed time. 

On Sunday: on the trip there, we had to stop in a place called "Casablanca" to pick up Marcello. Marcello lives in Casablanca with his grandparents...they have a huge house there. Casablanca is only 20 min from Viña, it has tons of vineyards and the best wine in chile is produced there. I am going to have to try some and bring it home for you all to try. :) And once we were leaving casablanca it started to downpour, like rain I have never seen before. I was a little scared at times that were going to hydroplane because there was so much water on the road. So once we got to algarrobo, we just hung out in the house. We had once ( small dinner) and drank mango sour and just had a great time. Once the rain stopped though, we talked down into the town and walked through the market area and stopped for coffee and hot chocolate. Then we went home and opened up some wine and listened to music, ate cena (dinner) and brownies and talked. It was such a good time. I went to bed that night listening to the ocean in the distance, it was so comforting. Probably one of the best nights of sleep in a really long time.

Today, I woke up to the sunshine and the sound of the seagulls and the ocean. I was SO happy to see the sun. I can definitely feel the sun's rays are stronger here...but it feels so good. haha. We had breakfast at the house and then got ready to go down to the beach and see the San Pedro ceremony. That was interesting. We also got to see the traditional dance of chile, La cueca. And we walked along the beach, and had ice cream and just wondered. It was so fun! Then we went back and had lunch, Constancia is an amazing cook just like her mum! We had pizza... but it had tomatoes, corn, avocado and something else that reminded me a little bit like garlic. SO good...I've never had pizza like that, but I loved it! Then we just had tea and coffee and sat outside and enjoyed the sun and good conversation. I didn't want to leave, but it was a beautiful drive back home to viña. 

Once we got back, no one was home but Ignacio so we just hung out and talked. Then Gabriel came home and we played jenga and uno. It was so fun...especially learning "game talk" in spanish. My family is so great, I keep telling you guys that but I just can't say enough good things about them. :)

Tomorrow I go back to school...which I am a little excited, but I would much rather be in Algarrobo. :) 

Its midnight here... time for bed!

¡Buenas noches!

Britt