Saturday, July 28, 2007

Saturday July 28, 2007

Saturday we played hard core tourist. Mom- you’d be proud of me. I’m the only one who brought my tour guide book (I ripped out the pages for Valparaiso from the huge South America book), so I basically guided everyone around. First we went to La Sebastiana, another of Pablo Neruda’s 3 homes. It was incredible, inside and out, including the view of Valpariaso. Courtney, who is an Art, Spanish, Biology triple major (no wonder we get along well right?), took our time and read almost everything. The rest of them rushed through then waited for us. I now appreciate all my childhood experiences of going through museums painfully slow. We then headed down the hill towards El Aire Libre Museo, or Open Air Museum. This is a “museum” or collection of 20 huge murals of well respect Chilean artists painted on buildings and retaining walls spread through about 5 blocks. We enjoyed finding the different murals than trying to understand what they meant. Next time I go to Valpo I hope to return and find the paintings we missed. Once we reached the bottom of the hill, near the ocean, we walked towards down town Valpo. We took Ancensor Concepción (for about $.40) up to the top of Cerro Concepción. We ate at an adorable, tiny, artistic, Valpo style restaurant called Color Café. The walls and ceiling were covered with random posters, artwork, photos, everything. Courtney drew an amazing sketch of the hilly streets of Valpo with a group of gringos shouting “Gracias!” When we were about to leave, the waiter gave her tape to hang it up. We than snaked our way around Cerro Concepción and over to Cerro Alegré. I took tons of pictures because around every corner was a new view, a new graffiti, a new unique, wonderful sight. Valpo is a so full of life, beauty, grim, hills, everything.

I think the best way to describe Valparaiso is to mix the geography and look San Francisco with the unique, strange beauty of New Orleans’s French Quarter, fill it 3/4 with Chileans and 1/4 with European tourists and more bakeries and street vendors than you could imagine.After winding our way down Cerro Alegré (it’s rumored Charles Darwin said that the best day of his life was when he climbed Cerro Alegré), we walked around the Plaza Justicia (Justice Plaza) and Plaza Sotomayer, both full of important historic buildings and memorials. Then we check out the wharf, walked back up the hill to the hostel, and head to the bus station. We left Valparaiso around 5:30 and I slept on the way back.

Back in Santiago, I headed home, cleaned up a bit, and took the metro to Calli’s house. Her host family was celebrating her 10 year old cousin Mateus’s birthday and her mom was throwing the party in their apartment. Calli’s mom invited me to come since I’ve hung out with their family a lot now and she knows that I only have Olga at home. Anyway, this birthday party was definitely a new experience for me. When I got to the apartment, Calli was out buying tequila (you’ll see why soon) with her “cousin”/Chilean pololo Alejandro. So I walk in the apartment stuffed with aunts, uncles, cousins, grandkids, great grandkids, everyone. Calli’s mom quickly introduced me to everyone and I did my best to remember everyone’s names and who belonged to whom. Calli eventually came back and we did our best to keep up with the bustling conversations and laughter. Around 9:30 pm food started circling around the room and at 10:30 we each got a plate of home made Japanese food. (Did I mention last week that Calli’s mom is an amazing cook?) After food, Mateus opened his gifts and we sang happy birthday. I assumed that after presents and singing, there would be cake than everyone would head home. It was about 11:30 and I figured all the little kids running around would be hustled home to go to bed. But instead of cake, a plate of lemons, a bowl of salt, and the bottle of tequila, and four shot glasses were placed on the table. The family than starting taking turns taking shots of tequila until the whole bottle was finished! They enjoyed making the gringas take a few shots and after my third, I pulled myself out! Interestingly, none of the dads had any. It was only the moms (they are all sisters) and the college kids. Needless to say, I told them “En mi familia, los cumpleaños no son como esto!” or, “In my family, birthday parties aren’t like this!” After they emptied the bottle of tequila, the cake was cut and pisco sours passed around for the adults. Welcome to family gatherings in Chile!

At 12:30, the college kids and the youngest, still single aunt, met up with some friends (3 more Chileans and Nicole and Samantha) at a discotheque called Punta Brown. It was a really cool club with a comedy/Irish pub type bar upstairs and a crazy dance floor below. They played great music, including Reggaeton, Rock, and random US songs (Grease lightening, RESPECT, I Will Survive…) We danced the night away until 4:30 in the morning and then I shared a cab with Calli, Alejandro and the drunk, single aunt back to my apartment. Olga woke up when I came in and when I apologized for being so late, she chuckled and said “I’m not worried, you know best!”