Week 5 - Santiago

Monday, July 7

Today, we had class during the morning and sports in the afternoon. Mark assigned a homework for culture class in which students had to prepare a Chilean dish with their families, several students brought samples of their dishes including Lyne, Madalyn and Maddie. One of the favorite dishes was calzoncillos rotos literally ‘ripped underwear’ which is pastry covered in powdered sugar. Students also enjoyed time playing soccer, basketball and enjoying a nice summer day. Several students showed up and a surprised Jordan with their fashion sense.

Five fashion-forward gentlemen #chileanhipster

Playing  'Ninja' during sports

Lyne with calzoncillos rotos

Tuesday, July 8

After classes today, we had choir and dance classes. Juan Carlos taught us a classic song about Valparaíso while Evan and Aaron accompanied him on the cajón peruano and guitar. During dance class, Meena was in the middle of the group playing la torre or ‘the tower’. Mario also taught students several dances from Easter Island while Becky served as his willing participant.

Evan and Juan Carlos getting down on the guitar and cajón peruano

Aaron playing the guitar

Wednesday, July 9

Since the weather was so cold, we ended up cancelling our trip to the botanical gardens. So, we had another movie night. Mark and Jordan brought some snacks and students enjoyed the movie Tarzan. We enjoyed the low-key afternoon activity and students went through several bags of cookies. Before the movie, we all played a rousing game of ‘Honey if you love me’ and Raquel Ramos, one of the ladies who help maintain the church during the week for us, got into it as well.

Thursday, July 10

Today was our service day at Reñaca Alto. Today we planted trees along the street and were able to make it back to the Mapuche community we had helped a few weeks ago. Maggie helped out by picking up all of the trash behind the group while they were planting; Laurissa, Isacc, Jeramy, Savanna, Matthew, Lauren and the others planted trees. On the ride over we took a van selfie and managed to get the whole group (minus the driver).

Van-selfie, Víctor, the driver was busy, otherwise, he would have made it in.

Jordan and Laurissa finishing up planting a tree

Maggie cleaning up behind the group.

Mateo couldn't be happier

Friday, July 11

We are Santiago-bound for our day-long excursion to Chile’s capital. The day started early with the bus ride to Santiago and our first stop, the Museo de la Memoria which chronicles the history of the Pinochet dictatorship and human rights in Chile during the 70s and 80s. The museum guide was excellent and students were able to connect what they learned in culture class to the tour.

Posters from protests against the dictatorship in Chile

After lunch, we went to the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art with our tour guide, Vania. We had two museum tour guides. Vania then took students on a walking tour of the city which included La Moneda, the presidential residence, and the Catedral Metropolitana.

 

Despite being under construction we were able to enter the Catedral Metropolitana in Santiago

We ended our trip to Santiago in Cerro San Cristóbal. Some of the highlights of the trip was the statue of the Virgin Mary at the top and, to get to the top of the hill, we went up in a funicular. Students were able to take pictures and buy souvenirs. We were pretty worn out after the long day but it was great to spend a day getting to know Chile’s capital city.

 

Santiago de Chile - Riding the funicular up Cerro San Cristobal

Funicular portraits

Saturday, July 12

This was our last community service day in Reñaca Alto. The community had organized an event to pick up trash in the grounds of a park that they are clearing for a city park. Chris found one of the biggest catches of the day while many of the other students helped put up signs after the trash pick-up.

Eliana, one of the event organizers, explaining the history of the park

Savanna, Meena, Lauren and Maggie taking a break

When the clean-up event was over, many of the students climbed up the hill to take pictures of the epic views from the hill and see an abandoned quartz mine at the top.

Evan giving Theresa a hand up the hill

Mateo contemplating the vista