ViVa

This past weekend was definitely one to remember!  On Friday, I spent time with Kris, Peyton and Rachael.  We watched Kris get his ear pierced, got some delicious ice cream, and later went to youth group for the first time.  It was a really nice evening at the church.

On Saturday I got up very early for a long, tiring day of adventure.  I fried an egg, and ate yogurt and banana for breakfast, and I packed two ham and cheese sandwiches, a banana, an apple, granola, and two water bottles.  My friends Sage and Nerea and I took the metro 30 minutes north to Limache and then took a bus another twenty minutes to a town called Olmue, where we entered La Campana National Park.  We got there at 11AM and didn't leave til 7 in the evening. 

We hiked up the mountain, taking breaks for water, snacks, and breath.  Around 2 in the afternoon, we reached the 5km mark and got to dig into our lunches.  We continued up another half kilometer to "La Placa de Darwin," where Charles Darwin did some of his theorizing about evolution, many years ago.  Unfortunately, we weren't able to climb to the top because we had gotten to the park too late, but we plan to go back because the view from the top is supposed to be incredible. 

Mountain tops peeking up through the clouds

On the walk down, Sage almost stepped right onto this creeper.  These spiders are harmless, though they look otherwise.  I was really creeped out, but I thought it was pretty cool, too.  I've only seen creatures like this before on National Geographic! (Tony, don't watch this video!!!)

I don't think I've ever done something so physically strenuous before!  The hike up was really hard; my heart was pounding, my legs were screaming, my lungs were struggling.  But even when we meandered down the mountain, the pressure on my knees was hard to bear!  I loved our day at the mountain, but I was so happy when I got to sit back down on the metro.

When I got home, I had a sushi and wine party waiting for me.  It was my mama's nephew's birthday, but after a bit of celebration, I was ready to snooze.  It was such an exhausting day.

Sunday was the festival called Mil Tambores (1000 drums) in Valpo.  People go and paint their bodies (some were completely nude, but I stuck with just painting my face).  All the colors of the people and the parade made the bright, sunny Sunday even more beautiful.  It was a great day to celebrate with friends and enjoy the culture of this country, though all the walking the day after my hike did me in a little bit!

Chilena women wearing brightly colored skirts dance in the parade

Friends!  Rachael, Brandon, myself, and Kris