Viña del Mar and los temblores!

Jen, Jordan, Matt and I went to the coastal town of Viña del Mar this past weekend. It was about an hour and 45 minutes away by bus. The terrain we drove through was quite beautiful. Rocky, rolling hills and fields of I'm not sure what (including many fields of neat rows of small trees). The views of the city as we approached were really cool -- the coast is quite like parts of California, so there were parts that looked a LOT like images from Hollywood you'd see in the movies.

Once we got there, we walked directly to the beach. Since it was only 10:30, it was still breezy, overcast and not at all looking like a proper beach day. But, we persevered, and waded into the ocean. And then quickly waded right back out again. It was FREEZING.

Then we walked a mile or two north toward some other beaches. On the way there, we (or at least Matt and I, apparently the softies of the group) were nearly given heart attacks. Two small, very cute black dogs, decided that it was a very fun game to run out on the road repeatedly, barking madly at the passing cars and trucks. They would get within about 6 inches of the cars' tires, dodge back, and then attack the next car. It was maddening. But, my guess is the had been playing this game for a while, as they escaped without harm. I'm not so sure about their eventual lifespans, though...

We stopped at a castle-turned-museum called Castillo Wulff. The paintings were all very cool, but the view from the top of the castle, and from a (for those that have... problems with heights) vertigo-inducing-hallway, were exceptional.

We stopped in at a restaurant called Torito Parrilla Cerca de Mar y la Tierra (heck of a name, eh?) for lunch. The waiter was extremely helpful, and made a number of excellent suggestions... We got clam-type things, covered in some kind of cheese, and some kind of shellfish, garnished with mayo and an olive, both as appetizers. Whatever the shellfish was is something that is only in Chile. The entrees were equally delicious.

Anyway, after lunch, we walked to a different beach. Jen and I pretty much laid around, while Jordan and Matt walked around, looking for cute girls.

Also, we experienced our first los temblores! There are two different words for earthquake in Spanish (or at least in Chilean Spanish). Los terremotos is the scary kind, where the earth splits, buildings crumble, bad things happen. Los temblores is the kind that you barely notice. In fact, Jen didn't notice at all, and I wasn't sure -- it seemed like it could have been a large truck driving by our apartment. But I mentioned it to my Spanish teacher that evening, and she confirmed it. Jen was rather disappointed that she didn't notice. I think she was looking forward to making me stand in a doorway...

Jason