Back so soon, how unlike me! I just couldn't wait to show you my pictures of Valpo/Viña! (they aren't that cool, dont get too excited...So, friday rolls around, we are supposed to leave at 9 30 am, i wake up at my house around 9 05: MIERDA. Takes at least 40 minutes to get there by the metro. Long story short, I make it, and I'm not even the last person there. That's south america for you. hahaha or more like that's young people who were partying all night before for you..heheh. We drive about 2.5 hours to la isla negra: la casa de Pablo Neruda!! I hope you are all familiar with at least a few of Pablo Neruda's poems, and if not, GET ON IT. They are absolutely beautiful and way better in spanish, I must say. Spanish, a romance language, rolls off the tongue sounds great. Me and my host dad were having a convo the other day about how when I returned from the DR I always thought people were being so rude, but really they were just asking me to "pass the juice" but "pasame el jugo" just sounds so much less harsh to the ear. Claudio (mi padre) has the most calming voice ever, he talks really slow and quiet, so you would think that it would be easy to understand him right? Noooo. We just crack up with each other instead.
Anyways PABLO NERUDA: one of the most influencial poets in any language of the 20th century, had 3 wives, has no heirs his only child died at the age of 8, was a big Allende supporter and in fact was nominated for president the same year, but he vouched for Allende. Traveled to every contienent except Africa. Only wrote poetry with green ink because that is the color of hope, apparently. He had 3 houses in Chile: one is in Santiago (no i have not visited, but I plan to soon), the other in Valparaíso (we didn't go..) and then Isla Negra, where he lived most of the time. It is perched on a cliff overlooking the ocean: huge cerulean waves crashing into black rocks:
How much more poetic can you get? I will tell you. His house is modeled to look like a ship. Neruda loved to collect stuff. Just a few of his collections: Those wooden figures on the bows of ships, no joke he has at least 15 just chillin in his house, no pictures were allowed inside..., the glass supporters that go under piano legs, tiny instruments, big awesome instruments, cool stones, beautiful glass bottles, had an ENTIRE room of absolutely astounding shells, and A NARWHAL HORN what is going on!? Anyways, it was probably the coolest house I have ever seen, and so completely the house of a poet, it was kind of hilarious. Collection of cool bottles with hands, and illegally taken picture of the living room, do you see the carved figures?
Next, we went to Valparaíso, which is a city built on hills, all these brightly colored houses all crammed next to each other. I guess the bright colors started when the fisherman used the same paint of their boats to paint their house, that way when they were fishing out in the bay they could point at their house! So cute. Great bohemian vibe, awesome graffiti everywhere, basically murals, so artsy. This girl with a gorgeous voice sang and played the accordion for us, Pascuala Ilibaca, look her up now, she's pretty big in the music scene here. I want to be her:
That night, huge delicious dinner, our director, Patricio is hilarious and gave us a big speech about not abusing alcohol at the start of the trip and at dinner, well, already it is standard to recieve a pisco sour before any food--super strong drink, since your stomach is empty it livens you up--then there is always at least two botellas of wine with dinner, and THEN patricio gives out free drink tickets! Nice one, patricio. Then after yummy food, it's time to dance it off with salsa lessons from a crazy cuban who hopped up on the bar to show us the steps!
Next day, great bike tour along the city, walked a ways got to see more beautiful art, and then a ride along the ocean. ME ENCANTA EL MAR. I wish I was a mermaid.
Theeeen we went to a Viña (vineyard) and a sanctuary/shrine on Sunday. Wine tasting yuum. Then some spiritual pondering. LAS FOTOS:
Valpo and the cute houses (there are cuter)
Need I explain this?
A pretty mural (they were everywhere inside the shrine), it was the shrine of the patron saint of chile María Teresa (i think..) It was nestled in this valley with all the mountains surrounding it. Very peaceful.
The beautiful vineyard with delicious wine: we tried, blanco, tinto y postre (dessert, it tasted like apricots mmm)
Kali, I wish i were you! Muchas spass(that's German for fun-but it should be the weird looking double s)
ReplyDeletehey kali it has been ages. life flies by when your busy i suppose or maybe life just flies on by and all you can do is hold on for dear life. It sounds like you have been having an astonishing adventure! That poets house looks legit ill have to chech out the poetry that stemmed from there when i got some time. well i hope that you keep the good times rolling and i also hope that one day we might be in the same square mile for a moment and can catch up for a second. cherio.
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