Uno semana in Santiago!!

Hola!

First week already gone in Santiago!

First sight from the plane - the Andes! If i get clever and work out how to upload the photos then I will!

Second sight - the smog! Apparently it gets worst in the summer months and people can get sore throats just from walking around. You can only really notice it at the moment when you´re up a hill or can see Santiago from a distance.

My host family is a 70 year old lady - typical granny who is very sweet and loves to cook Chilean food. I met the family on the first day (Chileans are very family focused) and everyone gave me some of the local booze!! Pisco sour - delicious!

The rest of the food is nice and erm...slop!!! All home cooked, but for AGES!! So everything is healthy(ish) but fairly mushy.

Tried the following so far:
Empanadas - bit like a pasty with a hard boiled egg and olive inside
Porotas granados - beans and stuff
Corn mush - cooked corn

They love their beans and their bread!

Had one week of Spanish lessons and am still completely useless! One week left and then i´m off to volunteer and "save the world" as Petesie would say!

Spent the weekend in one of the oldest places in Chile - Valpariaso. Resulted in being followed around by stray dogs, stumbling back to the hostel at 3am and having to throw stones at the window to be let in, because the hostel owner was too stoned to hear us ringing the door bell!!

Ahhh, how i´d forgotten the ways of travelling!!

Right, am off for tea and another espanoleglesa conversation with granny!!!

Hasta la vista

xxxx