For the first time since being here, we got to go sightseeing today via a bus tour through Vina Del Mar and Valparaiso. I was glad to finally be playing the part of the tourist because we got to see a lot of really beautiful places and the fact that I am in Chile finally sunk in today. Also, the sun had finally come out and it turned out to be a really beautiful day, which made for many great photo ops. There were two places in particular that I really enjoyed visiting. First, we went to the top of the incline in Valparaiso (we got there by bus, not by the incline), At the top, there were a lot of vendors selling jewelry, magnets, hats, and a lot of other souvenirs. Other than the vendors, there was also a magnificent view of the port and all the colorful cargo lined up. I would have never thought that cargo would have made such a beautiful scene. My other favorite stop of the day was a stop along the sea where the rocks jutted out over the water and we got a great view of the ocean. We stopped just as the sun was beginning to set and was reflecting off the water - a glorious scene it was.
Before our bus tour, we had more lectures in the morning. Because of last night's events, we couldn't return to the main Santa Maria campus and instead went to a branch of the university in a different location. Manuel lectured some more, this time on the benefits of doing business in Latin America and Chile in particular. He also spoke about his own business - what his idea was in the first place, how he has implemented his idea, and how it is working out. His business is a machine that sorts grape bunches for packaging, a machine that makes the grape sorting process a lot more efficient. I think that he is a very interesting person and he is, in a way, inspirational in terms of how he is a young entrepreneur going for something about which he is obviously very excited.
We finished the day off with a barbecue at Werner's home. I was really excited for this because a lot of the people with whom we have spoken have told us that the one thing everyone has to try while in Chile is the barbecue. I was also extra excited because I was going on half a ham and cheese sandwich for the entire day and i was ready for some good food. When we first arrived at Werner's home, we were supposed to have a Reggaeton class. The students were there to teach us, but we had a very short lesson because most of us were way too hungry to think about dancing. However, after the first round of choripan - chorizo on a toasted bun - a lot of people got up and started dancing. We were also served meat skewers, which were also very good. All in all, it was a very fun night with lots of dancing, chatting, and hanging out.
Before our bus tour, we had more lectures in the morning. Because of last night's events, we couldn't return to the main Santa Maria campus and instead went to a branch of the university in a different location. Manuel lectured some more, this time on the benefits of doing business in Latin America and Chile in particular. He also spoke about his own business - what his idea was in the first place, how he has implemented his idea, and how it is working out. His business is a machine that sorts grape bunches for packaging, a machine that makes the grape sorting process a lot more efficient. I think that he is a very interesting person and he is, in a way, inspirational in terms of how he is a young entrepreneur going for something about which he is obviously very excited.
We finished the day off with a barbecue at Werner's home. I was really excited for this because a lot of the people with whom we have spoken have told us that the one thing everyone has to try while in Chile is the barbecue. I was also extra excited because I was going on half a ham and cheese sandwich for the entire day and i was ready for some good food. When we first arrived at Werner's home, we were supposed to have a Reggaeton class. The students were there to teach us, but we had a very short lesson because most of us were way too hungry to think about dancing. However, after the first round of choripan - chorizo on a toasted bun - a lot of people got up and started dancing. We were also served meat skewers, which were also very good. All in all, it was a very fun night with lots of dancing, chatting, and hanging out.
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