Classes on the Weekend.

So today, being Saturday, was interesting because I had class! Not a normal thing here that is for sure, but we did it so we could have a good time to go to the Elqui Valley when it isn't cloudy. So, sometime next week I will have two days off!

Today was something to blog about. I had a really good day aside from being sick.

We had plans to go to a nearby city to see a ceremony for a national holiday. On our way we got to stop and lunch at a traditional chilean restaurant, which has been my FAVORITE place thus far. IT WAS SOOOOO AMAZING! We ate some empanadas de pinos, the best empanada I have had, which makes the place across from my apartment taste terrible. For our second course we had a soup that was like beef stew. It had big chucks of beef, corn on the cob (of course, I took mine off the cob), potatoes, pumpkin, rice, carrots, and much more. If it didn't cost so much to get there, I would go there everyday for lunch.


PICTURES OF THIS FOR SURE COMING SOON!


Also, as a part of this restaurant there was a zoo sort of thing. Funniest/Scariest part of my day, when I almost got killed by a Puma. I was taking pictures of it, and it was just laying around when all of the sudden, it literally jumped from one side of the pen, onto the FENCE where I was standing. I pretty much screamed. But, it was so precious and ferocious. It wanted to be petted, which I thought was mega strange. The boys fell for its cuteness and started petting it through the fence. The puma eventually laid down and started purring and making noises of enjoyment. The coolest thing I have seen so far.

After lunch we packed up the bus and headed about 40 miles up into the mountains to a city called, Andacollo. This city is primarily a mining town and it was really neat to see holes in the side of the mountains as we went up it.

Anywho, we went there because today is a National Holiday in Chile. Andacollo literally means shrine and today we saw a ceremony for giving thanks to Mary and other saints of the city. They had traditional people performing dances and playing traditional instruments all for Mary.

It was a pretty neat experience.

Love you all. Missing you daily.