After a week of classes and studying for my first two tests, we decided (very spontaneously) to take a trip to Chile! The bus ride was an experience in itself. About 30 minutes outside of Mendoza, our bus stopped on the side of the road, apparently broken, and stayed there for about two hours. We bonded with a very kind elderly woman, Rosa, who has split her life between Chile and Argentina, and travels between the two frequently. We also met an Australian couple that plans to backpack the entire Pacific coast - Chile to Canada! Anyway, a new bus arrived, and in my efforts to be a good person and help Rosa with her bags, I forgot my folder containing my return bus ticket and reading assignments on the broken bus. Whoops! Commence treacherous six-hour bus ride through the mountains...
Thursday night: Arrival in Viña del Mar.
We hit up the ATM (500 pesos to one US dollar!), checked out our hostel, and made the economical decision to stay in and cook. Of course, I met a stray kitten at the hostel.
Friday: Viña del Mar is known for its beautiful beaches, so naturally, we had to check them out.
We proceeded to wander around the city for the rest of the day.
Here is a typical street - very steep!!
And some Chilean graffiti!
Saturday: There was a restaurant in Con-Con that we heard has amazing seafood. To get to Con-Con, you must take a bus, but the public transportation system in Chile is rather weird. We were instructed to stand at a corner and wait for any bus that read "Con-Con." We ended up waiting for approximately 10 seconds before a bus appeared. Upon arrival at Con-Con, we gave up trying to find the restaurant and went to a different one that a kiosk-worker had recommended. It turned out to be FANTASTIC. It was the best restaurant I have been to on this continent - Perla del Pacifico. We needed a lot of help with the menu, considering the fact that none of has a particularly advanced Spanish seafood vocabulary. I had something called reineta - a type of delicious fish.
After some time on the beach, we decided to take another bus to Valparaíso. We didn't arrive there until evening, but we took an acensor to the top of a hill and witnessed an incredible view.
Now, I don't want to slander Valaparaíso, but the experience we had - granted, it was evening - was what I would describe to be shady. There was a guy who asked us for money, which is to be expected, but it was in a rather creepy way. There were stores full slot machines and some questionable looking people. There were ladies of the night. In hindsight, we really should have gone during the day. Needless to say, we hastily bought some pastries from various bakeries and left Valpo in a hurry. The bus we took back to Viña del Mar was perhaps the most dangerous (and most fun) bus ride I have ever been on because the driver was experiencing severe road rage.
Sunday: We woke up early, grabbed a taxi, and headed to the bus station. So, I hand my ticket and passport to the bus driver, he looks at me for a second, then tells me to "Espera" - "Wait." At this point, it was really time to go, and I was completely worried that he was going to make me jump through some sort of hoop to get on that bus. But no! Instead, the driver returned carrying MY FOLDER! I couldn't believe it. I left my folder on a broken bus in Argentina, and there it was - on a fixed bus in Chile. My luck surprises me!
We hit up the ATM (500 pesos to one US dollar!), checked out our hostel, and made the economical decision to stay in and cook. Of course, I met a stray kitten at the hostel. 
We proceeded to wander around the city for the rest of the day.
After some time on the beach, we decided to take another bus to Valparaíso. We didn't arrive there until evening, but we took an acensor to the top of a hill and witnessed an incredible view. 
Now, I don't want to slander Valaparaíso, but the experience we had - granted, it was evening - was what I would describe to be shady. There was a guy who asked us for money, which is to be expected, but it was in a rather creepy way. There were stores full slot machines and some questionable looking people. There were ladies of the night. In hindsight, we really should have gone during the day. Needless to say, we hastily bought some pastries from various bakeries and left Valpo in a hurry. The bus we took back to Viña del Mar was perhaps the most dangerous (and most fun) bus ride I have ever been on because the driver was experiencing severe road rage. 
So, we decided to bike up to Cuchi Corral a "vast natural balcony with views over the Río Pinto valley¨, and also (fun fact) the destination for an international paragliding competition, according to my guidebook. I learned many lessons on this biking excursion including 1) "mountain biking" through actual mountains and "owning a mountain bike" in the Midwest are very different things, 2) always ask for a bike with shock absorbers, 3) 7 km uphill will take you longer than you think. 
