First full day...and very busy!

Today was our first full day in Chile and it was extremely busy! We woke up at 7:00 am, got ready, and ate a authentic Chilean breakfast consisting of bread, jelly, fruit, yogurt, and coffee. At 8:30 Javier and Camilo, another Chilean student, met us at the hotel and escorted us to the Universidad Técnica de Federico Santa Maria. The university was absolutely beautiful! It reminded me a lot of Notre Dame. Javier and Camilo gave us a brief history and tour of the Universidad, including some interesting information on traditions at the University; for example, when each student graduates, he/she is thrown into the pool with their graduation clothes on! The views surrounding the college were gorgeous, and it didn't hurt that the weather was about 70 degrees F and sunny. We then attended a lecture by Jamie, one of the best professors at the Universidad who also received his doctorte from Pitt. We learned a lot about the statistics of the school itself. For example, the only fields of study are engineering, business and architecture. Also, this university is one of the best in all of Chile and is extremely completive to be accepted into. There are approximately 6,000 current undergraduate students. Jamie taught us a lot about the economics, industries, and environments of all the Latin American countries. It was a great introduction into our South American travels.

Our view of the ocean from the Universidad!

Following our first lecture, we bought a quick snack at a kiosk outside of the Universidad before the second lecture on the environment and industry of the South American countries. After that, we ate lunch in the cafeteria with all of the Chilean students which was very interesting. Javier then took us to meet Daniela and Valerie, two Chilean students who escorted us on a 4 hour bus/walking tour of Valparaiso. They were great resources for information and taught us so much about their lives in Chile. We saw so many amazing sights! Their English was perfect, which of course was very helpful. 

Pitt Business Students in Valparaiso!

A sea port in Valparaiso

After our tour, we ate one of our best meals of far as a group- EMPANADAS! They were absolutely delicious, and I am sure that we will all be making a return to the same restaurant before the end of the trip. There were many option of what to order and we all enjoyed our time there.

Mi empanada con camarón y queso (shrimp and cheese)! DELICIOSO! 

After our meal came one of the most fun parts of the day- salsa classes! Our instructor didn't speak any English, but thankfully Javier was there to translate. We all did really well and had so much fun! I am excited for our next lesson tomorrow to learn more complicated and intense steps. I am sure that I will be joining the Salsa Club at Pitt next semester, along with a lot of my peers!

We then returned to the hotel and went out with Javier and some of the other students to sing Karaoke. It was a blast! Tomorrow we are waking up extremely early to drive to Santiago. There, we will see the Santiago stock exchange and the rest of the city. The weather is supposed to be great once again. I can't wait to learn more about the industry of Chile and to see more incredible cultural sights. Time for bed now...hasta luego!