A Much-Needed Free Day

After running around basically non-stop for the past week, everyone fully enjoyed a day to relax and do whatever they wanted! I slept in until about 11, took a shower, and watched some Chilean TV before taking a walk around Viña with Alyssa and Evan to find some authentic Chilean pastries. We were successful in finding two delicious home-made bakeries and enjoyed our breakfast sitting outside on a bench in the sunshine. Have I mentioned how hard this will be to leave?

Sunday morning pastries

After eating, a group of us walked about 16 blocks to the mall in Viña del Mar. It was HUGE and really upscale! Unfortunately, since most of the stores are from the USA, the prices were through the roof. It was still neat to walk around and explore, especially since they had a ZARA which is one of my favorite stores that I never get to. There were also a lot of outdoor vendors which gave us a chance to shop a little less expensively.

Indoor mall in Viña

After returning to the hotel, we quickly got ready and then met as a group to walk to dinner. Jorge and Sarah treated us to the fanciest, tastiest dinner I have ever had at a restaurant called Tierra del Fuego (land of fire). The restaurant was beautiful and had a great view of the sea and the city. One of the main differences in eating habits between Chileans and North Americans is how long the eating process takes. In Chile, it's common to sit around the dinner table for 3-4 hours, which is what we did tonight. I enjoy it so much more- it gives everyone a chance to have long conversations and truly enjoy what is being put in front of you. In general, the lifestyle is so much less rushed. It's something I have definitely come to appreciate!

My delicious wine and dinner- buen provecho!

Tomorrow morning will unfortunately be our last day at la Universidad Técnica Federico Santa Maria. We all will be presenting our company power points to the professors and students so now it's time to make some last minute adjustments and hit the hay.

What a great weekend!