Valdivia

I have been sitting in bed all day drinking instant espresso (which I prefer to instant coffee) pretending to read 40 pages in Spanish. Nope.

This weekend I went to Valdivia, this city about six hours South of Concepción. By the way, I know how to make accents with my keyboard now. And Google speaks English again. Figuring this shit out. It was a cool place, we arrived at 6am and dropped off our stuff at the hostel before heading down to the fish market. Where there were SEA LIONS. Pretty cool. Had a little breakfast adventure, obtained dinner supplies from the fish market, and set off to check out this island with the ruins of an old Spanish fort... sick.



Afterwards we decided to stop in for a visit at the brewery that produces Chile's artisan beers - Kunstmann. We purchased a couple columns (yes, personal taps, see left) and went to work. A few hours later we returned to the hostel and for cooking, drinking, dinner, and activities. I have nothing to say about this except that I was sleeping by probably 9pm, and in the morning we realized one of our amigos was missing and consequentially in Chilean jail.
Whoops.
Saturday included an epic hike through the country near the coast (incredible views, and killer hills) some random German restaurant, and another midnight bus ride home.

¿Qué?

I have no idea what's going on. Even my cell phone and the internet (apparently) speak Spanish. Difficult.

I arrived in Concepción 10 days ago, met my host family a week ago. The whole "experience" has been totally overwhelming and exhausting, especially the last few days, which I have spent with um, basically the entire family I imagine, since I met like 50 people, at my host parents' country house. This particular weekend was the 18th, Chile's independence day (weekend?), which is celebrated by copious amounts of meat items and traditional dance. Endless empanadas and completos (hot dogs SMOTHERED (I can think of no better word) in mayonnaise, among other condiments).
I also got to drink some exciting things: wine punches, "fancheta" (beer + fanta), and this "juice" that consists of barley (like, the grain) in a cup of the juice from canned peaches. So basically rice in sugar water.
I also spent a good deal of time smoking cigarettes, drinking various pisco concoctions, rapping in English (which my hermana and her boyfriend find amusing), learning various words that mean drunk, listing to reggaeton, and saying "no entiendo". FELIZ 18! VIVA CHILE!

I start classes tomorrow, which is actually kind of exciting because I really want to learn and understand.