Thursday, June 28, 2012
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Uruguay
Today was our flight from Santiago, Chile, to Montevideo, Uruguay. Another trip over the Andes Mountains, and I'm STILL IMPRESSED. Understatement of the year. They're fantastic. Unlike the smelly man I had the pleasure of sitting next to...
ANYWAYS. Two hours and a short bus ride later, we arrived at our hostel, Che Lagarto. It was a beautiful building in la Plaza Independencia, that was a few blocks from the water. The historical building however, did not have heat. Yes, that is a problem in June... it's winter here. Very much worth the cold. So beautiful and our room overlooked the plaza.
Once we were settled in, we ventured around and went out as a group for dinner. We had 7 different kinds of pizza (that you buy by the meter) and shared it all. We also had fantastic dessert.
Photos ----> June 23
ANYWAYS. Two hours and a short bus ride later, we arrived at our hostel, Che Lagarto. It was a beautiful building in la Plaza Independencia, that was a few blocks from the water. The historical building however, did not have heat. Yes, that is a problem in June... it's winter here. Very much worth the cold. So beautiful and our room overlooked the plaza.
Once we were settled in, we ventured around and went out as a group for dinner. We had 7 different kinds of pizza (that you buy by the meter) and shared it all. We also had fantastic dessert.
Photos ----> June 23
chilly in Chile
Today we toured the financial district, saw the Catholic University there, and visited the artisan market close to our hostel.
After talking to a few of the artisans at the market, I discovered that many of these people collect a variety of goods from friends and neighbors and then sell them in these booths. Other booths were couples or families that have done these trades for many years. Some worked with leather, others with a variety of fabrics, many who designed jewelery. Very interesting stuff (for fairly cheap too!)
The financial district was a bit of a hike, but the university we visited was very interesting. This particular one was only for lawyers and doctors, each with their own library. After Anna talked our way into the building, we had the opportunity to look at the recently renovated medical library.
The most interesting part of this library was the 3 story atrium (you can see it in my photos). Students sit at each level and can see all the way to the basement. This space allowed so much light to flow into all these areas. The basement held an immense table. It was so long that students frequently use it as a stage (makes it hard to study I presume...). It also held a tree. Definitely a precedence for some of my projects in the future!
Photos ----> June 22
After talking to a few of the artisans at the market, I discovered that many of these people collect a variety of goods from friends and neighbors and then sell them in these booths. Other booths were couples or families that have done these trades for many years. Some worked with leather, others with a variety of fabrics, many who designed jewelery. Very interesting stuff (for fairly cheap too!)
The financial district was a bit of a hike, but the university we visited was very interesting. This particular one was only for lawyers and doctors, each with their own library. After Anna talked our way into the building, we had the opportunity to look at the recently renovated medical library.
The most interesting part of this library was the 3 story atrium (you can see it in my photos). Students sit at each level and can see all the way to the basement. This space allowed so much light to flow into all these areas. The basement held an immense table. It was so long that students frequently use it as a stage (makes it hard to study I presume...). It also held a tree. Definitely a precedence for some of my projects in the future!
Photos ----> June 22
chilly in Chile
No class until one! YAY Study Abroad! Still plenty of time to be a tourisimo!
Group of us ventured up to the highest point in Santiago! Sketchy trolley took us up there... being afraid of heights made it so much more fun! :-S
Once we made it and I unclenched my hands from everyone around me, the views were breathtaking! The skyline of the city, the awful new skyscraper that hovers above them all, the pocket of smog that hovers above that, and the Andes Mountains as a backdrop. OK, so these things were breathtaking for different reasons...
Skyline above the city- very interesting to compare this skyline to all the others I've seen. Seemed like a smaller scale of buildings, but I was also pretty high up in the air.
Awful new skyscraper- I need to do a little more research as to who did it and why, but rumor has it that this is supposed to be taller than the one in Dubai. While modern technology intrigues me, and allows us to do "great" things, is it really necessary? Kind of an eyesore if you ask me. I'm not impressed with how big it is...
Pocket of smog- oh my gosh this was insane. I could see it a bit from the ground, but it was clear as a Deeg diagram, the way it laid over the city. It blows my mind that as human beings, we can see oh so clearly that we're ruining what's around us, and continue to do nothing about it! We are so stubborn and stuck in the idea of what is easiest and refuse to do anything! I'm guilty of it too, but WOW, this really put it into perspective for me. Especially as it competed with the Andes...
Andes Mountains- Oh how I love thee. SO BEAUTIFUL. The city, the tower, the smog.... it all meant nothing when you looked at how the mountains just CONQUERED. It was like the city was trying to compete, or even become a part of the Mountains. The mountains refused. Too awesome on their own. All the things we make as man, just can't compete with the natural beauty around us. We can try, but 112% of the time, we lose.
Photos:
June 21
Group of us ventured up to the highest point in Santiago! Sketchy trolley took us up there... being afraid of heights made it so much more fun! :-S
Once we made it and I unclenched my hands from everyone around me, the views were breathtaking! The skyline of the city, the awful new skyscraper that hovers above them all, the pocket of smog that hovers above that, and the Andes Mountains as a backdrop. OK, so these things were breathtaking for different reasons...
Skyline above the city- very interesting to compare this skyline to all the others I've seen. Seemed like a smaller scale of buildings, but I was also pretty high up in the air.
Awful new skyscraper- I need to do a little more research as to who did it and why, but rumor has it that this is supposed to be taller than the one in Dubai. While modern technology intrigues me, and allows us to do "great" things, is it really necessary? Kind of an eyesore if you ask me. I'm not impressed with how big it is...
Pocket of smog- oh my gosh this was insane. I could see it a bit from the ground, but it was clear as a Deeg diagram, the way it laid over the city. It blows my mind that as human beings, we can see oh so clearly that we're ruining what's around us, and continue to do nothing about it! We are so stubborn and stuck in the idea of what is easiest and refuse to do anything! I'm guilty of it too, but WOW, this really put it into perspective for me. Especially as it competed with the Andes...
Andes Mountains- Oh how I love thee. SO BEAUTIFUL. The city, the tower, the smog.... it all meant nothing when you looked at how the mountains just CONQUERED. It was like the city was trying to compete, or even become a part of the Mountains. The mountains refused. Too awesome on their own. All the things we make as man, just can't compete with the natural beauty around us. We can try, but 112% of the time, we lose.
Photos:
June 21
Saturday, June 23, 2012
chilly in Chile
No class until one! YAY Study Abroad! Still plenty of time to be a tourisimo!
Group of us ventured up to the highest point in Santiago! Sketchy trolley took us up there... being afraid of heights made it so much more fun! :-S
Once we made it and I unclenched my hands from everyone around me, the views were breathtaking! The skyline of the city, the awful new skyscraper that hovers above them all, the pocket of smog that hovers above that, and the Andes Mountains as a backdrop. OK, so these things were breathtaking for different reasons...
Skyline above the city- very interesting to compare this skyline to all the others I've seen. Seemed like a smaller scale of buildings, but I was also pretty high up in the air.
Awful new skyscraper- I need to do a little more research as to who did it and why, but rumor has it that this is supposed to be taller than the one in Dubai. While modern technology intrigues me, and allows us to do "great" things, is it really necessary? Kind of an eyesore if you ask me. I'm not impressed with how big it is...
Pocket of smog- oh my gosh this was insane. I could see it a bit from the ground, but it was clear as a Deeg diagram, the way it laid over the city. It blows my mind that as human beings, we can see oh so clearly that we're ruining what's around us, and continue to do nothing about it! We are so stubborn and stuck in the idea of what is easiest and refuse to do anything! I'm guilty of it too, but WOW, this really put it into perspective for me. Especially as it competed with the Andes...
Andes Mountains- Oh how I love thee. SO BEAUTIFUL. The city, the tower, the smog.... it all meant nothing when you looked at how the mountains just CONQUERED. It was like the city was trying to compete, or even become a part of the Mountains. The mountains refused. Too awesome on their own. All the things we make as man, just can't compete with the natural beauty around us. We can try, but 112% of the time, we lose.
Photos:
June 21
Group of us ventured up to the highest point in Santiago! Sketchy trolley took us up there... being afraid of heights made it so much more fun! :-S
Once we made it and I unclenched my hands from everyone around me, the views were breathtaking! The skyline of the city, the awful new skyscraper that hovers above them all, the pocket of smog that hovers above that, and the Andes Mountains as a backdrop. OK, so these things were breathtaking for different reasons...
Skyline above the city- very interesting to compare this skyline to all the others I've seen. Seemed like a smaller scale of buildings, but I was also pretty high up in the air.
Awful new skyscraper- I need to do a little more research as to who did it and why, but rumor has it that this is supposed to be taller than the one in Dubai. While modern technology intrigues me, and allows us to do "great" things, is it really necessary? Kind of an eyesore if you ask me. I'm not impressed with how big it is...
Pocket of smog- oh my gosh this was insane. I could see it a bit from the ground, but it was clear as a Deeg diagram, the way it laid over the city. It blows my mind that as human beings, we can see oh so clearly that we're ruining what's around us, and continue to do nothing about it! We are so stubborn and stuck in the idea of what is easiest and refuse to do anything! I'm guilty of it too, but WOW, this really put it into perspective for me. Especially as it competed with the Andes...
Andes Mountains- Oh how I love thee. SO BEAUTIFUL. The city, the tower, the smog.... it all meant nothing when you looked at how the mountains just CONQUERED. It was like the city was trying to compete, or even become a part of the Mountains. The mountains refused. Too awesome on their own. All the things we make as man, just can't compete with the natural beauty around us. We can try, but 112% of the time, we lose.
Photos:
June 21
chilly in Chile
Early morning today. We were tourists. Tourists in the fact that we were awake and involved in society before noon. The culture here is very different. Nothing is open until later in the after noon and very late into the evening. College town, anyone?
Our venture today took us about one hour. We viewed la Isla Negra, the town and the house of Pablo Neruda. Absolutely stunning house on the Pacific Coast. Definitely an inspiration for a house in my future! The way he captured views of the ocean and made every room in the house have a story was moving. Ready to make some big bucks as an architect and build one of my own! ;)
Today we also ventured to Valparaiso, a city on a hill. Literally. Houses were stacked on top of one another all the way up the hill. It was very interesting. Get to know your neighbors really well. Not sure how they address things...
Photos:
June 20
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