Chile: Las Dunas

So I'm just about at the 6-week mark for my study abroad experience here in Chile. Time here is so strange. It feels like only days have gone by since that whirlwind first day but at the same time it feels like years. 

Now the Patagonia trip feels like a weird dream and I've been getting back into the routine slowly but surely. All of a sudden I have a lot of homework and projects to do. Given that all my classes are pass/fail, it's safe to say I'm not the least bit motivated to do any of it. Problecito!

Despite that, I still managed to procrastinate even more this past weekend by  spending Friday wandering around Valpo and taking a day trip to Con-Con on Saturday. Con-con is a little city just north of Vina and it's famous for its immense dunes. Standing in the midst of these sweeping sandy giants, you could practically be in the desert. Luckily, most of the muscle pain from the Torres trek had worn off so we were able to hike up the dunes and then up the rocks below on the shore.

Las Dunas

Vina del Mar and Valpo in the distance

We made some friends with the stray dogs on the dunes

Shoes + sand...bad idea

These rocks were no joke, though. They were pretty huge and jagged. Someone made the very true observation that in the States these death traps would be taped off without question.

Not so in Chile!

We took advantage of this and started scrambling all over the slick boulders and finding our way around the little caves and tide pools until we made our way to the top. For some reason I decided to do this barefoot so I was genuinely concerned for my life once or twice during this impromptu adventure. But my friend had an even bigger death wish, insisting on clearing yard-long jumps that dropped at least 20 or 30 feet onto the unwelcoming rocks below. Sadly, I couldn't make it to the top since I couldn't bring myself to jump over the last, particularly dangerous, gap between the rocks. I kept envisioning myself falling and getting squashed below a la Piggy in Lord of the Flies and that all the convincing I needed to stay where I was.  Needless to say, we were putting on quite a show for the many entertained Chileans by the shore

Peligroso

Scaling the cliff

It went on forever

Afterward, we rewarded ourselves with some empanadas at tiny place fringed with straw by the beach. Con-con is called the gastronomical capital of Chile and after eating these empanadas it was easy to understand why. 

Empanada con choclo y...otras cosas

Quiet day selling some antiques by the shore

Tourist season is pretty much done here, but on Saturday the weather was glorious and the streets were pleasantly empty and quiet. The rocky beaches were filled with giant pelicans and seagulls and sea lions were swimming not too far off. We had a peaceful stroll along the shore before heading back to Vina for some ice cream (of course). Although I got a little sick at the end of the weekend, it was nice to have a bit of a breather after Patagonia and see what the area has to offer. So far, around here the opportunities to explore seem endless. 

Like I said,  I can't believe it's practically mid-April. Soon everyone at App will be getting ready to go home and shortly after so will I. In only two months, I'm sad to realize, I'll be back home in the states. 

But we're all making the most of our time here, and we've got a trip planned to La Serena and Valle del Elqui next weekend. It has some of the best star-gazing in the world and the valley is said to be the western hemisphere's equivalent of the eastern spiritual capital of Tibet. The adventure continues!