Ex-Carcel

Last week I explored the Ex-carcel in Valparaíso. Its an old jail that amazingly just closed down in 1999 and has been "renovated" into a cultural center and park. Basically is is covered in tons of grafitti. It's really quite intriguing. Here is what the entrance looks like:

Various classes and workshops are offered in rooms that they've made out of ex-cells, I'm assuming, and most are based in the arts. They also offer various theater performances. While we were walking around there was a drum circle practicing which added a certain intensity to the experience. You can see them practicing on the right side of the picture. Erin is enthused...

Once you walk farther in, its quite maze-like, but there is one big open area that I'm assuming was the "recreational area" for the inmates and it now serves as canvas for various artists. I think it would make a nice area for frisbee...

Here are some of the interesting pictures covering the walls of this old, creepy prison:

"Preso de mi mismo" - "Prisoner of myself"

Ben enters the circo...

And is eaten on the other side...

Although it doesn't show up well here, this is my favorite...

This artist does lots of work throughout Viña...

Well...hope you enjoyed...un besito!

Valparaíso, mi amor

I think this picture of the gatito (kitty) represents Valparaíso best. Although this porch is old and a bit dirty, its painted in funky, bright pink and green so you don't notice it, and the cat, like all good Valparaísanos is clearly not worried about anything other enjoying the last rays of summer sunshine.

Valparaíso is simply unlike any other place I've seen before. It is such a mix of contradictions. It is really dirty and old and downright ugly in many areas of town while at the same time extremely funky, artsy and beautiful because of the wonderful rainbow of colors they use to decorate their houses, restaurants and really any surface available. Here are some good examples of the random surfaces that people have decorated with plain art along with strong political images.

Above is really typical of many areas of town where people, mainly students, have beautified their city. Below are some classic examples of stencil graffiti that often has political themes, in this case, someone has adequately summed up Chileans wacky style by stating something that I think most Americans would have to disagree with: "Grunge is not dead."

Its extremely difficult to explain how Valparaiso is set up because it is set on the cost and then slowly moves its way up into the cerros (hills) behind it. Each cerro has a different name and makes up a different "neighborhood" that has a distinct feeling to it. Below you can see how the lower part of the city is by the beach, very much like any other city layout.

Here you can see how the rest of the city slowly goes up and is just a mass of houses and then some little businesses, cafés and restaurants. Its really packed full of houses and I really have no idea how they go about putting some of these houses in because a lot of them are down in valley areas and the ones above have the back part of their house on stilts!
Here is one of the main streets on Cerro Alegre, one of the well known hills for its artsy atomsphere and full cafés.
Like everything else, they are really creative with decorating the outside and inside of their stores and homes. I loved the door on this resto.


I have a grammar teacher who lives in Cerro Alegre and he recommended a café that I should go to in the neighborhood because I was complaining about the lack of good cafés in Viña. Café del Jardin was possibly the cutest café I've ever been in, in my life. It was really love at first sight. The owner is Brazilian and also serves you, cooks your food and gave us a map of the cerros so we could find our way. What really cemented my love of this adorable café was not the delicious coffee and adorable little dishes that she brought out our breakfast meal call appropriately "El Turista" (fresh bread with jam and butter, coffee and cafe with chocolate sauce...yummm), but sitting on the table next to my comfy pink striped sofa was a copy of Chocolat, my favorite book! I really think that me and this lady are kindred spirits...jaja...note the joy on my face. Ah, coffee makes me happy!
Finally, here is a picture of the house the fits in so well in Valparaíso. Called La Sebastiana, it was the home to the late Pablo Neruda, a famous Chilean poet and activist. He is one of only a couple Chileans to receive the Noble Price for his poetry. He was also exiled for a period of time for being part of the Communist Party and had to flee to Europe. It has about four stories with a great view and all kinds of neat collectables that decorate it beautifully and very appropriately, it has a large mural painted on the side of it.
I think the most wonderful part of Valparaíso though has to be the amazing views! They are absolutely breath-taking!

¡Ciao, Ciao!

La Semana Santa

Most of my Holy Week was spent at this table!

And with these people!

Sí, sí...starting on Good Friday, which is a national holiday in Chile, as pretty much everyone is Catholic, I spent lots of time in this house which belongs to Miguel, the cuñado (brother-in-law) of Freddy, my host father. He is standing next to my host mom, Rossy, who is dressed red. Seated next to her is Freddy's sister-in-law and then across from her in the sofa is Freddy's father and next to him, standing is his sister-in-law, and next to her in the black in his brother, and there are others who weren't present for the picture. Don't ask me their names, I'm just happy I can tell you their relation to Freddy.

Starting Thursday afternoon, almost everyone in Chile begins their vacation time for Semana Santa. I did not attend anything that day, but had the afternoon off of classes and heard music from the high school down the street while they had a procession before a service.

However, Friday is the big day here. Everyone was out and about and enjoying the day off and instead of suffering from fasting, we went to Miguel's house, who used to own a restaurant in Reñaca, the town just north of Viña, and we had a huge lunch (I did refrain from breakfast, though!). On the way to Miguel's we listened to classical music which I was told is the typical playlist of many stations during Good Friday. We drove about 20 minutes into the cerros (hills) east of Viña which are covered in houses. The cerros typically tend to be where the poorer population live. Here's a descent picture of what the suburbios are like in the cerros.

Miguel is a great cook and had all three day's menus planned out perfectly. Friday we had an entrada of cold marisco (seafood) soup topped with onions and parsley followed by a hot marisco soup and of course we had bread and wine with it. Saturday consisted of a warm cream broth soup with scallops followed by fried fish and all kinds of salads, potatoe, tomatoe, onions, lettuce....etc. and Sunday was salad with half a tomatoe with scallops on top and mayonaise followed by paella, a typical Spanish dish that has yellow rice and tons of seafood and they also put sausage and pork, and after every meal we had ice cream and coffee or tea. Everything was exquisito!

All in all it was great fun to see inside another family's house - I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the picture of Ché Guevara hanging on the wall as though they knew him personally, and the naked woman photograph that was randomly in the dining room - and getting to hang out with Freddy's family who was really boisterous and liked to crack jokes. I was a little nervous the first day when we walked in to the room full of people and made my way around the room with introductions and giving the traditional kiss on the cheek while someone handed me a piscola (picso is the prefered Chilean alcohol and when its added with anything else, tropical fruit juice here, its called piscola). However, as the week went on I got to know them better and felt really comfortable and even understood some of their jokes!

When we were driving too and from their house to ours I got to see some other interesting traditions.

Here, a group of people were celebrating the Vía Cruz (Way of the cross) on Good Friday in the street. They put different points along the road so that the people climb the cerro. There were also kids asking for money in the streets to put inside the Judas. Here's a picture I found on Google of one.

They make a stuffed man and put the coins that people give to them inside and then later they burn the hanging Judas Iscariot and all run to catch the coins (a bit creepy, was my thought...). Another neat tradition is that all the local, Chilean TV channels play religious movies and do interviews of scolars about Jesus' life and death. All of this was really a great experience and it all culminated on Saturday night when I went to the vigil mass on the beach in Reñaca.

You see here how far away I was from the altar and there were still people behind me for this mass. Apparently the priest of this church, San Expedito, is known for really getting the parishioners involved in the mass, which too be honest, is a big task here, from my experiences at weekly mass.

Along the way to mass we bought candles and there was a huge bonfire to the left of the altar from which everyone lit their candles and it was really inspiring to see all of them lit! There were a couple of great moments in the mass. First, during the homily, the priest pointed out that the women were the first to receive the message that Christ was not in the tomb and he pointed out the importance of women in the Church and told us to applaud all the women in the congregation. My friend, Erin and I duly applauded one another. I would have to say that my favorite part of the mass was the Alleluia when we all raised our candles and the choir sang out Handle's Alleluia! And I was really reveded up when the priest, who's voice kept cracking from yelling into the mic so much, was reading (shouting) the gospel and said (yelled)

"¡Ha resusitado, no está aqui!"

"He is risen, he is not here!"

¡Feliz Pascua a todos!

Happy Easter to all!

Erika