As a part of the University of Richmond’s EnCompass Program, eight Spider student-athletes are traveling to Chile from May 1st to May 9th. \\<\/p>\n
Hey Spiders!!<\/p>\n
Day 2 in Chile was a blast! To\u00a0start us\u00a0off, we had some breakfast in the hotel. There were sugary coated croissants that were amazing, that most of us paired with some fruit and eggs for a more of a simple breakfast. After breakfast, we took a scenic\u00a0one-hour\u00a0drive to Valparaiso. Our guide, Victor, shared fascinating local insights, including why certain roads close on Sundays for sports, church, or community events. Passing through the coastal range, we drove through a long tunnel that he humorously warned us to plug our noses for! He also pointed out the impressive headquarters of the Chilean Navy, the nation’s largest force, along with monuments honoring their war heroes. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Once we got to Valparaiso, two dancers performed a cueca dance for us! Then,we\u00a0were able to see\u00a0all of\u00a0the street art and murals scattered around the streets. \u00a0Our tour guides had told us that they try to limit the graffiti in certain parts of Chile, so Valparaiso has murals and spots dedicated just for that.\u00a0But,\u00a0Dr.\u00a0Nielson and I came across a mural of the streets of Chile where the murals\u00a0actually had\u00a0graffiti embedded into it. It was very interesting because they said murals take the place of graffiti,\u00a0but here they were combined!\u00a0We really\u00a0spending\u00a0the morning wandering through this beautiful coastal town and connecting the symbolism from the artist’s work while exploring connections between public expression and current events.\u00a0We then grabbed some amazing macaroons from a little shop nearby!\u00a0<\/p>\n
Next, we\u00a0explored a bit more until it was\u00a0time to go to Pablo Neruda’s house for a tour! Pablo Neruda was a Nobel Prize-winning Chilean poet-diplomat acclaimed for his passionate love poems, surrealist imagery, and political advocacy. We took a self-guided audio tour, which was perfect for wandering around\u00a0the five levels of his home.\u00a0Neruda’s house was so fun, filled with random toys and games. He clearly valued the simple pleasures: \u00a0good\u00a0company, detailed drinkware, and just beautiful items throughout his house. It was so cool to see\u00a0all of\u00a0his\u00a0auction bought\u00a0glass murals all around the place.\u00a0From the upper floors, you could overlook what seemed like the entire city. After the tour, we headed over to\u00a0a restaurant called\u00a0Los Compadres where we had lunch on the beach. From steak and salmon to empanadas, our lunch was amazing! We followed it up with a refreshing (and cold!) run into the ocean, just so we could officially say we swam in Chile!\u00a0It is Fall here in Chile, and as a result the water is quite cool. Fortunately, the weather\u00a0has been\u00a0beautiful\u00a0and we could not pass up an opportunity to swim at Playa Portales.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After the beach, we headed over to a\u00a0professional\u00a0soccer match between\u00a0the\u00a0Santiago Wanderers and Deportes Temuco!\u00a0Many were amused by the fans who sang, chanted, and played drums for the entirety of the game. At times, they were just as entertaining as the match. The\u00a0energy here\u00a0was\u00a0incredible and I was so excited to be a part of it!\u00a0Although the game ended in a\u00a0tie, it\u00a0was so fun to\u00a0watch\u00a0and we all had a blast!\u00a0At the end of the\u00a0game,\u00a0our guides took us to a\u00a0local\u00a0farm\u00a0for dinner.\u00a0It was here that we witnessed a\u00a0self-sustainable\u00a0way of living.\u00a0There\u00a0was only fresh food\u00a0as\u00a0everything was handmade\u00a0and grown\u00a0or produced\u00a0directly on the property.\u00a0We tried new fruits that were pulled directly off the tree branch, saw chickens laying eggs, all while watching the chef pick lettuce directly from the garden for a salad. After a tour and learning all about the farms’ production directly from the owner, we\u00a0were served an\u00a0amazing pork\u00a0rib\u00a0and mashed potatoes for dinner\u00a0with bread fresh from the oven\u00a0followed by some delicious\u00a0baked cheese\u00a0dessert to end the day!\u00a0This experience was incredible and we were all thankful for the many new things we were able to learn and see today.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Go Spiders!<\/p>\n