Start of Spring

This week marked the beginning of spring in the Southern Hemisphere, and with it came warmer temperatures. I will experience all four seasons in a three month timespan once I return to the States in Autumn.  Last week was a pretty cool week - 50's (10 - 15 C) for highs and often below freezing at night. This week has warmed to the upper 60's to low 70's (19 - 23 C). Skies were nice and clear with everyone out of town for last week's long holiday, but today was perhaps as smoggy a day as there has been since we've been here.  It was difficult to see the Costanera Center, which is less than two miles away, let alone the Andes.  The Costanera Center is the tallest building in South America at 64 stories above ground.

I took this photo four days ago.  Imagine barely being able to see the tall tower today, let alone the Andes. The tallest mountain you can see from Santiago when the weather is clear is El Plomo at about 17,800 feet.  This is where the El Plomo Boy was found basically buried in a small box at the mountain top by the Incas.  A replica was at the El Museo Nacional de Historia Natural in Santiago.  We visited the museum and the replica was a sad scene.  An 8 year old boy with his hair braided in 200 tiny braids along with 3 small toys sitting in a box.  Apparently he was drugged with coca or something similar.  

On Monday I could feel another terremoto (earthquake) from the office at the University of Chile - fourth floor (piso quarto).  It was a 4.8 but didn't last long.  Yesterday was a 7.0 in Peru, which is a pretty big quake.

We went to a movie tonight - Runner Runner (Apuesta Máxima).  Interesting how the title doesn't translate.  Runner Runner would be Corredor Corredor.  Apuesta Máxima means maximum bet.  Anyway, the theater was nice.  The auditorium had many seats and was stacked up high so that if someone sat in front of you it wouldn't block your view.  Not an issue as there were maybe 14 people in the theater (seats perhaps 250) and most people in Chile aren't going to block your view by sitting in front of you because of height.  The seats were very comfortable bucket seats with plenty of leg room.  Ben Affleck did a nice job - and he somehow reminds me of my nephew.  Much of the movie was set in Costa Rica, so Erin could see some familiar sights.  Some of the movie was also in Spanish - and of course was also subtitled in Spanish.  By the way - the movie started exactly on time.

Time is moving quickly as I only have two more weeks of class at the University of Chile and then some free time to hopefully make it over to the Pacific Coast.  Erin wraps up her 6 weeks of Spanish at the same time.  I would have liked to take some Spanish courses as well, but I've got quite a few irons in the fire with things at the University of Chile, a few other projects with other organizations here, and also some things back at Ferris.  It really hasn't been relaxing or a vacation as there always seems to be something.  Today was the second day in the past two plus months that I didn't have something scheduled.  

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