A Very Edina Easter

My friends came to visit!!!  They were here from the 29th of March to the 6th of April.

They arrived early Friday morning and after a quick shower and some food (it was hard to find anything open since it was Good Friday) we hopped on a bus to Valparaíso.

Right after we checked into our hostel we decided it was about time for a beer.  We went to a bar recommended by one of the workers at the hostel.

I went to high school with Stuart and Zach.  We were in the band together and have played a lot (a lot) of cards over the years.

Their girlfriends came too!  Laura, on the left, went to Bethel with Zach.  Elizabeth and Stuart both went to St. Olaf but didn't meet until they were both working at 3M.

I had heard about the stations of the cross that move through the hills in in Valpo so we hopped over to check it out.  There was some miscommunication with the times so we only caught the crucifixion, but it was really cool.

Our weekend in Valpo included a lot of the same things I did with my family, but we did a lot more walking around and just hanging out.  Stuart wanted to see the cemetery at the top of Cerro Concepción so we stopped by on the way to Pablo Neruda's house.  These balconies made a great stage for a couples photo.

Laura with Neruda.  Very artsy.

On Saturday afternoon we went to a famous little cafe to play cards and have some food.  We were there maybe 3 hours, it was a blast.  We had noticed a cat wandering around the place, and the next thing I knew it was in my lap.  It just wanted to play!

This cat got very comfortable.  We got a lot of pictures.

We went out to a few live music places in Valpo.  Some were better than others.  This one, Trova, was a blast.  We had some beers, a drink called a Terremoto (Earthquake) and played land mines.  It's a game that involves spinning coins.  We piqued the curiosity of several locals, it was a blast.

And all of a sudden this happened.  The coin just stopped on its edge.  Points to Trova for having level tables.

Easter Sunday we went to the Cathedral in Valpo for mass.  Zach and I are the only Catholics of the bunch, but everyone wanted to experience the cultural aspect of going to church.  We also brought along Oliver, a British chap we met Saturday.  The Cathedral was beautiful and the bishop gave a great homily about Jesus' light in our lives in the year of faith.

After church we went to a huge market in a nearby park.  We did a quick tour through the fish market which was rather dead given it was Easter Sunday, then headed back to the hostel to pack.  Right under the hostel was Color Café, a little bar/restaurant that tapes up anything and everything that patrons want on the walls.  Money, napkins, stories, pictures, whatever.  There was a band that walked in and started playing traditional Chilean Cueca music.  We played cards and ate and had a great time until we had to go catch our bus back to Santiago.

The week pretty much consisted of the 4 visitors doing fun stuff around the city (museums, climbing hills, visiting vineyards, the zoo) while I was working then we'd go out for dinner and do something fun at night.  Monday night we got sushi.  I'm convinced anything wrapped in avocado makes it ten times better.  It was delicious.

After sushi we went out for beers at a local bar.  I'm posting this picture because it's a great picture of Stu and Elizabeth and also because it highlights my favorite aspect of my friends' visit.  It was just so nice to see them, to have them here and to chat about old times and exciting things to come.  It was really a great gift.  Thanks for coming guys!

Wednesday night we went out for steak at a place recommended to Zach called Bariloche.  The steaks were huge and delicious.  A little on the rare side for some in our group I think, but man, I loved it.  Palta and Tomate on the side, super Chilean.  We also had wine from Morandé, the vineyard my host dad co-founded.

Thursday night we went to see a soccer game, Universidad de Chile vs. Olimpia, a team from Paraguay.  Continuing my streak, the home team did not score a single goal.  All I want is to see the stadium erupt when their team scores!  Final score: 1-0 Olimpia.  Not the most exciting game, but we sat in the fans section and they were crazy so it was definitely a good time.

Every Friday during the first break, 9:50-10:05, we have a special breakfast that one teacher prepares.  Friday the 5th was my day.  I brought ham and cheese sandwiches (traditional Chilean breakfast) and brought olives and made puppy chow for the gluten free folk.  The puppy chow was a huge success.

If you're thinking I had a busy week, you're right.  On top of my friends here, which was awesome, my boss has been out sick now for 2 weeks and I'm covering nearly all of her classes.  And it was my day for breakfast.  Busy busy busy!

On Friday we definitely went out with a bang.  We walked from their hostel to Bellavista where we went to Galindo, a restaurant that serves traditional Chilean food.  We started with Machas a la Parmesana (shown here) which are razor clams with Parmesan Cheese.  So good.  Some had pastel de choclo, others a dish made with french fries and stewed beef, and I had humitas which were much better in Ecuador than here in Chile.

After dinner we went salsa dancing!  It was a blast.  I showed them a few basic steps and we danced the night away.

Their flight left Saturday at 8:40 p.m. so we had a lazy day at the apartment by way of an asado.  Stuart and Zach have taken quite the liking to choripan and are planning on bringing the idea back to the states.  We also made way more meat than we needed so I'm still eating steak sandwiches from last weekend (which I'm not complaining about at all).  We sat around, ate food, and talked all day, then caught a van to the airport.

And here they are disappearing into Chilean border control.  What a great week!

Not much exciting has been happening since they left.  I took part in a fantastic retreat with the sophomores yesterday that I'll discuss in my next post, and we're celebrating Ryan's birthday tonight.  Next week is the anniversary of San Nicolás so we have 3 days filled with student and teacher competitions that may or may not include me dressing up like a prince and dancing the waltz.  Stay tuned.