Spring Has Sprung

Things are finally starting to get nice around here - less rain and more sun!  We've gotten some chance to take advantage of Spring, especially since this past weekend was a long weekend (some Catholic holiday...?).  One day we hit Concón for empanadas and a walk along the beach.  I double checked and the Pacific is, indeed, way too cold for swimming.  Especially coming from a background with the Caribbean.  Also for the long weekend, Florencia's parents were in Santiago (her mom had some event thing with work) so she stayed here.  Needless to say, all of my time spent at the depto was filled with drawing, playing with her toys, reading, and trying to convince her that I really do need naps.

Over the weekend, there was an event in Valparaíso called Mil Tambores (A Thousand Drums), where groups of drummers vied for attention while reggaeton performers set a mellow mood.  I think there was also some circus-type thing as well; like, earlier in the day there were kids activities.  Apparently Sunday, the day we didn't go, there was body painting and parades and all.  What we did see was still a pretty hefty dose of culture, though.

Also, our most recent group excursion was to Santiago for a soccer match between Chile and Argentina.  I love Chile and everything... but they never really had much chance at winning haha.  Argentina scored two goals within the first few minutes of the game and Chile had nothing to show for it until the final three minutes, when they scored their one and only goal.  It was so cool to see Lionel Messi play, though!  Our assistant director, Jaime, argues that Messi is the greatest futbolista the world has ever seen.  It was overall a fun cultural experience, though, with vendors and way-too-enthusiastic fans all over the place.  Our group got into the Chile pride too, and almost everyone was decked out in red shirts and face paint.