Communicating through technology in a different country always poses unique challenges. For my time in Chile, I have purchased a SIM card through a cellular provider that is popular here. Through this I am able to load minutes as well as data megabytes. Loading more data onto a SIM card is fairly simple and can be done online, at the cellular stores, or at most pharmacies. So far, I have been using mostly data to communicate when WiFi is not available. Reloading a gigabyte of data costs 7,500 CLP or about $11 USD.
Internet is available at our university, albeit it is often spotty and slow, and in my homestay as well. Additionally, most restaurants and cafes have WiFi and are more than willing to share passwords. At our university, there are printers as well although I use the one in my home when I need to print something.
This past weekend, a few friends and I stayed in Santiago and toured around the city a bit. Strikingly different from picturesque Viña, Santiago is a large, bustling city with pollution and smog laden skies. We were staying in a rather touristy part of town which was nice as many of the sights are nearby. We were able to visit an amazing Art Museum, tour the historic plazas, and climb Cerro San Cristobal to get a view of the city.
On Monday, we hitched a ride to El Colorado, a popular ski resort about an hour out of the city. After renting skis and other necessary equipment, we were ready to ski the whole day! A beautiful place with incredible views of the Andes and of Santiago nestled in the valley. Very cool and fun!
