Relaxing on the beach.
Me, on top of a very large rock.
(climbing in flip flops was a challenge, but I made it work!)
Don't know who that random guy is behind us...
It was so, so beautiful, if you can't tell.
Pablo Neruda's third house.
Aneya: So after the horror that was Valparaiso, I was hesitant to go to another seaside town. But we ended up getting free bus tickets, and Lauren decided right then and there that we would go to Isla Negra, and we would have a fabulous time, dammit! And that we did! The next day, we set off for the now familiar bus station, and made our way towards the ocean.
Lauren: The bus station was packed with people though, and our bus was twenty minutes late. Umbrellas, kids, soda vendors everywhere. The kids were super cute though. Parents are so sweet with their kids, almost without exception. It's really touching. Anyway, our bus had those same plush seats (albeit not quite as nice as our first bus ride), and we travelled to the sea again, passing tons of vineyards along the way. In these areas, it seemed the air smelled really sweet and fruity. It was amazing.
Aneya: The town was tiny, especially compared to Valparaiso, and we wandered around until we found the beach. I wouldn't quite call it a beach, more a series of jarring rocks, with a spec of sand thrown in for good measure. It was all so beautiful, it reminded us both of Santa Cruz, actually, what with the large pine trees and greenery, the salty smell of the ocean, mere feet away. We took some pictures, then just relaxed on the sand, such a nice change of pace from the hectic, stressful day before. Children splashed and played in the water, even though there were clear "No Banyo" signs. Oh, well. Lauren and I dipped our feet in, and the water was freezing, as we predicted it would be.
Lauren: I'm not sure what the sign said, but that water was not for swimming. It was a tumultuous sea, no calm beach. But it was immense and deep blue (like the sea, I guess). We laid on the beach a while and took in some good sun. The warmth of the sun felt amazing.
Aneya: We then wandered the small town, had some delicious fruit, hopped on a "colectivo" and made our way back to the bus station, and then home. What a lovely day it was.
Lauren: The colectivo is an amazing advent. Where has this been my whole life? It's significantly cheaper than taxies, and people share the fare of a direct car ride. Four or so strangers will meet where this taxi-like car stays. The colectivo drives toward a region that is listed on the top of the car, dropping people off and picking up others on the way. And it's so cheap. Maybe cheaper than the Metro.
After that, we had a pleasant ride back into town on another charter bus.
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