(this was written a few days ago - but didnt add - enjoy now!!)

...martha mae here (its 1:30 am and work is only several hours away but i cant help but blog at least a little about the past couple of days)....chile is amazing and wonderful and beautiful and exciting and ah! dont even know where to begin. thank you to uab for this opportunity, jennifer and i are having so much fun. yesterday i hiked up cerro san cristobal, beautful mountain w virgin mary at top (see jennifers comment re: cell phone mary), we have had ridiculously wonderful, fresh, affordable seafood meals (we are 3 for 3 on our restaurant choices...friday night doesnt count because it was bar and karaoke food...still wonderful thought!), we lingered to a basque style spanish restaurant late last night. today we woke up and went to plaza de armes to see the cathedral and go to mass, well we missed mass but were able to spend some peaceful time in the cathedral. afterwards team jennifer/henry/marta split ways for a few hours as i went exploring the markets and jennifer/henry enjoyed the historical museum and fun in the sun on top of our building. i came upon the mercado centrale and vega centrale (seafood central market...and not sure what vega centrale means but it had delectable and beautiful fruits/veggies/meats/cheeses....even dishware, clothes, jewelry, plates...lol...one of the coolest non pretentious local markets i have ever visited! i got things to cook for our "family dinner" back at the apt this week, and also sat at a restaurant and had "consomme de mariscos", the waiter brought me "pisco sour" (very strong ..kinda like ;limoncella)....