Explanation of sorts...

So, I arrived in Santiago early last week for orientation. It was a lot of wining and dining and totally excellent until we got down to business and all the hosts from everybody's universities appeared ready to plan curriculums save for mine from my university in Temuco. This was my university's first year in the program and they apparently did not understand the seriousness of the program and thus neglected to prepare in any capacity, much less to send a representative to Santiago. Luckily for me, though, the director of the commission is a terrifying woman and was able to get my university in Temuco to send someone on the next overnight bus. The representative, however, had just started at the university that week and knew nothing about the program much less the university itself. In talking to her it became evident that my time in Temuco would not be productive. The director and I decided that another placement would be the best option for me and here I am at the Universidad de Talca in Talca...

Talca is three hours south of Santiago in the farming district. It was described to me as Chile's Napa Valley. I have never been to Napa Valley so I can neither confirm nor deny that analogy, but I'll go with it. It's a relatively small city of a little under 200,000 people and reasonably compact. There is excellent public transportation and a walkable downtown. Overall, I haven't seen much of it save for the university (which definitely has a Pomona feel minus the obsessive landscaping), but I am told there are hot springs and some fun national parks. It's still my first week so I have time...