By jtmanley
While students back home celebrated spring break the week of March 11, I had to wait until Semana Santa (Holy Week) to have an entire week of fun and leisure. For Semana Santa, my friends and I decided to go to Mendoza, Argentina for two days and Santiago de Chile for three. Although there were some bumps in the road when it came to transportation and lodging, we had an excellent time overall.
One of the first things that stood out to me was the sheer amount of people that left Argentina for vacation. The traffic leading to the Retiro bus station was a quilombo (i.e., a mess) any way you looked at it. And after slowly swimming through a sea of people to get to my stop, only a unannounced three-hour delay separated me from my journey to wine country! After arriving in Mendoza, things cooled off. The city is really small, but we enjoyed our time there. Sometimes, you need a break from major city life to keep you sane.
For me, the best part of Semana Santa came when we got to Santiago de Chile. Riding through the Andes was pretty fun, but nothing could beat staying in a city that, like Buenos Aires, has its own peculiar history, culture, and world impact. Although we only stayed there for a short while, I got the feeling, and many people have mentioned this online, that Santiago is a much quieter city than Buenos Aires. For example, compare Washington, D.C. to New York City. Yes, the subways and stations were cleaner and more modern, the sidewalks were wider, and the fashion a lot more alternative, but I could not see myself living for 6 months there. Most importantly, I prefer the domesticated dogs of B.A. to Santiago's packs of stray dogs!
On a more serious note, I couldn't go to Chile without taking time to reflect on its darkest period, the Augusto Pinochet era (1973-1990). The Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos presented a very sad and tragic portrait of Chile's recent past, but highlighted how the knowledge of it can help us avoid similar mistakes in the future. In a country that is still polarized by political and class differences, it was a strong reminder that human rights have to be promoted and protected.
After getting on the plane back to Argentina, I was content with the amount of relaxation that I got given the amount of travel involved. If you decide to study abroad in Latin America, take the time to enjoy Semana Santa in a good locale surrounded by good company. You won't regret it.