CHI CHI CHI LE LE LE

HOOOLLLLAAAAAA!!
I hope everyone is doing well and had a good weekend!
Saturday we had a program tour of some historic sights in Santiago which I was really excited for, but strangely disappointed. Our first stop was at the University of Chile, which had a realllly nice campus!!! We had a little video/lecture which was kinda confusing. I think it was trying to show us both sides of the glope estado (the military coup that started in 1973, the events that lead to it sorta), and we always hear about the torture and repression and death when Pinochet took power, but I think the video was showing the reason why Pinochet took over. Im not really sure... Then from there we went to a big cemetary (11 soccer fields!!!) which was pretty interesting. We saw the graves of ex-presidents, Allende and Pinochet included as well as the memorial to some of those that died during Pinochet's era (the ones they knew of, there are a lot that went missing but the bodies were never found nor was there information about them...) and one of the really famous musicians also. It was interesting, but only as interesting as a cemetary can be... there were these buildings that looked like rows of apartments, but they were all graves, well a place to put the urn i think. at least 2 stories tall and a block long and then tons of these buildings! it was crazy! From there we went to this park that was outside of the city. it was kinda weird because it wasnt quite finished or something? and it was kinda eerie because it used to be a torture camp. They had these informative stones that said what sort of torture took place where. and it wasn't that big of a park, it used to be someones house (a big house) and yard, then the military took it over and told the owner to give them the house or they would kill her daughter... The whole thing was kinda gruesome and eerie. Its not something I would think a school program would take you to? granted, its for sure something i wont really forget, and maybe looking at pictures and talking about it in class couldn't do it justice- but of all the things to see in santiago they picked a torture park???
annnyway after that the bus dropped some of us off near our hostel and we went and checked in dropped off our stuff and went out to dinner. we had mexican food! again not anything like mexican food in the states (or say mexico...)- but oh well. we walked around for a while and realized that santiago is wayyyyy too big and without a map, not very much fun to walk around. hahahahaha we went back and hung out for a while and went out for the night. we met up with one of the girl's friends and hung out with them for the night which was pretty fun.
Sunday we got up and had "breakfast" at the hostel (which was included, but was only bread and butter/jams, old hard bread... hahahaha) but better than nothing. from there we packed up, stored our bags and headed out to go to the soccer game. we left really early because we had been hearing horror stories about how dangerous this game was going to be. we didn't bring purses or cameras and mostly tried to dress in a color that wasn't for one team or the other (we didn't know which team's side we were sitting on...) so we wouldn't get robbed or shanked. hahaha anyway, we got there without any problems which was good. We stopped in Jumbo to get some water and snacks before hand whcih was intersting because they had all their alcohol blocked off because of the game. we walked towards the stadium and followed the crowd. While waiting in line (the wrong line btw, there was a much shorter line for women) the crowd started chanting- that alone was sooo exciting! from there we were frisked and then walked around to the other side of the stadium (you could only enter one side so the two team's fans wouldn't mix and fight.) On the other side of the stadium we were frisked 2 more times and finally got to go in! Once inside there were people handing out stuff, but normally if youre walking down the street or sitting on the micro and someone hands you something you are buying it, regardless if you want it or not... so we didn't take anything. Later we found out, you pretty much needed these rolls of paper and balloons to fit in. so we got some before the game started. It was CRAZY!!! there is nothing like it at all. It was a clasico game, colo colo vs Universidad de chile and thats the biggest rivalry of the season (hence all the scary precautions) but it was at the colo colo stadium. so it was the entire stadium of colo colo fans (us included) and then 2 sections of U fans. Between the U fans and the Colo colo fans were big fences and barbed wire! crraazzzzy! The U fans were impressivley loud! everyone chants and jumps and chants and sings and jumps and throws things, its great!!! hahahaha and thats all before the game starts. most of the chants and songs were pretty vulgar, but the one i did learn was the CHILE CHI CHI CHI LE LE LE COLO COLO ES CHILE! its really fun to say too! hahahaha then the game got close to starting... they dont boo here. when the other fans would do one of their cheers/songs everyone whistles. its really strange. anyway when the U took the field everyone whistled and then when colo colo came out, everyone goes crazy! the rolls of paper we got, you throw those on the field, streamers. and people light flares and shoot fireworks and have big drums and banners and throw balloons! its awesome! hahahahahaha the game started a little late because we had to wait for the U fans to climb off the net separating the field from the stands (think of a net like the one that goes up during extra point kick in a football game and thats where people were climbing up). also, a HUUUUUGE banner came down from behind the stands that said colo colo and some other stuff, and i mean huge. they take it and run down the aisles with it and it goes over all our heads! sooo cool! there was another couple behind the colo colo goal too. craaaazy!!!! THEN the game started. as soon as the players lined up for kickoff, everyone sits down. FAST. I think the sections behind the goals stayed standing but im not exactly sure. During the game, there weren't quite as many chants, but still quite a few. And everyone smokes. the guy next to me had an entire pack of cigarettes during the game, same with every person within one seat of me in each direction. basically i just got lung cancer from that game. anyway Colo Colo won 2-0 so that was really good. I think the U had more control and looked like the better team, but they didn't get it in the net (and missed a pk!) so when there were just a few minutes left we got up to leave so we could try to get to the metro sooner so we wouldn't have to worry about the mad rush but we weren't allowed out. The U fans got to leave first (and also they arrived earlier) so we had to wait for them. The carabineros (aka cops) were dressed like our swat team, but with even more protection. Big giant helmets, shouder pads, arm pads, elbow pads, shields, big giant night sticks, bullet proof vests, knee pads, shin guards, the whole works! INTENSE!!! eventually we were able to go and got to the metro and got back to our hostel to get our stuff and everything without any problems.
It wasn't nearly as dangerous as we had expected which is good for sure. i just wish i had brought my camera (we even tried to go buy a disposable in jumbo beforehand, but they didn't have any...) Thats all for now, I've got some hwk to do and a nap to take. have a good week!!
CHAU!

HERE IS A LINK TO A VIDEO OF YESTERDAY'S GAME!!! (the crowd, the highlights etc). the first 30 seconds show pregame, then the starters for both teams, then when the teams took the field (we were sitting in a colo colo section under the "lo mas grande" flag). Notice when U. chile takes the field and they show the crowd, all the people on the nets. they dont show the two goals, but they do show the pk...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDkkeq5sM9I