2012-12-21 
【Aiden in English】
In a Chinese proverb, an hour in the morning is worth two in the evening. It's always pleasant to start a new day with a scrumptious breakfast. I had fried eggs and toasted bread with strawberry juice. The eggs with white bread looked plain but yummy, and the juice tasted fresh and very berry. As we loaded up our luggage and checked out, I made a French silent farewell to the hotel and the great city of Santiago. When the tour group finally met, we started in a garden city called Vina Del Mar on the Pacific coast. It was called Vineyard by the Sea due to a colonial hacienda whose vineyards faced the ocean. The Flower Clock made the entire city bloom. There, we visited a tiny Fonck Museum, which provided the best insight into the ancestral history of its inhabitants and natural sciences. A giant Moai stood at the gate, symbolizing the city and the nation, as it was the only one outside Easter Island. It reminded us how great it was to make our pilgrimage to his hometown a few days ago. The exhibition on the 2nd floor featured a complete collection of arthropods and animals, whose footprints we would encounter while traveling in Chile the following week. Some poisonous insects were kept in carefully designed cages. I swore never to sit on the floor before dusting it when I passed this section. Outside the entrance to Palacio Carrasco municipal library, as the Cultural Capital, the sculpture of "La Defensa" by Auguste Rodin was declared a National Historic Monument. A flag of culture in China hung on top. Currently, it is under renovation. Therefore, we couldn't even take a look inside. An earthquake struck the city severely in February 2010. A visible crack remained in the facade of the Palacio Vergara Fine Arts Museum, and its recovery was still on track after nearly three years. Nearby, the Vergara Amphitheater hosted the Vina Del Mar International. The Song Festival is held every summer, and Elton John will perform "Rocket Man" in 2013. Away from downtown, Reñaca Beach boasts beautiful, vast expanses of sand that look out to the Pacific. However, the water remained cold, and the Humboldt Current continued to rise from the ocean floor. We'd rather stay offshore. Interestingly, the same current trend also accounts for marvelous seafood, which was one of the reasons we came here. The BBQ beef steak I ordered seemed too tough to chew at lunch. I doubted even a chainsaw would be able to cut it. However, I was amazed to have almond chocolate ice cream served with a strawberry smoothie for my dessert. The ice cream gave me tons of brain freeze, and the smoothie tasted like sour-patch juice. Mom had her entree and tried Pastel de Chocio, served in a traditional earthenware bowl by a newly met friend across our table. She was not accustomed to ground meat topped with corn puree and baked, as it tasted too much like sugar. In the afternoon, we drove to its twin city, Valparaiso. We purchased tickets to visit Nobel Literature Laureate Pablo Neruda's house, La Chascona, which has been transformed into a museum in memory of the famous Chilean poet. "Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair" was on display. This wooden house was situated on the side of a steep hill, offering a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean. Pablo designed the interior independently, and his 2nd artist's wife painted all the pictures. Green ink often appeared in his poems as his symbol of will and hope. He enjoyed inviting friends and hearing new jokes, although he wasn't a good joke-teller himself. Indeed, he would laugh and giggle even when the joke wasn't so funny. After climbing back on our tour bus, my mom gave the driver a tip of $11. It meant a lot to him because $1 converted to 500 Chilean pesos. So, $11 was equal to 5,500 pesos! The driver tended to drop us off at the hotel in the middle of the steep hill. But the street was too narrow for the bus to go through, and the slope appeared sharp enough for us to hike. By the time we arrived there, my legs felt on fire! I thought I was climbing Mount Everest. As soon as I got to my boutique room, I hopped onto the bed and tried to think about when I last slept in a proper bed.
【紅霞譯】
中國有句諺語：“一日之計在於晨”。對我而言，稱心如意的早餐永遠是每天良好開端的標誌，炒雞蛋夾烤麵包看起來極其平常，吃起來口感不錯，草莓汁味道新鮮可口。吃罷早餐，我們打點行李準備結賬離開酒店，此時我默默道別酒店和智利“土地的盡頭”首府聖地亞哥“後繼者”。 只待旅行團集結完畢，我們立刻朝維尼亞德爾“海邊葡萄園”城駛去，該城最早因一殖民莊園主的葡萄園面向太平洋而得名，市中心的“花草時鐘”可以印證。 豐克“深刻”博物館小巧玲瓏，為我們了解智利土著祖先生活史和自然科學打開了窗口，館外摩艾“活臉譜”石像是唯一遠離復活節島而落戶智利大陸的真品國寶，讓我們禁不住想起前不久朝拜其故地文化的愉快場景；二樓展廳有從全國採集的節肢動物和哺乳動物整套標本，相信在未來一周所到之處，我們將會實地探訪這些動物的足跡，鑑於有些具毒的昆蟲被小心存放在密封的盒子裡，我暗下決心，今後如若再經過此類地方一定不能隨便席地而坐。
素有“文化之家”美譽的卡拉斯科“聖櫟”宮市立圖書館門前矗立着英雄國家紀念碑《防禦工事》，這是法國著名雕塑家羅丹的作品，樓頂屋檐下大幅標語張貼着“中國文化”字樣，可惜圖書館正處在維修階段而謝絕參觀，不然真該進去看個究竟。 2010年2月地震嚴重破壞了維尼亞德爾建築，維加拉“赤楊樹”宮藝術博物館深受其害，時過將近三年，正面牆上的裂縫至今尚未修復；附近維加拉圓形露天劇場每年夏季都要舉行規模盛大的國際歌詠比賽，2013年英國樂壇常青樹艾爾頓·約翰“老城區·神慈”將親臨現場演唱《火箭人》。 離開鬧市區走近太平洋，雷尼亞卡“重生”沙灘像條寬大的白色玉帶，優雅地鑲嵌在一眼望不到邊的海岸線上，洪堡“大膽”洋流從南極冰川流經南美西部海岸，使得當地的海水涼得寒心而海風颳得刺骨，因此我們情願躲到風吹不到水打不着的人間天堂，溜溜彎兒壓壓馬路曬曬太陽。有趣的是海洋生物反倒逆太平洋寒流而入，帶來豐盛的水產資源，吸引了天下遊客來此大快朵頤生猛海鮮。
午餐上我點來火烤牛排，沒想到肉質硬得根本嚼不動，即使鋼鋸鐵銼恐怕難以將它切開，好在備有杏仁巧克力冰激凌和草莓冰沙做後盾，雖然冰激凌害得我腦袋發僵，但冰沙酷得我味覺發嗲。媽媽吃完自己的主餐不算，還惦記周圍別人盤中智利名菜佳餚，當嘗過鄰桌“肉末玉米脆餅沙鍋”之後，她竟耐受不住高糖含量配方。 下午時分，我們隨車來到姊妹城瓦爾帕萊索“天堂谷”，首先拜訪了諾貝爾文學獎獲得者智利詩人巴勃羅·聶魯達“謙卑·乖戾”的草原故居，現已改成博物館供遊人參觀，他的著名詩集《二十首情詩和一支絕望的歌》陳列其中。故居木樓依山傍海，內部全都由詩人設計，其第二位藝術家妻子作畫，綠色詩跡記錄了他對理想的追求和對詩歌的熱愛。詩人好客，喜歡聆聽朋友講笑話，雖然自己並不擅長插科打諢，但卻欣賞各種品味的趣聞軼事。 我們終於看完景點返回旅遊大巴上。這時媽媽遞給司機$11美元小費，對他來說非常可觀，因為按國際貨幣交換時價，$1美元可以折算智利現金$500比索，所以他總共收到$5,500比索外快！司機原打算送我們直接去酒店，但街道太窄，大巴根本過不去，再加上坡路又陡，我們只能一點一點向前蠕動。勝利到達酒店時，我兩腿酸軟腳底冒火！真以為自己剛剛從喜馬拉雅山凱旋而歸；等我一踏進精緻房間，我連滾帶爬撲上床去，好像很久沒有睡過囫圇覺了。 夜被擊碎
而藍色的星在遠處顫抖 晚風在天空中迴旋歌唱
──巴勃羅·聶魯達《今夜我可以寫》
Today in History(歷史上的今天):
2010: 月全食(Total Lunar Eclipse)
2009: 新西蘭聖水地熱仙境(Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland, NZ) 2009: 新西蘭第二湖市——硫磺之城(Rotorua the Sulphur City, NZ)  Vina Del Mar, the 4th Largest City in Chile
(維尼亞德爾·智利第四大城市)  Rugged Coast (崎嶇海岸線)
 Tornamesa Centro de Escalada (轉盤攀岩中心)
 Playa Cochoa (綠畫眉海灘 12-21-2012)
 Roca Oceanica NP, a Natural Rocky Promontory
(海洋岩國家公園·天然岩石海角)  Wulff Castle Built in 1906
(武爾夫“狼”城堡·建於1906年 12-21-2012)  Flower Clock (花鐘)
 Domus Mare Hotel (多莫斯·馬雷“海之屋”酒店)
 Castillo Ross, Club Union Arabe Built in 1921
(羅斯“海岬”城堡·阿拉伯聯盟俱樂部，建於1921年)
 Palace Vergara or Fine Arts Museum in Venetian Gothic Architecture Built in 1910
(維加拉宮美術博物館·建於1910年、威尼斯哥特式建築)  Handcrafts @ Vergara Park
(維加拉花園公園·手工藝品 12-21-2012) 
Quinta Vergara Amphitheater, Home to the Viña del Mar Intl Song Festival (維加拉花園莊園圓形露天劇場·國際歌曲節所在地 12-21-2012)  Palacio Carrasco in Neoclassical Style Built in 1912—1923
(卡拉斯科宮市立圖書館·建於1912年—1923年間，新古典主義式 12-21-2012)  Statue of Benjamín Vicuña Mackenna @ Palacio Carrasco
(卡拉斯科宮市立圖書館—智利作家《本傑明·維庫尼亞·麥肯納“右手之子·小羊駝·火之子”》雕塑)
 Fonck Museum w/ a Collection of Artifacts from Easter Island
(豐克博物館·復活節島文物收藏)
 Fonck Museum Housing Exhibits on Pre-Columbian Cultures
(豐克博物館·前哥倫布時期文化展品 12-21-2012)  Chile's Natural History @ Fonck or Museum of Archeology
(豐克 | 考古博物館·智利自然歷史 12-21-2012)  Gabriela Mistral Monument @ Fonck Museum
(豐克博物館·智利詩人、外交官、記者和教育家《加夫列拉·米斯特拉爾》紀念碑 12-21-2012)
 Hotel of Hispano (西班牙酒店)
 University Federico Santa Maria
(費德里科“和平統治者”聖母大學)
 Puente Ecuador over Marga Marga Estuary
(厄瓜多爾“赤道”橋下瑪爾加“珍珠”河谷入海口)  Los Pomairinos Specialized in the Local Authentic Cuisine
(波邁里諾人餐廳·專注於當地正宗美食 12-21-2012) 
String Garlic Faux @ Los Pomairinos (波邁里諾人餐廳·蒜辮裝潢 12-21-2012)  Charango @ Los Pomairinos
(波邁里諾人餐廳·安第斯“高聳的山脊”四弦琴)
 Plaza Parroquia (帕羅基亞“教區”廣場 12-21-2012)
Our Lady of Agony Church (痛苦聖母教堂) 
Cormorant Column (鸕鶿柱 12-21-2012)  Pedestrians (街上行人)
 Colorful Building (樓房異彩 12-21-2012)
Steep Rolling Street (上坡不見天下坡前滾翻)  La Sebastiana, Pablo Neruda's House in Valparaíso
(維尼亞德爾塞巴斯蒂安娜“莊嚴”之家——巴勃羅·聶魯達故居)  Thomas Somerscales (英國海洋藝術家街 12-21-2012）
Hotel Casa Thomas Somerscales in Valparaiso (維尼亞德爾·英國海洋藝術家之家 12-21-2012)
 Lounge @ Somerscales Boutique Hotel, Valparaiso
(維尼亞德爾英國海洋藝術家薩默斯凱爾斯“夏季棚屋”民宿酒店·休息室 12-21-2012) 
Stairway @ Somerscales Boutique Hotel, Valparaiso (維尼亞德爾薩默斯凱爾斯“夏季棚屋”民宿·樓梯 12-21-2012)  Valparaiso Uniquely Shaped by Its Numerous Hills & Hillside Homes Built on Steep Slopes
(維尼亞德爾·城市因地制宜，民宅依山而建 12-21-2012)  Iglesia de las Carmelitas in the Early 20th-Century Romanesque & Gothic Revival
(卡梅利塔“葡萄園”教堂·建於20世紀初，羅馬式和哥特復興式 12-21-2012) 
Dinner @ Cafe Vinilo (黑膠唱片咖啡館·晚餐 12-21-2012) Crosslinks(相關博文): Chile(出遊智利)
South America(漂流南美洲)
小學四年級(4th Grade) |
