Friday and Saturday

On Friday we got up early and took a bus to Valparaíso, a very picturesque city located on the coast about two hours from Santiago. We started our day with a visit to Ultramar, a maritime company specializing in port services and logistics. We met with Carl Lessau Scheel, Branch Manager, who gave an overview of the operations of Ultramar as well as the various subsidiaries of Ultramar Group and their areas of specialization. He explained that the shipping industry plays a key role in Chile because it is a small economy but an open one in which trade with other countries is very important. After the presentation, Ultramar arranged for us to take a boat tour of the port in order to gain a better understanding of their operations.


After the boat ride, we all bought empanadas for lunch and then headed up an ascensor. We took a break to enjoy the beautiful views of the ocean and the rest of the city, take pictures, and purchase souvenirs.

Now that we had completed our business visits, we had time for a cultural visit to La Sebastiana, one of three houses that belonged to the Nobel prize-winning Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. We toured the house and got to see his various eclectic collections and learn about his lifestyle.


After visiting La Sebastiana, we divided up into smaller groups and had dinner in Valparaíso before traveling back to Santiago.

Today we had free time before leaving to begin our journey home. Many of us visited museums, walked around to do more sightseeing, and/or finished our souvenir shopping.

Right now we are waiting for the bus to arrive to take us to the airport. We had a great time here in Chile and learned a lot about the culture, the economy, and the business climate. We'll be arriving home tomorrow afternoon. Adiós, Santiago-¡lo pasamos muy bien!