Half a year ago this question would have left me totally puzzled. Today I'd simply answer "Sipo".
Compared to Chile, Peru was kindergarten for Spanish greenhorns. Back there, people spoke slowly, repeated every new word, rephrased it or would say it more slowly again and again... Great. But not in Chile! Here, information comes in a fast tangled mass plus dialect, that only Chileans would recognize... Thanks to Escuela Fronteras, especially Diego Larrondo (you should start a comedy show on TV), I'm  finally part of Santiago's everyday life. Besides words, grammar and chilenisms,  I made lots of new friends in  school, learned how to recognize a famous spot from a bill's imprint, how to make a traditional Chilean corn dish and saw what happens with the change-of-gard procedure at Plaza de Armas every day. This Friday I received my certificate of mastering level "Avanzado 2". Thank you everyone!

A short drive takes you from Santiago to the coastal city of Valparaíso, where we explored the "cerros" (steep hills), a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2003. Ricarda, a German friend of ours, gave us a tour through the colourful narrow alleysways and pointed us to some amazing pieces of street art. Climbing the countless cerros is not as challenging as one might think thanks to Valpo's famous "ascensores" (cable cars). These ancient vehicles transport Valparaíso's residents conveniently up to their hilltop houses. Sadly most ascensores are in bad repair nowadays, but the one we tried still got us to the top safe and sound! We ended our sightseeing trip at a friend's house, soaking up the great panoramic vista from his roof terrace.