The Columbia Alumni Association (CAA) of Chile, together with peers from the Harvard Club, organized a trip to the port city of Valparaíso on May 13.
Alumni and their families visited the National Maritime Museum for a guided tour that included the Antarctic exhibit – of which Harvard’s David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies was one of the sponsors and curators.
After the museum, participants had lunch at the historic Navy Club and visited the 19th-century house of cultural heritage advocate and Valparaíso native Gonzalo Ibáñez Santa María, whose abode is located along the Paseo Atkinson on Cerro Concepción.
CAA Chile president Graciela Ibáñez (JRN'08) provided further details of the visit. “Chile begins in Valparaíso. The independence process opened the country's doors to foreign trade, which drove the growth of Valparaíso and the rest of Chile. This visit was an historical journey of the port, while also learning about the Chilean presence in Antarctica. It was also an opportunity to meet Harvard alumni,” she said.
Ibáñez encouraged alumni in Chile to take part in these activities, organized with help from alumni themselves as often as possible. “Come meet fellow alumni, old friends and recent graduates. We look forward to seeing you in our next event!” she said.
Past Chile Alumni events have included happy hours, a tour of the first electric bus depot in Latin America, and a visit to Start-Up Chile, the country's startup accelerator.
