Back in South America

 And it feels so good! I had a really wonderful time in the Bay catching up with friends and running around trying to see everyone at least once. The food was amazing, but my time spent with friends and family was even better. Luckily, my mom and Dillon got to come back down to Santiago with me! Getting here was the longest travel day of my life, but it was totally worth it. We had two layovers, one in San Salvador and one in Lima, before we finally touched down in Chile, but we got a little extra exploring in. First stop: El Salvador. With 7 hours to spare before our next flight we decided to vacate the airport instead of spending the entire time wandering through Duty Free shops, spraying copious amounts of perfume and cologne. First impression of El Salvador was a positive one. It was hot and humid, but SO GREEN! I mean, obviously, it's a tropical country, but it still took me by surprise. All we did was drive through the outskirts and to the beach, but the scenery was gorgeous. (Pictures are to come, but I am currently without the cord for my camera, bummer). We decided to eat at this little, locally owned "restaurant" with an awesome view of the ocean. Our bodies were really out of wack with the actual time so at 10a.m. we decided to eat shrimp coctails and beer, breakfast of champions. After a relaxing meal, soacking up the Costa del Sol breeze, we walked along the beach wishing we could go swimming in what had to be 75 degree water. Before we knew it, it was time to head to the airport and board the plane to Lima.

The rest of the voyage was pretty uneventful, lots of sitting in airports and on planes, waiting, and occasionally sleeping. The last two flights were relatively empty, so I took it upon myself to leave my seat, search for a row near the back that was completely empty, and lay down across the seats to try to catch some z's. Best decision ever. Lying down really is the best sleeping position. In the end, we made it, none of our bags got lost, customs was a breeze, and there were no major issues! Now it's time to show my Mom and Dillon around Santiago, my other home.

HAPPY 2012! The world isn't going to end, but in case you're worried about only having 12 months left, make sure you're having the time of your life. Don't worry, be happy, it makes the world a better place.

Going going, back back, to Cali Cali

The time has finally come to head back to the States. I could not be more excited to be heading home for Christmas and I am so thankful to have the opportunity to spend the holiday with my family and closest friends. Speaking of Christmas, the holiday spirit is in the air in Chile, and oddly enough so is the heat. Summer is in full swing in the middle of December and it is really throwing me off. It's really the strangest thing to see Christmas decorations and snowmen on display right next to beach balls and lawn chairs. Another thing I noticed is that no one has real Christmas trees. How sad! I mean, I know they are really hard to find down here, but that smell is the best part about the tree.  Even so, it's pretty neat to experience the feeling of Christmas in another country.
 
Although I'm ready for a vacation from Chile, I cannot express how happy I am that I will be returning. I am not ready to head back to California permanently. The Bay will always be my home, but Santiago has found a special place in my heart and I am beyond stoked that I have more time before I say goodbye for good. Unfortunately, I won't be returning with a lot of the friends I have made during these amazing first 6 months. I hate saying goodbye, I'm more of a see-you-later type person because I honestly believe that I will see you later. I'm only 20, this is still just the beginning. I can't wait to share this journey that is my life with friends new and old.

You know you're in Chile when...

I've compiled a list of things that are, in my opinion, quite distinctly Chilean. Most of the time they are things that really annoy me, but I wonder if I will actually miss them when I am back in the states. Good thing I have another semester to soak it all up!

1. Walking into the grocery store and seeing more "bagged" than "canned" products.
2. Continuing with the grocery store theme, having baggers put a maximum of three items (no matter the size) in a plastic bag. (Still waiting for the green movement to hit Chile
3. Toilet paper being placed outside the stall, I guess it's just too much to place a dispenser in every stall, therefore one giant one at the farthest end of the bathroom will have to do.
4. Seeing rat tails that have been growing since birth.
5. Waiting ridiculously long to get an email response.
6. Eating normal sized portions.
7. NOT eating normal amounts of bread, I've had enough pan to last me a lifetime
8. Putting mayo on absolutely everything, and not just a tad, we're talking globs!
9. Having to flag down the bus because you know that without sufficient effort on your part, the bus will not stop.
10. Knowing when you must give in and take a cab because the bus passed you by at 3 in the morning.
11. Last, but surely not least, seeing people of all ages making out furiously in public places.

I'm sure the list will only keep growing.

Patagonia: Unbelievable sights, indescribable feelings

Punta Arenas

Just prepare yourselves for the longest blog entry to date :) After finals and a semester that seemed like it was never going to end, it was FINALLY time for my long waited journey to Patagonia. The obsession all started when I first applied to the Chile program and heard about this marvelous land, and then I saw the movie 180 Degrees South and I knew it was a place I had to see. It definitely did not disappoint.

Isla de Magdalena- The Penguin Island

The journey started with a flight to Punta Arenas. It’s one of the southern-most cities in Chile and Antarctica is only a boat ride away (But really, it is, I just wasn’t willing to shell out $600). The first thing I noticed when we got off the place was the sky. The clouds are absolutely incredible down there, and the way the sun hits them at different times of the say just creates a constantly changing, beautiful painting that just sits above you. Bonus, since it sits basically at the bottom of the earth, it stays light until about 10 o’clock around this time of year. As summer continues it stays light until 11 and the sun rises close to 5:30! Incredible.

Lago Peohe- Torres del Paine National Park

Torres del Paine

One of my days in Punta Arenas was dedicated to visiting the Isla de Magdalena. It’s an island inhabited purely by penguins!! Unfortunately the trip cost way more than it was worth, but it was still pretty neat. We took a boat about 45 minutes off shore on some of the most turbulent water I have ever experienced. It was fun for me, every time the boat jumped a wave it was like a mini stomach-falling-up feeling. Unfortunately not everyone on the boat was on the same page as me and weren’t too thrilled with the choppy waters. The captain of the boat even decided to cut part of the tour short because the winds were creating too dangerous of weather conditions (We got a refund, but it was barely anything). The island itself was absolutely freezing and I found myself wondering how on earth all the penguins could keep warm, even though these weren’t the same type of penguins, I couldn’t help but have flashes of March of the Penguins running through my mind. I really wanted to pet one, but they are surprisingly fast, oh well.

Near Glacier Gray- One of the first views

The crew with all our gear

After the penguin island, definitely the most thrilling thing to do in Punta Arenas, it was off to Puerto Natales (confusing, I know) to kickoff the backpacking journey. In both PA and PN me, Hannah, and Christina decided to couch surf to save money. In PA, Marcelo was our host and he was just the best! Such a nice guy and gave us a big breakfast both days we stayed with him. PN, was a little bit of a different story. We were hosted by a family, instead of an individual, and it was quite an interesting experience. The night we arrived there were 16 other people sleeping there… 16! Keep in mind that this was by no means a big house. I don’t know how we all fit, but there we were on the living room floor with mattresses and sleeping bags. I mean it was free, sometimes free things aren’t always what you expect. The mom, Gloria (yup, the same name as my host mom in Santiago) good a delicious pasts dinner for everything though. They usually ask people to contribute some other aspect to the dinner, like bread, salad, dessert, what have you, to make it like a community thing. Good thing there were French people staying there, they made a delicious crumble. Us Americans? We bought ice cream :)

After a night in Puerto Natales and running around the city renting tents, sleeping bags, and sleeping pads, we were off on a bus into Torres del Paine National Park. In the morning we met up with Lauren, who was just getting in on a flight, and were able to catch the 2:30 bus into the park. I will just start by saying that we all underestimated our backpacking abilities. The hike itself was not the incredibly difficult part, it was the extra 30 pounds on your pack that caused some pain.

A humble campsite

We decided to hike the W starting on the glacier side, we heard it was a little easier that direction. That required us to take a short boat ride across Lake Peohe to the trailhead. This was where I first encountered the most turquoise water I’ve ever seen. It wasn’t clear, it was just bright blue, and I was in love. We got off the boat at 7:30 and decided we had plenty of daylight to make it to the first campsite. Wrong. We should have cared a little more when people were giving us strange looks, but we were on a tight schedule! Plus, it just makes for a better story. Day 1- packs don’t hurt too badly at all; It’s just a matter of getting used to the bulkiness on your back. So the map said it was a 3.5 hour hike to the refugio campsite, we learned that we almost always took longer than what the map said. So the rain started to fall and darkness descended and we finally arrived at the campsite at about 11:30. If it weren’t for the rain, I really believe it would not have been that bad. Everything just got soaked though in the tent set up process, literally soaked. I don’t think I could have been more miserable that night. I just remember looking at the clock every hour and just wishing it would be 7am and we could start hiking again. In the morning the people working at the refugio, where people actually got to stay inside, let us dry off our stuff in front of the fire. It was quite the night and none of us we in a really chatty mood. After trying to change our plan about 5 times, we just sucked it up and went with the original one and headed off to the next destination.

After that night, it was pretty smooth sailing. I mean it was hard work, hiking for 6 hours a day and then setting up camp and sleeping on the hard ground, but a part of me absolutely loved that. I have always been a fan of camping, so combining it with hiking just created an experience that I absolutely fell in love with. The views I cannot stress enough. The was something gorgeous to marvel at with every turn, and when you finally arrived at the top of a really steep uphill you were rewarded with a gust of wind and some spectacular scenery. The park in general was just so varied in terms of nature, mountains, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, woods, plains, just everything all in one place. Definitely one of the most beautiful places I’ve been in my life.

Thanksgiving dinner :)

All the bumps along the trail were pretty manageable, except for the last huge bump that hit me on the 4^th night(thank god it was the last night): the 24hr flu. Yup that’s right, shivers and shaking, fever, vomit, the whole shebang. I got really lucky because we were camping near a refugio that had a bed available so I was at least able to sleep indoors and near a bathroom (which was utilized a fair amount throughout the night). The day after was equally as miserable. I have never felt so weak in my entire life. Taking 1 step felt like it took every ounce of energy that my body possessed, I just knew that as soon as I was done, the trail was done and I would be on a bus back to Puerto Natales. Definitely a low point in my life, good thing I was surrounded by gorgeousness and 3 incredibly supportive friends that got me through. Hannah even had to carry my bag the last part of the trail. What a CHAMP, she carried two backpacks on the 5^th day while I was struggling just to get myself down the mountain.

 

All in all it was an absolutely incredible experience, it was definitely hard as hell at some points, but I think it was all worth it. Everything just seemed to be intensified down there: the wind was gustier (there were times when I literally could have been blown off the trail/mountain, even with a 30 pound pack on my back), the water bluer, the trees greener, the rain wetter, the cold chillier, and the sun stronger, but all this led to views that were prettier than a lot of things I’ve seen in life. 5 days and 4 nights, eating nothing but cliff bars, peanut butter, bread, nuts, and jerkey (the occasional tea when campers were feeling friendly) but I made it out alive.

After hiking, it was back to one more night in Puerto Natales, with the crazy couch surfing family. We arrived at 4 in the afternoon. I crashed at 5 (still feeling sick at this point) and slept for 16 hours, some much needed sleep. The next day Hannah, Christina, and Lauren left to start their trip in Peru while I stayed and decided to explore Patagonia a little more. To Argentina!

Punta Arenas

There was surprisingly a lot of snow

What a view!

Chasing waterfalls

So obsessed with the color of the water

Bus ride to Argentina

Puerto Natales

The countryside

Perito Moreno- Parque Nacional de los Glaciares

Argentinean Patagonia was just as incredible and breathtaking. A 5 hour bus took me across the border and through kilometers and kilometers of pampa, littered with herds of sheep, to the town of El Calafate. If it weren’t for tourism, this town would not exist. It is composed of fancy restaurants, hotels and hostels, a supermarket, souvenir shops, and outdoorsy stores selling all the high end products, gore-tex central. I was traveling alone at this point and I really liked the freedom. Obviously I love having company, but everyone likes alone time, sometimes I think I need more than most people haha. Anyway, the major attraction was the giant glacier known as Perito Moreno. It absolutely blew my mind! I felt so small standing next to this wall of ice, watching parts of it break off (sometimes with a mini explosion-like effect) and slide into the water. I picked a bench and just watched it, in complete awe of the grandeur of nature. Then I ran into some Israelis, who I had first met in Torres del Paine, and decided to be social and hung out with them for a while. We actually ended up at a lot of the same places, at the same time so we got to be friends.  

Such a massive glacier!

Fitz Roy Peak- far right

After seeing the glacier, I headed off the El Chaltén, the supposed trekking capital of Argentine Patagonia. I wasn’t up for another whole circuit (not that I even had the time), but I did go on some  substantial 5 hour day hikes. Even though I was still in the Parque Nacional de los Glaciares, El Chaltén is more known for their mountains. Once again, nothing but incredible views. The main mountain peak, Fitz Roy (sooo Spanish-sounding, I know), just towered over the trails and provided for more amazing photo ops. I really wish I had more time here to explore, but I was running short on days and I needed to get all the way back to Punta Arenas (where I originally started) to catch my flight back to Santiago. Three busses later and I was back for one final night at Marcelo’s. My flight left at 6am, so I was picked up by the transfer at the brutal hour of 4am and driven to the airport. I spent the entire 3.5 hour flight asleep, only to be woken by coffee and delicious airplane snacks. Before I knew it I was back on the Santiago metro, a long way away from those unbelievable sights and indescribable feelings.

Lago Argentino

 

So many pretty clouds!

Could have stayed forever

Finally, the end of the semester

I have never in my life been so relieved to be done with school! It feels like I've been going to constantly since I started fall quarter at UCSB as a sophomore, I never got a real summer! Well, now here it is, and I could not be more excited. The prospects ahead were definitely a little foggy though this last week, finals and a case of tonsillitis definitely tried to keep me down. I really only had one final that was an actual test, and it actually went pretty well. For my poetry class, we had to compile an anthology of poems and then write a 6 page prologue.... I have never done anything like that before and I was really overwhelmed. I absolutely hated working on it and thought it was such a waste of time, but I actually am really happy with the final product. For poly sci class on the political processes in latin america I'll have to write most likely a ten page paper of sorts. We had the option to write our last paper in english, and I thought I was all cool and attempted to write it in spanish... Well the professor wrote on the back of mine, "I think writing this assignment in spanish didn't help you convey your ideas thoroughly", but hey I still got a B! Looks like the next one will be in english. As for my last class... dear god, talk about stress. I originally was going to take the final early, because the TA said I could, so I booked all my flights and everything for Patagonia. The TA then came back and said that taking the final early was no longer an option. Genial!( absolutely wonderful!, sarcastic in this sense). Sooooo I am taking an incomplete and I have to take the final the first week of next semester. Thank GOD I am here for a year, otherwise I would have been completely screwed. Well that's all of my rant for now, I leave for Patagonia tomorrow. Two weeks of nothing but breathtaking nature and backpacking that is going to kick my ass, words cannot express my excitement!!

Halloween in La Serena

     Halloween weekend happened to be extra long because we got Monday and Tuesday off, that meant one thing: It was time to back up and explore another region of Chile. This time, La Serena was up. Situated in the north of Chile, we were ready for some beach and weather finally nice enough to tan in. Missing halloween in Santa Barbara was bitter-sweet. I did not miss the hourds of people that cram into the streets of IV, but I did miss dressing up in coustumes 3 times in one week with some of the coolest people I know. Regardless, La Serena proved to be worth the trip.
     To start, the bus ride is about 6 hours long. Not bad at all! Since Chile is so long and skinny, traveling north and south can take a while. We arrived in La Serena around 10:30, just in time to catch the last couple innings of the World Series! Even though it wasn't the Giants playing it was still fun to watch. The best part: the commentary in Spanish, absolutely hilarious. Surprisingly bus rides make you incredibly tired, even though all you do is sit there, stare out the window, and nap occasionally so I was ready for bed soon after the game ended. The bunkbeds in our rooms were quite precarious looking, a comparison could be made to lincoln logs and superglue. Well, the entire time we were there they never fell apart, so they were stabler than they appeared.
     The next day was time for the beach and to get my tan on! Or so I thought, I was thinking tan but the sun was thinking burn. I have never been sun burned before in my life! With the exception of my face and rarely my shoulders. I guess there is a first time for everything, my legs were BRIGHT red. They hurt to touch, my pants irritated them, then they got itchy. Terrible. I now have so much more sympathy for people who get burned on the regular, it's not a fun experience. The beach was amazing thought, clear skies and blue water, I was in my element. The rest of the trip thought I was really careful to apply sunscreen. I swear the sun is stronger down here!Another night in the lincoln log bunk beds and we setting off for Vicuña and the Valle de Elqui the next day. 
     That night, I forgot all about my sunburn though when we went stargazing. We took a tour to the Mamalluca, I really like that name/word, Observatory to take a look at the clear night sky. Using a high power telescope, our guide showed us Jupiter! Like the actual planet! I could see the stratified lines on it's surface and everything, it made me feel absolutely tiny and insignificant in the most amazing way possible. Our guide also pointed out Orion and how he was upside down because we are in the southern hemisphere and the magellean clouds that you see instead of the north star. It was so cool! I loved it, not to mention I think I saw 10 shooting stars that night. Then next day we explored Vicuña and the valley a little more. It is the most adorable town, super quaint and peaceful. It was such a nice getaway from the city and it's busy lifestyle. Fresh, non polluted air was also quite welcome.
     Our last day was back in La Serena and was really relaxing, unfortunately a cloud cover had rolled in so beach was out of the question. It was another day of exploring the city streets with it's fish markets, hidden castels, and THE most amazing shrimp and crab empanadas (yup they were fried). Could not have asked for a better weekend, such a welcome break from school. Another region of Chile that I get to check off my list: La Serena, you didn't disappoint.

Sailing the seas

Road to the beach, La Serena

Emu friend

Valle de Elqui

Japanese gardens in La Serena

One of La Serena's many churches

Cueca performance in the park

Papaya products :)

Free tickets to a Pink Floyd cover band show? Hell yeah!

Pisco tasting at Chile's largest distributor of it's famous alcohol

October just flew by

So it has been about a month since my last entry and that is just a testament to how busy I have been. Also, now that life in Chile is my normal life, it seems weird to write a blog about it. I think that's why most of my entries have been about the trips I've taken. Anyway, here are a couple highlights from October (that I am now finally writing about in November)

Medicine woman

As one of our cultural activity field trips, I went to see the Mapuche people and learn about their traditions. The Mapuche are Chile's indigenous people and, like the native americans in North America, have had most of their land taken away from them. Where they live now are on even smaller plots of land than most indian reservations. During the dictatorship they were treated especially horribly and masses of their people were abducted, tortured, and killed, just for having Mapuche blood. In the States, most people pride themselves of having even an 8th of native american ancestry, but here it's the complete opposite. No one wants to identify themselves as having indigenous roots because it is seen as inferior. For that reason, there is a decent movement by the Mapuche people to educate people and bring awareness about their culture. The day I was there wasdedicated to learning about their customs and beliefs. We participated in a ritual offering to Madre Tierra, ate some absolutely delicious food, learned about their version of the "medicine woman", and got to explore their rucas (homes).

Another October highlight was my birthday! October 24th was a fun day. It was strange not to have my birthday in the states, and although it was different it was still really fun! I cannot believe that I am no 20 years old, it doesn't seem like I should be that old, not that it's old, but I'm no longer a teenager! At the same time it feels weird to only be turning 20 where everyone around me seems to be 21-25, I've always been the baby. We all went to Hannah's house first and then went out to the clubs to dance the night away. I got to celebrate with some pretty amazing people and I'm so thankful this study abroad experience has introduced me to them!

The bitthday kids; Gabe, Favi, and Me

Some great people

I was really tempted to buy this guy

LA VEGA! In the middle of Santiago's cosmopolitan, consumerist, wannabe American streets, lies La Vega, a truly south american experience. Definitely not strictly an October activity, but it seems to fit here. La Vega is the greatest thing that exists in Santiago. It is a GIANT open air market that sells fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, cheeses, nuts, and pretty much most everything else you would need in terms of groceries. Imagine a farmers market, except WAYYY bigger and 7 days a week. The crowds are out of control, especially on Sundays, and it's really chaotic, but the food is cheap and really fresh. It's fun to just go, even if you aren't gonna buy anything. 


I cannot even believe that it is already November! Time is flying and it makes me so happy that I get to come back for another six months, my time here is just starting. Two more weeks and I am DONE with school and my trip to Patagonia begins! Words cannot express my excitement.

Visitors

This past week my Dad and Ellen came to visit! It was really great to see some faces from home and get out of the city for a few days. In true South America fashion the trip started off with a few unexpected bumps. They arrived, got their bags, went through customs and met up with me by 9a.m.,  but we didn't leave the airport until 12:30... All thanks to the rental car agency. It was quite the process but eventually we were off. Welcome to South America, where things never go as expected. 

Once we were on the road we got to drive through the gorgeous Casablanca Valley on our way to Valparaiso. Driving the freeways was easy, minus all the toll stops, but driving the city streets was a little more stressful. Also, if planning to eat at one of the top ten winery restaurants, make sure to call ahead so a tour bus of French tourists doesn't arrive before you and take over the place. The winding streets of Valpo greeted us with crazy drivers and poorly marked lanes, but eventually we found the top of Cerro Concepcion and The Grand Hotel Gervasoni. The hotel was a former mansion that was converted into a boutique hotel and offers unique views of the cresent-shaped bay and the characteristic hillside of Valpo.  Walking the streets of Cerro Concepcion was colorful and full of character. It was easy to see the character of Valpo with it's skinny alleyways decorated with vibrant murals, colorful houses, restaurants and cafes, and scattered boutiques. Even though the forecast said rain the sun was out and shinning. 

On Sunday, the day after my dad and Ellen arrived, we made our way north up the coast to the towns of Viña del Mar, Reñaca, and Con Con. The coast was littered with GIANT hotel-resorts that lead right out onto the beach and restaurants. So many restaurants! Of course, since it was Sunday, all the cute stores were closed. We made it a great day though, walking along the beach and eating the best fried empanadas I've had yet. That night, when we were driving back to our hotel, the stray dogs of valpo decided to ambush our car. I've seen them do it to other cars, but it's really scary when you are actually in the car. They came out of nowhere and surrounded us! Barking and nipping at our tires, we just had to inch our way through the light. We made it out alive, but just barely.

 

Monday was a day for wine tasting! We drove back into the Casablanca valley with it's lush, green hillsides and perfectly symmetrical vineyards. The best winery we went to was Emiliana, it's 100% organic!! Thanks to our handy dandy gps, we got lost a number of times and decided that using common sense was more useful. We had to turn down a tiny dirt road right off the freeway before we finally arrived. It was all worth it though, the grounds were beautiful and the wine was delicious. There were alpacas, chickens, and peacocks all just chillin around the vineyard to help keep the natural order of things. It was so cool! The other vineyards, Emiliand and Casa del Bosque, were nice but Emiliana was the best. Also, the nice winery restaurant that we wanted to go to on our first day was at Casa del Bosque. Too bad it's closed on Mondays. We never got to eat there, but we had plenty of other delicious food. Warning: beware unmarked speed bumps when driving between the wineries, may cause you to be airborne for a few seconds.

Heading back to Santiago on Tuesday, we stopped at Isla Negra and Pomaire. Pablo Neruda's biggest house at Isla Negra is also the coolest in my opinion. His collections are all on display in the house-turned-museum and sits right on the beach. Because of Pablo's love for the sea, every room had a huge window with a different view of the ocean. I definitely would not mind living there. The pottery village of Pomaire was our next stop. The handicrafts are pretty, but get's old after the 5th store selling basically the same things. Nonetheless, my dad and Ellen loaded up on some of the unique pottery that Pomaire is know for. Santiago, and my host mom's house for dinner, was our final destination for the day. Driving the streets of Santiago was the scariest thing ever! Being on the micro is one things, with all the sudden stops and weaving in and out of traffic, but having to react to those crazy drivers in your own car is a whole other challenge. With so many one way streets and no left turns, which out gps did not register, it was suprising we made it from Plaza Italia to my house in an hour. If planning on traveling to Santiago, stick with the public transportation within the city and a car for excursions outside of the city. My host mom made a FEAST to welcome us. So much good food, and I think it was 5 courses! 

Once in Santiago we did the typical tourist stuff. Visiting the historic downtown area, strolling the pedestrian only streets, shopping in Santa Lucia and Pueblo Los Dominicos for local goods, stopping but not eating at mercado central (the fish market), sightseeing at plaza de armas, the cathedral, sanhatten, bellavista, plaza italia, las condes, etc. Oh and of course lots of eating, eating delicious food. On their last day, we all had another lunch at my host mom's house. Once again with delicious food, way better than any restaurant, and many courses. Literally the definition of "stuffed" after a full meal at Gloria's house. After lunch my dad and Ellen were off to the airport. The week flew by, but it was a great visit and incredibly nice to see family.