Patagonia!

After a week of goodbye parties and the end of classes, we had one week to travel and decided to spend it in Patagonia. We spent a good 24 hours on a bus, waiting, and on a plane before reaching Punta Arenas. When we finally arrived there, we found out that the bus we had planned to take to Puerto Natales was full, so we had to scramble and find a hostel for the night. Luckily, the man who had driven our transfer from the airport to the bus terminal was also a hostel owner trying to convince us to stay with him, so we decided we could go there (convenient for him, huh?). We were also really sad about missing our bus tour of the park, which was supposed to leave from Puerto Natales at 7:30 the next morning, but this man also found us a tour that left at 6:30 from Punta Arenas (somewhat more expensive). What seemed like a lost day turned into a lost 10 mil (about$16). This used about half of the money we had allowed for incidentals, so we were pretty broke the rest of the trip.

Anyway, taking the bus tour was definitely worth it. We saw parts of the park that we couldn't cover on foot in the time we had. Basically, we saw a lot of guanacas (wild llamas), lakes, Glacier Grey, and Cueva del Milodon (archeology site where they discovered remains of prehistoric animals and people). We then got dropped off in Puerto Natales.

The next day we went on a hike to the base of the Torres del Paine. It was an amazing experience, but I think it's fair to say that no one warned us of how grueling the hike would be. It was basically like being on a stairmaster for four hours straight. The other problem was that you are only allowed eight hours to make it there and back based on the bus schedule (a lot of people camp out, but we weren't prepared for that). The first third of the hike is basically open grass hills, the second third is up and down in a forest near a river, and the final third is straight up a bunch of rocks (we were some of the few people not using poles). It was definitely a difficult hike, but very pretty along the way and sooo worth it for what we saw at the top! We were literally right upon the Torres! The other thing that amazed me was that there were many older people who made it all the way to the top. Wow!

So at the top, there is a lake just below the Torres, and Evan had the bright idea that he would try to swim in it (which I advised against). So, he was running toward the water (it was pretty darn cold!), and stubbed his toe on a rock, resulting in his losing the better part of his pinky toenail. Let's just say it was a very painful trip down the mountain for him. That night we went to the emergency room to make sure it wasn't infected, which it wasn't. They put on a nice bandage, and told him to change it every couple of days, take ibuprofen, and watch to make sure it didn't get pussy or inflamed. It has continued to hurt, as expected, but thankfully has not gotten infected or out of control. A lesson for macho men everywhere!

The next day we went on a luxurious trip aboard a boat to see the Glaciares Balmaceda and Serrano. It was a gorgeous boat ride, and we saw lots of waterfalls and animals along the way. We saw the Balmaceda Glacier from the boat. This glacier was really living proof of global warming. It used to reach the water, and has now receded considerably. We hiked to the base of the second glacier, which was even more impressive. Afterwards, we had a wonderful asado (BBQ), the only large meal of our trip. The other really nice part of our trip were the people we met, most notably Chilean-Americans from Minnesota. The husband is a part-time professor in Minnesota, and a part-time professor in Concepcion. They were very interesting to talk to! We also met an Argentinian couple from Ushuaia (Tierra del Fuego), three younger people from Santiago, and a Chinese-Canadian couple from Vancouver. All were exceptionally nice and interesting!

The next morning we made our way back to Punta Arenas, and found another hostel to stay at (the former one was full). We met up with four other friends from the program (up to this point it had only been four of us), and went on a tour to Isla Magdalena, where thousands of Magallanes penguins live. It was really amazing to see so many in the wild, and so up close. Sea World will seem like nothing now!

The next morning, we went to the feria (flea market) to buy some gifts, and then made our way home in the afternoon and evening (arriving in the early morning). I leave to go back to the US tomorrow evening (arriving Saturday morning). So, I will see you all very soon! Thanks to all of you who have kept up with this blog, and I forgot to mention earlier that I am sorry that I took SOOO many pictures in Patagonia (upwards of 300). Hopefully your computer can flip through them quickly.

As for any last lessons from the trip, I think I will wait a bit for that to sink in, and maybe discuss it more in person. In general, I would say that I have learned to have more confidence in my own ability to problem-solve, adapt, and live outside of the world I have known. I have also learned that the world is a lot more complex than I had ever really realized, and that living in a place for a while is the only way to really learn anything about that complexity. And, well, I hope I've learned a bit more Spanish too (and that I don't lose too much of it when I come back)! Chao! Nos vemos!

Thanksgiving, Last Weekend in Conce

Wednesday a new puppy named Lulu arrived at our house, bringing much excitement (and more visits from Evan). She is the daughter of Karen's boyfriend's dog, and cute as can be! This past Thursday, Thanksgiving, the program had a very nice lunch for us. The turkey was actually very tender, and there was strawberry instead of cranberry sauce (kind of funny but good). Overall it was a very nice meal, but it was not like Thanksgiving, since all the side dishes were springtime vegetables! It was somewhat unsatisfying (fruit salad for dessert), so I went to get a churro filled with manjar (dulce de leche) afterward (some things are better in Chile!). The whole family video-chatted in the afternoon, which was really nice. For dinner, my family decided to have a "Chilean Thanksgiving" for me, which consisted of completos (Chilean hot dogs, but better, with avocado and tomato). Overall, it was very satisfying.

Friday it was raining, but I went on a mission to find brown sugar and chocolate chips and ended up using golden ("dorado") sugar and a bar of chocolate chopped up. The latter tasted good, the former didn't work out as well for my chocolate chip cookies. They ended up tasting like sugar cookies with chocolate chips in them, but they were still really good. Everyone was very impressed by them since they have only had processed chocolate chip cookies, and the neighbor came over and took the recipe which I had written in Spanish so that my host mom could help me out. Later that night we skeptically went out to try this steak place, but it turned out to be amazingly good and cheap (delicious, huge filet minon and steak frites for $8!).

Saturday we had a very, very long lunch (ended at 6pm), and then we went out to take some pictures of the centro and listen to some music and eat some churros and choripan. It was also the annual telethon which benefits children with disabilities, so lots of bands play everywhere (on TV and live, especially in Santiago but also in Conce and elsewhere). My family then made a traditional Chilean dish which is like donuts fried and then simmered in a molasses/ginger/other things-flavored sauce. Later, we went out with Evan's "hermano," Juan, and talked for several hours at a bar/restaurant about all manner of things, all in Spanish. It was a great experience in showing me how far I've come, because I remember going out with him the second week and ending up reverting mostly to English.

Today I slept late (after being out late last night), then went to the mall to take some pictures of the Christmas decorations and buy a CD, then had lunch, studied some (finals are this week haha), had once, and watched some TV with my family. Yikes only two weeks left!

Araucania

This past weekend we went to Araucania, the poorest region of Chile, to visit with Mapuche families. The Mapuche Native Americans are famous for being the only tribe to hold off the Spanish conquest. For this reason, the Spanish territory never crossed the Rio Bio-Bio (here in Concepcion). Our Chilean history professor and her husband, the doctor who has organized the clinic and hospital tours, organized this trip and were our leaders in the venture. About 20 students from the program chose to go (this trip was optional and cost extra).

The first day we had lunch at the home of a Mapuche family who are friends with my professor. They fixed us a grand traditional lunch, and afterwards we learned how they make yarn from sheep wool and weave it (this part was amazing) and about their instruments, stories, and dances (we tried several techniques/instruments/dances and didn't do very well with any of them). The grandfather of the family came with us on the rest of the journey to act as our tour guide. Later, we continued on our journey, stopping at the beach and a couple of small towns. In one town, we visited the cross-cultural hospital, where both Western and Mapuche medical services are available. There we had the rare opportunity to see a "guillatun" (sp?) which is basically a huge ceremony in which various tribes unite to perform a ceremony to bring good luck in the coming season. We could not take any pictures, but trust me that it was very interesting. We arrived at where we were staying, our professor's brother's cabin (with lots of beds!), had a late dinner, and went to bed.

The next morning we got up early to go to Lago Budi. On the way we stopped at a museum which held many Mapuche tools and a replica of a traditional Mapuche home/hut. Next we took row boats to an island in the middle of Lago Budi, which was quite an adventure given the poor weather. We had lunch on the island (bread and cheese sandwiches, at which point everyone started to complain about how much we paid). We then got back to the cabin/house, where we began work on a huge "asado" (BBQ). The neighbors roasted a whole pig and several chickens for us, and there were also lots of salads, fruits, appetizers, wine, etc. Meanwhile we rode horses, went on a tour of the forest to collect herbs with the Mapuche grandpa, and watched the pig get roasted. Afterwards, we played drinking games, which lasted until long after I went to bed.

The next morning, we were woken up abruptly by our professor asking if we wanted to go on an ox cart ride. We ran out and watched the oxen get hitched by the Mapuche grandpa and then rode the ox cart to the top of a hill. From there we could see all around the area, and there was a huge field of gorgeous purple in yellow flowers which we played in. We had a wonderful lunch, and then we started the long ride back, stopping in some small towns along the way. Overall, it was a fun and very interesting trip. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera at many moments I needed it, so I am working on gathering some pictures from other people. I will post them when I can. Be home soon!

Atacama

So this past weekend a group of eight or so of us went to the Atacama Desert, although we ended up splitting into two groups for most of the time (due mostly to inability to reach each other by cell phone in the desert). Basically the Atacama Desert is the driest desert in the world and is located in northern Chile, as well as Bolivia (but we stayed in Chile, near San Pedro de Atacama). This trip was by far the most expensive I've been on so far but well worth it and definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Friday we went on a tour of the Laguna Cejas, which is three times as salty as the ocean, and thus you can float in it. Next we went to see the Ojos de... (I don't remember), which are two identical, circular lakes right next two each other (for this they are called "ojos"- eyes). Finally we watched the sunset from a lake/salt flat. It's a lake during the winter and a salt flat during the summer, and as it is spring right now it is in the process of evaporating and very gorgeous.

Saturday in the morning we went to the Termas de Puritama, these thermal pools that are the perfect temperature and very pretty and clean. In the evening we went to Valle de la Luna, probably the most famous site in the area, where you can see the sunset reflect off the Andes Mountains, which change color due to the minerals in them. Unfortunately my camera was running out of batteries that night, so I don't have as many pictures as I otherwise would have. I will try to steal some from Dipika.

Sunday morning we woke up at 3:00 am to meet our 4:00 am tour for the Geysers de Tatio. They are two hours away and at their peak activity at 6:00 am (when it is also -10 degrees Celsius). But they were amazing- like a whole field of Old Faithfuls. Afterwards the three others swam in the thermal pool nearby. I just went in knee deep because I didn't want to have a wet bathing suit afterwards. Next we saw a bunch of vacunas, one of the two varieties of wild camelloids in Chile, roaming the desert. They were once endangered because their wool is incredibly fine and impermeable and their meat is cholesterol-free. Now they are protected and no longer endangered. Afterwards we went to a small pueblo where Native Americans live. They own 600 llamas (one of two types of domesticated camelloids in Chile- other is alpacas), which they live off of (meat, wool, tools). They sell llama skewers (also cholesterol-free) and goat cheese empanadas. They were both delicious!!

The next morning we went sandboarding in Valle de la Muerta. Basically it's like snowboarding except that you rub wax on the bottom of the board and slide down the sand dunes. It was a lot easier than snowboarding since a) it doesn't hurt if you fall and b) you don't have to leaf down the mountain because you don't get that much momentum anyway (although it was definitely still a thrill).

On the way back to Conce I got a taste of the US as Gilmore Girls came on the TVs and next to me was seated a man from Oregon who has lived in Chile for the past 15 years. We discussed our excitement about Obama and our views on how many of his promises he will deliver on (especially health care given my interests and energy given that he is an exec at an energy/tech company in Santiago, although about to retire and buy an organic farm near Conce). It was actually my first time ever having an extended conversation with someone seated next to me on a plane, and it was quite interesting. I always remember my grandma did this a lot, and I think maybe now I'll try it (although there is definitely something immediately bonding about meeting someone from your country in a foreign country, so I don't know how well this would work on domestic flights).

Overall this past weekend was absolutely amazing. The scenery was so gorgeous, and we met a lot of interesting people since pretty much everyone there was a European tourist (about 1/3 British, 1/3 French and 1/3 German). I also realized that I have lost sooo much of my French from being here. Everything I wanted to say in French came out in Spanish, just like the opposite used to happen when I started studying Spanish. I am scared to go to France now because I certainly wouldn't want to lose my Spanish- the language I will certainly need more in the future. We'll see though. It's not like I wouldn't want to go to Paris. Anyway, you'll note I got kind of overzealous with the camera at some points since it was so gorgeous. Hopefully you won't find my pictures boring. Enjoy!

Pichilemu

So, first off, congratulations to President-elect Barack Obama! Tuesday night was one time when I really wished I had been back in the US. It was really cool watching the election from here, but while Chileans rooted for Obama, most do not follow these things with the same level of detail as we do (not that they should). So, a bunch of us gringos from the program got together earlier in the evening, but the buses stop running at 12 (that would be 7 California time). We didn't want to be in transit during an important announcement, so Evan, Dipika, and I came back early. It was 1 am when the announcement came, and everyone else was asleep, but we were celebrating very animatedly while trying to stay as quiet as possible (this part sort of broke down as the calls from parents came in). We stayed up until 3 am to watch Obama finish his speech. It was truly a magical night (spoiled only partly by the passing of Prop 8, of which we learned the next morning).

This weekend, we went to Pichilemu with the program. Pichilemu is a small town on the coast, which is famous for its surfing (they just hosted the World Championships). We stayed at cabins on the beach, surfed, rode horses, and relaxed on the beach. We also went and shopped at the "feria" (kind of like a flea market). There we met this amazing woman, Carmen, who is my favorite Chilean I've met so far! She knew so much about everything! She could compare the climate of Sacramento and San Diego, which she analogized to the difference between Pichilemu (like San Diego) and nearby Santa Cruz (like Sacramento-- inland and hot!). She was also so thrilled to see a group of kids of all different races (I went with Dipika, Evan, and our friend Christine who is Filipina). Such enthusiasm for and knowledge about cultural difference is rarely seen in Chile (something I miss from California).

For meals we ate at the home of friends of our program director. The food was truly amazing-- both in taste and quantity! This weekend definitely had the best food I have eaten in Chile so far (although my host family's cooking is quite good and better than food I've had at restaurants or friends' homes, so I have to be very thankful!). I can't even remember nearly all that they fed us, but there were huge "asados" (BBQs) of basically everything imaginable-- meat one night, fish the next, and poultry the next (all with delicious sauces, tons of variety, etc.). The side dishes were also delicious. Mmmm....

I haven't gone into everything in terms of surfing and horseback-riding, but they were super fun! We could take a surfing lesson and then could go out on our own after (although I only took the lesson and then stayed on the beach later). Horseback-riding in a meadow and on the beach was also gorgeous! Basically, it was a super relaxing and super fun weekend!

Santiago!

So this weekend Evan, Dipika, and I went to Santiago with my host sister, Karen, and two of her friends. As they say here, "Santiago es otro mundo"-- Santiago is another world. It is completely different than the rest of Chile in terms of its level of development. It is very much like Chicago or New York, and now I know why people describe Chile as so modern-- in fact, Santiago is so modern, and Americans rarely venture outside of Santiago (except maybe to go to Torres del Paine). There was even a Starbucks near the apartment where we stayed, and, more important to us, the diversity there (both in terms of the ethnicity of people and the opportunities, restaurants, etc.) was so much more like California than we see here in Concepcion. In some ways it made me wish I could extend to Santiago for the rest of the year, but it also made me miss the things I love about California.

So, the apartment in which we stayed is the Santiago apartment of Karen's friend's rich grandmother. It was in the Las Condes area of Santiago, which is one of the richest areas and home to many embassies and diplomats (including the US Embassy). Friday we went to La Moneda, the Presidential Palace (sort of like the White House although she does not live there). Unfortunately we could not go in, but we took pictures outside. We also went to the Cathedral in the center, which was absolutely gorgeous-- very similar to European Cathedrals. Right next to the Cathedral is the Plaza de Armas, which was full of people, music, and art, and then we checked out the shops in the center and had lunch nearby.

Next, we went to go up the most famous hill in the city using a teleferico. I honestly don't know what this is called in English, but I think the term is maybe sky bucket or tram or something (I know they have them at the San Diego Zoo and Sea World and call them sky buckets, but I don't know if this term is universal). From there we could see the whole city, and at the top there was a pretty garden and a statue of the Virgin Mary. In the evening, Karen and her friends went out to a disco, but we didn't think we could make it till 6 am (they come back when the metro starts running again), so we just walked around the neighborhood, checked out some restaurants and pubs, and came back earlier.

Saturday we got up earlier than they did (for obvious reasons) and we walking around the neighborhood. Somewhat by accident we ran into the US Embassy. Unfortunately we couldn't go in because it was Saturday. The embassy was extremely large, with huge fences and lots of security (a stark contrast to the quaint cottage that is the French Embassy). In my opinion it sort of screamed "The Communists are coming!" but I'm sure it was less off-putting inside (Evan joked that we should be able to hop the fence because, well, they can't arrest you for going home!). We also walked to the Escuela Militar (the Military Academy), which was again very ostentatious.

In the afternoon, Karen's sister, who is a student in the Air Force, came to meet us, and we went to Starbucks! The only Starbucks in Chile are in Santiago, and it was somewhat of a welcome sight from home. It was rather funny because people here are still rather unaccustomed to Starbucks. Many did not know what a Frappuccino was (also, this was both of Karen's friends' first time at Starbucks). There was a turkey and cranberry sandwich, and no one seemed to be able to explain what a cranberry was (I still don't know whether there is a Spanish word, but no one here knew what they were even after seeing them). First, the "barista" told the woman it was English for turkey. We had to correct her and say that it wasn't. But then we couldn't really explain what it was-- we pointed and said it was like a raisin but red and sour, and then we tried dried cherry, but it's not really that either. Finally she just asked if they were yummy, and we assured that they were. She bought the sandwich, and we hope she liked it.

Afterwards, we went ice skating at the mall. I am not a good ice skater-- I am from California-- but the three of us were definitely better than almost everyone there, so I think I've discovered that Chileans don't ice skate very much. Afterwards we walked all around the mall and had some ice cream. In the evening we cooked ravioli and then went to bed early since our bus was early this morning.

I am overall very glad I went to Santiago, since it has shown me a completely different side of Chile. Finally, with two days left, Obama-Biden '08!!!

Return to Lota, Plus Valparaiso and Vina del Mar

So last weekend we stuck around Concepcion, except for taking a day trip back to Lota to interview various people for our project. I interviewed my "hermana"'s mom, who is a schoolteacher in Lota. It was overall very interesting, discussing politics, education, etc. She was wonderfully welcoming, and unexpectedly fixed us all a feast of a lunch!

Last week during the week we had an evening performance of all of our poetry/interpretive dance performances for our Chilean literature and theater class (we do study literature as well, but this part was more interpretation of poetry-- more free form). They closed a restaurant for all of us to perform, and it was great to see what everyone else had done. Ours turned out very well, the highlight probably being Dipika playing her clarinet.

This past weekend we went to Valparaiso and Vina del Mar, on the coast parallel to Santiago (so North of here). Valparaiso is Chile's third largest city (after Santiago and Concepcion) and its most important port. Vina del Mar (about 20 minutes away) is where Santiago's elite have their summer homes on the beach.

We took the night bus Thursday night, and arrived early Friday morning. We found a hostel then set off to see Pablo Neruda's home in Valparaiso (San Sebastiana), winding along the hills and seeing the sights of the city (too bad it was such a foggy day). Valparaiso reminded me a lot of San Francisco, with all of its steep hills, colorful homes, and nearby bay. We then went out to lunch at a lovely restaurant and in the afternoon headed for Vina. We went to the National Botanical Gardens just outside of Vina then to the Reloj de Flores (Flower Clock) and the famous Hotel Del Mar (luxury hotel and resort on the water).

Saturday we set off for Isla Negra (an hour and a half from Valparaiso), Pablo Neruda's most famous home. Our guide was wonderful, slowing down a bit for us and talking to us all about our experience in Chile. She also allowed us to take photos in the home, even though it was prohibited! So, please enjoy these extra special photos! In the evening we went to a flamenco show in Vina's gorgeous theater. We got cheap (less than $4) student tickets, so we were way up in the rafters. But we could see just fine, and it was a lovely show!

We then took the night bus back Saturday night because today (Sunday) was election day here, and as voting is mandatory ($70 fine for not voting), everything is closed. It's a good thing we did because we could not sleep at all on that bus (due to changing our tickets at the last minute, we had seats in the very back next to the bathroom). So, I slept till mid-afternoon here. We just studied and hung out most of the rest of the day. By the way, the elections here were purely local elections, so there aren't any huge results to report (not that most Americans even know who the President of Chile is anyway-- by the way, she is Michelle Bachelet, a Socialist). But, the Mayor of Concepcion will remain the same-- she is a moderate conservative, which makes my host dad happy but my host mom very unhappy-- she wanted the Socialist man to unseat her.

Basically that's all from here for now. We are halfway through the program now, which is already making me sad to leave my family here. We have a packed schedule for the remaining weekends, so let me keep you up-to-date. This weekend to Santiago with Karen, my host sister. Next weekend we go to Pichilemu, a small coastal town, with the program. The weekend after we are off to Atacama, the driest desert in the world, which is in the very North of the country. The following weekend we head to Pucon, a volcano which also has nearby hot springs, to stay in the cabin of one of Karen's friends. We will then stay here one weekend to hang out with/say goodbye to our families. Finally, we will spend Dec. 5-10 (after classes end) in Torres del Paine, at the Southern tip of Patagonia, to see the famous national park and penguins and such. I'll be back in the US on December 13th! Yikes!

Finally, with 8 days left to go, Obama-Biden '08!