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!

Lebu, etc.

This past weekend we went to Lebu, a small mining and fishing town which is also home to the poet Gonzalo Rojas, a couple hours South of here. This was a mandatory trip organized by the program in order for us to see the poorer, rural side of Chile. We were placed randomly with high school students from Lebu for the weekend-- they guided us around Lebu, and we stayed at our homes. Basically, I think this trip could have been a lot of fun, but my student was a real jerk. He was just incredible immature and inconsiderate, which made the trip very annoying, given that I had to stay with him most of the time. But, parts were fun (mostly the parts without him). We went to the beach there, which is gorgeous and as these amazing caves that open up right on the ocean. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera. We also all went out to a club, which was quite fun too (because all of the students were there). Finally, my student's sister, who was also my roommate, was very nice, and I talked to her for several hours. Overall though, it's not an experience I want to relive much, which is perhaps why I've been delaying writing this block. I think many parts of the experience reminded me roughly of the difference a Chilean would see in visiting UC students and visiting high school students in say, Tappahannock, Virginia (just to refer to somewhere I actually know). But, I must admit I learned a lot.

This week has been pretty busy as I'm settling in. School is getting busier, but more importantly other things are picking up. I am starting to volunteer two days a week in a school for children with Down Syndrome. I went to my orientation on Monday and will start right away. We also now have seminars one or two afternoons a week, discussing various topics about Chile (health, law, etc.). Today I went on a tour of a free community health clinic in a poorer part of Conce-- this is part of a three part tour of this clinic, the public hospital, and a private hospital. The tours are run by the director of this clinic. It was overall very interesting and pointed out what even a poorer country can do if it is committed to public health (as we are not in the US).

This weekend I am staying in Conce, except for a day trip to Lota to conduct interviews for a project. I think I need a break after all my traveling! Anyway, hope this finds all of you well and that Obama wins the debate tonight! FYI, daylight savings has already happened here-- we are now 4 hours ahead of California.

Settling In, Then Chiloe!!

So last week was rather uneventful, mostly just settling into the routine. Monday night we went out to eat at an Italian restaurant for a girl in the program's birthday, and I met one of Karen's best friends. Tuesday we went to "Day of the Translator" at the Univ de Conce, which wasn't that fun, but then we went out to a bar afterwards-- me, Evan, Evan's "hermano," Juan, and two of his friends. They are all really cool, and we talked a lot about US politics, Chilean politics, racism, American culture exported overseas, impressions of Chile and the US, etc. Unfortunately most of this was in English, but the subject was so interesting that I didn't feel too, too bad. Wednesday night I went out with Karen and two of her girlfriends, which was a lot of fun, and we spoke in Spanish the whole time (and they complimented me!), so overall great. Thursday night a small group of us gringos found a really nice cafe near the university which has hot chocolate (where they give you a chocolate bar and steaming hot milk and you melt it yourself), coffee, and delicious snacks and desserts. Later Thursday night, we left for Chiloe!

So 12 of us from the program went to Chiloe this past weekend. Chiloe is an island (the second-largest in South America, the largest is Tierra del Fuego) in northern Patagonia (but nine hours south of here). It is known for its incredible beauty and strong Mapuche (indigenous) culture. So, we left Thursday night and spent the whole night on the bus, arriving in the morning in Chiloe. Chilean buses are very nice (unlike most American buses), as they are the main means of transportation for the middle class. It reminded me much more of Amtrak than say Greyhound. Part of the busride was actually on a ferry, and this part was in the morning, so we got to go out and look around. The hostel owner picked us up at the bus terminal in his van and drove us to the hostel, which was very nice and close to the city (Castro).

In the afternoon we went to Achao (a smaller island but considered part of Chiloe) to see the oldest church on the island. These churches are famous because they are very old and made completely out of wood. To be honest, the town was farther than we had thought the hostel owner said and the church not as interesting as promised, so everyone was somewhat grumpy (after an all-night busride, an hour and a half more wasn't so welcome). We went to a restaurant there, which had decent food but terrible service and was overpriced (we joked they had brought us the separate gringo menu!). But while there we did see the most gorgeous rainbow! My slides are finally up, so you can check it out for yourself. You'll notice that some things were so amazing that I took quite a few pictures! I think it's that the pictures didn't quite measure up to the real thing, so I kept taking more. Oh so after the rainbow things got better, we went back to the hostel, bought some food and drink, and played mafia for a couple hours.

The next day was what made us feel the long busride had been completely worth it. We paid the hostel owner a bit to drive us and be our guide in the National Park. We went hiking through the forest, but the best was the beach! I can't quite describe it, but there is something different about the lighting here (Southern hemisphere, more towards the poles-- maybe like Alaska somewhat?). I think the pictures will describe it better than my words, but the pictures certainly don't capture it either. The entire scene was magical-- the ocean, the countryside, the mountains, the lighting. And to top it off it's springtime here, so we saw calves and ponies too! They were up close and so, so cute! You can see again that I took quite a few pictures of them. Also, two people in our group had a bet with a hostel owner up north in Valparaiso that they couldn't go swimming in Chiloe, so they did! How brave!

After the national park, we had a delicious, cheap lunch (always go with a local!) and shopped in the artisanal shops. At night we went to a party in the country. It was basically a lot of local country people, including some indigenous, playing folk music. It was very interesting, but very cold (sort of inside this wood shelter). We got back late, slept little, and woke up early Sunday for the long, long busride back to Conce. Overall, it was very much worth it! Please enjoy the pictures, now that I finally have them up (this trip definitely motivated me to do that).