La Serena

 Our cute little hostel.

 Views from the boat.

The second part of our week in Northern Chile was scheduled for La Serena, a coastal beach town and the second oldest city in the country. My bus from Valparaiso to La Serena was scheduled for 10 am and after a tiny transportation hiccup (one last overly scenic view up the mountains in the micro…) I was off on the very comfortable, picturesque Route 5 highway to meet Allison and Shannan. We stopped a few times and the six hour ride grew closer to eight hours including a thirty minute stretch-your-legs-eat-an-empanada break. Upon arrival to the terminal I took a quick cab to Hostel El Arbol. It was adorable and reminiscent of New Mexico. Isabel, the owner met me outside and gave me a tour. The hostel was immaculately clean (unlike some of our previous experiences), warm, and homey.  We had our 4-bed room that we shared with Cody, a young man who just completed his EOD program commitment and was traveling.

After “the best shower in Chile yet” and a nice dinner, we ventured to meet the other volunteers vacationing in a nearby cabana for the week. It was great to get together and swap stories on host family characters, teaching experiences (or lack thereof), and differing town life. We wandered to the “centro” with some faithful stray dog as guides and all shared a few liters of Escudo at one of the only open bars.

Thursday morning, the girls and I had plans to visit Pisco-Elqui Valley but stayed in town and explored the local establishments instead. We walked a lot, which was a welcome change given my sedentary lifestyle here and close proximity to everything in Galvarino.  The north is much sunnier and temperate this time of year. Along our journey we encountered an interesting gold-toothed woman that upon hearing us speak English asked us to translate messages from her Alaskan online boyfriend. Obliging for a brief period, the story took a bizarre turn and we politely excused ourselves.

Friday morning we decided to discover the Isla de Damas. It is a beautiful island full of wild life, about a two-hour bus ride from La Serena. After deferring Isabel’s trying to oversell us on an overpriced tour, we decided to travel via the bus and see what happened when we arrived. We left the hostel at 8:45 and waited at the bus stop until 9:15 when Allison was about to make a joke about a rickety, overly packed bus pulls up—that turned out to be what we were waiting for. We squeezed on and stood for a few stops but then I settled onto a plastic stool in the middle of the aisle for the duration of the bumpy trip around curved and vast desert roads. We arrived in Punto de Chorros 2 ½ hours later where we were immediately greeted and handed life jackets. The boat ride out to the islands was cold and windy (the weather forecast did not match what we encountered) but very much worth it. I saw sea otters, sea lions (aptly named Lobos del Mar which translates to wolves of the sea), penguins, dolphins and all kinds of exotic birds. We hiked to the top of one of rock formations on the island and saw even more. The contradiction of desert cacti, penguins, and various sea-life was remarkable.

Saturday morning before boarding our bus back to reality, we departed early for Vicuna. The town is home to the Capel Pisco distillery about an hour outside of La Serena. We took a far more comfortable ride to Vicuna and then a collectivo to the distillery. Ten minutes and 1,500 pesos later we were signed up and ready to go on the 11am tour. The distillery is beautiful even in the off-season and the tour was great. They were in the bottling productions process and we were able to see it in action, very Laverne and Shirley.  At the end we sampled a few varieties, some better than others. Following the tour we stopped for Chilean Chinese food (they have a stronger presence here than one would imagine…) and a stroll around the square where we patronized some local vendors.  It was the perfect ending to an unforgettable week.

I found myself saying repeatedly that I never wanted to leave but was reminded by my travel mates to enjoy what we had done and seen rather than wish for more. This advice is a foundation for my attitude while in Chile. Things may be different, uncomfortable, imperfect and even irritating at times; however, my goal is to embrace each experience and allow it to shape me into the person I am meant to be.

Valparaíso-- Go to Paradise.

Gorgeous 

Week two of vacation began on Saturday in Temuco after our bittersweet goodbyes to the Winter Campers. T-shirts were signed, pictures were taken  and many hugs were exchanged with promises of Facebook connections.  That evening Nicole,  Arcelle, Allison, Shannan and I had late buses to Santiago and eventually Valparaíso. Both camp teams wanted to go out and celebrate the end of our tiresome week but we wanted to assure we had enough time to get to out "10:30pm" bus. We went to a nearby bar and shared a few pitchers of Stella Artois and chorrilana (French fries, meat, and a fried egg...I will try anything once). I double checked our tickets and soon realized I have not yet mastered military time: our bus was actually at 11:30pm. We laughed about it and were glad it wasn't the opposite mistake.  We boarded the two story "party bus" right on time in our private back row with 'salon cama' beds and I was asleep before we left the Temuco city limits. I woke up well rested just as we entered Santiago where we changed buses. Arcelle departed for Viña del Mar as we headed for Valparaíso. An hour and a half and some loud Chilean snoring later, we met Shannan and Allison at the Rodoviario terminal and taxied to our hostel.  The hostel was very artsy and eclectic from the outside. We rang the bell and waited and waited...until a blonde girl opened the door and horsely asked us if we had reservations and to come in. The place had an odor that I could never describe even if I tried. It was filthy. Our room was apparently occupied so she offered to let us leave our things in her room (also full of snoring foreigners) while we walked around. Then we went off and explored the city and searched  for a different hostel while enjoying a delicious breakfast at Hotel Alcala. We browsed a few and stumbled upon one that was quieter, peaceful and very clean. We met an American man there that lived in Madison, WI (¡chico mundo!) living in Chile for Ph. d work on social revolutions. We decided to stay there at Canta'ito and it was a great choice. The owners (Otey, Oscar and Carlos) were hospitable, fun, and very helpful. They gave us the best breakfast each morning of fresh yogurt, kiwi, apples, bananas,  and oats, tea and toast. Not to mention Otey had the most beautiful two-year old with auburn red hair named Evalou. They gave us recommendations and insider intel on things worth doing.  We visited the gorgeous murals on seemingly every surface, miradors, cute cafes,  had empanandas on the street, visited the port, Pablo Neruda's San Sebastiana home (a favorite!), and Viña del Mar.  Viña del Mar was breathtaking. My California travel companions were comparing parts to Malibu, LA, etc. it was absolutely beautiful. A sunny, gorgeous day as we walked along the ocean seeing pelicans and seals being fed fish from the local restaurants in search of a restaurant for ourselves. We ate a typical meal of 4 courses (bread and pebre, soup, an entree and dessert) for $5 or so. We ventured to the famous Viña del Mar and Casino and played a few slots; I lost 2,000 pesos and Nicole won 10,000 pesos. We then visited the Archeoplogical Museum, well just the outside of it. They brought an original  Moai, a statue of the Rapa Nui people, from Easter Island to the museum. We dodged the stray dogs that were following us with a cone of manjar flavored gelato.  After a few failed attempts at seeing live music at La Piedra Feliz or dancing at El Huevo (per Vanessa's suggestion) we enjoyed a caparihña at Kabala, the red-white-blue house drink at Macaluca and wine at El Pimenton with seafood soup (sharing a table with a family of less than pleasant Brits). The city is full of charm and character but also garbage and poverty that are reminders of the developing nation. We were very careful but the port city can be dangerous.  I fell in love with both Valparaíso and Viña del Mar and I will return one day!

The Coldest/Warmest Birthday Ever

My 22nd birthday celebrated last week was in the running for the best one ever. Having a summer birthday I always associate it with Beach Club Parties (probably at least 12 years worth...), sun, summer vacation, etc. this year I found myself in a down coat, wool socks and a red WINTER English Camp T-shirt. It was cold. However, the warm messages I received from the students, my friends and family here and at home, and overall love was better than I could have ever imagined. Birthday Highlights: 1. Celebrating with the program volunteers on Thursday night. Plans to go to the Casino in Temuco were deferred due to the high volume of high school students at the club. We found ourselves doing a mini-bar crawl down Avenida Alemania (Boca de Lobos, Beermania) and then a karaoke bar where I channeled my inner Rihanna with a gringa rendition of We Found Love and the Pobre Rico theme song. Allison, Silvia and Nicole also gave me a beautiful necklace from the Mercado! 2. Cake and candles for breakfast courtesy of our camp monitor Vanesa. 3. Gifts, cards, and tons of besos from the students. More cake at lunch with the students singing to me and presented me with a card signed by all of them. (I cried at the table). 4. A call from Tatiana saying her siter gave birth to her baby (expected at the end of the month). We visited Viviana and Ariel in the hospital that evening. 5. I ventured back to Galvarino for the night to celebrate. We ate vacuno, pollo, and cerdo at midnight. Had my face pushed into the cake after both Spanish and English versions of "Happy Birthday" I was given very thoughtful gifts from my host family including Mapuche style traditional earrings and a figure called the Indio Picaro(of which have to be seen to be believed...).Enjoyed wine and conversation until about 3 am when I could no longer keep my eyes open. It was different being away from my family and friends on my birthday but that is what I am here for: a different experience. I am continuing to try to embrace everything and appreciate what I have rather than what is lacking. I am extremely grateful for all of the love and support.

Weekend Getaway

Friday evening, while sitting in a Pizza Hut in Temuco for a post-shopping once, I was told that we would be traveling on Saturday. Not much more than I needed to pack a bag with a swimsuit, pajamas and an extra outfit and warm clothing. Mind you, it has been consistently 35-40 degrees Fahrenheit here so the need for a swimsuit had me intrigued. I did as I was instructed and Saturday morning we loaded the 17 passanger minibus with just the 4 of us and the back filled with trees and other flora. I later learned that part of the reason for our trip was to deliver these to a farm on the way. 

The scenic drive was beautiful. My breath is still taken away at the views of the mountains. We were heading further south so the beautiful green landscapes, rivers and lakes are increasingly more and more abundant.  The drive was about 4 hours to our destination including various stops along the way in Villarica and other small towns (I have come to learn that no matter how small the villages are here, Coca-cola, homemade bread and fresh fruit are plentiful). 

We arrived at the Termas capsite in the Los Lagos region. After Juan and Tatiana scoped out about 4 cabins we settled into one at the Puntulaf site. It was late afternoon so we had late lunch and set up camp in our quaint, rustic Cabana #16. Shortly after, we changed into swimsuits and parkas to dodge freezing raindrops to the Terma piscina. It was out of this world. The two pools are filled with volcanic heated waters filled with minerals. After 2 hours in the pool, my skin felt better than the day at the Pfister Spa (which I did not think was possible, Casey). The site we went to is one of the only natural termas in the area. There are others but they are artificially heated.  The combination of the steamy water and the freezing rain was medicinal (despite the fact that I know have a bit of a cold). Vale la pena.

Sunday morning we slept until we woke up (something they do a lot of here, greatly appreciated). We enjoyed coffee and breakfast in the cabin and then suited up for a walk. The walk turned into quite the hike and one of the best experiences thus far. I saw a cascade in the middle of a mountain from afar. The pictures do not accurately capture the grandeur. We continued to walk along the muddy trail, over slippery rocks and past adorable stray dogs. Finally seemingly out of nowhere is the beautiful collection of rocks overlooking the river and rapids. In the summer I was told you can catch HUGE salmon and thought of all the fishermen in my family and how much they would love it. We took some great pictures and collected some beautiful red driftwood (I kept a small one shaped like a heart). 

After our walk we decided to spend a few more hours in the pool. With the sun shining and warmer temperature it was not quite a contradiction but just as enjoyable. After lunch we packed up and began the trek back after stopping at a beautiful wood artisan. This man has made his living making stunning things out of the local trees. He gave us a tour of his entire operation (four buildings of varying steps of the operation) and I made a few purchases. The sun sets early so I absorbed the view through Villarica once again before the sun set and we were back in Galvarino before 9pm. 

Enjoy the photos, Ciao for now! 

Food and Family

This past long weekend was full of both.

Thursday evening Antonia had a show at school not unlike our old Variety Shows in grade school. The show was in celebration of the holiday Dia de La Famila. She attends an English emmersion school about 20 minutes away and timidly asked if I would like to see her performance. Obviously. (A word that I recently taught her that she says with an adorable inflection). So we drove to Traiguen to her school watching the sunset among the mountains. We arrived in the town that seems to be stuck in the 1950s (tuxedo clad men standing outside the Club Social de Traiguen among diner restaurants, etc) but charming nonetheless. The show began with introductions from faculty and as I tried to keep up with the quick speaking tendancies introducing the first act, I heard a familar sound. Party Rock Anthem. Yes, 5th and 6th grade boys in white t shirts doing a gymnastics routine to the LMFAO hit. I smiled internally knowing that they likely had no idea what all the words really meant. Other acts included adorable little girls speaking English, a mock Food Network type show describing the recipe for Family. Everything was cuter in Spanish. Antonia performed a great little song with musical instruments played by the class. The finale was the best as the entire school sang a rehearsed version (with hand motions) to Bruno Mars song Count on Me. Tears welled.

Following the performance (again similar to what we would do after variety shows and performances) the four of us went out to eat. We drove around the corner to a little diner type restaurant and I enjoyed my first churrasco. The best way to describe it would be a combination of a gyro and burger. It was shaved meat, avocado, tomato, mayonaisse (not being a fan, I did my best) all on a bun. It was delicious and very filling.

 The family dynamic here is notable. The extended family (which includes friends and neighbors and really everyone) is so welcoming, curious and patient. We went to Temuco on Saturday around 530 for an uncles birthday party. We stopped first at the mall in Temuco. As we entered, Juan exclaimed CIVILIZACION! Joking about the lack of life in our small town. I bought a few things and scoped out what people wear here. After the mall we went to the family´´s home and greeted about 20 more people with excitement. Not five minutes into me taking off my coat was I offered a homemade Pisco Sour (which I gladly accepted). I was then brought into the garage area where 5 more men were tending to pigs and other meats roasting for the asado. I was honored and embraced with many SALUDS as Juan cut off a piece of the pig´´s ear for me to eat. We closely settled inside around a large table and shared the enormous bounty of food and wine. The hosts are so attentive and lovely. The guitars were brought out and traditional music was played, the table moved aside and everyone danced and drank more. Before we knew it we were all exhausted and it was 330 AM. We arrived back home around 5 and needless to say slept most of Sunday.

Everyone is so gracious and the culture of sharing and inclusion has been made very apparent to me.