Heya, just put up the pictures I took, I'll try to get some more from friends who took pictures on different days than me and put those up as well. But yeah, there are over 200, so do enjoy. It was an amazing place to see.
Patagonia Pictures!
Also, I stole some pictures from friends, and they are here...
Stolen Patagonia Pictures!
-Brian
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Patagonia!
I've returned from the land that is patagonia, and now, I shall give you a day by day description of my experiences. First, a little backstory:
Patagonia is the land at the bottom of South America, chock full o towering mountains, pristine glacier lakes and of course, glaciers. There are small towns, and "cities" but they have cities as much as maine has cities. So they don't have cities.
Day 1: Wednesday Night/Thursday: The trip starts with a final meal in Vina, which was el Guaton. Is there a better way to start a four day hiking/camping trip? I think not. After putting that puppy down, we headed to Santiago for our flight to Punta Arenas in patagonia. Our flight left Santiago at 2:40 in the morning, so we all did a bit of sleeping in the airport. Got in to Punta Arenas at 6 in the morningish, got a bus to Punta Natales, a city three hours north, at 8. From there we rented gear from Hostel Nancy,(tents, matts, stoves and such) and headed three more hours north to Parque Torres del Paine.
Now, by the time we got to where we were camping, the sun was already down. We were dropped off on a dirt road in the middle of the park and told to cross this field and river to where the campsite was. Also, it had been raining for the past few hours. This habit of rain will become quite a motif in the telling of said adventures in Patagonia. Off we went across the field(navigating our way through a herd of cows that was roaming through the area) to cross the river. Naturally, we were unable to cross the river, as it was a ragin in the rain that was coming down. Even our new found Brazilian friends whom were veteran hikers were unable to cross(more on this later!). Therefore, we camped on the wrong side of the river(with all the cows), in now soaked tents. We also found our what a lie a "two" and "four" person tent is, as they are not meant for normal sized humans- certainly not for such a hulking man as myself. The first night was cold, wet, and bitter in a crowded tent. I can remember three dreams from that night: I went back to Vina del Mar and got another tent for all of us, and then woke up. I went outside and saw a giant building that sold hot french fries and had free dryers. Woke up cold. Had a dream the people in a nearby hosteleria invited inside to sit by the fire. It was a long night...
Day 2; Friday: Although the night was desperate, with the rising sun came a new hope. We awoke to find that we could actually go inside the hosteleria and dry our stuff by the fire. Rejuvenated by our dryness, we pack up and head deep into Torres Del Paine for four days of hiking! The first day was probably one of the toughest hikes, heading straight into a valley nearest to the tallest Towers. It was pretty straight up(though not as steep as la campana) with INTENSE wind. Working out way through the valley, the trail snaked alongside the valley wall, making each step an important decision! Since the wind was blowing so strongly over the snow/ice covered mountains, there was always rain and sleet in the wind. A nice little peppering effect for ya! An example of how intense the wind was: While climbing up the mountain I had on my neon orange poncho(thank you Daddo) for rain issues. The wind proved its strength as it shredded the back off of my poncho, leaving me with a even more ridiculous looking orange smock. Pretty awesome, I know.
Ok, I gotta go to sleep. Class in the morning. But fret not, you still have over three more days coming, annnnd pictures! Excited? You should be. Have a good one.
-Brian
Spanish saying of the day: "Soy sin complicaciones. Por que? Por que es la buena vida." Something like that.
Patagonia is the land at the bottom of South America, chock full o towering mountains, pristine glacier lakes and of course, glaciers. There are small towns, and "cities" but they have cities as much as maine has cities. So they don't have cities.
Day 1: Wednesday Night/Thursday: The trip starts with a final meal in Vina, which was el Guaton. Is there a better way to start a four day hiking/camping trip? I think not. After putting that puppy down, we headed to Santiago for our flight to Punta Arenas in patagonia. Our flight left Santiago at 2:40 in the morning, so we all did a bit of sleeping in the airport. Got in to Punta Arenas at 6 in the morningish, got a bus to Punta Natales, a city three hours north, at 8. From there we rented gear from Hostel Nancy,(tents, matts, stoves and such) and headed three more hours north to Parque Torres del Paine.
Now, by the time we got to where we were camping, the sun was already down. We were dropped off on a dirt road in the middle of the park and told to cross this field and river to where the campsite was. Also, it had been raining for the past few hours. This habit of rain will become quite a motif in the telling of said adventures in Patagonia. Off we went across the field(navigating our way through a herd of cows that was roaming through the area) to cross the river. Naturally, we were unable to cross the river, as it was a ragin in the rain that was coming down. Even our new found Brazilian friends whom were veteran hikers were unable to cross(more on this later!). Therefore, we camped on the wrong side of the river(with all the cows), in now soaked tents. We also found our what a lie a "two" and "four" person tent is, as they are not meant for normal sized humans- certainly not for such a hulking man as myself. The first night was cold, wet, and bitter in a crowded tent. I can remember three dreams from that night: I went back to Vina del Mar and got another tent for all of us, and then woke up. I went outside and saw a giant building that sold hot french fries and had free dryers. Woke up cold. Had a dream the people in a nearby hosteleria invited inside to sit by the fire. It was a long night...
Day 2; Friday: Although the night was desperate, with the rising sun came a new hope. We awoke to find that we could actually go inside the hosteleria and dry our stuff by the fire. Rejuvenated by our dryness, we pack up and head deep into Torres Del Paine for four days of hiking! The first day was probably one of the toughest hikes, heading straight into a valley nearest to the tallest Towers. It was pretty straight up(though not as steep as la campana) with INTENSE wind. Working out way through the valley, the trail snaked alongside the valley wall, making each step an important decision! Since the wind was blowing so strongly over the snow/ice covered mountains, there was always rain and sleet in the wind. A nice little peppering effect for ya! An example of how intense the wind was: While climbing up the mountain I had on my neon orange poncho(thank you Daddo) for rain issues. The wind proved its strength as it shredded the back off of my poncho, leaving me with a even more ridiculous looking orange smock. Pretty awesome, I know.
Ok, I gotta go to sleep. Class in the morning. But fret not, you still have over three more days coming, annnnd pictures! Excited? You should be. Have a good one.
-Brian
Spanish saying of the day: "Soy sin complicaciones. Por que? Por que es la buena vida." Something like that.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Additions!
Heya
Some corrections and additions to dad's email:
The place we ate in Vina is called "el Guaton" which literally means, fat man, or fat stomach. Guata is something like tummy or gut in Chilean spanish. It is delicious, and apparently is a minor chain on seemingly one major street in vina. The sandwiches are gigantic, as appropriately described, and as with many American large food joints(with respective large food), it is a feat to say you've finished el Guaton by yourself. Not many try, and even fewer succeed. Its on my to do list.
The food that we ate in Valparaiso is called a Chorillana, and is appropriately described by dad. It food only in Valpo, and in some places in Vina, and is apparently a meal invented by the port folk. Or something of that sort. Fries, meat, egg, beer and a lot of it is essentially what it entails. The beer is a drink on the side, not in the meal itself. So far as I know.
Ascensors are a pretty famous object in Valparaiso. Essentially, they're like large elevators that take you up the side of a hill. The city has over a dozen, though I couldn't tell you how many. Pretty neat, and a little bit scary. They're very old. Quite. As far as I know, they have yet to have any sort of incident(My dad and I hypothesized that there are two counter balanced cars, making a free fall drop impossible.)
Crowded buses are very common here, I've learned to be comfortable in tiny crowded buses.
I must add a correction about the dogs. They do fight and bark, but ninety percent of the time its at other dogs. At nearly all times of the night, one can hear the distant barking of dogs. While this would appear to be annoying, its actually not that bad, since its more of a background noise instead of the ole dog-outside-your-window.
Smoking: Chile has the largest teenage smoking rate in the world. While smoking is generally not done indoors unless the people live there or are told so, all restaurants and bars allow smoking. Ash trays are as common and popular as ever. Evidently, many students studying abroad here pick up said habit. Don't worry mom, its not for me.
The Completo consists of the following ingredients: A bun, hot dog, diced tomatoes, sauerkraut, and melted mayo. An Italiano consists of the following ingredients: Bun, hotdog, diced tomato, a ton of avocado and melted mayo. From experience and many trials, the completo is better. Actually, its not only better, but sometimes I crave them. Next thing you know, I'll want a mullet. (Mullets are huge here)
I've observed a bit of a paradox whilst being here in Chile. In general, the Chilean people are very helpful. Whenever I am traveling, I know that I can rely on asking strangers for directions- and I have never been lead astray. An example: a few days ago, I was meeting a few friends in Valparaiso at some school that I had never heard of nor knew its location. First, I went up to a street vendor and asked how to get there. She told me to go to a certain bus stop. Went to the bus stop. Asked a guy there which bus took me there. Pointed to which bus it was. Got on the bus. Sat down on the bus, and a guy(not working on the bus) came up to me and asked me where I was going, and then said he'd tell me when to get off. And got there within ten minutes. Perfect. This sort of thing happens all the time, people are very helpful. But this being said, EVERY house, office, store building has locks, fences and spikes warding all away. Every shop has security officers with armored vests. So I ask if the people are so nice here, why is there so much security? I have asked, have gotten a bunch of varied answers, and need to ask some more before stating an opinion. Its quite peculiar.
Tomorrow, I am heading to Patagonia with five of my friends. We're gonna be camping and hiking for four days around parque Torres Del Paine. Pictures will be yours to behold in just a few days!
-Brian
Spanish saying of the week: "Puedo hablar contigo pero solo si no hablas como un chileno."
Some corrections and additions to dad's email:
The place we ate in Vina is called "el Guaton" which literally means, fat man, or fat stomach. Guata is something like tummy or gut in Chilean spanish. It is delicious, and apparently is a minor chain on seemingly one major street in vina. The sandwiches are gigantic, as appropriately described, and as with many American large food joints(with respective large food), it is a feat to say you've finished el Guaton by yourself. Not many try, and even fewer succeed. Its on my to do list.
The food that we ate in Valparaiso is called a Chorillana, and is appropriately described by dad. It food only in Valpo, and in some places in Vina, and is apparently a meal invented by the port folk. Or something of that sort. Fries, meat, egg, beer and a lot of it is essentially what it entails. The beer is a drink on the side, not in the meal itself. So far as I know.
Ascensors are a pretty famous object in Valparaiso. Essentially, they're like large elevators that take you up the side of a hill. The city has over a dozen, though I couldn't tell you how many. Pretty neat, and a little bit scary. They're very old. Quite. As far as I know, they have yet to have any sort of incident(My dad and I hypothesized that there are two counter balanced cars, making a free fall drop impossible.)
Crowded buses are very common here, I've learned to be comfortable in tiny crowded buses.
I must add a correction about the dogs. They do fight and bark, but ninety percent of the time its at other dogs. At nearly all times of the night, one can hear the distant barking of dogs. While this would appear to be annoying, its actually not that bad, since its more of a background noise instead of the ole dog-outside-your-window.
Smoking: Chile has the largest teenage smoking rate in the world. While smoking is generally not done indoors unless the people live there or are told so, all restaurants and bars allow smoking. Ash trays are as common and popular as ever. Evidently, many students studying abroad here pick up said habit. Don't worry mom, its not for me.
The Completo consists of the following ingredients: A bun, hot dog, diced tomatoes, sauerkraut, and melted mayo. An Italiano consists of the following ingredients: Bun, hotdog, diced tomato, a ton of avocado and melted mayo. From experience and many trials, the completo is better. Actually, its not only better, but sometimes I crave them. Next thing you know, I'll want a mullet. (Mullets are huge here)
I've observed a bit of a paradox whilst being here in Chile. In general, the Chilean people are very helpful. Whenever I am traveling, I know that I can rely on asking strangers for directions- and I have never been lead astray. An example: a few days ago, I was meeting a few friends in Valparaiso at some school that I had never heard of nor knew its location. First, I went up to a street vendor and asked how to get there. She told me to go to a certain bus stop. Went to the bus stop. Asked a guy there which bus took me there. Pointed to which bus it was. Got on the bus. Sat down on the bus, and a guy(not working on the bus) came up to me and asked me where I was going, and then said he'd tell me when to get off. And got there within ten minutes. Perfect. This sort of thing happens all the time, people are very helpful. But this being said, EVERY house, office, store building has locks, fences and spikes warding all away. Every shop has security officers with armored vests. So I ask if the people are so nice here, why is there so much security? I have asked, have gotten a bunch of varied answers, and need to ask some more before stating an opinion. Its quite peculiar.
Tomorrow, I am heading to Patagonia with five of my friends. We're gonna be camping and hiking for four days around parque Torres Del Paine. Pictures will be yours to behold in just a few days!
-Brian
Spanish saying of the week: "Puedo hablar contigo pero solo si no hablas como un chileno."
Monday, April 20, 2009
The Rest of the trip by Dad
This post is an attempt to chronicle the rest of the trip by Dad. There has been no input by Brian and he has reserved the right to correct the record as he sees fit at any time.
After the hike to La Campana, the next day needed to be a little bit of a recovery day. We basically hung out in Vina Del Mar and visited the down town area. We scouted out some shopping areas and basically went around the city. While down there we walked by a bank advertising 100% financing. I wasn't going to go in but then I figured what the heck what's the worst that could happen. I was kind of interested to see what they do down here. They didn't seem real happy to visit with me. So it was a wasted couple of minutes. I suspect they thought I was the cause of the mortgage crisis in the states and was in Chile in hiding. We had an el guarcon for lunch. This is the largest sandwich I've ever seen. It is lettuce, tomato, cheese, meat, avocado, and mayonaise stacked about 12 inches high. It is a sandwich for two and you need a knife and fork.
Thursday, after Brian's classes we went back into Vina Del Mar and did the souvenir shopping. I tried to get things from Chile, hopefully the people will like them. We then went off to Valparaiso which is the town just down the coast. The guide books call Valparaiso the San Francisco of Chile. It has a different feel from Vina del Mar. It is a serious working port city with tankers, freighters, cranes, trucks and containers. It is also the home of the Chilean Navy. As a side note Valporaiso University in Indiana is named after this city in Chile. Evidently a prominent citizen from Indiana was the captain of a ship in the US Navy that lost a battle in the waters off Valporaiso in the 1800's. Valporaiso is basically built into the hillside and everything overlooks the harbor. It is also a little bit of an artsy type place. It has a different feel to it than Vina Del Mar. Brian and I were looking for the place that served Choriana's (sp?). We didn't have the name of the place or the address but how difficult could it be to find for two intrepid explorers, one of whom who spoke the language. After walking around the area of Valpo for awhile we tried this one small alley way and found the place. How we actually did this I'm not sure. The choriana is basically a gigantic meat, onion, egg, and french fries dish. Everything is just jumbled together on the plate. There was no hint of the ever present avocado or mayonaise. It was very good. It is a dinner for two. We had gotten there at around 3 so the place was busy but not packed. Mid day is the big meal time in Chile. There was a guy playing the guitar and singing Chilean songs. It was a lot of fun.
That evening we were to go the beaches are Renaca and Con Con with Brian's Chilean family. To get there Miguel was going to drive. On the way he was going to show us the hospital where he was currently working on the building project. He is renovating and expanding the cafeteria at the hospital. It was kind of funny because in spanish words can have sometimes have two meanings. Evidently casino can mean a casino as we would think and as they have down by the beach in Vina, and it can also mean cafeteria as Miguel's building project is called. I was trying to figure out why they were putting a casino in the hospital. We had a good laugh about that.
On the way to the beaches we had a little incident which I think exemplifies the Chilean people that I met. The cars tend to be much older there. By Miguel's work project at the hospital a pipe from the radiator burst in the car and the car overheated. We pulled over to the side of the road and about 10 Chilean workers from the nearby businesses come running out and start working on the car. Everyone is involved fixing the problem and coming up with suggestions for short term fixes. Everyone was very helpful. I don't think they have AAA. To make a long story short some of these people stayed with us for an hour. Miguel went off to see if he could find the thermostat he needed. After awhile Miguel called and said he couldn't find the part. So we got some silicon adhesive and hooked up the hose and limped the car home. All the strangers had been very helpful and concerned. It wasn't meant for me to make it to Renaca or Con Con.
On the way back to the house we drove by a super mercado and picked up Miguel. He had evidently been food shopping. We went back to the house and had a great dinner. During the dinner Miguel talked about how the car would get fixed tomorrow or the next day, the day after that or the day after that. What was important to him was that we all had this time together and that we should enjoy it and not worry about what we couldn't control. I'm not sure that I could have handled it so well. His attitude really put things in perspective. It was really nice to know that these were the people with whom Brian was living while in Chile.
The next day Brian and I explored the rest of Valporaiso. We went up cable driven acensiones, walked up and down stairs all over the city. While on the tour there were several building that had been destroyed by fire. We couldn't understand why when there was a fire why a ton of buildings didn't go up in flames. A closer look at the buildings showed that they were all either stucco or sheet metal. All the roof's were sheet metal. It looked like the only thing that would burn was the inside of the house. We walked all over the city. Late in the afternoon we started t head back to Vina. It had finally warmed up so I went down to the ocean and at least put my foot in the south pacific. The water was pretty cold. I guess it comes from Antarctica. We missed the bus we were supposed to take to Santiago that evening but we caught the next one which was basically 10 minutes later.
We stayed in the hostel at the Plaza de Armas that Brian stays in while in Santiago. It was kind of like Indian Guides. It was a great place on the top floor of the building overlooking the plaza. It's a terrific view. We had dinner and settled down early because Saturday was going to be a long day.
The plan for Saturday was to go to Cajon de Maipo and hike to a glacier. There is one bus in to this place and one bus out. You either catch this bus or you don't go. Some things are meant to happen or not. The trip to Renaca and Con Con was not meant to happen. The trip to the glacier was meant to happen. Only Brian would plan on taking someone who has traveled 5000 miles to a place called Banos Morales. I think that in this case banos translates to springs and not bathroom. The plan was to get up at 6:30 take the 7 am train to where the bus to Banos Morales is and then hike to the glacier. We get up at 6:30 we head into the train station a little before 7 and find the station locked up tight. Chile is pretty much a Catholic country and Easter is a big holiday so the trains didn't open at the usual time. Our options were to wait until 8 and hope the bus was still there or take a cab to where we needed to be. The only problem was that there weren't many cabs either. We end up catching the first train to where the bus is supposed to be and find that it has already gone. We take the next bus to the closest city which is San Jose de Maipo. This city as it turns out is a good hour on a dirt road from Banos Morales. As we pull into the city we decide to get off and we start looking for the bus which is hopefully still here. As we are walking down the street the driver of the bus from which we have just left toots the horn and signals for us to get back on the bus. He drives us about another half mile and points to a bus parked on the side of the road and tells Brian that is the bus to Banos Morales. The bus is stopped in front of a little market because the driver wanted a 2 liter bottle of water for the drive to Banos Morales. That is the only reason the bus was still here. It was meant to be. We get over to the bus and it is right out of the movies except no chickens. This bus seats maybe 40 people. There have to be 80 people on the bus before we got there. Brian talks to the conductor who encourages everyone to squeeze together and we are able to get in the bus. I am on the first step leaning up against the door. Every time the bus turns Brian's back pack whacks me in the head. A lady in the first row takes Brian's back pack on her lap for the hour drive to Banos Morales. We're on a dirt road with a cliff pretty close to the edge. There are cars, busse, bicyclist and walkers on the road. People actually get off the bus at a couple of stops. To do this I need to push Brian up and get on the next step so they can open the door. Then I need to get off the bus so they can let the people off. At one of the stops maybe about 20-25 minutes in about 10 more people get on the bus. I lost my spot. Now I'm up by the driver. All the buses are standard shift on the floor. So the first time the driver shifts into 3rd he whacks me in the butt. To keep this from happening I grab ahold of the ceiling hand rails and hold on with my hody tilted at about a 65-75 degree angle so I don't accidently shift to a new gear. This was a little tiring. We drive this way for the next 35 minutes or so. We drive along the mountain road, through a couple of creeks and finally arrive at Banos Morales. During the whole trip everyone is laughing and not one person is complaining. I wasn't complaining, my hands and forearms were just really tired. We pull into Banos Morales and there is a stable, some small cabins, tent sites, a make shift bar, and of course a bathroom. It is in a little valley surrounded by high mountain peaks. We register with the park ranger and head out. It is about 8 Kilometers to the San Francisco glacier at the end of the valley. We have a steep grade for the first maybe 2k and then we flatten out in the valley. The views are incredible. I don't know if the pictures I've taken do this place justice. The last 1k is more uphill across a rock field to the glacier. It was something else to be on a glacier in the Andes on the Argentina/Chile border. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and it was probably 75 degrees. It was incredible. After we hiked back we had some time so we went to the bar and had a couple fo Crystal's, which is beer. We deserved them after the hike and waited for the bus back. The bus ride back was somewhat uneventful. We obviously didn't have a place to sit because we were in the bar instead of in line but that was ok. We basically rode back with 80 of our closest chilean friends.
The next day was Easter Sunday. We went to Church at the cathedral in the Plaza de Armas. This church had to be a football field long. It was amazing inside. After Mass we had breakfast on the way over to San Cristobal. As I've said before I liked these empanada's that they eat. This morning we have a shrimp emapanada which is the best one we have had since I have been here. th go over to San Cristobal which is hte highest peak in the city limits of Santiago. Santiago is surrounded by high mountain peaks but this is in the city and gives you great views of the city. There was an open air mass up there while we were there with the city in the background. Evidently the Pope said mass there when he visited. On the way back from San Cristobal to the city we are walking throught the nicest residential section that I have seen since I have been here. It is very definitely the upscale neighborhood. The houses are big by Chilean standards. They have the security walls and fences. In some cases the fences are electrified. I still find this to be amazing. I never felt unsafe in Chile. Later that afternoon we go to the Fish Market before we need to head to the airport for my flight out. This is an operating fish market that was built 145 years ago. They have now converted a large part of it to a restaurant. I end up having salmon margarita which is salmon, scallops, shrimp, and octopus with some type of white cream sause. It was sooooooo good. It was a Frequency moment. Frequency was a movie that I really, really liked. It was a perfect ending to the Chilean adventure.
I have to admit I really didn't want to leave. I had a terrific time. I did a ton of things that I newer would have imagined. I ate some stuff I would never have imagined. I kind of liked Brian being in charge and paying for everything. He also liked being in charge and paying for everything even when I would give him the money. It was quite an adventure.
After the hike to La Campana, the next day needed to be a little bit of a recovery day. We basically hung out in Vina Del Mar and visited the down town area. We scouted out some shopping areas and basically went around the city. While down there we walked by a bank advertising 100% financing. I wasn't going to go in but then I figured what the heck what's the worst that could happen. I was kind of interested to see what they do down here. They didn't seem real happy to visit with me. So it was a wasted couple of minutes. I suspect they thought I was the cause of the mortgage crisis in the states and was in Chile in hiding. We had an el guarcon for lunch. This is the largest sandwich I've ever seen. It is lettuce, tomato, cheese, meat, avocado, and mayonaise stacked about 12 inches high. It is a sandwich for two and you need a knife and fork.
Thursday, after Brian's classes we went back into Vina Del Mar and did the souvenir shopping. I tried to get things from Chile, hopefully the people will like them. We then went off to Valparaiso which is the town just down the coast. The guide books call Valparaiso the San Francisco of Chile. It has a different feel from Vina del Mar. It is a serious working port city with tankers, freighters, cranes, trucks and containers. It is also the home of the Chilean Navy. As a side note Valporaiso University in Indiana is named after this city in Chile. Evidently a prominent citizen from Indiana was the captain of a ship in the US Navy that lost a battle in the waters off Valporaiso in the 1800's. Valporaiso is basically built into the hillside and everything overlooks the harbor. It is also a little bit of an artsy type place. It has a different feel to it than Vina Del Mar. Brian and I were looking for the place that served Choriana's (sp?). We didn't have the name of the place or the address but how difficult could it be to find for two intrepid explorers, one of whom who spoke the language. After walking around the area of Valpo for awhile we tried this one small alley way and found the place. How we actually did this I'm not sure. The choriana is basically a gigantic meat, onion, egg, and french fries dish. Everything is just jumbled together on the plate. There was no hint of the ever present avocado or mayonaise. It was very good. It is a dinner for two. We had gotten there at around 3 so the place was busy but not packed. Mid day is the big meal time in Chile. There was a guy playing the guitar and singing Chilean songs. It was a lot of fun.
That evening we were to go the beaches are Renaca and Con Con with Brian's Chilean family. To get there Miguel was going to drive. On the way he was going to show us the hospital where he was currently working on the building project. He is renovating and expanding the cafeteria at the hospital. It was kind of funny because in spanish words can have sometimes have two meanings. Evidently casino can mean a casino as we would think and as they have down by the beach in Vina, and it can also mean cafeteria as Miguel's building project is called. I was trying to figure out why they were putting a casino in the hospital. We had a good laugh about that.
On the way to the beaches we had a little incident which I think exemplifies the Chilean people that I met. The cars tend to be much older there. By Miguel's work project at the hospital a pipe from the radiator burst in the car and the car overheated. We pulled over to the side of the road and about 10 Chilean workers from the nearby businesses come running out and start working on the car. Everyone is involved fixing the problem and coming up with suggestions for short term fixes. Everyone was very helpful. I don't think they have AAA. To make a long story short some of these people stayed with us for an hour. Miguel went off to see if he could find the thermostat he needed. After awhile Miguel called and said he couldn't find the part. So we got some silicon adhesive and hooked up the hose and limped the car home. All the strangers had been very helpful and concerned. It wasn't meant for me to make it to Renaca or Con Con.
On the way back to the house we drove by a super mercado and picked up Miguel. He had evidently been food shopping. We went back to the house and had a great dinner. During the dinner Miguel talked about how the car would get fixed tomorrow or the next day, the day after that or the day after that. What was important to him was that we all had this time together and that we should enjoy it and not worry about what we couldn't control. I'm not sure that I could have handled it so well. His attitude really put things in perspective. It was really nice to know that these were the people with whom Brian was living while in Chile.
The next day Brian and I explored the rest of Valporaiso. We went up cable driven acensiones, walked up and down stairs all over the city. While on the tour there were several building that had been destroyed by fire. We couldn't understand why when there was a fire why a ton of buildings didn't go up in flames. A closer look at the buildings showed that they were all either stucco or sheet metal. All the roof's were sheet metal. It looked like the only thing that would burn was the inside of the house. We walked all over the city. Late in the afternoon we started t head back to Vina. It had finally warmed up so I went down to the ocean and at least put my foot in the south pacific. The water was pretty cold. I guess it comes from Antarctica. We missed the bus we were supposed to take to Santiago that evening but we caught the next one which was basically 10 minutes later.
We stayed in the hostel at the Plaza de Armas that Brian stays in while in Santiago. It was kind of like Indian Guides. It was a great place on the top floor of the building overlooking the plaza. It's a terrific view. We had dinner and settled down early because Saturday was going to be a long day.
The plan for Saturday was to go to Cajon de Maipo and hike to a glacier. There is one bus in to this place and one bus out. You either catch this bus or you don't go. Some things are meant to happen or not. The trip to Renaca and Con Con was not meant to happen. The trip to the glacier was meant to happen. Only Brian would plan on taking someone who has traveled 5000 miles to a place called Banos Morales. I think that in this case banos translates to springs and not bathroom. The plan was to get up at 6:30 take the 7 am train to where the bus to Banos Morales is and then hike to the glacier. We get up at 6:30 we head into the train station a little before 7 and find the station locked up tight. Chile is pretty much a Catholic country and Easter is a big holiday so the trains didn't open at the usual time. Our options were to wait until 8 and hope the bus was still there or take a cab to where we needed to be. The only problem was that there weren't many cabs either. We end up catching the first train to where the bus is supposed to be and find that it has already gone. We take the next bus to the closest city which is San Jose de Maipo. This city as it turns out is a good hour on a dirt road from Banos Morales. As we pull into the city we decide to get off and we start looking for the bus which is hopefully still here. As we are walking down the street the driver of the bus from which we have just left toots the horn and signals for us to get back on the bus. He drives us about another half mile and points to a bus parked on the side of the road and tells Brian that is the bus to Banos Morales. The bus is stopped in front of a little market because the driver wanted a 2 liter bottle of water for the drive to Banos Morales. That is the only reason the bus was still here. It was meant to be. We get over to the bus and it is right out of the movies except no chickens. This bus seats maybe 40 people. There have to be 80 people on the bus before we got there. Brian talks to the conductor who encourages everyone to squeeze together and we are able to get in the bus. I am on the first step leaning up against the door. Every time the bus turns Brian's back pack whacks me in the head. A lady in the first row takes Brian's back pack on her lap for the hour drive to Banos Morales. We're on a dirt road with a cliff pretty close to the edge. There are cars, busse, bicyclist and walkers on the road. People actually get off the bus at a couple of stops. To do this I need to push Brian up and get on the next step so they can open the door. Then I need to get off the bus so they can let the people off. At one of the stops maybe about 20-25 minutes in about 10 more people get on the bus. I lost my spot. Now I'm up by the driver. All the buses are standard shift on the floor. So the first time the driver shifts into 3rd he whacks me in the butt. To keep this from happening I grab ahold of the ceiling hand rails and hold on with my hody tilted at about a 65-75 degree angle so I don't accidently shift to a new gear. This was a little tiring. We drive this way for the next 35 minutes or so. We drive along the mountain road, through a couple of creeks and finally arrive at Banos Morales. During the whole trip everyone is laughing and not one person is complaining. I wasn't complaining, my hands and forearms were just really tired. We pull into Banos Morales and there is a stable, some small cabins, tent sites, a make shift bar, and of course a bathroom. It is in a little valley surrounded by high mountain peaks. We register with the park ranger and head out. It is about 8 Kilometers to the San Francisco glacier at the end of the valley. We have a steep grade for the first maybe 2k and then we flatten out in the valley. The views are incredible. I don't know if the pictures I've taken do this place justice. The last 1k is more uphill across a rock field to the glacier. It was something else to be on a glacier in the Andes on the Argentina/Chile border. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and it was probably 75 degrees. It was incredible. After we hiked back we had some time so we went to the bar and had a couple fo Crystal's, which is beer. We deserved them after the hike and waited for the bus back. The bus ride back was somewhat uneventful. We obviously didn't have a place to sit because we were in the bar instead of in line but that was ok. We basically rode back with 80 of our closest chilean friends.
The next day was Easter Sunday. We went to Church at the cathedral in the Plaza de Armas. This church had to be a football field long. It was amazing inside. After Mass we had breakfast on the way over to San Cristobal. As I've said before I liked these empanada's that they eat. This morning we have a shrimp emapanada which is the best one we have had since I have been here. th go over to San Cristobal which is hte highest peak in the city limits of Santiago. Santiago is surrounded by high mountain peaks but this is in the city and gives you great views of the city. There was an open air mass up there while we were there with the city in the background. Evidently the Pope said mass there when he visited. On the way back from San Cristobal to the city we are walking throught the nicest residential section that I have seen since I have been here. It is very definitely the upscale neighborhood. The houses are big by Chilean standards. They have the security walls and fences. In some cases the fences are electrified. I still find this to be amazing. I never felt unsafe in Chile. Later that afternoon we go to the Fish Market before we need to head to the airport for my flight out. This is an operating fish market that was built 145 years ago. They have now converted a large part of it to a restaurant. I end up having salmon margarita which is salmon, scallops, shrimp, and octopus with some type of white cream sause. It was sooooooo good. It was a Frequency moment. Frequency was a movie that I really, really liked. It was a perfect ending to the Chilean adventure.
I have to admit I really didn't want to leave. I had a terrific time. I did a ton of things that I newer would have imagined. I ate some stuff I would never have imagined. I kind of liked Brian being in charge and paying for everything. He also liked being in charge and paying for everything even when I would give him the money. It was quite an adventure.
Monday, April 13, 2009
More Pictures!
Here are some more pictures of various travelings of me, particularly the dunes of Con Con, Cajon de Maipo (a canyon near the Argentinian border in the Andes), and some Santiago stuff.
The link is here: My Pictures!
Above is Dad and I hiking in Baños Morales, in Cajon de Maipo. Pretty amazing place with a glacier at the end of the valley.
More pictures from me soon, an update from Dad, and a following response from me coming soon!
-Brian
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Observations From Dad
These are my observations and comments and in no way reflect anything going on in Brian's head.
TRAVEL
Traveling to Chile is kind of made easy because there is no time change. It is 12:30 here just like at home. This for me was a big deal. I felt pretty good when I got here and had no time adjustment. I have never traveled more than three time zones to California but I would think the adjustment of a 15 hour flight east or west would be gigantic. The flight is on the long side but the Delta flight had enough leg room and the seat seemed to go back a littl further than I anticipated. I was able to sleep 4 or 5 hours. Once the son started coming up I wanted to look out the window. Originally I would have liked to had a view of what we were flying over but I suspect that the Amazon ( which I don't think we flew over) from 35000 feet would like the same as Google Earth. The flight was kind of an old time flight. It had a meal, a movie, free blankets, pillows, eye shades, head phones, and ear plugs. I was also could have checked two bags for free. Ok not free obviously it was included in the cost of the flight.
CITIES
Santiago is the largest city Chile. It probably has half of the country's population. Santiago is the Hub of Chile (as Boston is the Hub of the Universe). Much of the development of Chile spans out from Santiago. I've only really been to 3 towns or cities so far. Santiago, Vina Del Mar and Limache. They kind of represent three different sizes of cities. Santiago the biggest, Vina Del Mar big but much smaller than Santiago and Limache which would be small or smaller at least.
Parks are big in the cities in part I suspect because land with houses is very small. All three towns seem to have many parks of all sizes. There seem to be many people in them most of the time that I have seen so far. Plaza de Armas in Santiago was still pretty busy when we left for Vina.
Security is evidently a big deal. Each house has a fence with serious looking points to keep people out. I would say in Santiago and Vina Del Mar I haven't seen a house without this type of fence. In Limache some of the poorer sections had smaller fences with some barbed wire. In the bigger towns the police have a very prominent presence. They are noticeable, they wear flak jackets ore bullet proof vests. That being said I don't recall seeing them talking or hassling anyone. In Limache I don't recall seeing the police to the same degree. Evidently violent crime is generally not a big problem but stealing, pick pocketing and the such evidently are. I have seen no evidence of any crime.
Graffiti is gigantic here. It seems like everything has something written on it. As I noted in my earlier post graffiti had been carved into plants never mind the trees and walls. It's too bad because it detracts from the cities buildings and architecture. For some reason the only place in which I have seen absolutely no graffiti is the trains and their stations. I have no idea why.
Stray dogs are everywhere. Finding a stray dog at the top of La Campana was a little over the top for me. They are everywhere in the cities. They scavenge for food and there is some thought that Santiago doesn't have a rat problem because of the dogs. They are very laid back dogs. They don't seem to bark or fight. They seem to relieve themselves by the trees which have wells cut into the pavement for the tree to get water and the dogs seem to keep things confined to that area. In Vina del Mar the dogs do seem to make a mess of garbage put out for collection. They tend to rip open the bags to see whats there.
PEOPLE
The people seem to be nice and friendly. They are helpful when they can be. Having Brian around has made my need for finding people to speak a little english not necessary. When I have ventured out by myself I have been able to work through things. They seem to be a very family orientated society. There were many extended families at the park ( at least I think so) and kids generally live at home until they have graduated from college at least. They tend to have a much slower pace than the US. For instance breakfast here at the B&B is 8:30 to 10:30. Since I'm on the basic same schedule, I'm up around 6:30 and have to wait a couple of hours for breakfast. Stores don't even come close to being open before 9am. On Sunday many are closed or don't open until at least noon time. I think those stores would be the ones near some type of tourist situation. Brian and I just had lunch downtown. After we were done eating we just sat there and talked. There was no pressure to turn over the table and we finally had to ask for the bill well after the table had been cleaned. The other thing that is interesting is that there don't seem to be any incredibly overweight or obese people. Brian thinks that is because the cheap food is fruits and vegetables. Al,so the busses are loaded so people are at least walking to and from the bus stop. So in essence poorer people eat healthier than they do in the US. It is evidently an expensive dinner to go to MacDonalds. You also don't see a lot of piercings or tatoos. There may be more tatoo's but people are pretty covered up. Their are some piercings but not as many as the US. You do see a lot of guys with long hair and pony tails. Brian seems to be pretty tall for a Chilean. It seems like a lot of people smoke. They don't smoke in the buildings but you do see a lot of people smoking.
There are tons of tiny little markets similar ot bodegas in the US. There are two just within site of my window. Again, the petty crime thing kind of kicks in here because in many of them you can't go get what you want you tell the clerk what you want they go get it and you pay for it before you get it. Just a little strange. I haven't seen a giant shopping mall although I am told that they have them. They are not all over the place. The downtown area was busy with people and shops.
The food can be interesting. They are very big on avocado's and mayonaise. You would think that Hellman's discovered Chile. They put it on everything. The first thing I had to eat in Chile was a Don Pepe's completo. A completo is basically a hot dog with a bunch of stuff. It has the dog, some type of cole slaw type substance, something similar to salsa, and then its smothered in mayonaise. It is very interesting. Evidently Don Pepe's (a chain...sorry Nance) is the king of completos. For lunch today Brian and I split an El Guarcon. It is a giant sandwich which you need to eat with a knife and fork. It has a 3 piece roll some type of meat, lettuce, tomatos, cheese (which is also big here), avocado and the ever present mayonaise slathered on the top. It was good and messy. They make these lunch type sandwiches called empanada's. They are basically like a turnover with what ever you want in it. I have yet to see one with ever present mayo but who knows. They are really good. Breakfast is usually a small meal. Basically here it is toast with a slice of ham (ham is big here as well), some cereal to eat with some yogurt, and some fruit. Coffee is interesting here. The only coffee I have seen here is instant coffee. I haven't seen one Starbuck's. The coffee served at Brian's family's house was instant as it is here. At Brian's host family we had salmon, rice, and vegetables. We also had a shrimp cocktail in a pitted avocado with the ever present mayonaise. It was very good.
WEATHER
The weather can obviously vary greatly depending upon where you are. The day we went mountain climbing the weather in Vina Del Mar was overcast and misty. At the mountain it was sunny, hot with a nice breeze. The Atacoma desert to the north would tend to be very hot while Patagonia to the south will get snow. From Vina Del Mar to Peru to the north it would be about a 24 hour drive. Brian is going south to Patagonia from Vina and it is a 5 hour flight. Vina Del Mar is actually a little cooler than I thought it would be. People are walking around with scarves and coats. So far I've seen temperature vary between 16 and 25 C. I suspect that at home we're getting up to 5 or so.
I'm sure that leaving something out but maybe I can follow up later.
TRAVEL
Traveling to Chile is kind of made easy because there is no time change. It is 12:30 here just like at home. This for me was a big deal. I felt pretty good when I got here and had no time adjustment. I have never traveled more than three time zones to California but I would think the adjustment of a 15 hour flight east or west would be gigantic. The flight is on the long side but the Delta flight had enough leg room and the seat seemed to go back a littl further than I anticipated. I was able to sleep 4 or 5 hours. Once the son started coming up I wanted to look out the window. Originally I would have liked to had a view of what we were flying over but I suspect that the Amazon ( which I don't think we flew over) from 35000 feet would like the same as Google Earth. The flight was kind of an old time flight. It had a meal, a movie, free blankets, pillows, eye shades, head phones, and ear plugs. I was also could have checked two bags for free. Ok not free obviously it was included in the cost of the flight.
CITIES
Santiago is the largest city Chile. It probably has half of the country's population. Santiago is the Hub of Chile (as Boston is the Hub of the Universe). Much of the development of Chile spans out from Santiago. I've only really been to 3 towns or cities so far. Santiago, Vina Del Mar and Limache. They kind of represent three different sizes of cities. Santiago the biggest, Vina Del Mar big but much smaller than Santiago and Limache which would be small or smaller at least.
Parks are big in the cities in part I suspect because land with houses is very small. All three towns seem to have many parks of all sizes. There seem to be many people in them most of the time that I have seen so far. Plaza de Armas in Santiago was still pretty busy when we left for Vina.
Security is evidently a big deal. Each house has a fence with serious looking points to keep people out. I would say in Santiago and Vina Del Mar I haven't seen a house without this type of fence. In Limache some of the poorer sections had smaller fences with some barbed wire. In the bigger towns the police have a very prominent presence. They are noticeable, they wear flak jackets ore bullet proof vests. That being said I don't recall seeing them talking or hassling anyone. In Limache I don't recall seeing the police to the same degree. Evidently violent crime is generally not a big problem but stealing, pick pocketing and the such evidently are. I have seen no evidence of any crime.
Graffiti is gigantic here. It seems like everything has something written on it. As I noted in my earlier post graffiti had been carved into plants never mind the trees and walls. It's too bad because it detracts from the cities buildings and architecture. For some reason the only place in which I have seen absolutely no graffiti is the trains and their stations. I have no idea why.
Stray dogs are everywhere. Finding a stray dog at the top of La Campana was a little over the top for me. They are everywhere in the cities. They scavenge for food and there is some thought that Santiago doesn't have a rat problem because of the dogs. They are very laid back dogs. They don't seem to bark or fight. They seem to relieve themselves by the trees which have wells cut into the pavement for the tree to get water and the dogs seem to keep things confined to that area. In Vina del Mar the dogs do seem to make a mess of garbage put out for collection. They tend to rip open the bags to see whats there.
PEOPLE
The people seem to be nice and friendly. They are helpful when they can be. Having Brian around has made my need for finding people to speak a little english not necessary. When I have ventured out by myself I have been able to work through things. They seem to be a very family orientated society. There were many extended families at the park ( at least I think so) and kids generally live at home until they have graduated from college at least. They tend to have a much slower pace than the US. For instance breakfast here at the B&B is 8:30 to 10:30. Since I'm on the basic same schedule, I'm up around 6:30 and have to wait a couple of hours for breakfast. Stores don't even come close to being open before 9am. On Sunday many are closed or don't open until at least noon time. I think those stores would be the ones near some type of tourist situation. Brian and I just had lunch downtown. After we were done eating we just sat there and talked. There was no pressure to turn over the table and we finally had to ask for the bill well after the table had been cleaned. The other thing that is interesting is that there don't seem to be any incredibly overweight or obese people. Brian thinks that is because the cheap food is fruits and vegetables. Al,so the busses are loaded so people are at least walking to and from the bus stop. So in essence poorer people eat healthier than they do in the US. It is evidently an expensive dinner to go to MacDonalds. You also don't see a lot of piercings or tatoos. There may be more tatoo's but people are pretty covered up. Their are some piercings but not as many as the US. You do see a lot of guys with long hair and pony tails. Brian seems to be pretty tall for a Chilean. It seems like a lot of people smoke. They don't smoke in the buildings but you do see a lot of people smoking.
There are tons of tiny little markets similar ot bodegas in the US. There are two just within site of my window. Again, the petty crime thing kind of kicks in here because in many of them you can't go get what you want you tell the clerk what you want they go get it and you pay for it before you get it. Just a little strange. I haven't seen a giant shopping mall although I am told that they have them. They are not all over the place. The downtown area was busy with people and shops.
The food can be interesting. They are very big on avocado's and mayonaise. You would think that Hellman's discovered Chile. They put it on everything. The first thing I had to eat in Chile was a Don Pepe's completo. A completo is basically a hot dog with a bunch of stuff. It has the dog, some type of cole slaw type substance, something similar to salsa, and then its smothered in mayonaise. It is very interesting. Evidently Don Pepe's (a chain...sorry Nance) is the king of completos. For lunch today Brian and I split an El Guarcon. It is a giant sandwich which you need to eat with a knife and fork. It has a 3 piece roll some type of meat, lettuce, tomatos, cheese (which is also big here), avocado and the ever present mayonaise slathered on the top. It was good and messy. They make these lunch type sandwiches called empanada's. They are basically like a turnover with what ever you want in it. I have yet to see one with ever present mayo but who knows. They are really good. Breakfast is usually a small meal. Basically here it is toast with a slice of ham (ham is big here as well), some cereal to eat with some yogurt, and some fruit. Coffee is interesting here. The only coffee I have seen here is instant coffee. I haven't seen one Starbuck's. The coffee served at Brian's family's house was instant as it is here. At Brian's host family we had salmon, rice, and vegetables. We also had a shrimp cocktail in a pitted avocado with the ever present mayonaise. It was very good.
WEATHER
The weather can obviously vary greatly depending upon where you are. The day we went mountain climbing the weather in Vina Del Mar was overcast and misty. At the mountain it was sunny, hot with a nice breeze. The Atacoma desert to the north would tend to be very hot while Patagonia to the south will get snow. From Vina Del Mar to Peru to the north it would be about a 24 hour drive. Brian is going south to Patagonia from Vina and it is a 5 hour flight. Vina Del Mar is actually a little cooler than I thought it would be. People are walking around with scarves and coats. So far I've seen temperature vary between 16 and 25 C. I suspect that at home we're getting up to 5 or so.
I'm sure that leaving something out but maybe I can follow up later.
A POST FROM BRIAN'S DAD
Brian has given me the opportunity to post to his blog. I have been requested to notify anyone who reads this post that these are in no way Brian's comments, thoughts, unconcious or concious
My trip began with AAA losing the order for Chilean pesos. So I basically left Hartford on Saturday afternoon with no money, no real command of the language, and the assurance from Brian that he was pretty sure that I had a place to stay. As a side note to AAA they did return our money and adjust for the rise in the exchange rate. They were helpful.
The flight to Atlanta and then Santiago Chile was relatively uneventful. The plane left an hour late from Atlanta so we arrived in Chile around 8:30 Chilean time. I was able to sleep on the plane for about 4-5 hours so I felt ok. I cleared customs with only a couple of hitches but I spent no time in jail. I was in the wrong line so I cut out of the line and went back to where I was supposed to be. I only got a stare from the security people. I cleared customs with the lemon poppy seed bread. For some reason the Chileans are very big on people not bringing seeds, nuts, and fruits into the country.
To the surprise of many who will read this post Brian was waiting for me. Chile according to Brian is a very laid back country when it comes to time. This says a lot for Brian to be saying this. He negotiated a cab into the city and talked with the cab driver who spoke no english. We went to the hostel where Brian had spent the night at the Plaza de Armas. This was evidently one of the original plazas in Chile. It was a great spot for people watching. There are tourists, local families, homeless, police and stray dogs.
We walked around the city for a couple of hours. The Santiago marathon was going on. Some things never change a Kenyan won. The city is very interesting. the buildings range from high rise apartments, large stone government buildings to basically what look to be shacks on the outside. You can never be quite sure what the inside of the building looks like. Brians host family house is not impressive on the outside but is very nice on the inside (more on that later). I don't think there are many attorneys in Chile. Some parts of the side walks were in disrepair this would be an income opportunity in the states. Somebody would need to pay if someone got hurt.
Later that afternoon we went to the original fortress of Santiago. It is built on a hill which would seem to have made it impossible to take in battle. We took the train to another part of the city and walked the length of Parque Balmaceda. It is a beautiful park that runs the length of the river. It was probably 80 degrees out and you noticed all the windows open in the high rise apartments. There is very little air conditioning here. Some people say that Santiago in particular is humid. I didn't really notice any humidity and certainly Sunday there was little humidity.
I got to meet some of the students that Brian is studying with. In Chile the custom when you meet someone new of the opposite sex is a quick hug and kiss on the cheek. So I've been hugging and kissing a lot of college girls. The kids I've met have been great.
Santiago, or Chile for that matter is a city of contrasts. Security is a big deal here. EVERY house has a fence with with sharp, nasty looking points. The police are very visible and they look like they are army. They don't carry rifles but they are armed and wear some type of flak jacket or bullet proof vest. That being said I have not felt unsafe nor have I seen any crime whatsoever. There are many families visible and generally children live with their family until they finish college or have a good job. Dogs are everywhere. Strays are roaming the city with no apparent problem. I have yet to see a dog attack anyone or another dog for that matter. They kind of roam around, scavenge for food and sleep. If anything the dogs who are living in houses with their owners are always barking and going crazy. The other thing that stands out is the graffiti. It is everywhere. At the fortress people had even carved their names into some of the plants, never mind the trees and walls.
There are cars but most people probably only have one. The metro train and bus system is very good. Buses and trains come every 10 minutes. There are many older cars here. I have seen several Datsun's in excellent condition. I assume that Datsun changed their name worldwide and not just in the US. The buses and trains are very clean generally. Their two levels of busses. The first is the metro bus which looks like any other Greyhound type bus. The second level is the autobus. These are old Mercedes Benz buses. They have to be 40-50 years old. They make the local runs for people especially in the outlying areas. I think they bus is owned by the inidividual who drives the bus, sells the tickets, makes change and keeps to a tight schedule. Many people use these buses to get around. They come every 10 minutes or so and seem to cover a large area.
Enojugh of opinion for now and back to events. On Sunday night we took a bus to Vina Del Mar. Thank God it was only about a minute into the trip when we got thrown off the bus because we didn't have the proper tickets. They stopped the bus, they opened up the storage and gave us our bags back and we walked back to the bus station. This story will become much bigger as time goes on but it was kind of funny. In fairness to Brian, he had a roundtrip ticket that he didn't know he had to get validated. My ticket was to be bought on the bus. We got the next bus which left 10 minutes later.
I'm staying in a nice bed and breakfast in Vina. The owner is Ninfa Rojas. She speaks english and is very helpful. Marta is her assistant and is also very helpful and friendly. If anyone ever makes it Vina Del Mar I recommend staying here.
On Moday Brian had class so while I was waiting I went for a walk down to the beach. One of the unique sites in Vina is the flower clock. It is a working clock with the numbers in live flowers. While down there I met a guy from Bridgeport Ct.
Between Brian's classes we walked around town by the Casino, the river along the beach, and in the parks. While in one of the parks Brian met a friend of his Chilean sister, so I got a kiss and hug. We went to his house for lunch which is generally the biggest meal of the day. I met his Chilean brother and sister. We had gnocchi, not exactly Chilean I suppose but very good. The brother and sister speak some english and Brian interpreted. I am very impressed with Brian's spanish. He can generally communicate and understand things (except the bus thing).
That night we went to his family for a dinner which is unusual for Chileans. Usaully the night meal is very light. The meal was salmon, rice, vegetables, wine, and dessert. We were able to work through the communication thing with some interpretation, I know a little spanish, they know a little english, and we in a sense in some situations played pictionary when no one was around to interpret. Brian's Chilean family is very nice. Miguel and Viviana are about Nancy and my age. They both work and are very friendly. Miguel speaks a little english. I don't think Viviana does. Mattea is the oldest son who is studying to be an architect. He already has a degree in design. He is probably about Matts age. Monserat is studying industrial engineering or design. While I was there she was drilling holes in a piece of aluminum in the living room. The house they live in is very small by our standards. They have one bathroom. They have 4 bedrooms and a combination living room, dining room, and kitchen which takes up the downstairs floor. They are in the middle of a big remodeling project. They have a small yard. They were surprised by the pictures of our house. We have no security fence, a big yard by their standards and many trees compared to here. One of the pictures had the neighbors dog and a deer in it which they thought was interesting. We also had pictures of Brians different hair permutations over time which they found to be entertaining.
Yesterday we went hiking. Brian showed that he is his mothers son with the planning of this hike. We knew this was not going to be a walk in the woods but this was challenging. We climbed La Campana which is east of here. We took the train to Limache and then the autobus to the mountain. Actually the bus dropped us off at a dirt road in the middle of nowhere. You could see a mountain in the distance but I didn't think this could possibly be the mountain...but it was. The park ranger gave us specific instructions that we had to start back down at 2:30 whether we made the peak or not. They anticipate 4:30 ascent time. In the past year I've dropped some weight and gotten myself in better shape. Its a good thing because I would not have been able to make this climb a year ago. The view was worth the hike. In the distance you could see a snow covered Mt. Aconcogua which is the highest peak in South America. It is also in Argentina. Evidently you can also see the ocean from La Campana but it was cloudy on the coast all day. At the top of the mountain there was a stray dog. I couldn't believe it. Whoever thought we would climb a mountain in the Andes. I met another guy from Bridgeport on the mountain. There is evidently a Bridgeport to Chile pipeline. We met some Chileans and a couple from Sweden. The Swedes were nice enought to offer us a ride back to the bus stop. They felt sorry for me, which was ok with me. The bus ride back was interesting. We were initially the only two on the autobus. After about 5 stops the bus filled up. Brian and I were taking 3 seats so I slid over. You can only imagine what I looked like...dirty and sweaty. When I slid over I tried to dry the seat a little, I don't know how successfully. The lady sat down seemingly with no second thought. Last night Brian and I had dinner at the B&B. A couple of well deserved beers, chicken and empanadas. There were three different empanadas; cheese, pino, and what brian thought was some type of bird which certainly tasted like anchovies. We had pastry for dessert. Enough for now. The next post to follow will be observations and opinions
My trip began with AAA losing the order for Chilean pesos. So I basically left Hartford on Saturday afternoon with no money, no real command of the language, and the assurance from Brian that he was pretty sure that I had a place to stay. As a side note to AAA they did return our money and adjust for the rise in the exchange rate. They were helpful.
The flight to Atlanta and then Santiago Chile was relatively uneventful. The plane left an hour late from Atlanta so we arrived in Chile around 8:30 Chilean time. I was able to sleep on the plane for about 4-5 hours so I felt ok. I cleared customs with only a couple of hitches but I spent no time in jail. I was in the wrong line so I cut out of the line and went back to where I was supposed to be. I only got a stare from the security people. I cleared customs with the lemon poppy seed bread. For some reason the Chileans are very big on people not bringing seeds, nuts, and fruits into the country.
To the surprise of many who will read this post Brian was waiting for me. Chile according to Brian is a very laid back country when it comes to time. This says a lot for Brian to be saying this. He negotiated a cab into the city and talked with the cab driver who spoke no english. We went to the hostel where Brian had spent the night at the Plaza de Armas. This was evidently one of the original plazas in Chile. It was a great spot for people watching. There are tourists, local families, homeless, police and stray dogs.
We walked around the city for a couple of hours. The Santiago marathon was going on. Some things never change a Kenyan won. The city is very interesting. the buildings range from high rise apartments, large stone government buildings to basically what look to be shacks on the outside. You can never be quite sure what the inside of the building looks like. Brians host family house is not impressive on the outside but is very nice on the inside (more on that later). I don't think there are many attorneys in Chile. Some parts of the side walks were in disrepair this would be an income opportunity in the states. Somebody would need to pay if someone got hurt.
Later that afternoon we went to the original fortress of Santiago. It is built on a hill which would seem to have made it impossible to take in battle. We took the train to another part of the city and walked the length of Parque Balmaceda. It is a beautiful park that runs the length of the river. It was probably 80 degrees out and you noticed all the windows open in the high rise apartments. There is very little air conditioning here. Some people say that Santiago in particular is humid. I didn't really notice any humidity and certainly Sunday there was little humidity.
I got to meet some of the students that Brian is studying with. In Chile the custom when you meet someone new of the opposite sex is a quick hug and kiss on the cheek. So I've been hugging and kissing a lot of college girls. The kids I've met have been great.
Santiago, or Chile for that matter is a city of contrasts. Security is a big deal here. EVERY house has a fence with with sharp, nasty looking points. The police are very visible and they look like they are army. They don't carry rifles but they are armed and wear some type of flak jacket or bullet proof vest. That being said I have not felt unsafe nor have I seen any crime whatsoever. There are many families visible and generally children live with their family until they finish college or have a good job. Dogs are everywhere. Strays are roaming the city with no apparent problem. I have yet to see a dog attack anyone or another dog for that matter. They kind of roam around, scavenge for food and sleep. If anything the dogs who are living in houses with their owners are always barking and going crazy. The other thing that stands out is the graffiti. It is everywhere. At the fortress people had even carved their names into some of the plants, never mind the trees and walls.
There are cars but most people probably only have one. The metro train and bus system is very good. Buses and trains come every 10 minutes. There are many older cars here. I have seen several Datsun's in excellent condition. I assume that Datsun changed their name worldwide and not just in the US. The buses and trains are very clean generally. Their two levels of busses. The first is the metro bus which looks like any other Greyhound type bus. The second level is the autobus. These are old Mercedes Benz buses. They have to be 40-50 years old. They make the local runs for people especially in the outlying areas. I think they bus is owned by the inidividual who drives the bus, sells the tickets, makes change and keeps to a tight schedule. Many people use these buses to get around. They come every 10 minutes or so and seem to cover a large area.
Enojugh of opinion for now and back to events. On Sunday night we took a bus to Vina Del Mar. Thank God it was only about a minute into the trip when we got thrown off the bus because we didn't have the proper tickets. They stopped the bus, they opened up the storage and gave us our bags back and we walked back to the bus station. This story will become much bigger as time goes on but it was kind of funny. In fairness to Brian, he had a roundtrip ticket that he didn't know he had to get validated. My ticket was to be bought on the bus. We got the next bus which left 10 minutes later.
I'm staying in a nice bed and breakfast in Vina. The owner is Ninfa Rojas. She speaks english and is very helpful. Marta is her assistant and is also very helpful and friendly. If anyone ever makes it Vina Del Mar I recommend staying here.
On Moday Brian had class so while I was waiting I went for a walk down to the beach. One of the unique sites in Vina is the flower clock. It is a working clock with the numbers in live flowers. While down there I met a guy from Bridgeport Ct.
Between Brian's classes we walked around town by the Casino, the river along the beach, and in the parks. While in one of the parks Brian met a friend of his Chilean sister, so I got a kiss and hug. We went to his house for lunch which is generally the biggest meal of the day. I met his Chilean brother and sister. We had gnocchi, not exactly Chilean I suppose but very good. The brother and sister speak some english and Brian interpreted. I am very impressed with Brian's spanish. He can generally communicate and understand things (except the bus thing).
That night we went to his family for a dinner which is unusual for Chileans. Usaully the night meal is very light. The meal was salmon, rice, vegetables, wine, and dessert. We were able to work through the communication thing with some interpretation, I know a little spanish, they know a little english, and we in a sense in some situations played pictionary when no one was around to interpret. Brian's Chilean family is very nice. Miguel and Viviana are about Nancy and my age. They both work and are very friendly. Miguel speaks a little english. I don't think Viviana does. Mattea is the oldest son who is studying to be an architect. He already has a degree in design. He is probably about Matts age. Monserat is studying industrial engineering or design. While I was there she was drilling holes in a piece of aluminum in the living room. The house they live in is very small by our standards. They have one bathroom. They have 4 bedrooms and a combination living room, dining room, and kitchen which takes up the downstairs floor. They are in the middle of a big remodeling project. They have a small yard. They were surprised by the pictures of our house. We have no security fence, a big yard by their standards and many trees compared to here. One of the pictures had the neighbors dog and a deer in it which they thought was interesting. We also had pictures of Brians different hair permutations over time which they found to be entertaining.
Yesterday we went hiking. Brian showed that he is his mothers son with the planning of this hike. We knew this was not going to be a walk in the woods but this was challenging. We climbed La Campana which is east of here. We took the train to Limache and then the autobus to the mountain. Actually the bus dropped us off at a dirt road in the middle of nowhere. You could see a mountain in the distance but I didn't think this could possibly be the mountain...but it was. The park ranger gave us specific instructions that we had to start back down at 2:30 whether we made the peak or not. They anticipate 4:30 ascent time. In the past year I've dropped some weight and gotten myself in better shape. Its a good thing because I would not have been able to make this climb a year ago. The view was worth the hike. In the distance you could see a snow covered Mt. Aconcogua which is the highest peak in South America. It is also in Argentina. Evidently you can also see the ocean from La Campana but it was cloudy on the coast all day. At the top of the mountain there was a stray dog. I couldn't believe it. Whoever thought we would climb a mountain in the Andes. I met another guy from Bridgeport on the mountain. There is evidently a Bridgeport to Chile pipeline. We met some Chileans and a couple from Sweden. The Swedes were nice enought to offer us a ride back to the bus stop. They felt sorry for me, which was ok with me. The bus ride back was interesting. We were initially the only two on the autobus. After about 5 stops the bus filled up. Brian and I were taking 3 seats so I slid over. You can only imagine what I looked like...dirty and sweaty. When I slid over I tried to dry the seat a little, I don't know how successfully. The lady sat down seemingly with no second thought. Last night Brian and I had dinner at the B&B. A couple of well deserved beers, chicken and empanadas. There were three different empanadas; cheese, pino, and what brian thought was some type of bird which certainly tasted like anchovies. We had pastry for dessert. Enough for now. The next post to follow will be observations and opinions
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Classes and such.
To prove that I actaully am in school down here, I thought I'd add in a little overview of the classes I am taking. There are five right now. Oh, and the titles are in spanish, so I'm just gonna translate those.
Chilean culture and society: The title explains this one pretty well, but we discuss what chile's all about essentially, do readings/presentations on various places. Pretty straightforward.
Spanish strategies and grammar: Also straightforward title here, if my class schedule was american tv, this would be the "dirty jobs" show. If you catch my drift.
Pronouncion: This class actually hasn't started yet, but is also really staightforward. If my class schedule was lessons learned as a child, this would be "table edicut."
Cultures in Contact: A relatively new class, which is part class with half chilean, half international students. We discuss the differences between our cultures and the subsequent contact. Also with this class, is volunteer work. Soon, within the next two weeks, I'd say, I will be teaching english at a local Vina or Valpo school. I'm really excited about that one.
Latin American Literature: By far my most difficult class, we have a professor who proclaims the life "desperanza" or something like that, which is hopelessness. An interesting class because it requires us to argue in spanish. Which is REALLY hard. There is an englishish professor to help with translations. But interesting and intimidating.
A little note: all of said classes are taught in spanish(with the exception of cultures in contact, which is half english, half spanish). So thats really tough. Its particularly difficult when you ask for a definition of a word, and the spanish definition contains three more words you don't know. But hey, its all part of the learning process.
This weekend: heading to santiago to pick up Dad, hike Cajon de Maipo, and see the general sites. Should be fun! You, reader of this blog, you have a good day.
-Brian
Spanish saying of the week: "Oye! Wachita!"
Chilean culture and society: The title explains this one pretty well, but we discuss what chile's all about essentially, do readings/presentations on various places. Pretty straightforward.
Spanish strategies and grammar: Also straightforward title here, if my class schedule was american tv, this would be the "dirty jobs" show. If you catch my drift.
Pronouncion: This class actually hasn't started yet, but is also really staightforward. If my class schedule was lessons learned as a child, this would be "table edicut."
Cultures in Contact: A relatively new class, which is part class with half chilean, half international students. We discuss the differences between our cultures and the subsequent contact. Also with this class, is volunteer work. Soon, within the next two weeks, I'd say, I will be teaching english at a local Vina or Valpo school. I'm really excited about that one.
Latin American Literature: By far my most difficult class, we have a professor who proclaims the life "desperanza" or something like that, which is hopelessness. An interesting class because it requires us to argue in spanish. Which is REALLY hard. There is an englishish professor to help with translations. But interesting and intimidating.
A little note: all of said classes are taught in spanish(with the exception of cultures in contact, which is half english, half spanish). So thats really tough. Its particularly difficult when you ask for a definition of a word, and the spanish definition contains three more words you don't know. But hey, its all part of the learning process.
This weekend: heading to santiago to pick up Dad, hike Cajon de Maipo, and see the general sites. Should be fun! You, reader of this blog, you have a good day.
-Brian
Spanish saying of the week: "Oye! Wachita!"
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