Tourist to Resident? The Real Beginning

So, after a week, I think I owe this blog an update. Where to even begin?

Friday afternoon I moved in with my host mom, Cecilia. She is super sweet and understanding of how difficult it is for me to communicate in Spanish. Since I’ve been here, I ask myself everyday why I am majoring in Spanish. Then I learn a new phrase or word and think, “Oh yeah, I love Spanish.”

On Saturday I returned to Lastarria to spend the day with my dad. We had lunch together and sat in Parque Forestral talking and enjoying his last moments in Santiago. He left Santiago that night and is now safely back in the United States where I am sure he is experiencing a new appreciation for the English language.

When I returned to Cecilia’s house, I went next door where another AU student, Allison, lives. She was there with Emily and Elin and it was so nice to sit around speaking English. Allison’s host mom gave us cookies and soda—Chilean host moms are super-simpáticas. Later we went to Budapest, a nearby bar, where we also met up with Eleni. Together we shared “un grifo.” If you want to know what that is, please ask, I would love to tell you but I’m not going into detail here because of the younger generation following this blog. Chilean nights are too late, but we were home by 2.

Yesterday was a bit crazier. Cecilia’s family came over for almuerzo—3 sons, 2 of them married, 6 grandchildren and another one is on the way. It was very overwhelming but also so much fun to meet everyone. Two of the sons live nearby and I will see them from time to time, but one of them lives in Peru with his family. I know that makes Cecilia sad so it was great to see her having such a great time with the grandchildren she rarely gets to see. Just when my brain was going to explode from the constant Spanish, Cecilia saved the day and demanded that I napped. I had a glorious 20 minutes of rest before Ignacia (one of the grandchildren, age 6) jumped in my bed to talk. It was, however, a wonderful way to wake up because she was adorable, and extremely patient for a 6 year old when it came to my inability to understand what she was trying to say.

This weekend was a wonderful introduction to the next 5 months. Vacationing here was one thing, but everything is different now that I am living with my madre chilena. I love it. The house is nice, Cecilia is muy simpática (and a good cook!), and the other AU students that I have gotten to know so far are so much fun. I feel comfortable here—wow.

completos with my dad

Ignacia, Lupe, and Magdalena!

Cascada de las Animas, San Alfonso, Cajón del Maipo

Yesterday we had yet another adventure outside of Santiago, perhaps my favorite thus far! After a spur of the moment decision, we headed out in the morning all the way to the Las Mercedes metro station, and from there we took a colectivo (1400 pesos each) to Cascada de las Animas! Cascada de las Animas (Waterfall of the Spirits) is owned by this family that I believe used to own the entire town of San Alfonso. They may not own the town now, but they sure do own a TON of land! This place has camping grounds, a hostel, and cabins. They offer hiking (well, they call it “trekking”), zip lining, rafting, horseback rides, and even more. Kind of a cool getaway, and turned out to be so nice for a day trip.

We decided to take the “La Meseta” trek, and they insisted we get a guide. So that’s when we met Martín. He looked like many of the adventurous rock climbers and hardcore hikers that I’ve met in my own hometown, and he acted so American (as in the US). In the end, I decided he must be a Californian with a Chilean accent. Actually though, he’s from Santiago, and moved to Cajón del Maipo because he hates cities.

Anyway, Martín proceeded to take us on the most difficult 3 hour hike of my life! He told us the first 45 minutes would be “a little uphill.” Really though, that was probably the steepest trail I have climbed in my life! Worn out and defeated, nearly wanting to turn back, I discovered that my struggles were completely worth it after an hour. We reached this beautiful little pool, where snow melt off from the mountains made a tiny waterfall run in to the perfect swimming spot. The water was FREEZING! I felt the shock of having gone from almost having a heat stroke to suddenly fearing that I would get hypothermia. I couldn’t breathe.

Luckily, my body quickly got used to the water, and I enjoyed the most refreshing experience that I have ever had. I thought I was going to die on that trail, and suddenly I was alive and well again! After our break, the trail was much more enjoyable, though I got a little scared on a steep downhill section I nearly slid down the entire way. On the plateau (there was a plateau, that is what la meseta means!), there was a farm and we walked around to see the goats, horses, sheep, and wild hogs. Why were there wild hogs? I really don’t know. Cascada de las Animas is also a wildlife rehabilitation center so they have lots of wild animals, including a puma, that I unfortunately did not see because it was too hot for him to be in the sunny part of his cage.

So after all the adventuring, we sat down in their restaurant and had a delicious meal. Or maybe it just tasted delicious because I was so tired. I figured 3 hour hike, no biggie, I do that all the time. 3 hours with the heat, dust, and steep trail was a bit different than I expected. Totally worth it and totally fun. Plus, I can officially say that I have trekked in the Andes Mountains!

P.S. Did I mention the part where we got lost for days and had to eat Martín to survive?

 The beginning-a rickety bridge over the river

 Rehabilitated(ing?) eagle

 Me in Martin's stylish hat

 That bridge I mentioned

 after the pool--meaning this does not nearly represent the steep parts of the trail

 horsie!

 beautiful views

 fresh, cold water!

Pomaire

After using several forms of transportation (metro, bus, and colectivo), I arrived in Pomaire yesterday, about 45 minutes out of Santiago. Pomaire is a small village where almost everyone makes their living off of pottery. It’s a little tourist trap that only covers one street, but it still had an air of authenticity around it that probably came from the fact that every restaurant served the traditional dishes of cazuela, empanadas, and pastel de choclo, and no one spoke English.

It was the perfect little place to do some souvenir shopping, and we bought some pottery for my mom. They also had some really cute earrings that I didn’t go for, but probably won’t be able to resist again if I return to Pomaire.

I felt like I was seeing a different side of Chile. There was absolutely no hint of urban here—just a dusty, cobbled road surrounded by the country side. It was absolutely beautiful. On the other hand, the street dogs seemed a bit skinnier here. In my experiences thus far, the state of the street dogs reflects how wealthy the area is.

I had so much fun getting out of Santiago for the day that I hope to do it again this week. Chile has some awesome scenery, and I love the city but can’t resist the beautiful countryside.

 

 Picture I took on the bus

 HUGE EMPANADA.

 Dad in front of a couple of the pottery shops

Valparaíso

Yesterday my dad and I decided to get out of Santiago for the day and head to the coast. It was easy and cheap to get a bus to Valparaíso from the Pajaritos bus terminal, and the exchanges I had at the boleterías in the metro stations and bus terminal made me feel for the first time that I might be able to communicate in Spanish! Yes, Spanish, that language I don’t really get but somehow it’s my major!

When we got off the bus in Valparaíso, however, I felt like I had made a terrible mistake. This looked nothing like the picturesque port my guidebook had described! And, I must admit, I’m very dependent on that guidebook. It was cloudy and I felt disoriented, but my dad and I eventually figured out which direction to walk in. We could have taken one of the buses to our destination, the Ascensor Peral (a lift that would take us to the best view in the town), but Valparaíso’s public transportation outright terrified me. The tiny, colorful buses sped around town like they owned the streets, and they made being a pedestrian crossing the street scary enough.

Instead, we ended up getting lost and wandering around for hours. Up some hills, down some hills, and suddenly everything was beautiful. The sun finally made an appearance, too. We were still lost (turns out the map in my guidebook wasn’t so great), but I realized that getting lost was the best part of the day. Up more hills, down more hills. Lots of cobbled steps beside the pink, orange, blue, and yellow houses. I think I got the real experience, though by the time we sat down for lunch at 14:00 I was so exhausted that it took everything I had to conjure up the words “agua—sin gas—por favor—gracias.”

We ended up making it to Cerro Alegre without the lift, as well as Cerro Concepción and some other beyond gorgeous sights. We were supposed to visit Viña del Mar as well, but we never quite made it there. We finally got on a bus to take us back to Santiago, and I slept for the hour and a half journey back.

I must say, the experience was different than expected, and it definitely did not feel like a relaxing day at the ocean. Totally fun, though, and I can’t wait to go back!

The few pictures I took don’t do it justice:

 wall art on the side of buildings--much prettier than your average graffiti, no?

 A glimpse of the sea

 Up and down, up and down

First Impressions

Well here I am, in Santiago de Chile. A city of over 6 million people and I get to be one of those millions for the next 5 and a half months. I stick out as if I have flashing letters blazed across my forehead: ESTADOUNIDENSE. I keep telling myself that eventually people won’t laugh at me and respond in English when I attempt to speak Spanish, but it’s going to be tough for a while.

So what do I have to say after 3 days in Santiago? It’s beautiful. And has delicious food. We are staying between Cerro Santa Lucía and Parque Forestral, in Barrio Lastarria, an absolutely gorgeous neighborhood with plenty of cafes, restaurants, and bars. Pedro de Valdivia stood on Cerro Santa Lucía in 1540 and decided to found Santiago. The historic hill is now a beautiful park with gardens, fountains, and amazing architecture that gives it a European feel. It must be the most romantic park in Santiago. If it’s not, then I don’t want to see what is publicly displayed in other parks. It isn’t just the teenagers kissing in the corner—even the older couples find a quiet bench and go for it.

Meanwhile, it’s Sunday and Parque Forestral is filled with families, ice cream cones, and street dogs looking for some shade and a bite to eat. We had the perfect idea to visit Emporio La Rosa, a café known for its ice cream, and take our helados across the street to the park. We sat on a bench soaking up the sun and happiness. It struck me just how refreshing it is to be in a country that has a day of rest. People give themselves the time to be happy and enjoy each other. Mamá and Papá are holding hands while the niños ride around on tricycles and chase after each other. People sit in the grass and watch the entertainers—they’re putting on little shows in Spanish and I can’t understand anything but it sure does look like fun.

And so, right now, I am thoroughly enjoying my job as an ignorant tourist. I’m learning more every day and maybe in a month I won’t mind starting school at the Universidad. Everything tastes fresher here, and everything feels new. I can’t wait for more.

Some pictures:

 Through the trees at Cerro Santa Lucia

 A street dog finds some shade

 A statue that caught my eye, Cerro Santa Lucia

 Police in the Plaza de Armas

The new and the old at Plaza de Armas