To pick up where I left off, I think I was still up to my elbows in animal shit the last time we talked. That pretty much carried on for the entire 2 weeks that I stayed Nonna Rosa, the goat factory. It was a wonderful experience. Karla, Efren, Ari and I became a close-knit family, sharing a house, meals, life stories, and above all a love for honey. It is really hard to explain how special it was to share our lives for those brief two weeks. The interesting thing about it is that we all needed each other in one way or another. We took care of each other in a way that indicated it was obvious that fate had thrown us together at this exact moment in our lives. Karla and I have since had numerous conversations marvelling at the karma involved in our experience at Nonna Rosa. Finally, it's difficult to define how I was affected, let alone describe what took place between us and within us all. I would actually like to make a movie about it... more on that later...
It was a also a manner of fate how Karla and I managed to decide to go to San Pedro de Atacama together. I had planned to go since I arrived at the cabrerìa, but Karla had been undecided, mostly because of the cost. However, a parisian couple that had worked at Nonna Rosa earlier with Karla, came by to say hello and buy some cheese. Lo and behold, they had 2 tickets to Calama, an hour from San Pedro de Atacama, that they didn't need. So we got cheap(er) tickets to the north... which meant that I had to say goodbye! My last few days were incredible. Saturday we had another party with goat stew and Karla and I finally got to meet Ari's son that we heard so much about, and there was a much larger turnout than the previous week. We also had karaoke which is always super fun, although I didn't sing because I wasn't drunk. That being said, I went to bed "early" at 2am because I was planning to herd goats with Juanito, the goat master, and it was very restful sleep at that- I had no problem waking up at 8am.
Sunday morning was beautiful and serene, and I couldn't imagine anything better than going to pasture (pastorear) with the goats and the cactus. Basically we just walked around about a 2 square mile space of low trees, prickly bushes, and cactus, and I even had a moment to myself to do some meditating and reflecting in the sun. Absolutely magical. When I returned it was lunch and then back to watering the orchard with urine... yeah, seriously.
Monday afternoon after lunch I headed to Valparaìso as the tickets were from there. It was about an hour train ride which I spent shooting the shit with a Chilean Señora that loves to travel like I do. I spent the afternoon wandering around the city and eating lunch in a large market. The hostel I stayed in is owned by a friend of Aldo's, and his daughter Juliana gave me quick tour of the adorable neighborhood in Cerro Concepción. Very cute, but also very expensive- about $16 for a set lunch, which is ridiculous even for Chile. So that is why I went to eat in the market, although it was about 20 minutes away, walking. I got home after dark and sat and watched the port for awhile drinking wine. Later Karla (who had arrived after closing the store at Nonna Rosa) and I went to eat with a friend of Ari's, Jose Manuel. Because it was a holiday (feriado) there was only one place open, and they only served one dish: chorrillanas, which is a pile of french fries with chorizo, steak, and onions on top... actually very delicious!
The next morning we were off to Calama! It was about a 24 hour bus ride, which wasn't too bad because I was able to sleep pretty well. The arrival in Calama, however, was quite an adventure. First of all, it was bitterly cold, and when we got off the bus we were informed that the bus terminal was closed due to a miner's demonstration/strike, so we weren't quite sure how we would get to San Pedro. Somehow a Columbian evangelist christian latched himself onto us, as well as an African American man that spoke no spanish and had traveled overland from New Mexico in an attempt to get to Brazil to see his daughter who is studying there. We walked, we discussed, we asked around, and didn't accomplish much. I helped the American guy get a hostel and eventually we managed to get the Columbian off our tail (although he was very kind and jovial). As we wandered in the direction of the main highway to leave town towards San Pedro (which everyone told us was closed and we had NO chance of leaving), an official looking pickup truck pulled over to ask if we needed a ride. The 2 gentleman informed us that there should be no problem getting to SP and they would happily take us to the edge of town to hitchike. When we landed, we saw that we were in the middle of nowhere- desert landscape flanked by snowy capped mountains. Within 15 minutes we had a ride to SP with a kind young man and his father heading out to visit family. They even fed us Coke and cookies!
Upon arrival to San Pedro we were instantly in love. The town is full of adobe buildings and dirt roads- and not much else. We found a great campsite that is affordable and fully stocked with Wi-Fi, a kitchen, and a communal area with a fireplace. Thank the lord, too, because it is suuuuuuppppeeerrrr cold here at night! About 6 below 0 at night (celsius)- ack! Last night was our first night, and although we had some thick ground covering that the owner lent us, I had trouble sleeping for the first hour due to the cold. Tonight I am going to prepare a watera (hot water bottle) because I think it's the only way I will survive. By contrast, during the day it is bright and sunny and in the sun one can even wear a t-shirt! I thoroughly enjoyed my tea in the sun this morning.
And now my toes are starting to feel the cold in this internet cafe, so I am going to head "home" to finish my emailing on my ipod (unfortunately I can't update my blog with the ipod). Today is the 30th of June which means I have only 12 days left before heading home! Ayyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So amped!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Sunday, June 19, 2011
La Cabrería
Cabra means goat, cabrería means, loosely, goat factory. And so I have arrived at a farm where there are more goats than people, and that is VERY exciting!
As I was preparing to leave Linares and the ecological park, I checked my email one last time to make sure the farm in Curicó was still apt to receive me. Alas, they were not, so I spent 20 minutes on the phone calling half the farms on the wwoof list. Most of the numbers were out of service but finally a very friendly voice answered the line and insisted that I arrive the same day. Although it was 7 hours of travel, I knew heading north would bring a little bit warmer weather, finally!
I arrived around 9:30p last Tuesday and haven't had time since to even pick up a book. The owner, Aldo Vitali (obviously of Italian descent) is charismatic, tall, and with a mass of kinky, salt-and-pepper hair. He has been in the goat business since 1979, and currently lives with his girlfriend Erika, or Kika, and his adolescent son, Agustín, while Kika's very cool daughter Tamára visits often. They are wonderful people and I already feel like I have known them for years. And even more special is the one other wwoofer, Karla, from Ecuador. Adorable and fun-loving, she is in awe and marveling at her newly discovered world of farming- we get along famously! She is basically my immediate manager as she has been here for about a month and a half. She also loves to eat, and we have been making some fantastic meals together- vegetarian, as she has a huge heart for animals and cannot imagine eating them.
The day after I arrived, a friend of Aldo's arrived- Ari. A Jewish Chilean, he was recently hit by a car and his achilles tendon was demolished. He weighs about 200 pounds (I think) and has a cast that is not made for walking. As such, moving around our small cabin and the farm is not easy for him, and we have all been his little helpers. The day after Ari arrived, another friend of the family arrived- Efrén- who has been working as a biodynamic agriculturalist for many years. Biodynamic agriculture is very interesting, as the planting and harvesting is planned around astronomical timing. Also, the human energy is extremely important in the dealings with plants, organisms, etc. I am very interested to learn more, as it appears to be a much more complex system than permaculture. Efrén is a very calm and sage-like man, with a lot of intellectual resources and life experiences. He, Karla, and I have had some very interesting and illuminating conversations.
Juanito, a joker by nature, is primarily the one who cares for the goats, beginning with milking by 7:30am, then taking them out to the pasture until lunchtime. For the most part I have been hauling goat shit for the last 5 days. First I cleaned all the shit out of the goat corrals (with over 40 goats, that's a lot of shit), and took it to the compost pile. Then I used that shit mixed with compost to create a rich bed of soil at the base of the lemon and apricot trees. Karla's ongoing duty, besides feeding the rabbits and watering all the gardens and orchards, is running the store we have on-site. We sell our own goat and sheep cheese, as well as some neighbor's products such as cow cheese and the most delicious chocolate truffles I have ever tasted.
On Saturday, before a huge storm came in, Karla and I hauled a bunch of firewood into the quincho (an outdoor, covered area for barbeques and bonfires) to prepare for the fiesta that night. We boiled almost an entire goat over an open fire, ate well, drank well (mainly chicha- a type of moonshine made from grapes or corn or basically anything), and listened to Kika's beautiful singing and guitar playing. It was a magical evening. This morning we were able to sleep in til 10, worked a little, then Karla and I came to the center of Olmhué for internet. It has also been a special day because there are a lot of fathers around ;)
I am thoroughly enjoying every minute here, and loving the hard work. I plan to stay until the end of June, when I will leave to see the famous city in the desert, San Pedro de Atacama, far to the northeast. There I hope to do some horseback riding and mountain-biking, and maybe even take a tour to Bolivia to see the salt flats. For now, however, I am very content to stay put for awhile, and daydream about my imminent return to my home country.
Blessings to you all- much love and hugs!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Home Stretch
Again, I have some catching up to do! Hmmm... where did we leave off? Valdivia, no? Well, Priscilla and I stayed only one week with Daniel from Ohio, occupying ourselves with making apple sauce and apple pies to freeze and save for the students that visit the farm during the summer. I took many photos of the area with Priscilla's camera, I'm sure at some point we will all see them! After leaving Daniel's farm we stayed one more night in Valdivia, to experience the night life on Calle Esmeralda one last time, and to eat at La Ultima Frontera (The Final Border/Crossing)- a very bohemian place displaying local art, and with a great menú del día. That day we were also having a hard time deciding what to do. I considered returning to Chiloé to work on a farm that had finally answered my email... but then Priscilla found out about a surf competition in Pichilemu! Within 20 minutes we had both changed our plans completely and decided that we had to go see the event. That evening, off we went! It was a long bus ride and thankfully we both slept a little.
We arrived in Pichilemu around 10am and of course the town was still asleep. We wandered around until we found a sweet little campsite called Pequeño Bosque (Little Forest). The owners were incredibly nice, and although it was expensive for camping, we were actully able to wash our clothes in their washing machine and they had a gas stove for us to use as well as a fully stocked kitchen. In other words, not really camping at all, except we slept in a tent... with a cush mattress that they also let us borrow. Lucy and Felipe are a bohemian couple that built their own house and established the "campsite" below it. Their house appears similar to a loft above a carport, and the warm-colored wood decor inside reminded me of Aunt Shirley's dome.
Immediately after settling in, Priscilla and I decided to go for a run, as we had been eating way too many sweets and not exercising in the least. It was a beautiful day- the first time we had seen the sun in ages! That evening we made a delicious, healthy dinner consisting of a giant salad with hard boiled eggs. We also attempted to go out that evening but the one discoteque in town was empty, so we stood out front and enjoyed the music without having to pay the entrance fee.
The following day, Saturday, was the day of the finals in the Quicksilver Ceremonial, Punta de Lobos competition. We ate breakfast and carried out our favorited empanadas baked in clay ovens. Hitchhiking to Punta de Lobos where the comp. was at was quick and easy, with a laidback Pichilemu local taking us all the way to the point. There were hundreds of people there, and the waves were up to 25 feet! Incredible is all I can say! I have never seen waves that big in real life, let alone with human beings bold enough to drop in! The atmosphere was exciting to say the least, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Priscilla had never even seen anyone surf before! (Besides on TV, of course.) Nor did she know that her neighboring country, South Africa, hosts another world class wave at Jeffrey's Bay.
At the comp I ran into a friend I had met the last time in Pichi, Raul. He invited us to a get together at his house later that night, whoo hoo! After dinner we were picked up by Antonio, Paula, and Carlos (owner of Hostal Atlantis, where I stayed last time). VIP! They took us to Raul's, which was very close, and we hung out there for a couple hours before heading to the same discoteque that we had observed the night before. Only this time, the place was packed! For once the DJ's weren't playing reggaeton, thank heavens, because that seems to be the only music in the clubs here. And for the first time we were in a club that was actually full! Good times! I also attempted to talk to Grant Washburn (although I confused his name with another big wave surfer, Greg Long) because I knew his face from the movie Riding Giants, but I was slightly intoxicated and, honestly, could not speak english! Everytime I opened my mouth to ask a question, out came more spanish, and he had no idea what I was saying. Luckily I did manage to ask the question that was bugging me- what's the name of the guy who surfed Mavericks for 15 years by himself? (Jeff Clark) I have to say that was embarassing. We danced until about 5am and then of course slept until 12 or 1 the next day. That dide not stop me from surfing (or attempting to, again), or Priscilla from going for a run. Another beautiful day in Pichilemu!
That evening we were invited to another small get together near Punta de Lobos, where there ended up being 3 or 4 guys that had surfed in the event, including Ramon Navarro, a local who took 2nd place. It was a fun, chill party, and Priscilla managed to get involved in a heated debate with a South African about politics in Southern Africa.
The following day it was time to make decisions. Priscilla needed to go to Santiago to visit friends before leaving, but I wasn't quite ready to leave Pichilemu yet. I bid her adeu around 6pm then had a quiet evening to myself. The following day I packed up and then went for a surf with Carlos. And finally!!! I actually caught some waves! They were small, but I had a board around 7ft in size and so it was much easier to get into the powerful but mushy waves. I was so happy I actually felt like a surfer again! And the last wave was a party wave shared with Carlos- I was elated to leave on a good note. That night I left for Santiago happily with arms like jelly.
I arrived in the 'hood of Las Condes, Santiago (very yuppie) around 9:30pm and headed to the apartment of my friends Rob (from San Diego), and Pablo, a Chileno. We had a pleasant, mellow evening punctuated by a visit to the local movie theater to see Hangover 2. The movie was ridiculous of course, but what struck me was the establishment. Called Parque Arauco, for the neighboring park, this mall contains Hoyts Premium theater, where there is a gourmet restaurant in which to wait and eat, but which also brings you your meal into the theater. Each lavish seat is made of leather and has an attached pull out little table to eat at. Wine, beer, and spirits are also offered. ¡Muy lujoso!
The next day, Friday, I slept in late and laid around the house while Pablo was at work and Rob studied. Rob has been in Santiago about a year and is close to finishing his Master's in Economics at an institute in Santiago, through a program offered at Georgetown University in the states. He is incredibly smart, and I have never seen anyone study like he does. For the 3 days that I was there, he only left his room to eat, or go to the store to get food. Literally. I wanted to drag him outside to go to the park, but he refused. "Have to study, have to study" were about the only things out of his mouth. Here's to you, Rob, for working hard for the rest of us on vacation!
Friday night was Francisco's (of Francisco and Marie) show at Bar Clandestino. The band, Mr. Toé y Los Sicarios del Ritmo, are a mix of cumbia and hip-hop- very danceable and very fun! After the show, the DJ played more fun music, so we (Margaret, Pablo, and I) danced until about 5am (the norm in Chile, obviously).
Saturday brought a late wake-up, again, and a quick stint in the park nearby, Parque Arauco. That evening we went to a costume party in an event hall reserved for 3 people with birthdays that weekend. I want as Janis Joplin because all I had were hippie clothes, although I lacked her glasses so I really just looked the same as I always do- like a dirty backpacker! Again, we danced until very late, and accordingly I slept in very late the next day. The rest of the Sunday afternoon was spent packing and prparing for my departure to Linares, a city 4 hours to th south by bus, for my next WWOOF adventure.
And so, here I am in Linares, with not much to do because it is pouring rain. The "farm" is actually an ecological park in a residential neighborhood of the city. The owners, Jorge and Paula, have a 3 year old daughter, Gaby, who enjoys eating manjar (a caramel-like spread for toast) by the spoonful, and stuffing herself in my sleeping bag when I am already in it. Jorge is very passionate about his park and is continually working on projects to improve it. He is very meticulous and organized, and harvests red worms (originally from California) for their humus, as well as fruit trees and vegetables in a permaculture style. He also has a couple meditation spaces, although I haven't been able to use them because of the rain. Therefore I am doing a lot of reading in both spanish and english, and hoping to learn more about permaculture.
Next week I am heading to another ranch near Curicó where there is apparently ample livestock (including horses- yay!) and a bona fide farm. I am excited to see the place, and hoping it won´t be too cold and rainy because I will have to sleep outside in my tent...maybe...maybe they´ll let me sleep on the floor inside the house instead. More to come...
I am definitely ready to come home, I am aching for warm weather and familiar faces- as soon as I purchase my ticket home I will give you all the dates!!!
We arrived in Pichilemu around 10am and of course the town was still asleep. We wandered around until we found a sweet little campsite called Pequeño Bosque (Little Forest). The owners were incredibly nice, and although it was expensive for camping, we were actully able to wash our clothes in their washing machine and they had a gas stove for us to use as well as a fully stocked kitchen. In other words, not really camping at all, except we slept in a tent... with a cush mattress that they also let us borrow. Lucy and Felipe are a bohemian couple that built their own house and established the "campsite" below it. Their house appears similar to a loft above a carport, and the warm-colored wood decor inside reminded me of Aunt Shirley's dome.
Immediately after settling in, Priscilla and I decided to go for a run, as we had been eating way too many sweets and not exercising in the least. It was a beautiful day- the first time we had seen the sun in ages! That evening we made a delicious, healthy dinner consisting of a giant salad with hard boiled eggs. We also attempted to go out that evening but the one discoteque in town was empty, so we stood out front and enjoyed the music without having to pay the entrance fee.
The following day, Saturday, was the day of the finals in the Quicksilver Ceremonial, Punta de Lobos competition. We ate breakfast and carried out our favorited empanadas baked in clay ovens. Hitchhiking to Punta de Lobos where the comp. was at was quick and easy, with a laidback Pichilemu local taking us all the way to the point. There were hundreds of people there, and the waves were up to 25 feet! Incredible is all I can say! I have never seen waves that big in real life, let alone with human beings bold enough to drop in! The atmosphere was exciting to say the least, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Priscilla had never even seen anyone surf before! (Besides on TV, of course.) Nor did she know that her neighboring country, South Africa, hosts another world class wave at Jeffrey's Bay.
At the comp I ran into a friend I had met the last time in Pichi, Raul. He invited us to a get together at his house later that night, whoo hoo! After dinner we were picked up by Antonio, Paula, and Carlos (owner of Hostal Atlantis, where I stayed last time). VIP! They took us to Raul's, which was very close, and we hung out there for a couple hours before heading to the same discoteque that we had observed the night before. Only this time, the place was packed! For once the DJ's weren't playing reggaeton, thank heavens, because that seems to be the only music in the clubs here. And for the first time we were in a club that was actually full! Good times! I also attempted to talk to Grant Washburn (although I confused his name with another big wave surfer, Greg Long) because I knew his face from the movie Riding Giants, but I was slightly intoxicated and, honestly, could not speak english! Everytime I opened my mouth to ask a question, out came more spanish, and he had no idea what I was saying. Luckily I did manage to ask the question that was bugging me- what's the name of the guy who surfed Mavericks for 15 years by himself? (Jeff Clark) I have to say that was embarassing. We danced until about 5am and then of course slept until 12 or 1 the next day. That dide not stop me from surfing (or attempting to, again), or Priscilla from going for a run. Another beautiful day in Pichilemu!
That evening we were invited to another small get together near Punta de Lobos, where there ended up being 3 or 4 guys that had surfed in the event, including Ramon Navarro, a local who took 2nd place. It was a fun, chill party, and Priscilla managed to get involved in a heated debate with a South African about politics in Southern Africa.
The following day it was time to make decisions. Priscilla needed to go to Santiago to visit friends before leaving, but I wasn't quite ready to leave Pichilemu yet. I bid her adeu around 6pm then had a quiet evening to myself. The following day I packed up and then went for a surf with Carlos. And finally!!! I actually caught some waves! They were small, but I had a board around 7ft in size and so it was much easier to get into the powerful but mushy waves. I was so happy I actually felt like a surfer again! And the last wave was a party wave shared with Carlos- I was elated to leave on a good note. That night I left for Santiago happily with arms like jelly.
I arrived in the 'hood of Las Condes, Santiago (very yuppie) around 9:30pm and headed to the apartment of my friends Rob (from San Diego), and Pablo, a Chileno. We had a pleasant, mellow evening punctuated by a visit to the local movie theater to see Hangover 2. The movie was ridiculous of course, but what struck me was the establishment. Called Parque Arauco, for the neighboring park, this mall contains Hoyts Premium theater, where there is a gourmet restaurant in which to wait and eat, but which also brings you your meal into the theater. Each lavish seat is made of leather and has an attached pull out little table to eat at. Wine, beer, and spirits are also offered. ¡Muy lujoso!
The next day, Friday, I slept in late and laid around the house while Pablo was at work and Rob studied. Rob has been in Santiago about a year and is close to finishing his Master's in Economics at an institute in Santiago, through a program offered at Georgetown University in the states. He is incredibly smart, and I have never seen anyone study like he does. For the 3 days that I was there, he only left his room to eat, or go to the store to get food. Literally. I wanted to drag him outside to go to the park, but he refused. "Have to study, have to study" were about the only things out of his mouth. Here's to you, Rob, for working hard for the rest of us on vacation!
Friday night was Francisco's (of Francisco and Marie) show at Bar Clandestino. The band, Mr. Toé y Los Sicarios del Ritmo, are a mix of cumbia and hip-hop- very danceable and very fun! After the show, the DJ played more fun music, so we (Margaret, Pablo, and I) danced until about 5am (the norm in Chile, obviously).
Saturday brought a late wake-up, again, and a quick stint in the park nearby, Parque Arauco. That evening we went to a costume party in an event hall reserved for 3 people with birthdays that weekend. I want as Janis Joplin because all I had were hippie clothes, although I lacked her glasses so I really just looked the same as I always do- like a dirty backpacker! Again, we danced until very late, and accordingly I slept in very late the next day. The rest of the Sunday afternoon was spent packing and prparing for my departure to Linares, a city 4 hours to th south by bus, for my next WWOOF adventure.
And so, here I am in Linares, with not much to do because it is pouring rain. The "farm" is actually an ecological park in a residential neighborhood of the city. The owners, Jorge and Paula, have a 3 year old daughter, Gaby, who enjoys eating manjar (a caramel-like spread for toast) by the spoonful, and stuffing herself in my sleeping bag when I am already in it. Jorge is very passionate about his park and is continually working on projects to improve it. He is very meticulous and organized, and harvests red worms (originally from California) for their humus, as well as fruit trees and vegetables in a permaculture style. He also has a couple meditation spaces, although I haven't been able to use them because of the rain. Therefore I am doing a lot of reading in both spanish and english, and hoping to learn more about permaculture.
Next week I am heading to another ranch near Curicó where there is apparently ample livestock (including horses- yay!) and a bona fide farm. I am excited to see the place, and hoping it won´t be too cold and rainy because I will have to sleep outside in my tent...maybe...maybe they´ll let me sleep on the floor inside the house instead. More to come...
I am definitely ready to come home, I am aching for warm weather and familiar faces- as soon as I purchase my ticket home I will give you all the dates!!!
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Sorry for the hiatus
Hi Everyone!
First of all I want to deeply apologize for not writing for so long! The blog was down because of some issue with my gmail account, and I didn't even realize until 2 days ago. Everything is fine, I am safe, no need to worry!
That being said, I have quite a bit of updating to do, but it's going to be more of a summation than usual since I have to go over the last 3 weeks or so.
So I just left the Puerto Montt area 2 days ago, where I had been staying at the Matias Doggenweiler farm. Altough I was there for almost 3 weeks, I really didn't work too much, but traveled quite a bit. I have come to realize that wwoof-ing in the winter is problematic becaus there just isn't that much to do. In Metri, near Puerto Montt, we planted Ajo (garlic), harvested Acelga (butter chard) and zapallo (squash), transplanted lettuces, and moved an invernadero (greenhouse). For 3 weeks, that ain't much. So Priscilla and I decided to take a weekend trip to the nearby island of Chiloé. Well that "weekend" turned into about 5 days due to the amazing landscape, food and people.
Our first night we decided to stay in Dalcahue because we had heard about an amazing fería (market of artesenals). We arrived shortly after dark to the quaint seaside town and wandered around looking for a hospedaje (hostel-style lodging operated out of someone's home, typically cheaper than a hostal). After several stops throughout the desolate town (tourism is not too popular during the icy winter), we found a decent price at a cozy home across the street from the fería. After showers and a 1.5 liter box of wine- the quality of boxed wine in Chile is much greater than in the U.S.- we decided to hit the town. We meandered about looking for a possible discoteque, although the woman at the market had told us that there was no such thing in such a small town. We tried our luck at a different market, asking ¿dónde está la fiesta? (where is the party?) The young woman informed us of a fiesta near the top of the hill in town. First we stumbled across somone's private birthday party- oops- but then saw people pouring into another building that looked like a recreation center. Upon entering the Club Rodeo, we were pleased to find people dancing in pairs to music strikingly similar to traditional mexican music. We were also accosted by many middle-aged men trying to lure us over to their tables with promises of Piscolas (Pisco and Coke). We quickly made our way to the bar and befriended the bar tenders who were much more diplomatic, and of course obligated to remain behind the bar. Still, we were pretty much asked to dance every 45 seconds. We obliged only 2 sets of men, and then spent the rest of the evening dancing with each other. Fun, but overwhelming! I suppose the pueblo of Dalcahue wasn't prepared for an intrusion of foreigners in their party!
Priscilla and I were able to hitchhike throughout the island, and ended up gaining an amazing new friend, John Bayron Francisco. John has lived in Dalcahue, Chiloé for about 4 years and scuba dives professionally for a seafood company. We were on a bus from Achao (on the island of Quinchao) back to Dalcahue, and we accidentally got off the bus in Curaco... because I thought that's where the port was to return to Dalcahue. Error. No problem, except neither of us wanted to pay the bus toll again. So, we decided to try our luck with hitchhiking. Within 5 minutes a suburban-type vehicle pulled up with a group of guys obviously returning home from work. For all of you at home wringing your hands right now, there is something you must understand about Chiloé: not only does everybody hitchhike, there is simply a strong community amongst Chilotes (residents of Chiloé). Plus both Priscilla and I both planned possible escape routes in our minds as soon as we boarded a vehicle. That being said, off we were to Dalcahue with the gentleman in the furgón (van). Within 5 minutes of conversation we realized that these Chilotes were kind, genuine, hard working caballeros. We had planned to head to Castro that evening to take care of administrative needs, but our plans were usurped by good times with new friends. John Bayron was among the group, and ended up letting us sleep in his daughter's room at his very clean and always warm house. The next day he went to work while Priscilla and I enjoyed a pleasant, relaxing morning drinking coffee in a house warm enough to remove our chalecos (sweaters). (Matias doesn't typically keep his house very warm, and the wwoof-er house on his farm was always colder inside than out. Needless to say it had been a pretty frigid experience thus far.)
The other reason we stayed so long in Dalcahue was the cocinería. Basically it's a large building that looks like a boat, with portholes for windows, right on the water. Inside it is full of free-standing, large kitchens. Each kitchen is a different "restaurant" offering a series of typical local food, for example: cazuela, a soup consisting of a large piece of either steak or chicken on the bone, with a chunk of corn on the cob, potatoes, other miscellanous vegetables, and seasoning; fresh salmon with rice; paila marina, a soup of literally just shellfish (not my favorite); and...curanto, a plate piled high with various types of shellfish, a chunk of chicharron (pork), half a longaniza (linguica-?), milcao (potato patty), and chapalele (a patty of potatoes and wheat, with pork in the middle. Curanto is probably one of my favorite dishes in Chile, altough I am not a huge fan of shellfish, the choritos (baby mussels), and almejas were so fresh that it was impossible not to like. Priscilla and I both love food, and trying new foods, so we had to spend at least a few days just to eat!
I am running out of time to write, but the long and the short of it is that we eventually returned to Metri to work a bit, and welcome a new wwoofer- Daniela from Santa Cruz, CA (who also lived in Nevada County for awhile). At this point we befriended a neighbor of Matias, Andrés, who lives in the nearby pueblo of Quillaipe. With Andrés and another friend, Marcelo, we embarked on homemade food adventures such as choritos empanadas and chivo (goat). All of it new and delicious. Before heading out of town we made another trip to Chiloé to visit John and head down to Cucao to see the Parque Nacional de Chiloé- a beautiful coastal rainforest with pristine lakes and lots of greenery.
Currently we are in Valdivia where we experienced the night life at a discoteque 2 nights ago, and attended a demonstration today, fighting against the building of a new dam in Patagonia. Very exciting! We have moved to a new farm run by an expat from Ohio. Again, there is not much to do, so I don't think we will stay very long. Priscilla has to return to Santiago soon to fly to Egypt with her family, and I want to see Francisco play in his band in Santiago on May 3- then thinking of heading north to a wwoof farm in the desert. After that, possibly off to Ecuador to try out some other volunteer work and meet up with Ramon!!! I will try to keep you all posted as much as possible! I am strangely now having to think about my trip home, and VERY excited about it! Love you all!!!
First of all I want to deeply apologize for not writing for so long! The blog was down because of some issue with my gmail account, and I didn't even realize until 2 days ago. Everything is fine, I am safe, no need to worry!
That being said, I have quite a bit of updating to do, but it's going to be more of a summation than usual since I have to go over the last 3 weeks or so.
So I just left the Puerto Montt area 2 days ago, where I had been staying at the Matias Doggenweiler farm. Altough I was there for almost 3 weeks, I really didn't work too much, but traveled quite a bit. I have come to realize that wwoof-ing in the winter is problematic becaus there just isn't that much to do. In Metri, near Puerto Montt, we planted Ajo (garlic), harvested Acelga (butter chard) and zapallo (squash), transplanted lettuces, and moved an invernadero (greenhouse). For 3 weeks, that ain't much. So Priscilla and I decided to take a weekend trip to the nearby island of Chiloé. Well that "weekend" turned into about 5 days due to the amazing landscape, food and people.
Our first night we decided to stay in Dalcahue because we had heard about an amazing fería (market of artesenals). We arrived shortly after dark to the quaint seaside town and wandered around looking for a hospedaje (hostel-style lodging operated out of someone's home, typically cheaper than a hostal). After several stops throughout the desolate town (tourism is not too popular during the icy winter), we found a decent price at a cozy home across the street from the fería. After showers and a 1.5 liter box of wine- the quality of boxed wine in Chile is much greater than in the U.S.- we decided to hit the town. We meandered about looking for a possible discoteque, although the woman at the market had told us that there was no such thing in such a small town. We tried our luck at a different market, asking ¿dónde está la fiesta? (where is the party?) The young woman informed us of a fiesta near the top of the hill in town. First we stumbled across somone's private birthday party- oops- but then saw people pouring into another building that looked like a recreation center. Upon entering the Club Rodeo, we were pleased to find people dancing in pairs to music strikingly similar to traditional mexican music. We were also accosted by many middle-aged men trying to lure us over to their tables with promises of Piscolas (Pisco and Coke). We quickly made our way to the bar and befriended the bar tenders who were much more diplomatic, and of course obligated to remain behind the bar. Still, we were pretty much asked to dance every 45 seconds. We obliged only 2 sets of men, and then spent the rest of the evening dancing with each other. Fun, but overwhelming! I suppose the pueblo of Dalcahue wasn't prepared for an intrusion of foreigners in their party!
Priscilla and I were able to hitchhike throughout the island, and ended up gaining an amazing new friend, John Bayron Francisco. John has lived in Dalcahue, Chiloé for about 4 years and scuba dives professionally for a seafood company. We were on a bus from Achao (on the island of Quinchao) back to Dalcahue, and we accidentally got off the bus in Curaco... because I thought that's where the port was to return to Dalcahue. Error. No problem, except neither of us wanted to pay the bus toll again. So, we decided to try our luck with hitchhiking. Within 5 minutes a suburban-type vehicle pulled up with a group of guys obviously returning home from work. For all of you at home wringing your hands right now, there is something you must understand about Chiloé: not only does everybody hitchhike, there is simply a strong community amongst Chilotes (residents of Chiloé). Plus both Priscilla and I both planned possible escape routes in our minds as soon as we boarded a vehicle. That being said, off we were to Dalcahue with the gentleman in the furgón (van). Within 5 minutes of conversation we realized that these Chilotes were kind, genuine, hard working caballeros. We had planned to head to Castro that evening to take care of administrative needs, but our plans were usurped by good times with new friends. John Bayron was among the group, and ended up letting us sleep in his daughter's room at his very clean and always warm house. The next day he went to work while Priscilla and I enjoyed a pleasant, relaxing morning drinking coffee in a house warm enough to remove our chalecos (sweaters). (Matias doesn't typically keep his house very warm, and the wwoof-er house on his farm was always colder inside than out. Needless to say it had been a pretty frigid experience thus far.)
The other reason we stayed so long in Dalcahue was the cocinería. Basically it's a large building that looks like a boat, with portholes for windows, right on the water. Inside it is full of free-standing, large kitchens. Each kitchen is a different "restaurant" offering a series of typical local food, for example: cazuela, a soup consisting of a large piece of either steak or chicken on the bone, with a chunk of corn on the cob, potatoes, other miscellanous vegetables, and seasoning; fresh salmon with rice; paila marina, a soup of literally just shellfish (not my favorite); and...curanto, a plate piled high with various types of shellfish, a chunk of chicharron (pork), half a longaniza (linguica-?), milcao (potato patty), and chapalele (a patty of potatoes and wheat, with pork in the middle. Curanto is probably one of my favorite dishes in Chile, altough I am not a huge fan of shellfish, the choritos (baby mussels), and almejas were so fresh that it was impossible not to like. Priscilla and I both love food, and trying new foods, so we had to spend at least a few days just to eat!
I am running out of time to write, but the long and the short of it is that we eventually returned to Metri to work a bit, and welcome a new wwoofer- Daniela from Santa Cruz, CA (who also lived in Nevada County for awhile). At this point we befriended a neighbor of Matias, Andrés, who lives in the nearby pueblo of Quillaipe. With Andrés and another friend, Marcelo, we embarked on homemade food adventures such as choritos empanadas and chivo (goat). All of it new and delicious. Before heading out of town we made another trip to Chiloé to visit John and head down to Cucao to see the Parque Nacional de Chiloé- a beautiful coastal rainforest with pristine lakes and lots of greenery.
Currently we are in Valdivia where we experienced the night life at a discoteque 2 nights ago, and attended a demonstration today, fighting against the building of a new dam in Patagonia. Very exciting! We have moved to a new farm run by an expat from Ohio. Again, there is not much to do, so I don't think we will stay very long. Priscilla has to return to Santiago soon to fly to Egypt with her family, and I want to see Francisco play in his band in Santiago on May 3- then thinking of heading north to a wwoof farm in the desert. After that, possibly off to Ecuador to try out some other volunteer work and meet up with Ramon!!! I will try to keep you all posted as much as possible! I am strangely now having to think about my trip home, and VERY excited about it! Love you all!!!
Friday, April 29, 2011
Photos
Also, I forgot to mention that the oven is sort of broken, so whenever we bake anything (like pies or bread), we have to take turns holding the gas knob on the panel- ¡que divertido!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
La Primer Granja de WWOOF
As you have probably guessed, I am officially living on a farm in Chile. First, however, I have to begin where I left off...
My last evening in Pichilemu, I surfed with the owner of the Hostal Atlantis. After 6, when the resident hija had eaten and was being looked after by Viviana (the other owner), Carlos and I ran (literally, like ants) to the surf shop to rent me a bigger board. Of course I rented one too big, because I always pick the wrong size when forced to rent. Anyhow, we paddled out at La Puntilla which is walking distance from the town center. We had to paddle out between rocks on the beach again, but this time the current lovingly carried us out halfway to the peak. All was tranquilo for about 10 minutes, and then the sets came. They were about 6-7 feet and kicked me and my huge board's asses. I could duck dive, but not very well, and half the time the power of the wave ripped the board out of my hands. At one point I almost hit a guy with my board and decided that maybe I wasn't endangering myself, but I was endangering others. Still I was out of my league. I let the current carry me in a ways, in the hopes of catching a wave or 2 on the inside, but they were all crap. Boo. I want to return at some point to Pichilemu, because apparently March is the "best" i.e. biggest time of year to go. I thought about going this week but the report said 11-15 feet! No, thank you.
That wednesday night I got to chill with Carlos and his friend Raul at the hostel, after treating myself to a delicious and obscenely large fish dinner. The 3 of us talked shit, played cards, and drank some beer and wine. ¡Buena onda! The next morning I said goodbye to my european friends and took my leave by bus. I slept the entire way, que rico. When I arrived to Santiago, I was beyond parched and starving. The tap water was not safe to drink in Pichilemu, so I had to buy it and therefore didn't drink enough... well, for me.
So I haven't talked a whole lot about food in Chile, because I haven't been super impressed. However, there are some things that are made with excellence here. For example, choripan: a spicy, short, fat sausage which is cooked on the barbeque and served in fresh bread with pebre- a type of pico de gallo. Excelente! Also, the chileans make delicious empanadas, my favorite of which is de pino- with steak, onions, spices, half a boiled egg, and one black olive (with the pit, mind your teeth!) On top of all that are the completos. Completos are a big part of food culture here. In Santiago on the side of the main Plaza de Armas, is an entire row of food stands and restaurants that all, apparently, specialize in completos. They are a hot dog with saurkraut, tomatoes, and a shitload of mayonnaise. I like them, with menos mayonesa, por fa'. So when I returned to Santiago after Pichilemu, I went to a popular restaraunt a half block away from the apartment, called Fuente Suiza. They specialize in fried empanadas and also make good quality completos. One of each of those with a cold Coke...mmmmmmmm.
And as soon as I returned from one trip, it was time to pack for another. Marie and Francisco invited me to join them at Francisco's father's house in Marìa Pinto- a small town which consists of a few farms, a large golf course, and several vacation homes. We stayed in Francisco Senior's 6 bedroom house next to the golf course. Wow! ¡Que lujo (luxury)! There was a gigantic lawn in the back yard, with a barbeque area, a lounge area, and a pool. That, coupled with a maid and a group of excellent (male) cooks in the family= very luxurious weekend. We basically ate, rode bikes, and played frisbee and bocce ball all weekend. And did cartwheels. It was actually rather overwhelming. Thursday night, Francisco's brother Juan Pablo, or Brrro, made the best steak I've ever had in my life. He cooked it on the grill and we simply cut slices off to eat. Incredible. Friday it rained all day, but we ate a scrumptious caldo congrio- soup made of vegetables, potatoes, and sea snake. On Saturday a few more friends of the family came over and made a huuuge pot of paella, on the barbeque even. ¡Que rico! That night we got good and drunk (curado) with some other friends from Santiago, then took a wild ride on the golf cart. Sweet. Sunday was relatively mellow, we woke up late and went for a bike ride then had lunch and returned to Santiago.
Sunday evening I went to a cool, bohemian bar in Santiago, The Clinic, named after a popular publication that pokes fun at politics and such. Kind of like The Onion, but based on real events. Anyhoo, I knew I was about to leave town so I wanted to say goodbye to my Santiago homiez. On Monday I woke up knowing that it was time to leave so I did some last minute laundry and lunched with Anja and Darren. Monday night I said goodbye to my Santiagan family over dinner of Croatian meatballs (thank you, Maja, for my favorite recipe). I think Marie and Francisco were relieved to finally have the house to themselves again ;)
The ride south to Puerto Montt was 12 hours, so of course I chose coche cama seating, and slept pretty well. Once in Puerto Montt I took a local bus to the town of Metri, less then an hour southeast. Matias, the owner of the farm, gave me decent directions (not too good, he says, to weed out the dumb ones) so I made it all the way to the wwoof sign before calling him. Walking up the hill to the farm, I felt such an elated sense of freedom, it was incredible. Here I was, in the middle of nowhere ("en la mitad de nada"), carrying my life on my back, walking through the mud and rocks, listening to the sound of exotic new birds, and loving it!
Matias came down from his house to welcome me to the farm, and I immediately knew he was good people ("buena gente"). He is extremely laid back, with a slightly unkempt beard, and the air of somebody who has all the time in the world. His house sits on the crest of the hill, overlooking the forested terrain and the Pacific Ocean. Off in the distance, although you can't see it from here, is the island of Chiloè.
Priscilla is the only other person wwooofing here, and she is badass! Originally from Zimbabwe, she moved to New York at 12 and is now studying at Scripps College near L.A. Incredibly intelligent and mature, she is easy to laugh and is inspiring me in innumerable ways. We have been working together at planting ajo (sort of a giant garlic, or a cross between garlic and onion), as well as refining batches of honey, and... cooking! Since I have been here we have made apple pie (both our first) with fresh, local, and organic raisins, apples, honey and cinnamon. She also taught me how to make bread, and yesterday we made a sauce out of chard (acelga) from the farm, merquèn (a chilean spice like a spicy paprika), and milk, to put on potatoes and pasta. Por suerte she loves to eat as much as I do! Tomorrow we are heading to Chiloè to check out the artesanìas (handmade crafts) there, as well as some of the surrounding islands.
I am planning to come back here after Chiloè, and maybe spend another week or so before heading off to a new farm. I have been keeping my phone charged so if anyne wants to call, feel free! The number is 56 (country code) 9-590-4902. I miss everyone so much, and am really looking forward to my homecoming reunion! I love you, mi gente!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Camping , Pichilemu, etc.
I am currently in the beachside town of Pichilemu... which actually seems a lot like Santa Cruz. It is an adorable little town with lots of wood houses. This morning I walked to La Puntilla and admired the ocean- it is so beautiful here and I didn´t realize how much I had missed the ocean.
Yesterday was a very interesting day. I woke up at 5:30am to catch an early bus here from Santiago. I arrived in half the time I had expected, and nothing was really open yet when I got here (Chileans are not necessarily early risers). So I walked all around town with my backpack on, then headed to the beach to check out the breaks. It didn´t look that great, honestly. I noticed a gringo getting out of the water so I decided to get the scoop from him. He said it wasn´t that great, the tide was too high. He also recommended a hostel and a place to rent boards. I walked to the hostel , which I had already been to, and it was still closed. I tried calling the phone number on the sign. No answer. Okay, time for coffee. I had to ask 3 different people how to find a cappuchino (in Chile, if it´s not cappuchino, then it´s instant coffee- or as Marie and Francisco call it- NOEScafé). I settled in to a sidewalk table where I could see the sea, and read for an hour or so. Finally, after the 3rd phone call to the hostel, somebody answered. Turns out it was Carlos, one of the owners, and the gringo I spoke to had already stopped by to see if I had checked in. I had about a million and 1 questions for Carlos, from "is there hot water" (¿hay agua caliente?) to "when is the best time to surf" (¿a qué hora es la mejor de surfear?) He was very patient with me and answered all of my questions.
As soon as I put my stuff down I met the only other 2 people that are staying here (this weekend is Easter, so currently it´s the calm before the storm). Aynora is Spanish and just arrived, and her boyfriend Oli is German and a very experienced surfer. Oli and I went to Punta Lobos at about 5pm, which is 6km south of Pichilemu. The waves were 10ft, which was crazy. For some reason, however, I was not scared. There is no explanation for it. We had to get in paddling between some rocks, and there was a lot of duckdiving involved. The water was also pretty cold, and I had brain freeze for the first 10 minutes. Unfortunately, the current was so strong, I was immediately dragged away from the point and to the beach. I know this sounds horribly dangerous, but the good thing is that the current took me to the sandy beach, not toward the rocks. Before I was completely whisked away to the sand, I attempted to catch a couple waves. My board was too small, however- it's a tricky thing, knowing what size board one needs for specific conditions. That being said, I didn't ride one wave, because I got out and saw that if I tried again, the same thing would happen, and I wasn't sure if I was even ready for 10 ft. waves. So mom, you would be really proud because I didn't do anything I wasn't completely sure I could handle, and didn't feel the need to do anything rash.
So today I am going to stick to the point that is walking distance from the hostel, rent a bigger board, and stick to the smaller waves on the inside. Oli and Aynora invited me for another session in Punta Lobos, but she is just learning (on the whitewater by the beach of course), and he's quite above my level, so I felt I would wait until I could surf with someone closer to my ability level. I believe Carlos, the owner, and I will go this afternoon when the tide drops again.
Last weekend I went to Baños Morales in Cajón del Maipo with a group of 6 other people- Anja and Darren from the UK (who also joined us in the Elqui Valley), Kevin and Britt from Huntington Beach, and Margaret and her brother Sasha from Canada. We left early Saturday morning and set up camp in a lovely campground right by a river. We had wanted to camp inside the national park, but the authorities refused us. After having lunch and setting up our tents, we took a short (and cold and windy) walk to find some fossils just outside of town. It was pretty cool, you could see imprints of shells in broken rocks, indicating that the whole area was once under water. We also went to visit some thermal baths...they were NOT hot- huge disappointment. Margaret and I still attempted to go in, but it was painful. I was very sad, as you all know how much I love soaking in hot water.
That night we had a delicious spaghetti dinner and warm fire, as well as some quality Chilean boxed wine. Darren and I were the last awake, and in our semi-drunken state decided it would be a good idea to sleep outside. It was a beautiful night, the sky was clear and the moon was almost full. I was totally into it. It was definitely cold, and I didn't have the best sleep ever, but thanks to my down jacket I did just fine. Darren apparently gave up after an hour or so, and went to cuddle up with Anja in their tent. Psshhh! ;)
The next day was a full hiking day. We entered the park around 9:45 and hiked all the way to the glacier, which took about 4 hours, including a lunch break. The hike was incredibly beautiful. Basically we were in a hanging valley surrounded by mountains, a river, and a lake, as well as gorgeous green grasses. At one point I tried to feed some grazing horses my apple core, but I don't think they trusted me...nor had they ever had an apple before, obviously, or they would have come right over. One of them really wanted it, and came really close to eating it out of my hand, but couldn't bring himself to trust me I guess.
When we reached the glacier I was excited to drink some really cold water directly from the source- I think that was the cleanest, most refreshing water I have ever tasted! Alas, we couldn't dwell at the glacier or the lake, because we had to catch the 1 bus a week that goes into Santiago. It was a cramped bus ride, and I was so excited to get off when we arrived, that I left my water bottle on the bus :( Super bummed because I had been doing so well with holding onto it. Sorry Becca.
So before last weekend, I really just chilled at Marie and Francisco's apartment. BTW, for those of you who don't know- Marie and Francisco are a couple that Becca met while living in Santiago a few years ago. They are AMAZING people. I have been staying with them for almost 2 weeks and they have been so kind, hospitable, and patient with me (since I couldn't afford to stay in a hostel). Francisco- a chilean who has been educating me on his ridiculously slang-filled language- is an incredibly talented musician, in a band called Los Sicarios del Ritmo (essentially it means the hitmen of rhythm). His main instrument is the bass guitar, but he can pretty much play any instrument. The other night he played one of my favorite songs, "Everlong" by the Foo Fighters on his guitar, and I nearly cried it was so beautiful. I'm serious- don't laugh, it was beautiful. Marie is from Milwaukee but has been living in Santiago for about 3 years. She is outgoing, witty, hilarious, and speaks perfect chilean spanish. I have had some really special moments with this couple, and they inspire me so much because they love each other so much and act like newlyweds, although they have been married for over 2 years.
Santiago is a really great city, as far as cities go. I have been doing well at traversing the city, using the extensive bus and metro system. I have to say, I LOVE taking the metro, maybe because it's something I've never experienced extensively, but it's so freakin convenient! The only complicated element is during rush hour, when you're basically packed in there like the front row at a Tool concert. Other than that, it's very self-explanatory, and there are maps everywhere, which I also love. I have only gone out dancing a couple times, mainly because it's stupidly expensive. Basically, in Chile everything is the same price in the states, except produce and set lunches. Needless to say, I have been cooking at home a LOT. Speaking of which, I am going to go make lunch now, my stomach is grumbling.
Thank you all for tuning in, if you go to my Facebook page and click on photos of Marie, you'll see pics from the camping trip last weekend. Ciao, pescado, a poto pelado!!!
Yesterday was a very interesting day. I woke up at 5:30am to catch an early bus here from Santiago. I arrived in half the time I had expected, and nothing was really open yet when I got here (Chileans are not necessarily early risers). So I walked all around town with my backpack on, then headed to the beach to check out the breaks. It didn´t look that great, honestly. I noticed a gringo getting out of the water so I decided to get the scoop from him. He said it wasn´t that great, the tide was too high. He also recommended a hostel and a place to rent boards. I walked to the hostel , which I had already been to, and it was still closed. I tried calling the phone number on the sign. No answer. Okay, time for coffee. I had to ask 3 different people how to find a cappuchino (in Chile, if it´s not cappuchino, then it´s instant coffee- or as Marie and Francisco call it- NOEScafé). I settled in to a sidewalk table where I could see the sea, and read for an hour or so. Finally, after the 3rd phone call to the hostel, somebody answered. Turns out it was Carlos, one of the owners, and the gringo I spoke to had already stopped by to see if I had checked in. I had about a million and 1 questions for Carlos, from "is there hot water" (¿hay agua caliente?) to "when is the best time to surf" (¿a qué hora es la mejor de surfear?) He was very patient with me and answered all of my questions.
As soon as I put my stuff down I met the only other 2 people that are staying here (this weekend is Easter, so currently it´s the calm before the storm). Aynora is Spanish and just arrived, and her boyfriend Oli is German and a very experienced surfer. Oli and I went to Punta Lobos at about 5pm, which is 6km south of Pichilemu. The waves were 10ft, which was crazy. For some reason, however, I was not scared. There is no explanation for it. We had to get in paddling between some rocks, and there was a lot of duckdiving involved. The water was also pretty cold, and I had brain freeze for the first 10 minutes. Unfortunately, the current was so strong, I was immediately dragged away from the point and to the beach. I know this sounds horribly dangerous, but the good thing is that the current took me to the sandy beach, not toward the rocks. Before I was completely whisked away to the sand, I attempted to catch a couple waves. My board was too small, however- it's a tricky thing, knowing what size board one needs for specific conditions. That being said, I didn't ride one wave, because I got out and saw that if I tried again, the same thing would happen, and I wasn't sure if I was even ready for 10 ft. waves. So mom, you would be really proud because I didn't do anything I wasn't completely sure I could handle, and didn't feel the need to do anything rash.
So today I am going to stick to the point that is walking distance from the hostel, rent a bigger board, and stick to the smaller waves on the inside. Oli and Aynora invited me for another session in Punta Lobos, but she is just learning (on the whitewater by the beach of course), and he's quite above my level, so I felt I would wait until I could surf with someone closer to my ability level. I believe Carlos, the owner, and I will go this afternoon when the tide drops again.
Last weekend I went to Baños Morales in Cajón del Maipo with a group of 6 other people- Anja and Darren from the UK (who also joined us in the Elqui Valley), Kevin and Britt from Huntington Beach, and Margaret and her brother Sasha from Canada. We left early Saturday morning and set up camp in a lovely campground right by a river. We had wanted to camp inside the national park, but the authorities refused us. After having lunch and setting up our tents, we took a short (and cold and windy) walk to find some fossils just outside of town. It was pretty cool, you could see imprints of shells in broken rocks, indicating that the whole area was once under water. We also went to visit some thermal baths...they were NOT hot- huge disappointment. Margaret and I still attempted to go in, but it was painful. I was very sad, as you all know how much I love soaking in hot water.
That night we had a delicious spaghetti dinner and warm fire, as well as some quality Chilean boxed wine. Darren and I were the last awake, and in our semi-drunken state decided it would be a good idea to sleep outside. It was a beautiful night, the sky was clear and the moon was almost full. I was totally into it. It was definitely cold, and I didn't have the best sleep ever, but thanks to my down jacket I did just fine. Darren apparently gave up after an hour or so, and went to cuddle up with Anja in their tent. Psshhh! ;)
The next day was a full hiking day. We entered the park around 9:45 and hiked all the way to the glacier, which took about 4 hours, including a lunch break. The hike was incredibly beautiful. Basically we were in a hanging valley surrounded by mountains, a river, and a lake, as well as gorgeous green grasses. At one point I tried to feed some grazing horses my apple core, but I don't think they trusted me...nor had they ever had an apple before, obviously, or they would have come right over. One of them really wanted it, and came really close to eating it out of my hand, but couldn't bring himself to trust me I guess.
When we reached the glacier I was excited to drink some really cold water directly from the source- I think that was the cleanest, most refreshing water I have ever tasted! Alas, we couldn't dwell at the glacier or the lake, because we had to catch the 1 bus a week that goes into Santiago. It was a cramped bus ride, and I was so excited to get off when we arrived, that I left my water bottle on the bus :( Super bummed because I had been doing so well with holding onto it. Sorry Becca.
So before last weekend, I really just chilled at Marie and Francisco's apartment. BTW, for those of you who don't know- Marie and Francisco are a couple that Becca met while living in Santiago a few years ago. They are AMAZING people. I have been staying with them for almost 2 weeks and they have been so kind, hospitable, and patient with me (since I couldn't afford to stay in a hostel). Francisco- a chilean who has been educating me on his ridiculously slang-filled language- is an incredibly talented musician, in a band called Los Sicarios del Ritmo (essentially it means the hitmen of rhythm). His main instrument is the bass guitar, but he can pretty much play any instrument. The other night he played one of my favorite songs, "Everlong" by the Foo Fighters on his guitar, and I nearly cried it was so beautiful. I'm serious- don't laugh, it was beautiful. Marie is from Milwaukee but has been living in Santiago for about 3 years. She is outgoing, witty, hilarious, and speaks perfect chilean spanish. I have had some really special moments with this couple, and they inspire me so much because they love each other so much and act like newlyweds, although they have been married for over 2 years.
Santiago is a really great city, as far as cities go. I have been doing well at traversing the city, using the extensive bus and metro system. I have to say, I LOVE taking the metro, maybe because it's something I've never experienced extensively, but it's so freakin convenient! The only complicated element is during rush hour, when you're basically packed in there like the front row at a Tool concert. Other than that, it's very self-explanatory, and there are maps everywhere, which I also love. I have only gone out dancing a couple times, mainly because it's stupidly expensive. Basically, in Chile everything is the same price in the states, except produce and set lunches. Needless to say, I have been cooking at home a LOT. Speaking of which, I am going to go make lunch now, my stomach is grumbling.
Thank you all for tuning in, if you go to my Facebook page and click on photos of Marie, you'll see pics from the camping trip last weekend. Ciao, pescado, a poto pelado!!!
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