Adventure til the end!

I’m making my way home now.  It’s hard to believe that in about 24 hours, I’m going back to the “real world”  It’s been an experience more than I could have imagined and it’s hard to believe that 3 weeks have gone by! 

I did everything I set out to do: learn some Spanish, tour some wineries and paraglide (twice!)  There has been plenty more I didn’t set out to do (celebrate American thanksgiving in Santiago, reach nearly to the peak of some of the Andes, hot springs, great dinners and meeting great people.

It seems that for most of us 2009 hasn’t been easy.  After going thru the emotions of the divorce, going to Asia for work 3 times in 6 months and many other ups and downs this year has brought, I’m extremely grateful that I was able to close out (or nearly close out) 2009 on such a high note.

This trip was meant for me to celebrate the fact I’ve survived 2009.  I not only survived it, but I thrived.  And in order to make sure I’ll remember this great feeling, I got a tattoo.  That’s right.  4 hours before my journey home, I went to a tattoo studio and got permanently engraved!  There were a whole lot of charades involved (the extent of my Spanish doesn’t cover things like “needles” or “font”) and time was tight.  But Mauro, the Argentinean tattoo artist did a great job and with minutes to spare I headed to the airport.  What’s the tattoo? it’s the saying “What doesn’t kill me, makes me stronger.” it’s the motto I’ve lived by and will continue to live by.  Pretty appropriate.  And every time I look at it, I want to remember my great South American adventure and how relaxed and happy I was the day I got it!

 

What does not kill me, makes me stronger.

Posada Cavieres

When I travel, one of the things I hate most is generic hotel rooms.  To me, they’re so bland and boring and you may as well be in any city in the world.  So when I travel, I seek out (ok, obsessively research!) unique places that are affordable.

So far (knock on wood) I’ve stayed at some amazing places in Thailand and Costa Rica. 

In Argentina, the cool unique place turned out to be Posada Cavieres.  It’s near Mendoza in the Maipu Valley and is 100% relaxation.  The posada has 3 rooms and behind is are vineyards and olive groves and a whole lot of birds singing (one of the smallest flaws: they start singing at 5am)

I came here seeking total relaxation and I found it! it’s so amazingly quiet and peaceful here.  They have bikes available and you can tour a bunch of wineries nearby.  And it’s only 20 minutes from the city of Mendoza. 

It’s run by a husband and wife team who are super friendly and who go the extra mile.  Most people seem to only stay here for a night or two as a stopover in Mendoza.  I’ve been here 3 days and am already so relaxed.  I think it’s just what I needed to recharge my battery. aaaahhhhhhh…….

the vineyard behind the Posada

 

                   The front entrance & outdoor dining area

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the front entrance

                The back deck

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Posada’s dog (who reminded me of the sheepdog on the Bugs’ bunny cartoons!)

Termas Cacheuta

Yesterday, I met up with a friend of a good friend of mine and we decided to spend the day at  Termas Cacheuta that a lady had told me about.  The hot springs are about an hour away from Mendoza near the town of Potreillos.

The hot springs are part of this hotel but I have to say, they were by far the best ones that I had been to!  There were a ton of different pools of all different temperatures.  The pools were built of rock and were awesome.  Also incredible, was the view of the canyons and Mendoza river.  Entrance to the Hot springs was about $55cdn for the whole day including lunch.  Over lunch we split a bottle of Malbec.  A bottle of organic reserve Malbec at the restaurant was about $10cdn!  After our filling lunch and wine, a siesta was in order.  I can’t believe I managed to fill a full day of relaxing.  I was so busy relaxing I didn’t even get to the cool grotto sauna thing or read my book.  The biggest stress of the day was deciding whether we should lather up with mud or which tub to sit in.  I love it.  I can’t believe I’m FINALLY relaxing…

the view from one of the tubs

       

the rock footbath/massage thing to walk thru and an indoor tub

 

 

 

 

 

 

the view in one of the tubs

Running off the side of a mountain

Have you ever stood at the edge of a building or a mountain and thought to yourself “geez, I wonder what would happen if I jumped off right now?”  Most normal people would probably answer “hell, NO!” but then again, I’m not normal.  I love heights and I love speed.  The ultimate adrenaline junkie!  I’ve jumped out of a plane before and was hoping it would cure me of my need for speed and heights.  However, since that time, I’ve just wanted more!

So, when I found out that in Mendoza, there is paragliding, I jumped (pardon the pun) at the chance.  Because as if traveling thru South America as a single female alone isn’t adventurous enough, I thought, why not jump off the side of a mountain for a little more excitement.

Aside from skydiving, it was one of the more exciting things that I’ve done.  Unlike skydiving, there is no freefall but it’s one of the more amazing experiences I’ve ever had.  700m above the city, you run off the side of a mountain and float up another couple hundred metres.  From there you soar above the amazing landscape like an eagle.  It was so amazing and peaceful, I’m hooked. 

The launching point

 

me, geared up who knew? a backpack with a built in seat!

 

 

another pilot taking off

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The only thing saving me from crashing to the ground!

The amazing view!

the landing circle

The edge of the world part II

Last week, I thought I found the edge of the world in Chile.  It was at 10,000ft elevation and there were hot springs.  This week, I found the other side of the edge of the world: the Argentinean side.  The host of the amazing posada I’m staying at (more to come on that) took us up to past the Uco valley, past Tucuyan up into the Andes.  Technically, you could cross the border into Chile into the very same hot springs I was at last week.  But only by mule and only for one or two months a year. 

Today’s experience was so amazing.  No organized tour would go here.  It was 30C in the valley today and about –5C at 4000m elevation.  You can see from the pictures that this isn’t your every day adventure.  Even more amazing, was at the end of the day, we met up with a group of horse back riders and got to be part of their asada (amazing bbq) inside a hut at about 2500m elevation. 

A real live gaucho in the Uco valley

  The road that we drove up

Our car (look at the boulder!)

This bus broke down and never made it out!

 

 

Snow?

behind the horse is the hut that we ate in

American Thanksgiving in Chile

The other day at school, one of the girls invited me to dinner.  Specifically, American Thanksgiving.  She was friends with an American guy in Santiago for work and being Dutch, she never experienced Thanksgiving.  So, her and I set out to make a Thanksgiving dinner with Chilean ingredients.  There was a lot of compromising to be made…

We called our adventure, Iron Chef Santiago.  Instead of a turkey, we settled for a chicken.  Stuffing wasn’t a problem, however, the spices (thyme, sage, etc…) were.  The American’s apartment only had salt.  One of his co-workers had garam masala at his place, so garam masala is what we seasoned it with.

Yams, not a problem.  The mashed yams with brown sugar and nuts still turned out great (but with walnuts cause there’s no pecans here)

Gravy and cranberries were impossible. No hope.

The pumpkin pie was an adventure in itself.  I went to the Mercado Central which is quite possibly one of the biggest fruit and vegetable markets in the world and bought something that resembles a pumpkin.  Pie crust? Another huge challenge.  I normally would have made pie crust from scratch but didn’t have the time and the kitchen of my homestay is the size of a closest.  But a metro, bus and 20 minute walk (each way) got me to this massive grocery store that sold pre-made pie crusts. (Santiago has a shortage of grocery stores)

So, in the end, I celebrated American Thanksgiving in Chile, on a rooftop overlooking Cerro San Cristobal with an American, 2 Brazilians and a Dutch girl.  For 3 of them, it was their first Thanksgiving ever, it was my first eating Thanksgiving dinner outside, on a rooftop and with a spoon (we had a shortage of forks…)

Ear Tampons?

I really had no idea how hard school for 5 hours a day in a foreign language in a foreign country would be.  I’d rather be at the office for double the amount of time, it’s sooooo much easier!

That being said, it’s amazing how much Spanish I’ve learned! If you’re going to learn a foreign language, this is definitely the way to do it!  Immerse yourself in the language and culture for a finite amount of time, and you’re guaranteed to come out with SOME language skills!

Having to constantly think about what you’re going to say, how you’re going to say it and make sure you conjugate those damn verbs correctly is hard work.  And for someone like me who doesn’t stop talking, it’s downright exhausting.  It’s gotten so bad, I’ve started to dream in Spanish!

It’s gotten so bad for all of us at school, that 3 of us have an informal “club” at lunch where we go speak English just to give our brains a break. 

All that being said, it’s been a great experience.  Because I speak French, it hasn’t been as hard for me as the others.  The other day, the teacher even suggested bumping me up to the next level for the last few days (not that I’m bragging! half the time I just make a wild guess in French and part of the time I’m right!)

I’m having to resort to charades in public less and less.  Today, I even went to the local Laundromat and had a charade-less conversation.  Yesterday, however, was another story.

I haven’t been sleeping very well in Santiago.  Chileans don’t seem to sleep very much! No one seems to go to bed before 2am.  So last night, I set out to buy ear plugs to have a good night’s sleep. 

I went to the nearest pharmacy.  Except for some basics (soap, shavers, etc…) everything else is behind the counter.  I went to 3 different pharmacies hoping one would have ear plugs on display: they didn’t.

So I braved going to the counter and knew this conversation was going to have to involve charades.  I walked up to the counter and used some basic sentences and started pretending to stuff my ear.  The pharmacist’s first guess was cotton balls.  Nope, try again.  Then, as if she won the lottery said “ah, ah, ah, Tampones!!!!!!”  I thought to myself that wasn’t exactly the hole I wanted to fill…. she popped back up with a selection of “tampones” “tampones de oido” specifically.  That’s right, ear plugs = ear tampons.   I suppose it serves the same purpose but I couldn’t stop laughing all the way home.  I am the proud owner of a pair of ear tampons.  And ear tampons is what they shall be referred to forevermore.

Adventures on a micro bus

Today I decided I was up for an adventure.  I wanted to go to a winery.  For some reason, going on a winery tour here is ridiculously expensive!  I couldn’t find one for under US$100!  Because I’m too cheap and I find organized tours boring (Brenda & Neil, I can hear you laughing from here…) I decided I would create my own adventure and get there myself.

I made reservations to have lunch at the Santa Rita winery (the only way I could go on a tour on a Sunday)  I vaguely figured out how to get there (with some help from the family I’m staying with) Armed with the winery’s map from their website and the family’s instructions, I set off!

The first part was easy and just involved taking the metro.  I even managed to buy a pre-paid transit card without any charades.  Next was a train ticket.  Easy peasy, bought a ticket and no one flinched at my Spanish.

Took the train to Buin a small town in the Maipo valley.  The winery’s map indicated that it should have been less than a kilometer from the train tracks to the winery: WRONG!  After some aimless wandering and asking a few people, my options to get to the winery were:  to look for a random car with the right name on the top (called a collectivo) and hail it down.  Sort of like a cab, but with other people going every direction.  Option 2, take a micro bus (#81).  I went for Option 2.  I would have never known that this was the bus stop…

Where this becomes an adventure is the fact that these buses have no set stops and drive wildly through the country roads (despite the fact that on the bus there’s a sign saying they have a maximum speed of 50 km/h)  Where it becomes really interesting however, is if you’re the only person getting on or off the bus, they don’t come to a complete stop! So, when you want to get off, you let the driver know, he slows down, and you jump off and practice your Hollywood stuntman skills.

If you know me at all, you know how clumsy I am (or as they say in Spanish “Yo soy torpe” (I am clumsy)) So, imagine me, trying to keep my balance as the rico suave bus driver slows down and then I launch myself off the bus.  Amazingly, I made it.  And the winery, was awesome!

Risk of Death/Serious Injury potential:   3/10 (increases depending on speed of bus)

Adrenaline factor: 4/10

Valparaiso

Today the school had a trip to Valparaiso (pronounced Val-para-iso) It’s a port city on the coast of the Pacific and about an hour and a half by bus from Santiago.  The buses in Chile are amazingly cheap (the ride was cdn$5 and the bus super modern and comfortable)

Valparaiso is one of the oldest cities in Chile and recently became a UNESCO world heritage site.  It’s famous for it’s 19th century architecture, colorful buildings and funicular (ie death trap) elevators. 

Here are some cool pics!

Chilean Food

I’d never heard much about Chilean food nor did I have any clue as to what their national dish might be.  However, after a few days, I do know that this country has an unnatural obsession with avocados.  I’m not lying. Everywhere, avocados.  I had not clue there were so many types of avocados until coming here.  Tiny holes in the wall stores that only sell cold drinks, sell avocados. The mini farmers market up the road? Avocados at each stall.  At least 4 varieties.

The first time I saw this guy, I thought he was a beggar on the street and I crossed the street (it’s my passive agressive way of dealing with beggars)  After all, if this guy were in a residential area anywhere in North America, what else would he be doing?  But in Chile, this guy, on the corner in a residential neighborhood,  EVERY day, sells avocados!  Last time I saw him, he had 5 varieties.  Today; only 2!

 

One dish I had the pleasure of trying (though that’s still up for debate) is a Chilean version of Poutine.  It probably originated before Poutine, but for the life of me, can’t remember this dish’s name.  While our Canadian Poutine is hardly the picture of a healthy meal, the Chilean version (thankfully meant to be shared) has a massive stack of fries (probably close to 2lbs worth) fried onions, cheese, scrambled egg, and a ton of beef.  It doesn’t taste nearly as bad as it sounds and with a bit of sangria, it’s perfect.  Then again, anything with fries is pretty perfect as far I’m concerned!

Hot Springs at 10,000ft

Today was my first day at school.  I don’t think my brain has been this tired since I did math at engineering school.  Come to think of it, calculating how much things cost here is pretty complicated math.  Who would have thought that a bottle of water cost 350? it’s pesos and works out to about 75 cents but still.  Lunch costs 3000.  I’m not used to working with so many zeros!

The teacher to us to a small farmer’s market (feria) where we learned how to ask for fruits/vegetables and negotiate cost.  I only humiliated myself a few times!  Instead of saying “smoked salmon” I said “the salmon smokes” and instead of asking if it was a “chirmoya” (a local fruit) I asked the merchant if it was a bad cheque! ha ha!

The school had an available excursion to a hot springs in the Andes called Thermas de la Collina.  90km along a dirt road, I think we found quite possibly one of the least habituated places on earth.  Seriously, look at this picture… it could be Afghanistan!  Osama bin laden could be hiding in that cave!

 

Once we got there, I have to say it was one of the most unique places I’d ever been to.  We were at about 10,000ft elevation and the peaks of the mountains you see were probably 7,000m (don’t make me do more math!)

And really, can you find a sexier lifeguard than this????

Bellavista

The area I’m staying in in Santiago is called Bellavista.  It’s a cool area with lots of tree lined streets, colorful buildings and streetside restaurants and cafes. 

From my very little exploring thus far of Santiago, I love the feel of the city.  I also love the fact that I don’t even look like a tourist.  It’s one of the few places I’ve been to, I can actually blend in like a local (not so easy to do in Thailand or India!)  and for anyone interested, a bottle of wine at the cute cafes? About $5 Canadian!

Getting there

When I left home today, I felt like a young kid that just graduated and was going backpacking around Europe.  There I was at my mom’s place, with my backpack on and my comfy yoga pants and she was about to drive me to the airport.  The only thing odd about the whole thing is the fact that I’m about 18 years too old to be doing the backpacking thing.  But that’s the feeling and excitement I felt!

By the time I connected in Toronto and got on the plane, I was over the whole surreal-ness of my adventure.  I was so excited that I didn’t even care that the only child on the plane happened to be sitting right behind me and was either kicking my seat, screaming or both.  However, by hour 9 of the flight, I was ready to reach over and pick her up by her pig tails.  Luckily for the both of us, she had just fallen asleep!

Tomorrow, it’s off to school for my first lesson.  “where is the bathroom” or “do you know where the sloths are” haven’t helped me at all yet today!

Full Circle

Here I am, the night before one of my biggest adventures, reflecting on the trip I’m about to take. I’m heading off tomorrow for a three week trip to Chile and Argentina. I’m going to be spending two weeks in Santiago learning Spanish and a week in Mendoza staying on a vineyard.

It’s important for me to do this trip on many levels. First off all, after a hectic year, I need rest. Between work and the changes in my life and relationships, I need a break to catch my breath.

Ironically, I’ll be finishing up the decade not very far (at least physically) from where I started it. On January 3, 2000, I landed in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. It was the first time I left North America as an adult. I was a lost twenty something just starting a career in the clothing business and trying to find myself. Flash forward to 2009: I’ve added 15 countries to that list and have an amazing career in the clothing business. Even more amazing, is the fact that my job has given me the fortune of taking me to some amazing places. I’ll never forget telling an ex-boyfriend that if India was the last place on earth, I wouldn’t be interested in going. Who knew that years later, I’d have stamps in my passport from 5 visits to India?

But this 2^nd time to South America, isn’t as a lost twentysomething, but as a thirtysomething (eek) woman who lived the biggest emotional rollercoaster of a lifetime and not only survived it, but came out of it a better person. I’m looking forward to three weeks of introspection, rest and great adventure!

First stop: Santiago, Chile. The plan is to go to a Spanish school and finally refine my skills. After my month in Bolivia in 2000, I picked up a lot of Spanish, but I should “probably” learn a little more than “How much is this?” “Where is the bathroom?” and “Excuse me, do you know where I can find the sloths today” (don’t ask!) So… here’s hoping I’m not a thirtysomething amidst a slew of just out of high school trust fund kids. Wish me luck!