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!