As a last excursion in Chile, my friend Jena and I traveled to Chiloé. Chiloé is an island off of Chile in the south. With very little planning, we traveled by airplane from Santiago to Puerto Montt. In Puerto Montt we caught a bus to get to the island, in which we had to cross water by taking a ferry. We had planned to spend our time in the city of Castro, which was in the center of the island, so a 4-hour bus ride we embarked on! The idea was to see Chiloé in less than 4 days and having done little research, no one told us it would be raining ALL DAY and EVERY day that we were there. Thankfully we are both adventurous people and enjoy the excitement of the unknown, because I’m sure anyone else would have been disappointed with the amount of rain. Nonetheless, we happened to stay in one of the most awesome hostels (it was a Palafito=house on stilts over water) and ventured out to explore during the day. We ended up in Dalcahue after taking a bus for a while and explored the small fishing village at the edge of the island for an afternoon. Here we tried “Curanto”, which is a traditional food of Chiloé Island consisting of various types of meats, shellfish, potatoes, and other “mystery pieces”. This was an experience in itself and probably the weirdest thing I have ever eaten. *The photo is worth viewing* Although, we didn’t feel our time in Chiloé was complete, it was a relaxing and interesting 3-day excursion. I want to go back!
Click on the "Chiloé" album to see photos here.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Chiloé Island: July 4- 7
Thursday, June 4, 2009
May 20-May 26: San Pedro, Atacama Desert
What was originally supposed to be a weekend excursion turned into a week-long vacation. We made a mistake buying our airline tickets online, but a great mistake none the less! Since my birthday was Monday, I used that as an excuse to skip my classes and off we went to the desert in the northern part of Chile for a week. It might have been the best week yet in Chile for me. The weather was brilliant with sun and warmth, and the sights we saw were unbelievable. I honestly can’t describe most of the places we had visited, as they seemed surreal to me. As far as I can remember, I had never been to the desert before and was amazed to experience the desert of Chile for the first time.
We left Viña on Tuesday night, May 19, to travel to Santiago, as our flight left bright and early the next morning (Wed). We pulled another “sleep in the airport overnight”, though none of us actually slept. Our flight arrived in Calama, which happens to be the nearest airport. We then had to take an hour-long taxi ride to San Pedro de Atacama. After hours of no sleep and traveling, we arrived to our hostel in San Pedro. Of course, we had to stop and ask for directions a long the way as our taxi-driver (this cute little old man) didn’t know where our hostel was in San Pedro. San Pedro was so small, I’m sure we drove by the place a few times while trying to find someone to ask for directions. As we crawled into the hostel premises with our pack backs, we spotted hammocks and passed out for the day. We had found it necessary to rest before we decided to conquer the great Atacama Desert and naps in the hammocks were only appropriate at this time. This first day was mainly spent sleeping, being lazy and aimlessly wandering. Our next four days were then spent exploring the desert through a variety of excursions. I don’t really know how to describe all of the places that we had visited, other than the fact that they were ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL. I suggest you look at my photos to see for yourself because no words can describe the places I saw and even perhaps consider booking a trip to northern Chile in the near future =) I saw lagoons of all sorts, an abundant of rock formations and salt flats, geysers, small ancient towns, as well as unusual (for me) wildlife. We were able to experience most of the sights at their best; either sunrise or sunset. After 4 full-packed days, we spent our last day wandering around San Pedro and lazing around to soak up what last bit of sun we could. The entire “vacation” was ideal and beyond anything I had thought of doing previously.
Aside from the mystery and beauty of the Atacama Desert, one of the most interesting aspects was the loss of electricity and lack of heat at night. The town would become entirely black and the only thing we could do was crawl into our beds under the covers to keep warm. And to look into the darkness… hear the silence of the desolate desert was the strangest feeling. (Especially, as I am used to the sound of dogs barking and car alarms going off all night in Viña) If you walked outside, you could look up and witness the clearest skies filled with a billion stars. Amazing!
I didn’t want to leave...
Saturday, April 18, 2009
La Serena for Semana Santa
La Serena: April 9-12
This last weekend my friend Nicole and I traveled by bus for 6 hours (normally 4 hrs in your own car) to La Serena, in the northern part of Chile. We planned the trip on a whim since we had another 4-day weekend for Semana Santa (Easter holiday). We traveled overnight Wednesday night to arrive bright and early Thursday morning in La Serena. The first day we wandered around La Serena and visited “Parque Japones” (Japanese Park), a beautiful Japanese-styled park. The second day we went on an excursion to Isla Damas (Isla=Island, Damas=Women). We had to first travel by van through the valley and into some desert land to reach the coast (Punto Choros). Through the desert land we traveled at high speeds on dirt, one-way road (like two-tracking or something-I thought we were going to die several different times). It was hard to imagine that we were going to an island, when there wasn’t a drop of water in sight. We got to see some wild guanacos though! They’re kind of like llamas, I guess. But our tour guide told us “to look out for the guanacos” because if we see the guanacos, then we will get to see dolphins. I wasn’t sure (and still have no clue) how guanacos are related to dolphins but apparently, every time he has seen guanacos, he was able to see the dolphins in the ocean. Well, once we climbed into our little engine boat and headed out to sea, sure enough, we saw dolphins! They were jumping out of the water right next to our boat! It was so cool to see, as there are only 3-colonies of bottled-nosed dolphins left in the world and one colony is right here in Chile! We explored the ocean in our little engine boat looking for dolphins, sea lions, penguins, and different types of birds. It was so beautiful and we were able to see so much sea life. Eventually we made it to Isla Damas, where we were able to wander or relax for a little bit. The island is inhabitable by people and serves more or less as a tourist destination for these small day-excursions (although there were people camping in tents there! There is no food or water there though). You can swim or just walk around there. There wasn’t much to see, but the beautiful view.
The next day we scheduled another excursion (they were so easy and cheap and included a meal). Since La Serena is in the Valle de Elqui (Elqui Valley), we found it necessary to see the valley somehow. We traveled in another small touring van through the valley, where we frequently pulled over to look at the different crops that were grown throughout the valley. Making our way further north into the mountains, we visited a dam that they had created there as a source of irrigation for the crops. We also visited the small town of Vicuña, a museum/school house where Gabriela Mistrel (famous poet & activist) went to school, Pisco Elqui (a small town where the grapes for Pisco are grown. Pisco=popular/famous alcoholic drink of Chile), a Pisco distillery (where the Pisco is made & over 100 yrs old!), and then to a restaurant where all the food was cooked by sunlight! (←very cool & delicious!) In the evening when it got really dark, we went to an observatory called "Mamalluca". There in the north, the sky is so clear at night that you can practically see every star in the sky! It was absolutely amazing and we were able to look through telescopes to see the stars and galaxies even closer. We also got to see the moon (so close we could see the craters on the moon) and the planet Saturn! It was almost surreal and the whole experience felt like a dream.
I’m still amazed at how much we did and saw in three days. It was an awesome Semana Santa holiday =)
Sunday, April 5, 2009
ConCón, Horcón, Zapallar and Roca Oceánica
April 4, 2009: Beach Excursion!
Yesterday I went on a beach excursion with my program. All of the places were just a little north of where I live in Viña del Mar. We first went to ConCón, where we climbed sand dunes and burned our feet in the sand doing so. It was worth it once we reached the top as the view was spectacular! Traveling by bus, we then visited the small town of fisherman and artisans, Horcón. Here we had only (I felt) a minimal amount of time to scarf down some fried seafood and cheese empanadas (I had a shrimp & cheese-best empanada yet!) and to explore the beautiful beach where the fresh fish are caught. After being herded back to our bus (typical routine with a 50+ gringo invasion), we were off to Zapallar. At Zappallar we had two hours to lay on the beach and it was glorious. Zapallar was nearly the equivalency of Hollywood or Beverly Hills, with giant houses that overlooked the beach owned by the wealthy. We forgot for a while that we were in Chile… After Zapallar, we headed back towards Viña. We stopped off at Roca Oceánica near Reñaca. We were able to see the sun set as we stood on the giant cliffs of rocks that overlooked the ocean. Oh, what a beautiful day it was!
*You can click on the picture to see it in a better quality*
Sand Dunes
Hórcon fishing Village
Zapallar Beach 
Roca Oceánica
Roca Oceánica
Friday, April 3, 2009
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu deserves it’s own post. The hundreds of photos I took while in Perú and at Machu Picchu do not portray the beauty that I witnessed with my own eyes. I can’t even find the words to describe how gorgeous and mystifying Macchu Picchu was. The beauty was unbelievable and to comprehend that people, the Incan’s, had created such a place so high in the Andes Mountains was surreal. All I can say is you have to go there!
We arrived to the park bright and early to ensure our entrance into the park. Due to my illness the day before and money, we didn’t do the hike up the mountain that everyone talks about. Instead we did hike to the Sun gate first (for those of you who know what I’m talking about). It was really foggy in the morning and one point started raining. However, the clouds would clear for a few seconds and we would quickly try to snap photos of the sights. By the time we were done with our hike to the Sun gate, the fog had cleared and we were able to see everything!! The sun came out and it was unbelievable.
As I mentioned before, we traveled from Cuzco to Aguas Calientes (town where Machu Picchu is) by train on Monday, March 23. We left early in the morning from Santiago and arrived in Aguas Calientes around noon. It was a 4-hour train ride as the train had to continuously change directions in order to change tracks and gain momentum to climb into the mountains. I really enjoyed the train ride (until I started throwing up) as it was an opportunity to see the true life of Peruvians in the countryside and in the mountains and the poverty that exists within Perú. As a foreigner and tourist, it was hard to see the people and their lives. To think that we were traveling on a train that runs through their neighborhoods everyday, blaring its horn, disturbing their daily activities (going to school or work-must wait till train completely passes through and while they are trying to sleep) and that they have probably never or could ever travel by to see one of the most beautiful places in the world. One of the Seven Wonders of the World. Since I was able to travel as a tourist and had the privilege to see Machu Picchu in all its beauty, the next time I go back to Perú I would like to go with a different motive. I’d like to go back as a volunteer to do social work there.
Beautiful Perú!
Perú: March 20-27, 2009
My trip to Perú was amazing! I went with three of my friends from ISA and we didn’t really have a plan, other than the fact that we all knew we going to visit Machu Picchu one of the days that we were there. We had made hostel reservations prior to departing but as far as any plans, we just left with a Southern American travel guide and decided we’d talk to people to see what and how to do things and if that didn’t work we’d have our travel book. On Friday we had to take a bus from Valparáiso to Santiago, where we would then spend the night in the airport as our plane departed Saturday morning at 6am. The Santiago airport and how we got there is another story. Nonetheless, we made it to Perú in the early afternoon and spent the afternoon wandering around Cuzco. Other than the two days we spent in Aguas Calientes and visiting Machu Picchu, we spent our time wandering around Cuzco. Cuzco was touristy and filled with backpackers, but it was also filled with culture and plenty of different places to visit. We visited several Artesian Markets and local restaurants and markets.
I absolutely loved Perú and would love to go back again someday. It is very different from Chile in many different aspects. It is not modernized to the extent that Chile is and is actually quite poor. In fact, everything there was ridiculously cheap. At one restaurant, we each paid 10 sol for a full course meal, which is equivalent to a little more than 3$. The economy of Perú is heavily reliant on tourism and that was quite evident as we walked through the streets, people would ask you to come to their restaurant or shop and try to give you a deal. It was really interesting! Peruvians there were always very friendly with us and willing to help whenever we asked. It helped that we spoke Spanish as they were more appreciative we could speak THEIR language instead of them struggling to speak English. We met a bunch of different people throughout the trip. The great thing about traveling is everyone is outgoing and excited to meet you. They want to know where you’re from and where you are going. It truly is a great spirit and never once did we feel scared or unsafe (of course we were smart about what we were doing so that helped too).
Friday, March 20, 2009
Púcon
This last weekend we traveled 12 hours by bus through the night to Púcon with the organization. It was one of the best weekends I have ever had. We spent the weekend doing different outdoor activities as the town is a tourist-mountain town. We stayed in cabins where we could walk to the downtown area very easily. The first night the girls from my cabin and I cooked together and the second night we all went out for dinner to a classy restaurant that served the best pizza.
The day we arrived there (Friday) we went on a scenic tour, visiting different lakes and waterfalls. The tour ended with swimming at some natural hot springs. Awesome!
I went whitewater rafting and did canopy (zip lining) through the mountains on Saturday. Sunday I was suppose to climb this active volcano with a group, but to make a long story short, I ended up having a dream the night before about the volcano erupting so I had anxiety about going the next morning at 5am when we were suppose to leave. I would have loved to try trekking the volcano but it is hard work. Two of my friends went and made it to the top. However, they were about dead afterwards. Some students in their group didn’t make it as the guides felt they couldn’t go on for various reasons. (It was a big deal to do this. You had to have certain amounts of food and water. The group that went on Saturday didn’t get to go very far due to high winds. It was too dangerous) I probably would have been one of those students so it was better that I spent my day wandering the town and hanging out at the beach…
Now I am off for my adventure to Peru!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Santiago: Feb. 26-Feb. 29
Santiago was really cool. It was quite an overwhelming experience there. We had arrived after a 12-hour plane ride from Texas and had less than an hour to get to our apartments, clean up and prepare for the several hours of touring the city. It was quite a rush, and without much sleep, I just wanted to go to bed. But we were in SANTIAGO, CHILE, no time for sleep.
The weather in Santiago was very humid and smoggy. I didn’t bring the appropriate summer clothes for this weather only because its important to blend in, not stand out, especially as an American… Santiago is very polluted, mostly because 1/3 of the population lives in the city. But I was surprised at how clean the streets were- more clean than some cities in the United States that I have been to.
While in Santiago we visited:
Cerro San Cristóbol
Took a Teleférico Ride to view the skyline
Palacio Presidencial La Moneda (The Presidents Palace-but she does not live here)
Paseo Ahumada
Plaza de Armas
Mercado Central (Central Market)
Viña Cousiño Macul (Wine tasting tour!)
Barrio Bellavista (“The Beautiful View” where we had lunch one day- Bohemian-feel neighborhood/plaza area)
La Chascona (One of three homes of the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda)
Cerro Santa Lucía (where Santiago was founded)
Pueblo de Los Dominicos (arts and crafts shops)
The entire weekend in Santiago was overwhelming. In between tours, we had orientation meetings to prepare for living in Chile, as well as going to school. It was a ton of information to absorb but it was definitely really nice to have as I imagine some international students do not have such a great organization as we do to prepare them like this. We were all getting to know each other throughout the weekend as well. There are about 50 kids here in Viña del Mar and Valparaiso studying abroad with ISA. I was amazed at how many American students chose Chile… it was/has been fun getting to know everyone. Immediately I connected with my roommate (only for Santiago) Nicole, and we befriended a few other girls who we hung out with the whole weekend. Sunday evening, February 29, we boarded a bus to meet our host families… I was so nervous, yet so excited.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Visa in hands
Yes! Indeed I do have my Visa in my possession!!* Finally! Despite the implications of applying for a Chilean Visa (including documents proving I am not a criminal!), the event of appearing in person (in Chicago) to claim it was ridiculously easy! In fact, we showed up a half-hour early and was in--signed paperwork, fingerprinted, then waited-- and out with Visa in hand before my actual appointment time. Amazing. 