A Little Bit of Lima in My Life. A Little Bit of Chile by My Side

After much deliberating I decided it was best to extend my ticket in Chile a few days so that I could get done a few things that I had really wanted to do.  I managed to head back into Santiago, where both going out to Valparaiso and ascending the Cerro de San Cristobal were on my list to do, and the list for some friends I had made there as well.  I took Friday night to stay in and rest a bit, and then headed out to the bus station the next morning to meet up with my friends and go to Valparaiso.

Valparaiso, or Valpo, is known for its colorful houses that line the hills of the small beach town.  It offers both residents and visitors all types of local arts to enjoy and really yummy seafood.  I arrived at the bus station about twenty minutes late, and unfortunately this was one of those days where my friends had arrived early and thought that I wasn't coming after all.  I looked around for them a bit, and then decided it was best to catch the next bus out of town if I was going to enjoy the day.  I got to Valpo around 11 on Saturday, and saw what looked like miles of streets lined with people selling things.  I saw phones from the 70s, shoes from last season, and everything in between.  I suppose this is something that happens on Saturdays, because the whole town was out shopping.  I bought a thing or two for those back home, and then caught the local bus to Pablo Neruda´s home, La Sebastiana.

La Sebastiana 

I have had the chance to teach some of Neruda's poetry in the past, and have never quite connected with it in real meaningful way.  Something about listening to it while strolling through his home made it come to life for me.  His obsession with the sea was something that made me miss home a bit, but also made me respect him so much for making it a priority to see the sea from ever room of his house.  I took my time enjoying looking at everything from his whisky glasses, to the stuffed flamingo he had hanging from the ceiling.  Who once seemed like an over-the-top romantic, became personal to me and left me wanting to read his words in a whole new light.  After the house tour, I strolled through the winding streets of Valpo, grabbed a great vegetarian lunch at Donde Luca (supposedly this is one of the only cities in Chile where they really get what it means to eat vegetarian), and then headed back to Santiago.

I finally ended up meeting my friends that evening at a bar in Santiago called La Piojera (it means lice- nice, huh?).  I tried my first and only 'Terremoto' (a strong drink that means ´Earthquake´), while thoroughly enjoying laughs and good conversations with my new friends who have made this trip for me.  The next day we planned to hike up Cerro San Cristobal.  This is a highlight in Santiago, and can be hiked or ridden up in a small funicular.  We made our way up there about 3pm, and were able to enjoy it in the funicular (the hike seemed a bit ambitious at that moment) and arrived in time for sunset.  The view of the city really affirmed a deep love for Santiago and Chile that has been building throughout the past 5 weeks.

Riding up in the funicular

View from the top- Santiago is gorgeous!! 

Why not?? 3 Faces, 3 of Us, it works! 

Sunset on my last night in Santiago

I headed out at 2:50a.m. the next morning so that I could make my flight to Lima.  I had planned to sleep on the flight, but instead I ended up chatting with a Chilean guy, Cristian, for a few hours.  He, like every other Chilean, was over-the-top kind.  I had shared with him that I would be meeting my friend at her hotel that evening and was planning on spending the day strolling around Miraflores while waiting for her to arrive.  He quickly offered to share the shuttle that his work had arranged for him with me, and even offered to let me leave my things at his hotel luggage-check.  Really, Chileans are extraordinarily wonderful and kind people.  I asked if he was sure about twenty times, and then decided because I had no other plan at that point to take him up on the offer.  We ended up eating lunch together and strolling around Miraflores, a cute (yet touristy) neighborhood of Lima.  Miraflores literally translates to, 'look flowers'.  As we arrived to the small park in the center of the neighborhood, I understood why.  This area has got some gorgeous flowers!!  That evening Cristian helped me carry my things to the hotel where my friend Rachel was staying with her husband and then went on his way.

Flores from Miraflores 

The Cat Tree, in the Cat Park, by the Cat Church

It has been 7 years since I saw Rachel, who I had met in Granada, Spain.  When I arrived at her hotel it instantly felt like a wonderful little piece of home.  Although we never connected in the States, we had shared some fun memories in Spain together; and with the power of Facebook, have managed to keep up with one another for the past 7 years.  I met her husband, Paul, who is here with his graduate program working, and couldn't have felt any more welcomed in their beautiful hotel room.  We headed out to dinner, in search of seafood (we are in Peru after all), but the restaurant was closed because it was Peruvian Independence Day.  Just like many Americans in the US on Christmas, we found ourselves eating Chifa.  Chifa, which is not quite Chinese food but pretty darn close, is something that you can only get in Peru.  Our waiter recognized Rachel and Paul, and this little old Chinese-Peruvian looking man greeted us all with a fist-bump.  Throughout the dinner, I could have sworn that he was a professional mime-comedian.  He managed to recommend dishes, take our order, and check-in with us with very few words and some amazing gestures.  It was probably the most entertainment I've had in months.

Peru is ALL about their flag!  

A Yummy Ceviche Moment 

Plaza de Armas 

Rooftop View from Sol de Oro 

The next two days Rachel and I have been able to enjoy together while Paul has had to go to work.  We slept in late, ate a Spanish style meal (chocolate con churros with tortilla de patatas) in honor of our Spanish time together, watched some extremely interesting Peruvian television, and strolled around a small artisan fair that is here in the area for the celebrations.  She also shared with me some of her favorite food spots, and I have eaten better in the last two days than I maybe ever have.  A visit to Plaza de Armas, a great nap, and some last minute gifts for loved ones back home have seemed to bring this trip to a close.

I fly out of Lima this evening, in some ways feeling as though this time has flown, and in others feeling as though I have had experiences that have changed me forever.  So many reflections and insights I have gained from this journey fill my heart and mind.  I am so grateful to have the life I do, so grateful for Divine provision of everything I needed just as I needed it, and so grateful that I will be returning home to paradise tomorrow.  Until the next journey- buen viaje y un abrazo desde Lima!

Kuchner, Kascadas, y Kasinos (German Style)

The south of Chile looks nothing like any image that would come to mind if someone said to me,"What does South America look like?". Pulling into Puerto Varas put an instant smile on my face. This small little town was settled by Germans during the Second World War, leaving it looking much more like Germany than anything else. Adorable wooden buildings lined the streets, words with 'w' and 'k' showed up on signs, and there was a sense of clean structure to serve as clear marks of the German influence.

The first day it was rather rainy and cold, so when I found myself chatting with some Chileans on vacation over a cup of tea, I couldn't help but to be content to spend the afternoon in the hostel. Before nightfall I decided to head into town. Strolling the streets of Puerto Varas just felt great. I popped into a book store, spent some time at La Barista (the coffee shop/bar where I ended up at each day), and then headed to the grocery store to grab stuff for dinner. This hostel was probably the nicest I've ever been to in my travels.  First of all, it was warm. For the first time since arriving to Chile I didn't feel like a prisoner in my bed, hiding my face under the blanket and shifting my hot water bottle every ten minutes to maintain my mild status of warmth; and that alone I think made this trip down south worth it. On top of that there were some really quality people there. The hostel also had a language school for English language learners, and that meant that there was a group of some really cool language teachers there. I have had more amazing conversations in the past few days than I've had maybe ever. Of course in any setting, there are some you gravitate to more than others; for me there was a great French girl named Lily, who I connected with instantly. She and I had very similar plans for our days in the area, and decided to travel together a bit.


Early on the second day we headed out to Los Saltos de Petrohue. After grabbing breakfast at La Barista, we caught the bus out of town. This place was the reason I came south. While I could write about how good it was, I won't because the pictures can speak for themselves.

After exploring the area we decided it was best to walk the 6k to the next area, Los Santos de Petrohue. There we meet up with a guy who was also staying at the hostel, Morgan from Whales. We ate lunch, enjoyed the natural beauty that surrounded us, and then headed back. The bus ride back was twice as long as the ride there, but only because our bus driver was taking this time to chat it up with his buddy. Lily and I made the best of it: joking, her teaching me French, and sharing travel photos. For Lily and her amazing patience, I will include my new French phrase (with English spelling of course): "je sui dan le newage". It means, "my head is in the clouds" (in the day dreaming sense). While it may not be the best looking sentence written, nor the most useful phrase, I must say, it sounds pretty good when I say it ;).

My third day in Puerto Varas I was able to get in touch with my cousin Mary's friends. Unfortunately Pam, who I had been communicating with for about a month, was unable to be there. Instead, I spent the day with her mother, Maria, and daughter, Paloma. They were just so wonderful. We ate lunch at their house and headed to Frutillar for my first official Kuchner. Like I mentioned, this area was settled by Germans, and with every good German comes a good strudel. We enjoyed this yummy dessert with a group of Chilean business men (because there were no open tables) and talked about life and our amazing desserts.

Maria dropped me and Paloma off at my hostel, because she was coming out with me for the night to see a local play with a group of friends I had met at the hostel.

That night was full of all the reasons I love to travel. We sat through a rather abstract play that focused on the unspoken reactions to government control and colonialism, drank locally brewed beers over a nice conversation, had the worst mojito that was claimed to be the best by the bartender, took my first trip to a casino, where I threw some dice and was given some money, and then danced with Alex (the incredible dance ninja). The moments you share when traveling are wonderful ones. People connect in a way that would never happen in their real lives. Travelers are always open, ready to share of themselves, both their time and presence. Heading south was wonderful, and a reminder to live with the traveler mentality the best I can each day.

A Machete and a Bottle to Keep Me Warm: My Divinely Timed Trip South

A quick bike ride around Catemu with Yury 

Just another peek into life on the farm

This bridge was constructed by volunteers like me and I will be honest, I was a little nervous. 

The last week staying at the eco-village was an amazing experience. A new friend, Yury, from my classes in Santiago chose to come to Catemu and volunteer with me for a few days, which was a great shared experience and nice to have a bit of the "real world" with me there. We had the chance to make 2 eco bricks, which consists of a plastic 2 liter bottle filled completely with plastic recyclables. This surprisingly took about three hours to make only two bricks each. After that task I decided to ask if there was anything else we could do, and sure enough there was: open walnuts. For the last hour of our volunteer work we sat in front of a fire and opened walnuts with a rock; quite the day. We were both thrilled when we got to spend the next day working in the garden! I enjoyed the days on the farm very much and met some wonderful people, but am in no way ready to take on the life of a Hare Krishna monk. I may or may not have indulged in beers, burgers, and chocolate Saturday night when I got back into Santiago. :)

I woke up from a nap to peek out the window and see this!  WOW. Those are the Andes friends.  

The last week of my trip in Chile I am spending in the south. About 90% of the amazing photos that come from this place are taken in the south. I flew into Puerto Montt yesterday and boy was that one of the prettiest flights I've ever taken!! Unfortunately the only hostels in the area listed online were really expensive for hostel prices (about 40USD). While the first night cost a little more than planned, I managed to set something else up once I got here and am spending half the price for something in town and with my own bathroom. Although, I should share that when I arrived, I found my place easily (great change from the Santiago arrival shenanigans) and then went out for a stroll before sunset. Wow is this place gorgeous!!

Afterwards, I ducked into a shopping mall, honestly just to escape the cold for awhile before having to head back. I did buy a guatero, a hot water bottle to sleep with at night. Despite the pricey hostel, the room was freezing. I continued on, stopping at a grocery store I grabbed a few things to cook for dinner, and some red wine to try and keep warm (the recommendation of the woman at the front desk when I told her my room was cold). Then I headed back to the hostel, made some dinner, chatted it up with some people, and made a plan for the next day.

Today I headed into the Alerce Andino National Park. Like much of this trip, not a lot of pre-planning has gone on; so after waking up around 9, causally eating breakfast until almost 11 while talking with a nice Chilean couple, I decided to head to the bus station to see when the buses left for the park. On the way I dropped my bag at the new hostel and layered up (have I mentioned it's really cold here?). The bus station is real close, and I managed to walk up at about 12:25 to find out that the bus I needed was leaving at 12:30. This was the beginning of a well-timed day.
The bus ride was about an hour long, and I still am fascinated by the amount of bad 80s American music they play on buses and by the insane amount of personal stops that are made for passengers. Just imagine that the bus is stopped to let someone off, and your house is in about 30 feet; you may want to get off there, no? Nope.  Instead, people get off the bus whenever and wherever. Today I watched as a woman waited until the bus turned around in a small dirt road after stopping, she then had the bus driver stop on the other side, about 12 feet from the first stop, so she could get off. Enough of that, sorry.

Soooo, upon getting dropped in what looked like the middle of the road by some chickens and pigs, I wandered ahead the 500 meters the bus attendant told me to until I found the entrance to park. It was gorgeous! The first views alone were worth the journey. I then headed up the hill to look at the trail map. There I was greeted by a park ranger, Ivan Vargas. He was extremely helpful and took down my data in the guest book. He also let me know it had been a windy couple of days and he would have to come with me on the trail to make sure it was safe. I thought this was a bit strange, and also that it would be an inconvenience to him, and kinda mess with my " traveling sola" vibe. I quickly decided to make the best of it and be glad that I'd have an expert with me.

He suited up and then had me wait as he locked up the building. I didn't think too much of spending the day with this guy until he returned with a huge machete. "Seriously!?! This is how it's going to end for me?" I thought to myself. Option one: leave. Option two: hang in there and have a little faith that God has a better way for me to go. I went with option two.

It was a great hike!! Ivan shared along the way about the special trees and plants. He has been working there for 25 years and was willing to answer my questions. It was peculiar because when I arrived I shared that I was from the States, and he said that he spoke English, so for the rest of the day he spoke to me in English and I spoke to him in Spanish. At the end of the hike, he wrote down a few recommendations for me to do in the area, and a place where I could grab dinner before the bus headed out. I thanked him profusely and went on my way.

Leaving the forest wasn't quite as magical as arriving. I quickly remembered that I was in the middle of nowhere and that as the sun started to go down that this place is really cold. While I briskly headed up the hill into the town (if I can even call it that), I was looking out for the restaurant Ivan had told me about earlier. I walked about a mile or so, and passed a little store type place. I walked in and this store had everything: laundry soap, soda, WD-40, and hot rolls! I bought a hot roll for about a quarter and then found out the bus wasn't coming for another hour. In order to get on the bus in this town there are no stops I was told, you just wave at the driver in the street. We're not in Santiago anymore Todo.

I was surprised when a bus came down the road only 20 minutes later. I stopped him, and he told me that he had about 40 minutes of stops before he headed the direction I needed. I was really cold, so I asked if I could just ride along anyway. He said "sure", and I hopped aboard! This was a wonderful choice for multiple reasons: it let me stay warm, I was able to see some AMAZING views, and about ten minutes into the ride Ivan got on the bus. I didn't want to bother him when he was off work, so I just sat back and figured he'd say hi if he wanted to do so. Sure enough he not only said "hi", but called me up to sit with him. Our guided tour continued as he told me all about the peaks we were passing and about the area.

Sunset from the Bus Ride

We rode together about thirty minutes until we stopped at his house. He told the bus driver that he would get off in a few minutes and then he told me there was something he wanted to share with me. I ,of course, was really surprised. He shared that he had recently been in a relationship with a woman and lost her, and that her name was Patricia. He didn't tell me how he lost her, but seemed sad about it. He said when I walked into the office that morning he couldn't help but think about the coincidence of names. Then he shared that even though I didn't know it, I was an angel to him that day, and he appreciated me so much. He then hopped off and waved goodbye as the bus drove away. Wow.

A quick photo with Ivan before he headed off! :) 

Just when I am not sure if I am on the right path, or if this life is more meaningful that what we can see and do- moments like this happen to remind me it is. Today was beautiful for a lot of reasons and I'm looking forward to more unplanned divinely appointed ones ahead.

Ecochakra: Life on a Farm

Upon arriving to the ecovillage where I have planned to spend five to six days of my journey, I was greeted by a Hare Krishna monk named Macknu. He kindly greeted me and allowed me to place my things in the cabin where I would be staying. We took a quick tour of the farm, he explained to me the benefits of a dry toilet (and how to use it), and then left me to get settled before the bell rang for lunch.

I have just finished my second full day here, and have been amazed at the kindness and beauty that surround me. I also am amazed at the incredible food that abounds. Most of what we eat comes from the garden, and of course, it is all organic and vegetarian. Surprisingly for how healthy that sounds, I may have put on two pounds in the last few days and have never felt so well fed.

Part of staying here includes volunteering each day for about 4-5 hours. I arrived past the volunteering work on Monday, but have been able to work the last two days to pay for my room. They ask for 5000 pesos a day for food, which is about 10USD. Yesterday I helped to make alfajores, a macaroon type cookie that they sell locally to help keep things running here. At the end of the day, they let the volunteers try one-and yes, despite how much trouble I had learning the word alfajor, I will now never forget it! Delicious.

Today's volunteer work was a little more intensive to say the least. We planted trees and plants for a good five hours. Amazingly the sun was shining and it was so hot that at one point I was wearing a tank top and flip flops. It is still the middle of winter here, and last week I was skiing (just to give that a little perspective). After three of us dug holes for the trees and planted about twenty flowers, we grabbed a fresh pear and sat back to rest from our work.

Nandi

Life is definitely different here. I've been able to do yoga each night, engage in multiple spiritual conversations, played for hours with some neighborhood children, and sleep more than I have in weeks. The nature, animals, quiet, and constant kindness has been refreshing and a definite change of pace from the city. Sending all my love from Catemu, Trisha.

Chile ROCKS!!!

These last ten days have been absolutely amazing.  While it seems as though the Chilean government must be paying me to be a walking commercial for the country, indeed I have come to feel this way on my own.  Santiago not only has so much to offer, but the last two weekends I have managed to take 3 day trips to some of the most breathtaking beauty I have ever encountered.  Together with some amazing new travel friends, I'm convinced that some of the memories I have made will stay with me forever. 

Last Saturday a group of us headed out to Cajon de Maipo, a place for hiking, hot springs, and catching a gorgeous peek at the Andes.  We originally wanted to enjoy the hot springs, because who wouldn't want to sit in a 90 degree Jacuzzi like spring?; but when we arrived we found out that they are only about 60 degrees during this time of year, and that it wouldn't be quite what we were hoping for that day.  Instead we took a bus to San Gabriel.  The winding roads allowed for some gorgeous views of cacti, rivers, mountains, and a nice sunrise; but it also meant that I would be nauseas for about the next hour or so.  Somehow upon arriving to San Gabriel, and taking a peek at what we were about to explore/summit, that nausea subsided and I felt like Louis and Clark about to go into one of the tallest and rockiest places I have been.  My friend Sarah and I stuck together as we headed up the mountain, deciding which path to take, or when to stop and capture a photo.

 We stopped and chatted with some Chileans, most of them were there to allow their kids sled down the mountain or even there to camp out.  There were a few moments when the snow would completely fall out below my feet, and the fact that I was wearing jeans and standing about 3 1/2 feet into the snow quickly became a REALLY cold and wet experience.  That didn't stop us though!  We met up with our friend James who had already been to the top and back (he's a beast), and he was so kind as to make little foot steps in the snow for us, as to avoid the 3 foot surprise drops that had been happening.  After we got to the top, all taking a few moments to take in God's beautiful creation (which my mom calls God's playground), we chatted about how to best get down to the bottom.  James decided that it would be best to make this moment into a fun video in which he rolls down the hill, somersaulting, and flipping his way down (when I have proper internet and my own laptop I will be sure to post this!).  Sarah and I decided it would be best to take off our coats and sit on them so that we could slide the way down.  Can I just say, this was the most one of the most fun experiences I've ever had.  We flew down the hill- giggling like children and catching some serious air!  What a seriously amazing day. 

The next day a group of 8 of us went skiing in Valle Nevado.  We headed out at about 7 am, which was extremely challenging, but as the sun came up over the mountains it stirred in me that feeling that all is well in the world, and we were in for an exciting day of adventure.  My goal of trying something new this year was about to come to pass!  The two hour trek up the mountain, sharing a fun conversation with the van driver about the history and details of the nature and towns surrounding us on the drive up, alone was worth the money we had spent to go skiing.  When we got there I began to look for the bunny slopes on the slope map.  Sure enough, there weren't any bunny slopes.  NO BUNNY SLOPES.  So here I am, all bundled up, skis in hand, and about to get into a cable car that will take me up to a green slope (for beginners at least), having never had a lesson and growing up in Florida.  Needless to say, it was quite the adventure.  There were moments of pure fun, pure fear, and then the moments in which I sat on the side of the mountain and cried (all of them were an important part of day 1 skiing in the Andes).  After taking on the green slope, and I write this is the most hesitancy possible, I headed down into the lodge and found my friends, all having enjoyed the day tremendously. 

From the top of the green slope

The experience became really wonderful when we loaded up the van, put on some good tunes, and went down the mountain enjoying the most gorgeous sunset I have ever seen.  Life is so good.

La Vida Chilena con la Influencia Americana :)

Today I finished my first week of classes.  In some ways it feels as though the time is flying, and in others as though I have been here forever.  Life living in the city is really wonderful.  I love the fact that every convenience that I could possibly want is here, that there is always something to do, and that all at the same time it is surrounded by beautiful mountains.  One theme I really noticed this week was that American cultural influences are everywhere here.

One of the "city-highlights" was heading out of the metro stop where I am staying and running into a concert in the middle of the street.  I was amazed at how many people had stopped in the middle of the street to watch these guys play.  I stayed for awhile, and managed to grab a little video to share.  They are actually pretty good, but it´s a little ironic that they sang mostly American songs.

This week I managed to make my yearly trip to a club :).  For those of you who know me well, I am NOT a "discoteca" kind of girl, but more of the brew pub type.  But even more than that, I am the type of person who if you ask me to do something, there is a great chance I will say yes just for the experience!  So when the group of Brasilenos asked me to join them for a night out, I said "yes".  The first club we went to was called After Office (that is not a translation, but how it is called here in Santiago).  The have no cover fee if you show up before 9, which was a little tricky for a group of people who work on Latin American time (I am including myself in that).  We literally RAN up 8 floors to make it there at 8:59.  PHEW!  It was really a good time.  It is atop a 10 story building, and the main part of it is on the roof.  So with a rooftop view of all of Santiago lit up, I was super happy I decided to go out if only to get that kind of view of the city.  The second club was more of the type you would find in Ybor, kinda dirty and no "wow" effect.  I was amazed at both that about 95% of the music was American, unfortunately the prices for the drinks were the same as well.  All in all we danced, drank, and lived it up.

Last night I headed out with some other new friends from my classes.  One of them is leaving Chile in a few days and has really wanted to try a nicer restaurant called, Liguria.  The food was more Italian than anything, but nonetheless, delicious!  The Chilean wine wasn´t so bad either.  Afterwards, we decided to head out to the mall in Santiago.  It was as though I was in the US and could have been in any American mall.  We strolled around and got some ice cream.  There is a huge movie theater there and I am hoping to catch a Chilean movie (most of what they offer is from Hollywood and subtitled or dubbed).

Although life in the city is wonderful, the plan for the weekend is to enjoy a bit of the AMAZING nature here.  Tomorrow I am headed to a place called Cajon Maipo, where we will hike and then enjoy some hot springs (I will try to find a bathing suit today for this, which will be really difficult mid-winter).  Sunday, I am heading to the Andes to ski!  It will be my first experience and while I am a little nervous, I am mostly ready to embrace winter.  If things don´t go amazingly skiing, I will be posting lots of pictures of snowy mountains. :)

Hasta la próxima!