This Is CHILE

Hey everyone!


Soo tonight I was looking forward to relaxing in my bed while catching up on some NCIS.  However, cbs.com doesn't work for my "geographic location" and the "hulu" of South America doesn't have NCIS, which is a serious crime.  How dare they!  Anyways, I should be reading a book in Spanish or something and Facebook is boring so I decided to blog.  This blog post is kinda a work in progress, FYI.  But here are x-number of observations I have made about Chile, Chilean life, Chileans etc.  They are in no particular order and may seem a little random, but perhaps you'll find a few interesting... Expand your horizon, people!  :)  


Observations start here:


1. Chileans like to stare. (and honk and whistle and occasionally be obnoxious.)  This is very similar to Spain, which is great for me because I'm kinda used to people staring at the gringa, or white person.  Your average Chilean has brown hair, brown eyes, and often darker skin tone.  Thus, any reddish-brown haired girl with blue/green eyes dressed like a gringa definitely stands out.  However, when I'm on the metro and everyone and their mom is staring at me, often I like to stare back and give a little wink.  Usually it catches them off-guard and they turn away.  Kinda amusing, eh?


2. Chileans walk slow and speak fast.  As a girl from Chicago I walk semi-fast.  But hey, when I got someplace to go, I got someplace to go sooo watch out, Chileans, and get out of my way!  Haha.  However, oftentimes I just have to slow down... there are sooo many slow-walking Chileans, sometimes I just can't win!  Kinda surprising when you think about how darn fast they speak too.  Habla más despacio is one of my most-used phrases, meaning "Speak slower."


3. Chilenismos - I thought I knew Spanish (castellano) coming down to Chile.  However, some of the basics are completely different.  For example, avocado in Spain is aguacate but in Chile it is palta.  The list goes on... literally. 
¿Cachai? = Got it? 
Po = "well" and they say it after everything.  For example Sí po.
Al tiro = right away
Weon/a = dude
Fome = boring
Pololo/a = boyfriend/girlfriend
Bacán = cool!


4. Pololear = Wanna be girlfriend/boyfriend?  Like in Spain, PDA is rampant.  It is everywhere.  Maybe it's just the hormones, but teens are making out all over the place - in the park, on the metro, on the streets... You name it and they'll make out there too.  I must say, it can be entertaining but usually it's just downright annoying.


5. The morning metro commute... Sardines, anyone?  I'm not kidding.  When a metro train pulls up to your metro stop, you may think to yourself "There is no way anymore people are fitting on that train."  Au contraire.  At least a dozen more will fit.  Trust me.  Been there, done that.  The best part is watching the little old Chilean women push their way on that train like nobody's business.  Permiso is the key word.  Needless to say, I am not looking forward to summertime when it is 100+ degrees down there and I am stuck on a packed train with everyone's B.O.  But hey... you gotta do what you gotta do.  Survival of the fittest in the Chilean jungle.

6. Once (own-say) is kinda like tea-time in Chile, but oftentimes it takes the place of dinner.  Usually served between 4 and 7 PM, once consists of tea, coffee, bread and jams - kinda like a breakfast repeat.  Luckily, my host family only partakes in once occasionally on the weekends, thus I get a normal and substantial dinner.  :)


7. Coffee.  HUGE disappointment.  You would think being so close to Brazil and Colombia, Chile would have AMAZING coffee.  No.  Fail.  They don't.  The majority of Chileans drink instant coffee.  I know, I know, I was shocked too.  It is a CRIME, right?  These people are truly loco.  Haha just kidding.  But I do find it extremely weird.  I guess they do more instant coffee due to their tea obsession.  I'm not kidding you; they are obsessed with té.  I can barely compare it to my own coffee addiction.  Luckily, I am becoming more and more fond of tea.


8. Okay, let's talk about this climate thing.  Obviously the seasons are switched... I hope that much is obvious.  However, when I arrived, the clime was extremely harsh.  Very, very cold mornings and evenings... then it would get absurdly warm in the afternoons, which was kinda annoying because you had to dress in layers and then carry around your layers all afternoon.  But I survived!  Also, seeing as the biggest hole in the ozone is over Antarctica (I think), Chile also is having problems with a thinning ozone.  Translation?  Where your sunscreen and sunglasses everyone and don't go tanning.  Seriously.  Don't.  As for pollution?  Welcome to Santiago, home of pollution and smog.  I really haven't had a problem with it although a few of my gringo friends have had trouble adjusting and have developed coughs.  Furthermore, sometimes you can really see it if you are up high enough.  Cars are also issued a number or a color or letter or something and on certain days when the pollution is really bad, only certain cars can drive.  Carpool, por favor.


9. Bananos - No I did not misspell bananas.  A banano in Chile is none other than a FANNY PACK.  Oh yeahhh!  The 80s are back so bust out your old fanny packs and bring them with you to Chile.  Men and women alike are caught sporting fanny packs all over Chile.  Where they on your hip, in front, or slug across your shoulder/chest if you are really cool.  Sometimes I don't get it... I mean, they stare at me for dressing like a gringa all the time while they are wearing fanny packs.  

Just in case ya'll missed my last post - I bought a banano, of course!
But if you did miss my last post, go back and read it!!

10. Terremotos:  earthquakes and drinks.  As you all may know, Chile, all approximately 2.600 miles of coastline,  is situated on the Ring of Fire, meaning yes, volcanoes but most importantly, earthquakes.  Temblores, or tremors, occur quite frequently:  i.e. all the time.  However, the big ones, the terremotos are more rare and thank goodness.  Their latest big one was in February of 2010 and measured a chill 8.8, killing about 525 people not including the 25 that went missing.  This is serious business.  Needless to say, with earthquakes come tsunamsi so watch out if you´re at the beach.  If the water suddenly and rapidly retreats, that is code for RUN.  However, as scary and serious as earthquakes are for Chileans, there is a subtle pride in their dangerous country so much so they have a drink called terremotos as well, which consists of white wine, pisco, sugar, and pineapple icecream.

11. What is pisco?  Well, it´s essentially a colorless grape brandy that everyone drinks in Chile.  Pisco sours and piscolas, which are like rum and cokes.  Chile and Peru both claim ownership of this drink and it´s a touchy subject.  If you want to get a rise out of a Chilean, just make the comment that pisco isn´t really from Chile and they´ll get all hot and bothered.  Amusing, I´d say.

this is a pisco sour

12.  Alright, let´s talk about food, Chilean food.  I think I´ll start with empanadas, which are infamous.  You can buy an empanada just about anywhere at anytime and usually they are delicious for roughly a few bucks.  My favorite is empanada with seafood.  However, the more original would be empanada pino, which has ground meat, boiled egg, a little pepper and onion among a few other things in the mix, and always with one black olive.  Empanadas, Represent yo.

13.  Completos y Choripan  I put these two together because they are both ¨hotdog-esque.¨ You have probably heard about me talk about completos, which are hotdogs traditionally with avocado, mayo, and tomato.  Choripan on the other hand is chorizo, Spanish sausage, on the grill in a hotdog bun, essentially.  Don´t eat a completo on the street, but en casa they are pretty legit.  However, choripan... eat it anywhere at anytime.  ¡Delicioso!

Completo

Choripan

13.  Now is a great time to address the mayonnaise obsession.  Chileans put mayo on EVERYTHING and I am not exaggerating.  While I have been in Chile this short time, I have put mayo on hotdogs, potatos, salads, french fries, artichokes, meat... you name it and they´ll put mayonnaise on it.  Just be careful not to eat the mayo on the streets as many people have been gotten salmonela and one man actually died.  So ten cuidado, meaning be careful!

This has to signify the epitome of mayo obsession.
"Kids, do you want Snickers or Reeses for Halloween?"
"NOO!  We want MAYONNAISE!"
Now the only question is Hellmann's or Miracle Whip...

14. Speaking of obsessions, this is an appropriate time to add ice cream, or helado, to the Chilean obsessions of tea and mayo.  Chile is the largest ice cream consumer of Latin America, which says a lot seeing as it is only the 7th most populated Latin America country.  Just to give you some perspective, Brazil has about 190 million people, Mexico has about 112 million, Colombia 45 million and Chile... about 17 million... But they like their ice cream that is for sure.

15. I would also like to add pebre to the list of Chilean foods.  This one I particularly adore.  Similar to pico di gallo, pebre consists of tomatos, cilantro, garlic, onion among a few other things depending on the recipe.  Spicy as ever and delicious!!!  In most restuarants, pebre and bread is placed before you to munch on while ordering and waiting.  Many also put pebre on choripan, in soups, on potatos etc.  I don´t think a meal would be truly Chilean if it didn´t consist of pebre and mayo as condiments.  I think most Chileans would agree.

16. Nanas... and no, I´m not talking about another name for Grandma.  Nanas are quite popular and common in Chile.  Many children are raised by nanas... maybe their parents work or maybe that is just how it is.  I´m not sure, but it certainly isn´t uncommon to be raised by a nana in Chile.

Chilean movie about a Nana,
 who is trying to hold the position she has held for 20+ years.

17. Oh, interesting observation about the lawnmowers in Chile.  They are plug-in lawnmowers, I kid you not.  Twice, I have seen people mowing their lawns with lawnmowers, which had cords attached to them!  How odd, I thought, just make sure you don´t run over the cord with the lawnmower... that could be problematic.

18. Alright, let´s talk about the political scene briefly.  As many of you may know, Chile was under a dictatorship from 1973 to about 1990.  His name?  Augusto Pinochet.  Very complicated history that has left deep wounds and scares throughout Chile and her people.  On September 11, 1973 the first democratically elected Marxist president in Latin America, Salvador Allende, was overthrown; thus unleashing a whirlwind of events that would haunt Chile forever.  If you didn´t already guess, the US (CIA) was involved in the coup d´état as it was right in the middle of the Cold War... not that that is an excuse, but just to give ya´ll an idea of why we would do that.  So even before, September 11th became infamous in 2001, that date was already well-known in the minds of all Chileans.

19.  More recently, however, has been the protests for education reform, often which have gotten media attention when they have turned a bit violent (you´ve heard me talk about tear gas, rubber bullets, etc.).  Anyways, this is a huge time in Chilean history and will be a turning point in educational reform.  I think I´ve already devoted a whole blog post about this but I just wanted to mention that Education is dominating the political rhetoric right now and the students aren´t going anywhere without a fight.  They want results and who can blame them?  Education is frighteningly expensive compared to the average Chilean wage and the interest on loans is scandalous.  Education is treated more like a business than anything else... all for profit... but at whose expense?  Education affects the young people who are in turn the future of the country... so who is really hurting whom?  Anyways... it´s problematic and complicated as most political debates are.

Universidad de Chile en paro - meaning "unemployed" or kinda like being on strike.
There haven't been classes in months and the students have been living inside the school.

20. Another more random observation is about the public buses in smaller towns like Valparaíso and Viña del Mar.  It is not uncommon to see street vendors hop on buses with drinks, snacks etc. and try to sell them to customers on the buses.  This would never happen in the US, I´d dare to say, but in Chile, it´s común.  Furthermore, street vendors etc. are quite common selling anything from roasted nuts to sopapillas to scarves and sunglasses.  You may even get approached by a gypsy wanting to read your palm.  Don´t fall for it, she can´t.  (And no, I do not know that from experience... Just my street smarts! haha)

21. Many of my next observations have to do with Chile in comparison to the United States.  Although Chile is very different from the US, oftentimes I catch myself wondering if perhaps I am in the US afterall.  Why?  Well, let me make a list:  Lider (i.e. Walmart with Great Value brands), The North Face, Merrell shoes, Hush Puppies, Aldo, Columbia, TGI Fridays, Applebees, Dunkin Donuts, Chucky Cheese (weird, right?), Papa Johns, Subway, McDonalds (but that shouldn´t surprise you), Blockbuster, Starbucks (thank goodness! real coffee. although they don´t have pumpkin spice because it isn´t fall... FAIL!)... The list goes on with Herbal Essence, St. Ives, Colgate, Lays potato chips etc.  I don´t know if I should be comforted by the fact that I can by my same shampoo in Chile as well as grab dinner at Applebees or if I should be frightened at how powerful globalization (and the US influence on the world) is... In a lot of ways, they, Chileans, like what we have.  However, that´s not to say that makes the US superior and thus justified in its arrogant (at times) ways, but the truth is the US and US businesses have done a slam-dunk job at producing some amazing consumer items.  I mean, who can honestly live without McDonalds ever once in awhile?

If you didn't know any better, you'd think I was at the Walmart in Burlington, right?

22. Oh, and to the above list I can add media:  i.e. television and movies.  The Simpsons, Grey´s Anatomy, House, and other US shows are extremely popular in Chile.  There is even a Chilean version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? which my family and I watch ever night while eating dinner.  Similarly, the Chilean movie theaters are dominated by US movies like Friends with Benefits, Bad Teachers, and the latest Taylor Lautner movie called Sin Escape here in Chile... I mean, let´s just talk about that real quick.  How lame.  The kid looks 16 (okay, to be fair I think he is 19) and is holding a gun trying to look all BA on the movie poster... epic fail, Taylor, stick with Twilight, my friend.  But anyways... my host family is even familiar with The Jersey Shore and 16 & Pregnant, which I constantly tell them are not from the US to save myself the embarassment of being associated with those trashy shows.  Whoa, I was coming on a little strong there.  My apologies.  Terrible TV shows about nothing that I think are more detrimental to our society kinda gets me worked up.  Needless to say, movies and TV are another thing that has transcended the borders of the US.



23.  Let´s just talk briefly about the bathrooms.  I almost forgot to mention this because the toilet-situation is very similar to Spain.  Public restrooms are a little more common here than in Spain, however, you still have to pay (50 cents to a dollar depending on where you´re at).  Regardless, most restrooms have a separate basket for your TP... pipage problems :)  Another fun note, always have some TP with you wherever you go just in case your bathroom doesn´t provide you with any.  And NEVER go into a stall without first grabbing some TP from the dispensors located OUTSIDE of the bathrooms in the common-area.  This may sound kinda harsh to you all from the US, but at least most Chilean toilets have toilet seats unlike many restrooms in Italy.  There is always a silver lining, right?


24. Dreadlocks and Rattails:  Yes, I said it.  I know you thought fanny packs were bad news but another popular Chilean style is dreads, specifically rattail dreads.  Usually they come in just one or two, maybe three, from the back of a younger gentlemen's head near the nape of his neck.  Sometimes however they come from the side of his hairline right behind his ear.  Weird.  End of story.  Disgusting too, I should add.  You would think that their girlfriends, or wives even, would cut them off in his sleep and blame it on the cat or something.  But now that I think of it, would they really even have girlfriends, let alone wives???  The scary thing is, they do.  The Chilean girls dig it.  How can I tell?  Well, this leads me back to Chilean Observation #4 - PDA.  


25. Lapis Lazuli:  a relatively rare semi-precious stone that is prized for its intense blue color.  AND lapis lazuli is only found in two areas:  Afghanistan and, you guessed it, CHILE!  whoop whoop!

So I thought it would be best to end on #25 for now, although I am sure I will come up with dozens more observations about this great country in which I am residing for the next 4+ months!  I hope you all enjoy some of the quirks of Chile and her people as well as recognize the beauty in her ways, culture, and history.  Chile is pretty extraordinary and unlike any other place I have been (which really isn't many but still!).  Anyways, this is just a little something to tide you all over until I get back from my vacations to the desert, Montevideo, y Buenos Aires.  


¡Ciao!


PS I started working on this post over three weeks ago... soo if it doesn't flow or something sounds awkward, my apologies but enjoy nonetheless.  

My Chilean "Banano"

To all my friends and family back home:  Hello!  

Life is going quite well for me in Chile.  Last weekend was the birthday party for my host papá.  Thus we made a delicious cake, grilled out, and ate some spectacular food, por supuesto.  And as of this coming Friday, I will be embarking on 10+ days of travel.  The first five I will be traveling with my program to San Pedro de Atacama, which is the driest desert in the world and also featured on the Planet Earth DVDs which my brother informed me of the other day.  Then the second half I will be traveling with a few other chicas to Montevideo, Uruguay and then taking a ferry over to Buenos Aires, Argentina.  ¡Qué bacán!  Thus, ya'll are in for a whale of a blog post when I return.  However, I couldn't wait that long to inform you of my newest (and probably best) Chilean purchase - mi "banano".

So what exactly is this "banano" thing I speak of??  Well, it is none other than a fanny pack.  Yes, that's right, I said it - fanny pack.  I, Sarah Routh, bought a fanny pack.  But not only did I buy it, but I wore it.  Correction:  I wear it.  At this point, I know ya'll are probably either dying with laughter or incredibly disgusted at my fashion faux pas, but let me explain.  Fanny packs are incredibly popular, kinda like the UGG boots of 2008 but more practical.  And yes, they are practical, for men and women.  Don't want to take a purse?  Your pocket isn't big enough for your cell phone, camera, money, and chap-stick?  No pasa nada.  No worries.  Take your fanny pack.  (Wow, I sound like I should be on a commercial for fanny packs right now.)  Thus, practical - yes; fashionable - ehhh?  However, when in Rome, do as the Romans.  So when in Chile, do as the Chileans.

Now let me just be clear.  I do not, repeat: do NOT, wear this thing all the time every day.  I haven't lost my mind, people.  However, I bought it primarily for my runs throughout the city.  When I go for a run, I have to take my keys and sometimes it's helpful to take a few dollars and my metro card just in case or even a cell phone to be safe.  Thus, enter the fanny pack.  Anyways so the day I bought my little fanny pack I just had to try it out and go for a run.  So I strapped that baby on, laced up my kicks, and away I went.  For the first ten minutes of my run, I could help but giggle to myself as I pictured me, a gringa wearing shorts (which is already reason to be stared at) as well as her bright turquoise fanny pack running down the streets of Santiago... Hilarious.  Absolutely hilarious.  Then, as I was running, I started to see other pedestrians wearing their fanny packs.  Now those of you who have trucks and have driven them on the highway know of the "truck-code" between owners of trucks.  For those of you who aren't familiar with what I am talking about, let me explain.  When driving your truck (or even Suburban) down a two-lane country road for example and you begin to approach an on-coming truck, both drivers usually give each other the hand-on-the-steering-wheel-wave or just a little head nod so say What's up.  Well, that is precisely how I felt while running.  As I would make eye contact with another wearer-of-the-banano I would give a little What's up head nod.  You know, just a little something between us members of the Chilean fanny pack club.  No big deal.

Ya'll think I'm exaggerating... I'm not.  I like this whole fanny pack thing so much that I will definitely be bringing it home with me for when I go on runs in the States.  You're right, I will not wear my fanny pack out to the movies in the US of A but I will definitely sport it while running down the streets of B-town or Lake Shore Drive.  Anyways, for those of you who still do not believe that I actually bought and wore a fanny pack, here is the proof.  Enjoy!!

Yes, I am wearing a fanny pack.  With pride.

Check it out!! My very own fanny pack.

Please note that in these pictures I am wearing my fanny pack in the cool way, which is in the front (for security) and slightly to the side (for a little edge).  Also note that there are multiple ways to wear a fanny pack in Chile.  For the men, who feel a little shy about sporting their fanny pack around the middle, you can hang it off your shoulder or do the whole across your shoulders thing which is quite popular here.  

Anyways that's all I really have for ya'll.  Hope you got a little chuckle out of this one.  And yes, I know this is incredibly weird.  I, too, was a little weirded out when I got to Chile and saw my first normal Chilean wearing a fanny pack.  I thought perhaps it was a mistake but it wasn't.  I repeat, it's actually cool here.  However, the idea has grown on me.  Perhaps the idea will grow on you and you'll bust out your fanny pack from the 90s and start a new trend.  Come on.  Do it.  Join the fanny pack club once again.

¡Ciao!

Just for fun, Meet my Chilean sisters:

Me and my beautiful Chilean sisters!!!

In the Name of Steak

Oh, boy, do I have a whale of a story for you all today... 


It all began on Thursday night as five (myself included) very excited gringas met at the bus station in Santiago in order to embark on their (normally 7-hour) bus ride to Mendoza, Argentina (just across the Andes border into neighboring Argentina).  We had been talking about all we were going to do in Mendoza - go shopping for cuero (leather), eat fantastic amounts of meat (it is Argentina after all), tour wineries and drink rich wine (although Chilean wine is substantially better, in my opinion and I think all Chileans would agree).  Needless to say, mis amigas y yo were STOKED.  However, our dreams came crashing down as we approached the ticket window to inquire about our platform and the man behind the desk said two words:  Está cerrado.  For those of you who know little-to-no Spanish, that is code for Closed.  ¿Por qué está cerrado?  We inquired.  Well, as it turns out, it was snowing heavily in the Andes and for safety reasons they had to close the highway through the mountains.  


That would be pretty depressing if that was the end of our adventure.  However, the man changed our tickets for Friday morning at 7:30AM and told us to hope for the best.  Thus, a cool 6 hours later we were up and heading for the bus station once again... obviously sleep deprived and praying that the snow had begun to melt... However, before I move on, my arrival back to my house on Thursday night was a bit comical only because my host family was not at all expecting me to come through that door a mere two hours later.  Of course, they were like Sarita, ¿Qué pasó? (Sarah, what happened?).  Una palabra, mi familia, una palabra - NIEVE.  (One word, my family, one word - SNOW!)  Of course, they all busted out laughing, which is all I could do at that point as well.  As upset as we (the girls) were at this little set-back, all we could do was laugh and talk about how Mendoza better be worth it.  So anyways, Friday morning we all meet at the bus station, almost miss our bus (that's another side-story), but manage to make it in the nick of time.


The Bus Ride:  The bus ride can only be described as a truly Latin American experience.  Why?  Well, the normally 7 hour bus ride easily turned into a 13 hour bus ride and one of the longest days of our lives.  We traveled for about 2-3 hours out of Santiago, kinda in the mountains, when we stopped (standstill) for a little over 3 hours as we all waited for the road to open.  Luckily, we all were able to get up, walk around, grab a Coca-Cola Light and enjoy the scenery (as you will see if you check out my photo album to your left).  A little chilly but eventually we got moving again... Only to stop about 1.5 hours later at the border control where they searched all of our luggage and our baggage aboard.  At this point in the journey we are up in the mountains and it is freezing.  However, a mere 2.5 hours later we were moving again.  As we twisted and curved up the steep mountains on the narrow road, we all held out breath - out of fear of falling off the edge as well as out of pure awe of the beauty of the snow-capped Andes.  They were maravilloso.  I'm just sorry that my pictures don't do them justice, especially since I was on a moving bus snapping photos.  My apologies.  Anyways, we made it to Mendoza around 9:30PM and trekked it over to our hostel, which (Thank Goodness) was nice and clean and cute.  A little vino and a few games of MASH (yes, we are twelve, thank you very much) later we were a bit more relaxed and over the whole 13-hour-bus-ride-horror of the day.  Buenas Noches.


The next day (Saturday) we woke up and were up and going to buy us some CUERO.  Leather, leather, leather - that's all we had heard about Mendoza, other than the wine, of course.  We trekked through most of the main parts of the city that day.  Although we weren't too impressed with the scenery and agreed that Chile is a bit nicer than Argentina, we did end up buying some leather, which made us all pretty happy.  However, what made us all ecstatic was our lunch.  Mi mamá recommended that we go to this place called Las Tinajas, which is a tenedor-libre (i.e. all-you-can-eat) restaurant.  We were advised to arrive early since it is a pretty popular joint, and popular it was.  After standing in a line outside for a bit, we finally entered the restaurant of our dreams.  The most amazing food ever and all for the low price of about US$12, not including drinks.  We were all feeling pretty good about our lunch selection until we tried the meat when pretty good became an understatement... It changed our lives.  As a girl from Iowa who has eaten her fair share of good steaks, my mind was blown when I tasted thee most tender and juicy piece of cow I have ever eaten in my life.  I'm sorry Iowa, but Argentina has you beat hands-down on steak.  (Although Iowa still wins in pork!)  Whoa.  Needless to say, we were all ready for a nap after that meal.  And napping (in the park) is exactly what we did, before we went back to our hostel and napped some more.  Haha.  Obviously, that night for dinner we were in need of something a little, ahem, lighter.  So after some salads we journeyed back to our hostel for some more Mendozan wine and a few games of cards.  


Now if that would have been the end of our Mendoza experience, we would have been pleased, although a little perturbed at the initial bus ride, pleased nonetheless.  After two of the girls headed out Saturday night / Sunday morning, Emily, Katie, and I decided to stay and see a little more of Mendoza.  I mean, we did come all this way!  We wanted to make it worth it and worth it it was.  ¿Por qué?  Well, just take a little peak at this video of mine and perhaps you'll understand...

Yes, I absolutely did go paragliding in Mendoza, Argentina and I would absolutely do it again.  It was one of the best experiences of my life (so far!).  The scenery was astounding.  There is nothing like being 2,000 feet (if I did my calculations correctly) above the ground surrounded by the Andes mountains.  I could even see some snowcapped mountains in the distance.  The video footage is of the acrobatics Alejandro (my paragliding guide and best friend at that moment) had us do in the air.  It was like being on a roller-coaster but not at safe.  I am still in amazement that we could do all that with a parachute.  It was one of the most relaxing 20+ minutes of my life.  The trek in the 4x4 up the steep mountain was more frightening than paragliding itself.  Wow is the only word that really does it all justice.  

Needless to say, after that little adventure of ours, we were hungry and once again decided we had sufficient time to visit our favorite little all-you-can-eat Argentinean restaurant.  Oh, yes, that's right, we went back to Las Tinajas.  Of course, the servers remembered us, which was entertaining and a few of the Argentines we were chatting with while waiting in line wanted to take a picture with us.  Kinda weird but I think it's the whole gringa thing.  Although all three of us would agree that our steaks were not as good as the first time, they were still delicious along with the rest of the food.  After hurrying out of the restaurant and cabbing it over to the bus station, we were on our bus bound for Santiago, praying that the journey would not take 13+ hours.  It didn't, thank goodness.  

However, we were a little worried about the journey when we first got on the bus because we were surrounded by Chilean or Argentinean (??) men playing their loud Latin music and just being plain obnoxious.  As three females from the US, we looked at each other and asked:  What planet are these people from that they think it is okay to play their music out loud on a public bus and not just any bus but a night bus where people are clearly trying to sleep?!?!  Rude.  As we were beginning to think that this was going to be another long ride, the hero-of-a-man sitting next to us asked one of the bus attendants to ask the "gentlemen" to turn their obnoxious and wildly inappropriately loud music down.  They did.  Win.  However, the bus then decided it was a great idea to play a movie.  Great idea in theory, but when you choose Fast & Furious with gunshots and loud cars... come on.  We thought maybe this was a joke as we tried to ignore the bang! bang! and vrooom! vrooom! of Paul Walker and Vin Diesel.  However, once again, we were saved by the same hero-of-a-man who, once again, complained and thus the volume was turned down substantially.

After sleeping un poquito we were once again stopped for an impromptu search of the bus, where three scary Argentinean policemen climbed aboard the bus to check two peoples' passports.  (We later found out they were Israeli and figured it must have been some Homeland Security thing... as discriminatory as that sounds, it is true.)  Then a mere hour later we were at the border control going through the motions, half asleep.  The drug-sniffing dogs were definitely doing their jobs, although no big deals occurred.  Although one of the Israelis, who couldn't have been older than 24, had to open up his bag and show the police his hackie-sacks... Perhaps they thought there were drugs or something inside.  The police didn't understand his broken Spanish as he tried to explain to them what they were used for.  So finally, the kid just picked up all four of them and started to juggle, which ended in a "big" smile from the policeman and a cheerful applause from the crowd.  

Ugh, long night, but finally we arrived back in Santiago around 6AM.  I don't know about the other girls but I definitely skipped class today, which I know won't make my parents very pleased but I hope you all can empathize with me a little after hearing about my crazy weekend, specifically the insane bus rides.  After all is said and done, Mendoza was a success.  And the way I look at the bus rides is this:  Practice for the many more bus rides I will have to take in Latin America, specifically Peru when I bus up to Machu Picchu... I hear Peru can be a little more wild compared to the heavily European influenced countries of Argentina and Chile.

Anywho, I am still exhausted and have to get some studying done... Although I skipped class, I still have a test on Wednesday.  I hope you all enjoyed my little narration of my trip to Mendoza and my photos/video.  Moral of the story:  If you ever get a chance to go paragliding, do it.  It will make the 13+ hour bus ride entirely worth it.

¡Ciao!

Viña Undurraga y Mucho Vino Rico

Hello my faithful-blog-reading friends and family,

Although I haven't ran into more tear gas or had cats making crazy noises on my roof, I thought I should update ya'll on my latest Chilean experience.  Vino, vino, y más vino.  On Friday, five of my amigas and I went to a vineyard in Maipo Valley, which is the region around Santiago.  Viña Undurraga.  It was absolutely gorgeous.  Hundreds and hundreds of acres of grapes surrounded by the Andes Mountains.  Picturesque is an understatement.  We had our own tour of the facilities - the vineyards, the wine cellar with the French and America Oak barrels, the place where they squeeze all the grapes as well as where they allow the wine to ferment etc.  It was quite impressive, especially since it was my first tour of a vineyard.  Viña Undurraga produces seventeen million liters of wine per year and exports about 65-70% of that wine.  Viña Undurraga  (Please check out the link - it is great!!)  This particular winery is the only winery in Chile that hand-picks its grapes off the vines.  Pretty nifty, I'd say.  (And yes, I did just use the word "nifty.")

Anyways, it was a beautiful and informative experience.  However, the best part (of course) was the wine.  We sampled four different types (as you can see by checking out my photo album of the vineyard on the left-side of my blog page).  1. T.H. Sauvignon Blanc  2. Aliwen Cabernet Sauvignon Syrah  3. Sibaris Cabernet Sauvignon  4. Late Harvest   All of them were absolutely rico, rico, rico.  Very, very good.  The fourth, Late Harvest, is a sweet, sweet white wine.  The best way I can describe drinking it is by saying it was like drinking honey.  I kid you not. If any of you, my blog followers, are into wine, I would highly recommend writing down Undurraga and the names T.H., Aliwen, Sibaris, and Late Harvest and going to your nearest Hy-Vee (or whatever it is) and see if they carry any of these wines.  You won't regret it.  ((PS If you do end up finding any of these in your grocery store, let me know!  Also I'd be interested in knowing the price as well.  I know my dad has found Maipo Valley wine before but I wonder about this particular winery, especially since they export 65-70% of their wine.))  All in all, it was a fantastic experience!  We would like to return in December when there are more grapes etc.  It is still pretty early in the season.

Chilean wine definitely gives Spanish wine a run for its money.  Although I might add that Spanish wine is a lot cheaper, so you get a lot more bang for your buck - so to speak.  Other than wine, however, my weekend has been quite chill, which is exactly what I wanted.  Today mi mamá chilena took me with her to la universidad de mi hermana (Universidad Católica) to drop off lunch.  It was maravillosa y impresionante.  Universidad Católica has multiple campuses.  This particular campus is for the arts and mi mamá says it is comparable to the Juilliard of Chile.  I felt like I was in a different world.  The building was amazing, over 100 years old, historic, stone, with many corridors and terraces as well as a stunning church and courtyard.  With the sound of all the musically-talented filling the halls, I kinda felt like I was in a movie set in Europe way back in the day.  I could have stayed there forever.  To study there would be a dream!  Just to eat lunch in one of the courtyards or read a good book under one of the huge trees in the terraces would be amazing and memorable.  Needless to say, I was a little jealous.  Haha.  

As for the rest of my weekend, well tomorrow (Sunday) we are going to have some fun with food!  In the morning, I am going to teach my family how to make oatmeal raisin cookies.  Then for lunch I am preparing fish tacos.  I might add that a family friend is visiting in the afternoon so of course the food will be rico for that too.  Hopefully the baking and fish tacos go well.  Cross your fingers.  :)  We are slowly going to work our way through some of my recipes from los Estados Unidos.  Should be a good time.  *Fun Note:  Today I squeezed un montón of naranjas (oranges) for fresh orange juice - delicioso.  We also ate completos the other night.  I had previously tried a completo on the streets, which I thought was disgusting, but my host family convinced me to give it another go and try their completos made en casa.  They were definitely MUCH better.  I can now say that I actually like completos, which are essentially and traditionally hotdogs with tomatoes, avocado, and mayo.  A little weird?  YES!!  Will I make you all try it when I get back to the States?  YES!!!!!!!  So prepare yourselves.  :)

Okay, okay, enough of this, I'm out.  House is on Chilean TV... need I say more???

¡Ciao!




Note (Added on Sunday):
Alright so I thought I needed to let you know how all this baking went this morning.  One of my host sisters (Maca) helped me baked oatmeal raisin cookies, which turned out delicioso and everyone loved them!  Then, my host mom talked me into baking banana bread, which turned into something more like banana cake since we didn't have the normal pan.  ¡Pero fue exitoso!  (But it was successful!)  For the most part, the desserts will be eaten with this amazingly rich English tea that mi mamá won at JUMBO, the grocery store here, the story of which is quite cute.  Mi mamá was shopping in JUMBO and they had this drawing for this really nice wooden box filled with some of the best (and most expensive) English teas.  So of course, mi mamá entered and she ended up winning!  She is absolutely THRILLED and has told the story to about everyone she has encountered.  It's quite adorable.  Anyways, this afternoon was very chill.  Ximena, a family friend, came to visit just in time for my fish tacos, which were also quite exitoso.  Now we are taking a break before we have once, or tea.  Soo I should probably do some homework but I kinda want to take a siesta.
Hope ya'll are having a great weekend.  Don't worry about me, I'm just livin' the vida chilena.  :)