Tag: Santiago

By vgosalvez11

This has been a very busy, exciting and exhausting couple of days! I just got back from a weekend trip to Pucon! Pucón is a town in central Chile's Lake District, lying on Lake Villarrica next to the snow-capped Villarrica volcano. Pucon is an adventure tourism hub,  and is renowned for access to hiking trails, white-water rafting and kayaking as well as skiing and snowboarding, amazing natural hot springs and most importantly the trek to the top of the Villerrica Volcano!

Villarrica is the most active volcano in Chile, and top three most active in the world, with its more recent eruption being just a couple years ago in 2015. Trekking Villarrica is usually one of the major draws for backpackers and adventures who come to Pucon and even Chile in general. The trek to the crater / summit of Villarrica takes 4-6 hours of steep uphill climb and using an ice axe to break summit a frozen glacier with ice falling down around you. The climb is considered somewhat dangerous and tourists have been hurt or even killed in the task. So regulations have now changed requiring any non-expert hiker to hire a guide or tour company and shortening the amount of time allowed for the climb.

So being the inexperienced climbers that we are, we did some research (not enough) and booked the hike with a local tour company. On the night before our 6:30am start time I made the mistake of doing some more research into the difficulty of the hike and honestly I started to panic. Before coming to Chile, I have hiked maybe three times in my life and never in conditions like this. I like to work out and be adventurous but I am also very nervous about failure and this has sometimes kept me back from trying things which don't come naturally to me. (Also I just really hate the cold, so ice glacier did not sound too appealing).

...continue reading "Ain’t no volcano high enough"

Very exciting update here in Chile!! Just last night I got to experience my first ever earthquake!! Since arriving here there have been a couple of small tremors but nothing worth writing home about. Until on Saturday night the 22nd of April there was a 6.2 quake with an epicenter in Valparaiso. 6.2 would generally be considered a pretty serious earthquake.

The scale for measuring earthquake (The Richter Scale) classifies them 1-10 and each number illustrates exponential worsening. 6-7 level is considered to be a strong quake. However, in Chile they say that this scale is very different. Chile is one for the most earthquake prone countries in the world and the location of the largest quake on record, a 9.5, in Valdivia, Chile in 1960. Chileans will proudly tell you that well in order places anything over a 5 point earthquake is something to talk about, here you need to hit at least 7 to make it on anyone’s radar.

The reason that Chilean’s have their own scale is how prepared they are in this country for earthquake. Since the devastating quake in Valparaiso in the 1800s hundreds when much of the city was leveled the Chileans have focused on building more sustainable structures. They are very careful with construction to build with materials that flexible rather than rigid allowing the buildings to sway rather than break. This is a very impressive engineering feat and it was been enacted very effectively throughout the country, especially considering that Chile is not considered fully developed.

But Chileans have not only focused on good construction but on educating their citizens, after the earth quake of 2010 about 500 deaths were reports, and while that number is significantly smaller than it would have been in a country which was less prepared it was in great part due to a lack of education. Many people by the beaches did not know to expect the possibility of a tsunami and thus stayed out by the ocean as it receded and were killed when the wave came in. Since there was has been a significant focus on education and in the most recent over 8 point quake in 2011, there were only 11 deaths total. A truly impressive number.

...continue reading "What's Shaking in Chile"

By vgosalvez11

Now I am not actually sure if that is a real nick name for Valpo or not but I really think it is should be. Valparaiso is a Chilean port city which is famous for its steep funiculars, the incredible street art and the numerous colorful, clifftop homes. Valparaiso was also once home to the Nobel Prizing winning Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. As one of only two noble prize winners from Chile Neruda is something of a national hero, and several of his houses and other important buildings have been turned into wonderful museums and monuments to him.

The city of Valparaiso and its sister beach town of Vina del Mar are very important to any Santiago study abroad experience. At first glance Santiago could sometimes be mistaken for many other modern cities in Europe and North America. It is large and busy, a bit dirty (but less so than NYC) and generally seems pretty modern and westernized. If you don't know where to look you might miss the history. Valparaiso on the other hand allows you to see more of the art and culture of  staring you right in the face. And it is so close to Santiago that it will surely be visited by and exchange student. You can get to either Valpo or Vina from Santiago in just a quick 90 minute bus right that costs between $5 and $10 US Dollars.

Since I have been in Santiago (about 8 weeks) I was hearing so much about other people's trips to Valparaiso. i had made it out to the beach at Vina but Valpo was very much lacking in my life. So on Friday morning I fought against my impending cold and we dragged our selves through Semana Santa (Easter Weekend) traffic to Valpo.

...continue reading "Valparaiso: City of Colors"

By vgosalvez11

Just a few hours ago I returned home to my host family from what has got to be one of the best trips of my life. On Thursday morning the 10 members of the GW group and our program coordinator pulled ourselves out of bed at 5 am and loaded into a van for the airport. We headed to San Pedro de Atacama, a small tourist town in an oasis of the Atacama desert (which by the way, is the driest desert in the world). Now I have never been to a desert (save Las Vegas, and I never left the strip) so I wasn't sure what to expect. But despite my high hopes Atacama blew me away. Everything about it, from the winding dirt roads, to the mountain views, to the beat up historic tourist town was amazingly gorgeous. I tried my best to drink in the sight of the mountains across the endless horizons and huge number of stars around the ridiculously big and bright full moon. I was astounded by so much in this unique corner of the world.

When I wasn't looking around in awe we found lots else to do. We started with a tour of Valle de La Luna and incredible sunset views over the valley. Then we check out El Saldo de Atacama which is massive and impressive salt flat in the desert. (It also happens to be location where the most lithium in the world is produced). In this busy day we even got squeeze in an incredible bike ride, where we passed over rivers and through the desert then climbed over salt crusted hills. But the best part of this ride was the two stray dogs who followed us the whole way for over two hours, waiting for us every time we stopped. Then the next morning we got up at the crack of dawn and saw the sunrise over the Andes while making our way to see the El Tatio Geyers. At 14,000 ft at 7 in the morning (-7 degrees C, apparently)  I couldn't stopped shivering but also was so interested in how this phenomena happens. But the most enlightening part of the journey was this morning before we left, getting to visit the home of a native of Atacama.

This man invited us into his community for a tour and to show us the way he and his people have lived for thousands of years. We got to see how the houses are built, the set up of their farms and learned about some of the most sacred rituals and their meanings. Further, we got to learn about the importance of choclo (corn) in the Atacamanian community and the many different kinds that are still grown. We even got to taste a variety of their foods and see how they were prepared.

...continue reading "Cultura Indigena"

This week was relatively chill as I am feeling more and more at home here in Santiago. So without anything big or drastic to comment on I figured I could write a blog to answer the question all my family members ask when they call, “what are they feeding you”. So today I will treat you all to my personal review of  the food I have had hear in Chile so far and how this differs from American food. Before coming to Chile, I did not have a specific opinion on Chilean food.

I thought it should be similar to other Latin American foods, like Mexican food or Peruvian. I assumed there would be a lot of chicken and rice and the typical Chilean foods like choclo, empanadas and carne a lo pobre. I was hoping that Chileans would like spicy food and hot sauce (like the country’s name suggests) because, I love spicy and flavorful food. Based on Chile’s geography I assumed that the Chileans eat a lot of fish because it is a country with so much access to the sea and the fishing industry. Also, I thought Chile had meat as good as Argentina's very famous meat. But since my arrival here in Chile my perception has changed a lot.

First I want to say something, I do not hate Chilean food, it is not terrible and could be much worse. Above all, I'm very lucky because my host mother is a very good cook. She is retired and takes great pride in cooking delicious and healthy foods and cooking with lots of variety. I understand that this is not very common because in some of the other student homes their host parents make the same food almost every day. It can be especially difficult for vegetarians, as vegetarianism is not very common in Chile and they often don’t know what to make of it.

...continue reading "Comida Chilena"

By vgosalvez11

This week, one of my program friends casually mentioned to me that we are already 25% through our program. (((The total is 20 week and we only have 15 left.))) I was astonished by this. I can already feel that this semester is going by so fast! It feels like I have been here forever, but at the same time, as if I should have endless time ahead of me.

I think a major contribution to my comfort level and immersion here in Santiago is living with a Chilean host family. Living with a host family has its pros and cons, of course, but at the moment I feel like it’s the best decision I could have made.

My hosts are an older married couple, Julio and Santina, who have been retired for years. They have been absolutely lovely, making me feel at home and teaching me about Santiago and Chilean culture and politics. I have my own area in the house—in fact, it is a building that is separate from the main house, with my own little bedroom and bathroom and even a little couch area. It appears me that this was probably the area for a Nana (a Chilean live-in maid). (((So I am very comfortable here.))) However, I can’t help mentioning that even the house is significantly different from ones in the US. There is no gas or central heating at all, so when winter comes, we will be using gas or electric space heaters to keep warm. The water is heated by gas and there is no hot water tank, so it heats as it comes out. (Luckily, it’s still in the 70s-80s here, so no problem with a little cold water so far).

For my meals, I eat with the family, which is lovely. I get an authentically Chilean meal for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the company of at least my host mother and often my host father. My host mother is a pretty great cook, and I know this is not something to be taken for granted. Generally speaking, Chilean food can be famously bland (probably like English food). The major staples seem to be rice, chicken, avocado, tomato and a variety of bean soups.

...continue reading "Home Stay Sweet Home Stay"

By vgosalvez11

I wish there was some sort of invention or way for me to track and catalog how I have grown since arriving here in Santiago. Its amazing how things that felt so foreign when I first arrived feel so natural now. Plus, I can't even quantify the amount of Spanish and Chilean I have learned in the last few weeks. It's insane to think there was a time where I hadn't heard of piropos and gringos and so many of the other things I have learned about already.

Class is definitely in full swing (in fact, I should probably be doing readings right now). After trying out about 8 different classes, I think I have finally settled my schedule. I am taking two classes offered by GW, a Chilean culture/Spanish class, and a Historical Memory and Human Rights class, which focuses on the history of the recent Chilean dictatorship and the many human rights abuses suffered during that time period. In addition, I am taking two business classes through the best business school in Santiago. Unfortunately, these two classes are in English, but my classmates are from all over the world and the subject matter focuses on business challenges in Chile and Latin America.

The business school has been a wonderful asset to me so far, and I have met some wonderful and incredibly helpful Chilean friends! Finally, I am enrolled in two classes directly in our other host university. In these classes I am pretty much the only gringa (Chilean word for anyone from North America—its not offensive, I promise). One class is Chilean and Latin American film and literature, and the second is a theatre class! It is absolutely wonderful to be able to take these cool elective classes that I never get to take at GW! The Chilean classes have been a really interesting challenge so far, getting to be in class with only Chileans is really important for immersion. So far I am enjoying all of them, even if the three hour class blocks can be very very draining.

...continue reading "Putting the "study" back in "study abroad""

By vgosalvez11

Things are starting to fall into place little by little here in Chile and I have been able to take in some of the most interested differences which I have been able to note between our cultures.

I have found Chileans to be very self-deprecating of their city and their country. One of the first questions you often get asked while introducing yourself to a Chilean is an incredulous “¿Porque viniste a Chile?” with an insinuation that no one would usually choose Santiago as their travel destination.

They tend to describe their country as less interesting and see Europe as the correct choice of destination. Another comment that Chileans will often openly make is how “machista” their society still is. Machismo, which is commonly related to Latin America, is defined as, “a strong or exaggerated sense of manliness; an assumptive attitude that virility, courage, strength, and entitlement to dominate are attributes or concomitants of masculinity.” In practice it usually means a patriarchal society where it is very important for men to display their strength and masculinity often over women.

I have noticed the machismo attitude in this city already. Women are still mostly expected to do all the house work and men are expected to work and provide for the family. Fathers are not expected to change diapers or participate too heavily in the care of the house or young children. Further in dating and with young men they have specific and sometimes intense expectations of women. Chileans even have their own word for catcalls with what is almost a positive connotation. These comments, whistles or interactions usually experiences on the street are called “piropos”. They range from anything as simple as a whistle to a complex pickup line or being followed down the street by an “admirer”. Chilean women consider this a way of life and know to just ignore and avoid and not to reply back. It is even said that some Chilean women take it as a point of pride. Foreigners are warned not to expect help or sympathy from others on the street if they are receiving piropos, as it is considered normal.

...continue reading "Manly Machismo and Chile"

By vgosalvez11

As I wondered what to write for my blog today, the thought I can’t get out of my head is that this marks the beginning of my third week. I have only been in this country for just over 16 days, but I could easily believe it’s been months. I am starting to feel comfortable in my routines and place here in Santiago. (Not that you would be able to tell, given that I rode the bus the wrong way at least three times this week).

I had the opportunity on Wednesday to enjoy some slightly cooler weather (only in the 80s) by hiking to see the famous Cerro San Cristobal. San Cristobal is on the peak of the highest mountain around Santiago, which stood as a famous landmark for Spanish Conquistadors. In 1904, the peak became a sanctuary dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, along with a 22-meter statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, an amphitheater and a chapel.

Since San Cristobal has become an iconic spot for religious pilgrimages and important masses as well as just a beautiful place for a picnic with the family. The 45 minute hike was a good foot in the door for me on personal journey to “get into hiking” while in Chile. And honestly, I would have crawled for 45 minutes for the beautiful views and art once we got up there. I am going to refrain from waxing poetically too much about the beauty of the place and just tell you to go check it out for yourself someday (but I do have a couple of pictures).

...continue reading "Santiago Living"