Los Dominicos

Topping my last post is a challenge, that I have decided, after a week and a half, to finally overcome. Unfortunatly, I don't have any wild adventures from last weekend to report on, unless you count a party at Eric's apartment on Friday night with blasting techno music that was loud enough to get a ticket in the US. Aside from that, laying out at my roof pool with Jackie, Eric and Eduardo on Saturday and a Christmas party at Laura's on Saturday night, the weekend was pretty mellow. I did discover the aritsan market at Los Domincos with Jackie on Sunday afternoon, where I did some last minute Christmas shopping. My family better be excited for some really great Chilean presents. I wanted to buy all of the jewelry in the whole market! They had some really beautiful lapis lazuli and copper stuff. Lapis lazuli is incredibly famous in Chile, as it is one of the only two places in the world where it can be found in any large quantity (the other one is Afghanastan). The market also had a nice selection of alpaca and wooden crafts, and best of all, tons and tons of birds. I didn't really understand how the bird cages filled with ducks, chickens, parakeets, and cockatiels really fit in, but then again, I don't understand a lot of things in Chile.

For example, why do all Chileans have to do EVERYTHING at the same time? This custom includes, but is not limited to, the following activities:

- going to the bank at 9 AM
- going to lunch at 1 PM
- smoking cigarettes at 10, 12, 2, 4, 6, 8...you get the point
- shopping on the 1st of the month
- going to the beach every weekend during the summer
- not going into the water at the beach every weekend during the summer
- lining up to pay your bills on the 1st of the month

Personally, I hate to wait in lines, so cannot understand why anyone would choose to go at the time that everyone else goes anywhere, but that is just a cultural difference that I will have to get over, I suppose. Speaking of cultural differences, I get a break from them today for a short trip back to the US for Christmas. I am praying that Delta breaks their 2 year streak of failing to get me into/out of Salt Lake City at the scheduled time. A 16 hour flight is bad enough without complicating it with their reputation as the airline that "Doesn't Ever Leave The Airport." I am really looking forward to seeing my family, skiing in Deer Valley, speaking English, and most of all, eating American food. My dad just forwarded me a confirmation for the Riverhorse in Park City tomorrow night, so I am certain that my first meal will be delicious! All I have to do is get through the next 5 hours of work and I am off to the USA.

Bon voyage!

Pucon

This weekend was by far the best weekend yet in Chile. It all started last Monday when I realized that Thursday was a holiday which should only be followed by a day off and a four day weekend of extreme adventures. I sent an instant message to Eric, a Canadian friend with an appetite for danger comparable to my own, and it was done. We were heading to Pucon for the weekend. Wednesday night, we made out way to the bus station in Santiago, unsure whether or not we really had tickets. Turns out, we did and we were on our way on the 10 hour bus ride overnight to Pucon by 11:30. We arrived early Thursday morning and headed toward the lake to Gran Hotel Pucon in hopes of finding an available room. Luck was on our side all weekend, because in no time we had checked in and booked Canyoning for the afternoon and a guided tour up the active Villarica Volcano the following morning.

Canyoning was AMAZING! At one point, I looked to Eric and told him that I thought this it was the coolest thing I have ever done. We started out with a short hike up the mountain to the point where we would begin our adventure with rappelling down the side of a waterfall. We then slid down the waterfall in numerous natural waterslides to a zipline set up across the river. After about another 2 km of waterfall sliding we reached a 4 meter jump into a pool. We then scaled the side of a cliff to the final rappelling descent back to where we started out. http://www.canyoningpucon.cl/

The zipline

If I thought that canyoning was the coolest thing I had ever done on Thursday, Friday may have changed my mind. We woke up at 6:30 to be picked up at 7 am by Luisa, our private tour guide up to the top of the Villarica Volcano.

Our first break - and we are already above the clouds!

The volcano erupts approximately ever 25 years and hasn't erupted since 1984, so it is due for an eruption any time now. There is another volcano not to far away from Pucon that is actually currently erupting that we got a good view of from the top. Luisa set us up with all the gear we needed, including intense heavy-duty boots, ice pick and helmet. And off we went!

View down the volcano at the groups below hiking up

Since Eric and I were the only people in the group, we got a good start up the mountain as the third group to leave the base that morning. After about 45 minutes, we had passed the other two groups ahead of us and made it to the top before anyone else all day. We started out at 1400 m and reached the top of the volcano about 2 and a half hours later at 2800 m. 

The view into the volcano was amazing. The view from the top of the surrounding Andes was amazing. BUT...nothing was as amazing as the way we got down. We slid!!! 

View into the volcano. The small of the gas was suffocating!

Part of the equipment Luisa had provided at the beginning of the day was  a plastic toboggan-like thing to put underneath us as we slid from the very top of the volcano all the way down. 

On top of the world

We finished the day off with a trip to Los Pozones hot springs outside Pucon. There were about 6 or 7 different baths. We definitely overstayed the 15 minute limit and decided to head back to Pucon after about an hour to see what Pucon night-life had to offer (not much). After delicious tacos at Mamas and Tapas, we were ready to hit the sack after two fun-filled days of extreme sports. As the saying goes, however, "Three times a charm," so we needed to round the weekend out with something equally amazing on day 3. And we did just that! Ever heard of hydrospeeding? Me either, until this weekend. It involves a boogie-board like device that resembles half of a river kayak that you ride down the river through rapids on. I'm pretty sure it isn't legal in the US or Canada, which is why Eric and I probably hadn't ever heard of it. (Just go to Youtube if you're curious.)

Ready to Hydrospeed

Either way, it sounded like a lot more fun that plain old rafting, so we were in! We hydrospeeded down the river for 12-13 km through class 3 rapids. The other two people that accompanied us on the tour were both out of the river and in the safety raft after 1 and 3 rapids, respectively. There was no stopping the crazy North American adventurers though. We made it through all 11 rapids with style. Joaquin, our guide, even commented on our level of physical fitness at one point. Haha! I would have been complemented by the comment if it weren't just his opinion in comparison to the common Chilean who really hates to do anything physical at all. Once I get Erics photos, check back at this entry because there are some really awesome ones from hydrospeeding and the thermal baths too!

View from the top of Villarica

Siete Tazas

This weekend I went on a camping trip with some colleagues from work in a national park called Reserva Siete Tazas, so named after the seven basins within the park. The trip gave a whole new meaning to what I like to call "Chilean time." If people show up late to meetings here, I should have assumed that meant that nothing went according to the schedule planned out for the weekend. If nothing else, it did make for a rather relaxing camping trip. We left Santiago around 10 (supposed to have been 9, but the people I was carpooling with were still at the mall buying a backpack at that time) to meet up with the rest of the group. Despite our late departure, the guide and 4 other members of the group had yet to arrive. I shouldn't have been surprised. After driving for 4-5 hours, we arrived in Parque Ingles around 2:30 and set up tents. I didn't know it until morning, but the camp site was gorgeous!



Vela de la Novia (right by the campsite)

 We didn't get going until about 9:30 or 10 on Saturday morning. Of course, packing up the tent, having coffee, registering with the park ranger, and who knows what else took a while. We hiked all day up to where we ended up camping for the night approximately 10 km from the basecamp. I would like to say that we made it further, but picking edible mushrooms out of the trees, playing with catepillars and crossing the river 7 times held us up a little bit.

Victor picking mushrooms out of the trees

Not to mention poor Alfonso who really shouldn't have been hiking at all. The guide ended up taking his tent off his hands about half-way through the day because he was afraid he might fall off the mountain. I thought my backpack was ridiculously heavy and I didn't even have a tent in it. I can't imagine carrying two! I guess he can pick mushrooms if he wants...



One of the many river crossings

 Once we got to the campsite, everyone went and took naps (so Chile!) so I played in the river for a while until I got bored and started looking for firewood. I should have been setting up tarantula traps to keep away the three that we saw later on in the evening. Victor, our guide told us some Mapuche legends about the area that we were in around the campfire later in the evening.

El Bolsón

The next day, we hiked up to El Bolsón to admire the beauty of the Andes and all they have to offer. There were a few "refugios" that were built a long time ago in the clearing. We hiked up a bit more and got a great view of a Salto de La Leona.

Salto de la Leona (the waterfall) in front of el Cornillo del Diablo (pointy peak in the distance)

We hiked back to the campsite to pack up and head down the mountaing to round out our 24 km weekend. Once we arrived at the cars, we started a fire and had an Asado complete with Chilean beer, meat, potatoes and tardiness. Our plan to leave by 4 turned into 7:30, meaning I didn't make it back to Santiago until 11:45. Next time I will just add 5 hours to everything I am told and expect to sleep very little. Aside from the worlds largest blister, I had a really great weekend.

Beauty at its finest

For more pictures from this weekend, check out my album on Snapfish @ http://www2.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=4263209023/a=155380414_155380414/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

Stolen phone. Stolen camera.

I wish this posting could be full of all of my great pictures from Thanksgiving in Chile and the amazing Deloitte year-end party I went to last Thursday and Friday, respectively, but sadly it cannot be. My phone and camera were both stolen on Friday night. I learned my lesson and will be more careful from now on.

Not to deprive you of a good story due to my misfortune, I will attempt to paint a vivid picture of both events, nonetheless. To begin, I will retell the events of my Thanksgiving. For those of you who worried that I wouldn't get to eat turkey and stuffing or spend the day with friends, your worries were all for naught. I went to California Cantina with Jackie, a friend from work, and some of her new friends. They had an awesome Thanksgiving dinner complete with turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie and cinnamon pisco sour! It was actually really good. One of the Chilean guys eating with us had done his research to understand the meaning of this crazy American holiday and retold a rather complementary story about how the even commemorated sharing a meal with the Native Americans who were all dying off from the diseases that the whitemen had given them. The details were a little off what we learn as children, but worthy of a good toast at the end of the story. We all went around (after I pressed the group to do it) and said what we were thankful for. All of the Chileans, and one Spaniard, said that they were thankful that they knew Americans so that they could eat and drink on a Thursday night. Works for me!

The other big event of my weekend was the Deloitte year-end party. It was really something else. The event was held at the Movistar Arena where the Chilean MLS soccer team plays. They had rented out the whole thing for the 1200 guests in attendance. There was a seated dinner, followed by a live band that carried on into a DJ set that lasted until 5 AM. I took off around 3:30 with Lauren, another fellow gringa only to realize when I got home the missing articles from my purse - my iPhone and camera. So sad. I emailed HR on Monday to see if there was a lost and found or anything that was turned in from the evening, only to get a response back saying "Lo siento." My friends and other colleagues I have spoken with suggest that one of the waiters probably stole it. Now I know that nowhere, even a work party, is safe to leave your purse while you dance. Sucks to learn the lesson the hard way. Guess I have some personal Christmas shopping to do for myself. Aside from that, I was really impressed by the party. A friend and I got interviewed for Deloitte TV (haha...ya, they have that). We'll see if I become famous in the Chilean firm when the next episode comes out. If so, I will be sure to post the link.

Thanksgiving in Chile

...might as well be any old Monday. Don't Chileans have anything to be thankful for? Nobody seemed to understand my lack of focus, appetite for turkey or desire to be in front of a TV watching football at work today. I had to settle for chicken breast and fries at lunch instead of turkey and stuffing. Fortunately, good 'ol California Cantina is having a Thanksgiving Dinner tonight complete with sweet potato casserole, turkey and pumpkin pie! I don't know how I would survive without. Although I am thankful for the experience I am having in Chile (duh!), I must admit that today, I would rather be elsewhere. Holidays like Thanksgiving should be spent with family and friends...not in the office with your coworkers. I am going to have to come home for the 4th of July, I think. Sitting in the office in the dead of winter on American Independence Day quite possibly sounds like the most depressing holiday in the world. Then again, Thanksgiving in the middle of summer is quite odd too. It is 82° right now - and it's 7 PM!

I hope you all enjoyed your turkey and have a fabulous 4 day weekend. Gobble Gobble!

Chilean Sea Bass

I finally found it! Amazing Chilean Sea Bass. Depending on how well you know me, you may or may not be aware of my aversion to hoofed animals and consequential love for anything that swims. After eating Chilean Sea bass in the US for so many years, I was really excited about the potential diet that I was going to live off of in Chile. Sadly, I didn't realize that Chile exports the majority of this delicious little swimmer up north to the US. My search for chilean sea bass started on my first day here, when I think I could have eaten something similar at a Peruvian restaurant. It was not anything like the delicious morsels that entered my mouth on Friday night, however. Some friends and I went to dinner at a place called Ox in Vitacura. Anyone who visits me will likely have a chance to go there, because it was AMAZING, and definitely somewhere I would like to take guests to show off the quality steaks (supposedly) and seafood (confirmed) that Chile has to offer. After dining on sea bass atop a bed of truffle mashed potatoes, our waiter brought out an enormous serving of cotton candy! I thought only chi-chi restaurants in Los Angeles had caught onto the gourmet carnival food trend, but apparently I was mistaken. By this point in the meal, the numerous bottles of delicious Chilean wine had influenced our previously classy (okay, that's probably a stretch) behavior. In honor of the month of "Movember" we each fashioned personal mustaches out of the remaining cotton candy.



The night carried on to a night club in Vitacura for some dancing and "tragos" until the wee hours of the morning.

Laguna de Aculeo

Saturday was a peak in my month here so far. I met a really fun group of Americans that invited me to a lake house for the weekend at Laguna de Aculeo. Yay for Gringos! They have all been down here for quite some time and are here for various reasons. One of them owns a local gringo bar (the one I watched Sunday Night Football at my first weekend in town), another two are starting a business that helps ex-pats get their visas (I could have used that 2 months ago), one is a blueberry exporter, one is a doctor, and the list goes on. They were a lot of fun, and totally seem like a group of people that I could be friends with. A few of them were from Texas and California, so I felt very comfortable. Even better - one of them needs a place to live soon! I could have a roommate and really cheap rent by January. Good things come to those that wait.

They had rented a ski boat for the afternoon, which sounded really exciting. Unfortunately, the lake was really choppy and the first group that went out came back within 30 minutes because it wasn't worth paying for the boat. Maybe next time. I haven't waterskied since Camp Longhorn in 2005, so I was a little relieved I didn't have to embarrass myself. They apparently rent houses on the lake, the coast, or down south all summer long. Sounds like it is going to be a great summer if I end up hanging out with this crew. I didn't necessarily come to Chile to make friends with a bunch of Americans, but it sure is easier to have a group of friends that speaks English and comes from a similar background. We had a great big barbeque, engaged in two-stepping at one point in the evening, and ended the night with Catch Phrase and Dominos. Best weekend yet in Santiago, by far. I was totally unprepared again, without a camera, but to give you an idea of what the lake looks like, here is a link to the tourist website: http://www.lagunadeaculeo.com/