Punta Arenas: The Tip of the World... Final Chapter

Okay, your first order of business is to go find your globe... yes your ACTUAL globe, none of that google earth nonsense (although I guess that would work too), and pick that bad boy up.  Got it?  Great.  Now hold it up over your head and look at the bottom to find Punta Arenas, Chile, the southernmost city in the world.  Honestly, I could stop here and it would be a cool enough story; however, I do have some interesting pictures to share... so we'll move on.

Our second day in Punta Arenas, after the trip to Isla Magdalena, was spent slowly meandering around the town, staring at the Magellan Strait, and visiting a brewery... the southernmost brewery in the world in fact... obviously.

It may seem a little odd, but our first stop was the cemetery. It serves as both a cemetery for the average person and for the person that needs an entire mausoleum to hold their belongings.  It was really interesting to see the "graves" from so many years ago that are still being visited today (apparently, because fresh flowers don't live forever).  The display windows had everything from pictures and flowers to toys and favorite sports memorabilia.  You could really get a sense of who was laid to rest there by the displays made by their families.

There were sections for the carbineros, bomberos, and all facets of the military.  

There is also a memorial for victims of the Pinochet dictatorship.

In the Plaza de Armas, a giant, imposing statue of Hernando de Magallanes (or as we like to call him Ferdinand Magellan, or as I personally like to call him Ferny Magee) watches over the city.

We took a walk up, up, up to find a mirador overlooking the city and the Magellan Strait.  The city itself is very colorful, and as you look for as far as your eye can see, there is Tierra del Fuego in the distance.  

Atop the mirador are the arrow signs pointing in a variety of directions towards cities around the world, and the number of kilometers you would have to swim/run/fly to get there.  You can pay the equivalent of 40 ish dollars to add your own if you wish.  We settled for viewing Houston.

 I saw this... laughed... and moved on.  Schlumberger really is taking over the world.

The tour of the small Austral Brewery is a decently well-kept secret.  You don't find information on very many tourism websites, but one night in Puerto Natales, while drinking an Austral Calafate, Michael and I noticed that it said "Made in Punta Arenas", and we set out on a mission.  Basically, you call some guy's cell phone to reserve a spot on the tour that happens every day at 3pm... if people call in advance.  It was totally worth the 3000 peso entry fee.  As we approached the brewery, which is located in the middle of a residential neighborhood, we knew we were close by the smell (kind of like bread... but nottttt... quite).  

The giant beer can silo that apparently still is used 

James our fantastic tour guide/bartender.

Because you already saw a picture of Michael acting like a penguino. 

During our tour of the brewery, we met a group of people who had also just completed the W, but a couple days ahead of us.  They had to miss portions of the trail due to weather as well... AND the wind was so bad one night, they took ALL of the people in tents and put them in the dining room of the refugio.  Sigh.. something about sharing in one-another's misery over delicious beer makes you feel less sad about the whole thing... moving on.

That evening we made our way to "Sky Bar" located on the top floor of the Hotel Dreams for a stunning view.  Afterwards we ate dinner at a restaurant called "La Luna."  It was delicious, and a great end to a great day.  There was a Chilean tour guide fellow with an entire tour group of Vietnamese tourists talking about Texas and how there was nothing to do there and how it was awful when he visited... I was too wrapped up in my awesome food to care.  :)

The following morning we visited a couple museums before we had to catch our flight home.  The first was a nautical museum that turned out to be incredibly entertaining, partially because of the content, which included many artifacts, maps, etc. from the expeditions around Cape Horn and the discovery of Patagonia, but mainly because of the poorly translated plaques.  While I applaud their effort to put things in both English and Spanish, I don't understand how things can get engraved and hung in an educational museum, and make absolutely no damn sense.  I had to stop reading the English and read the Spanish for comprehension.  For example, this particular translator really seemed to like the word "solemnly", which is a great word, but had no business being there.  The Spanish word "esta" does not in fact mean solemnly... just saying.  

On our way out we visited the NAO Museum which has life-size replicas of  the Nao Victoria (Magellan's ship), James Caird (Shackleton's lifeboat) and Schooner Ancud (First boat to send settlers from Chile in the Strait of Magellan).  It was even cooler than expected.  You can climb on and into every nook and cranny that you desire... and they are BIG!

In Chile, things that would normally be behind class, like authentic old school weapons, are just out to played with by children...e rrr... Michael.

The HMS Beagle-- now in the process of being built.  

\

So. Big.

And with that we said farewell to the tip of the world and returned back to hot and sweaty Santiago.  We had one day to rest before my sister arrived and we continued our travels.  

Isla Magdalena

After recovering from the ¨W¨with a good night's sleep, we immediately took a bus back to Punta Arenas where we planned to hang out for a couple days.  We were'nt really sure what we would be doing, but I think we came to a quick agreement that anything to do with hiking would not be on our agenda.  

When we arrived at our hostel in Punta Arenas, we inquired about things to do and decided to take the boat ride that evening out to the penguin reserve known as Isla Magdalena.  We whined just a little bit when they told us we should probably wear our hiking boots and waterproof pants (that by this point were pretty much standing on their own), but I was super pumped to see some penguins.

The island didn't disappoint.  Apparently it is home to approximately 120,000 penguins (the population of my hometown... but penguins instead of rednecks) ;).  We were able to walk amongst them, watch them fish, and listen to them... hmm we will call it ¨sing¨.  The entire time I just imagined that they were thinking, (say in a British accent.... think Downton Abbey) "Oh dear... whyyyy are you so under-dressed?" or "Sweatpants... what on uuuuuth is that?" (think Eddie Izzard).  Warning: many of the following photos will kill you with cuteness.... and some with Downton Abbey quotes.

"I wish these people would leave so we could get on with the Island cricket match..."

"Oh my ... I thought you were a waitor"

Wallering.....

"He looks like a footman in a musical review"

"How about another chorus of Molly Malone"

My god man... stand at attention.

We took the boat back to Punta Arenas watching the waddling penguins disappear into the distance.  

Interruption

We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming to update you on a few things.  Honestly, I just haven't been very good about sitting down and writing to share lately... there are still so many things about our trip down south (which was actually about 6 weeks ago now), and the trips we took with my sister in town that I need to document... good stories folks, I'm telling you; however, I feel the need to document this past week immediately so I don't forget anything.... along with a few random observations as well.

Here is what you've missed:

1.  We moved into our own apartment in the more hiphappenin area of Santiago.  Read: right next to the metro line and uber convenient.  There is an ice cream place around the corner called Bravissimo... trouble, and just about everything you could ask for within walking distance.  We are now going to truly experience "big city livin" y'all, view included.   Also, the apartment is furnished to make our lives easier.  We did buy ice cube trays that make ice in the shape of small fish however... week... made.

2.  I started my job.  It just so happened that we found our apartment the week that I began.  I only had to do the commute from Michael's grandparents house twice.  Now I skip down to the metro and there ya go.

3.  My job is chalked full of "news".  I don't mean news as in noticias, but news as in the plural of new things.  My first couple of days were extreme Spanish overload.  Turns out inservice type things are about the same no matter what the language, although I can say I have never attended mass as part of teacher training.  Funny story:  I asked during the mass if I needed to cross my arms when I approached the priest for communion, at which point it became quite obvious to me that many of these people might not know a person who isn't Catholic.  One lady said, "No, I grant you permission", to which I thought to myself... yeah, not sure if that is how it works... but anyway.
I had to introduce myself multiple times to large rooms of people... which here doesn't mean "Hi I'm Meghann, and I teach English"... it includes your entire life story.  In one room, I finished and they erupted into applause for me.  I am thoroughly established as the gringa.
Coworkers hug and kiss.  All of them.  I have to admit, I think more people spoke to me in my first day at this school than in my entire five years at Alamo.  Also, during the first big meeting, they "played a game" where each person turned to the next person and said "Te regalo... algo"... I gift you... patience... happiness... etc. etc.  I had to suppress the American in me that was trying REALLY hard to roll her eyes and not gag from the corniness of it all... but what is wrong with teachers wishing each other well, knowing each other's names and hugging... Nothing... that's what.
I get to wear a lab coat looking thing all day every day... maybe I'll take a picture someday.
The children wear adorable uniforms with ties, jumpers and smocks of their own.
I had my first "duty" turn during little boys recess.... I have never seen anything so nutso... EVER.  They ran in a full sprint for 30 minutes straight... some of them with rulers (not the best idea).
The school feeds me lunch every day, and when I told a teacher that I used to only have about 20 minutes to scarf down food for lunch, you would've thought I'd told her that they made me eat nails.
Classroom discipline is..err... different.  More on that later.
I work in a department with 18 women... nice women, but definitely a big change from the old "band of brothers".  These women ask me often if I understand what is being said.  I kindly reply that yes, when only one of them speaks at a time it is really easy to understand, and then we laugh.  But I'm dead serious.
So far, I haven't had too much to do.  I am having to really get used to a slower pace.  I finished everything that the department head asked me to work on in about 3 hours, and then I made myself a schedule to help co teach classes until my room is ready.  She told me to put two a day so I had plenty of time to rest... I tried one day with only two and quickly made it four.  Suffice it to say I don't know how to chill... yeah...

4.  There is a clinic outside our apartment that has a parking garage that rings like a school bell every time a car exits.  At about 6pm, it is like a bell choir of one.  We are almost used to it :).

There it is... a quick, rambling update about what is going on.  We are looking forward to settling into a routine and enjoying our new neighborhood.  Keep your eyes out for the continuing story of our trip to the tip of the world... coming soon... maybe :).