Arica, Chile (Peru Trip Part One)

In proper Zenteno fashion, we decided at the last minute to take a 10 journey to Peru, specifically Machu Picchu, from Santiago.  I spent Tuesday researching specifics, and Michael spent Wednesday booking hostels (Spanish helpful) and we left Santiago the following Saturday morning. Yeah... that is how we roll.

I have to admit we had been discussing this trip for awhile, because the idea of being in South America without visiting one of the 7 wonders is absurd.  I contacted my well traveled friend Evelyn for some advice, which was super helpful, but since we waited until the last minute, we had some wide-awakenings.

For instance, we had originally planned to do the entire trip on buses--- but then we realized that a flight to Arica (the edge of Chile) took 3 hours, while a bus ride took 30, through the desert.  We intelligently decided to fly the first and last leg and skipped over the 30 hours of scenery that looked similar to this:

We spent the evening in Arica, a small beach town that used to belong to Peru. It has a certain amount of charm, with houses built into cliffs and beautiful ocean views. We walked down to the fisherman's warf where we saw one sea lion and many pelicans making themselves at home on the rocks.  We watched the sunset over the Pacific before heading into the "downtown" area where celebrations for Chile's "Teleton" were in full swing.  (Think Jerry Lewis... but Chilean).  Every motorcycle gang in Arica (which is apparently more than just 2) was gathered for some kind of ride to raise money.  We thought about ducking into the casino to win our bus ticket money for the next day until we saw that everyone entering was dressed to the nines, meaning our jeans and tshirts were NOT up to par.  We avoided that embarrassment by eating an empanada in the park before heading back to hang out at our hostel preparing for our border crossing the next morning.  

Arica in photos!  Next up... Tacna and Arequipa, Peru!

Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving Day came and went in Chile without the normal trip to Clyde, stalking of Black Friday adds with my crazy aunts and cousins (even though I never get up early, because.. please), and the food (and wine) coma I have come to love from Thanksgiving day at the Welch's house.  Wednesday, Michael and I made a trip to the store to buy the good sliced turkey from the deli and a can of green beans.  On Thursday, we made ourselves a turkey sandwich for lunch, skyped with Memaw, skyped with Tommy, went to Happy Hour a little later and high-fived one-another for a job well-done.
Since making the move to Chile, we both have reflected many times on how lucky we are in so many ways.  For me, even when I have had rough-ish days wondering if I will ever get to be fully independent again (as in, speak this language), I feel super blessed to be here in this wonderful country, taking advantage of time that many people never get in our work-driven world.  Here is just a small list of things I feel thankful for:

1. Happy, healthy families and friends.
2. Our terribly handsome god-sons (that we miss seeing everyday, but their parents keep us posted).
3. Skype, e-mail, and all that other crazy new-fangled technology that allows me to keep in touch with those family and friends as if we live 3 hours away.
4.  The Goethe Institute.... the German Institute where I took my Spanish classes.
5.  Cuevana TV... because we TOTALLY have already seen the third season of Downton Abbey... and it is good!
6.  My old Alamo kids having so much success (and the technology and people that allow me to properly stalk that progress as well)
7.  That Michael and I are great partner's in crime no matter where we are.  I'll also add that my brilliant husband has done more for his crazy independent wife in the last three months to help me adjust that most people would.  Well done, sir!  Well picked, me!
8.  A warm, wonderful Chilean family.
9. Great in-laws!  (We both say this about eachother's family all the time.... because some people have crazy in-laws... and somehow we missed that boat... and we are thankful, thank you very much).
10.  The opportunity to be here, and the freedom to explore and learn more about the world every single day.

I could go on and on... but you get the idea... we are blessed people.

Our Thanksgiving weekend was filled with more awesome-ness.  Saturday was the "Gobble Gobble" hash with our running group (where we were given hash names).  What happens at the hash stays at the hash, at least for this blog's purpose, but we did end up singing karaoke late into the night.  Oh yeah... we are thankful for this group for sure.


On Sunday, a couple, Mark and Jess, from this group are so thankful for, hosted a fabulous Thanksgiving for 20 expats.  It really was amazing the trouble they went to in order to make the day special and "traditional" for everyone.  They built a table in the living room that sat 20, prepared turkey with all of the fixings,and even played the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in the background followed by the amazing "butt fumble" Jets game.
We sat around the table, inhaling the wonderful food, but once we came up for air, we all went around table saying what we were thankful for.  It was such a great moment comprised of so many smaller moments as everyone expressed their gratitude for their lives and for one-another.
Between dinner and dessert, we took a walk (a tradition Katy from Boston's family) before returning to play cards, laugh, and celebrate the holiday.  It wasn't home, but it was close, and for that we have to thank the many situations that brought us all to Chile.

"The Land of Blas"

We had a weekend jam-packed with Onces, lunches, dinners and most importantly, Spanish conversation. We had the opportunity to meet many different "friends of the family" that we hadn't had the opportunity to spend anytime with yet in Santiago.  It was a weekend that proved, yet again, how welcoming Chileans are to friends.  (If you'll remember, I've made comments before about how strangers treat strangers... I stand by that.  I'm still amazed by the oblivion people exhibit on the streets); however, everyone we spent time with over the weekend welcomed us as family.  The best part about meeting more Chileans, aside from the wonderful food and feelings of belonging, is the opportunity for me to practice speaking Spanish.  I got a slight ego boost from these new people as I told them how long I'd been here and they proceeded to make facial expressions displaying both approval and astonishment at the fact that we were having a conversation at all.  To me, it is hard to feel the improvement, because every time I improve more, I have more things... more complicated things... that I want to express that I can't.  Vicious cycle for sure.  

We spent Sunday with the Lorca-Suarez family at the "land" owned by my darling suegros. (Notice that I said Lorca-Suarez family and not just Lorca.  This comes from the fact that in Chile, women do NOT change their apellido to that of their husband.  Children have TWO last names-- Dad's then Mom's, making Michael's name in Chile, Michael Stephen Zenteno Hellinghausen... woot!  More importantly, the first day we were in Santiago, Michael made the mistake of saying the "Lorca" family to Isabel (the mom of this family) and her reaction was quite classic.  Also, I explained that in the States many women take the name of their husband and then kids have the man's last name only to the fellow that takes my license every day at the Institute in exchange for a keycard granting me access to the second floor, and his reaction was, and I quote, "Que fome!".  I agree sir... it is a little bit lame-o).  Anyway....

We spent the day a little bit South of the city in the country, breathing smog-free air and gazing at incredible views.  "The Land of Blas" (I just named it that) is stunning.  One of the men that lives near their property met Michael and immediately called him Blas 2, and then allowed us to use his Quincho for a BBQ.  Excellent choice of neighbors.  

 Notice how I caught Michael in the picture twice... Creeepy.

In other news... WE BOUGHT BIKES!!  The weather is perfect right now, and it turns out you can explore at a much quicker pace on a bicycle.  Thanks in part to an early Christmas gift from my parents, we took a trip to Mall Sport and returned with the nicest bikes we've ever owned.  It doesn't seem silly to own a Mountain Bike when there are... you know... mountains, and we've already explored a lot of the neighboring comuna, La Reina in our first week.  Aren't the precious??

On Monday, during my Spanish class, I did a presentation on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, which I only then realized is actually this week. (I think the anticipation for Thanksgiving is directly related to the anticipation for time away from the children.. in the past). The reaction of all the foreigners in my class to the concept of Black Friday was hilarious.  

Also, I described the distance of something in "kilometers" to a girl in my class... what is happening to me??

I decided today that I wanted to bake something "Thanksgiving-y" , so I went on an adventure to find canned pumpkin, pie-something, not sure, but needless to say, I was denied. Not having a kitchen of my own to destroy while baking, I needed something not terribly complicated. We left the store with the fixings for an AWESOME turkey sandwich for tomorrow and some chocolate chip cookie mix.  It isn't Memaw's house... but it will do :).

la playa is la awesome

Since moving to Chile, I have been terribly excited about the prospect of having the beach so close.  At times when I have expressed my excitement, people have tried to crush my dreams by saying things like, "ooooh but the water is REALLY cold", or "It is nice, but not great", to which I have replied... "You obviously don't get it."

We grew up in the desert--- 13 hours en auto to the closest beach, which was the Gulf of Mexico in Corpus  Christi or Galveston, or somewhere equally as filled with jellyfish carcasses and oil rigs in view.  It does not matter to me that the water is cold or that better beaches exist in the world because it is only 1.5 hours in a bus from my current location.  

Last Tuesday we took a day trip to the beautiful city by the ocean Vina del Mar.  We caught a double-decker bus with panoramic windows at Central Station and within an hour and half, we were at the beach.  Now, it is obvious that Vina has a lot to offer--- it is a city, not a beach town.  It has a giant casino, a metro system of its own and many beautiful buildings--- We will explore those things another time.  This trip we walked along the beach, toes in the sand, and played with an American football (which attracted a few gawking passersby).  It was a wonderful way to spend a free weekday, and it was wonderful to escape the smog.  It was perfect weather (until it was cold), and I obviously being super white realized once we returned that I was in fact, RED (even with sunscreen).  

We rode in the second story of the bus... right at the front.  The scenery en route was beautiful.

I was amazed by the number of people that were playing the water fully clothed.  Jeans + Sweaters + Ocean  seems to equal happiness.

 This is me playing with the panoramic setting on the camera.... Well done me!

Michael is contemplating staying forever...no matter how cold.

I am leaping for joy... as if to say.  Vina is number one!!

Needless to say, for me... la playa was "la awesome."***

***I hate dealing with gender in Spanish.  For me, it is one of the most difficult things to remember (No se por que), but I have begun saying that things are boys or girls to myself when someone corrects me.  Ex: "Quiero una cafe"... "Tu quieres UN cafe"--- me... "ohhhh coffee is a boy. GOTCHA!"  Anyway I just decided that "awesome" is a girl... obviously.  :)

Operation "Hey November!"

Spring is definitely in the air!  Things are blooming, the weather has taken a quick turn to almost hot, and my allergies are ever present.  I noted in my last post the bizarre sight of Christmas and Summer being prepared for simultaneously, but I neglected to mention the fact that since Thanksgiving doesn't exist (obviously) that means that Christmas trees are already in full swing around the city-- next to blooming flowers.  It may be new, but I love it.  I can't wait to decorate for Christmas and celebrate in shorts.  (Not that I have never done that growing up in Texas... depending on the year).  

The end of October marked the beginning of Oktoberfest in a small German-influenced community right outside of Santiago.  We took advantage of the nice weather (and long weekend) to visit the Fiesta de la Cerveza.  We listened to some polka, including but not limited to a chorus of Ein Prosit (again with a Spanish accent), ate giant Choripans, and obviously, tried a few beers from around the world.  We took a bus , adorned with shoe polish that said "Fiesta Cerveza" that cost the equivalent of $2 to the event with thousands of other people from Santiago.  It was hot, but it was definitely a good day.  

 

Here we are sporting our straps that made it possible to carry our Schoperos hands-free (obviously a necessity).  

Michael ended up buying two different glasses because one had dragons and the other had a buffalo--- need I say more?  I don't think so.  

It was really hot, so of course the masses flocked to the firemen spraying water in the air.  We weren't able to get terribly close, but close enough to cool off a little bit.  

My second Spanish class finished at the end of October, and we the others in my class decided that we wanted to continue with a conversation class for the next three weeks.  Since this class is only three days a week, I now have Tuesday and Thursday completely free.  We spent last Tuesday visiting what I have been told by many is the best park in Santiago, Parque Quinta Normal.  We spent about an hour on the bus, but the park and museums within the park were definitely worth it.  I know we will definitely go back to see the things we missed or just lounge under one of the many trees.  

Paddle boats in Quinta Normal.

A mid-afternoon soccer game.

 While in the park we visited three different museums.  The Museo Ferroviaro, Museo de Ciencia y Tecnologia, and Museo Nacional de Historia Natural.

I forced him to pose in the train.

"This time with flash"

There were multiple schools on field trips at each of the museums that day--- I never saw an adult that was in charge.  I did see plenty of ninos climbing on top of trains.  This one is calm.

United States Astronauts in the Science Museum.  USA! USA!

Since Tuesday was quite the important day for America, we spent the evening supporting our home country. First, we had Taco Bell for dinner.  Second, we saw the new James Bond (maybe that supports Britain, not sure...) and then we met up with the Gringo population of Santiago at a small bar in Providencia to watch the States turn blue... and red :).  Honestly, for awhile it felt like we were in the States... (not home in Texas because of the cheers for Obama, but in the States just the same).  There was English all around and fun to be had.  

All eyes were affixed on the TV screen as 10% then 15% of the votes were counted.  When did this become such a spectacle?  No importa... I loved it.  

On the way home, I did my best "God Bless America" dance at the bus stop-- I was dressed (only half on purpose) like the 4th of July

Antonia (my first Spanish teacher in Chile) turned 3!  We gave her sidewalk chalk and a xylophone, sticking strictly to the rule that you buy other people's kids messy and noisy toys.   She's so stinking cute.

And then.. there was another hash.  It was great fun.  I inherited a trumpet thing... more on that later.  

Photo stolen from Jess.

My mom sent us a package full of awesome that we received today.  She paid an embarrassing amount of money in shipping costs, and everything was covered with a slight film of pancake mix, but now I can make pumpkin pancakes, and eat Rotel by the spoonful :).   Thanks Mom (and Dad and sister I'm sure).  

Tomorrow is Tuesday the 13th which in Latin American countries is like Friday the 13th.  They say "En 13 y martes, ni te cases ni te embarques", which basically means.. Stay inside.  Luckily, we have an entire box of junk food to keep us company.