I knew right when I got off of the bus that I was going to like Pucon. Santiago was an okay city. I loved the subway system and ease of getting around, but in the end, a city is just a city like every other city.
Pucon is a mountain town in the Chilean Lake district. The landscape is dramatically different and the smog-free air has that fresh mountain scent. It reminded me of Boquete, but slightly larger. The big volcano in the picture is the backdrop for the town, and no matter where you are, you can always spot it.
I met Tseela (from Israel) and Martin (from England) at the hostel, and the three of us hit it off from the beginning. Tseela and Martin are both software engineers. Martin has been to almost every country on earth...okay, well a lot of countries. He's been to all seven continents, but still has more to explore. I guess if you have that travel bug in you, it never really goes away.
After walking around town, we went for a swim in the volcanic lake. The beach is really rocky and the lake water is frigid, but clear--perfect for a swim in the mid-afternoon heat.
Martin and I spent the afternoon playing in the water, and enjoying the reprieve from the intense sun. I learned that he loves to scuba, and that he's an extensive traveler. His pattern is something like this: work continuously for a year to a year and a half and take four to six months off to explore someplace new. You would kind of think by now, after all that traveling, nothing would be able to impress him anymore. But then, when splashing around in the lake, we were both equally in awe of our surroundings, so I guess it never gets old. You can see a million beautiful things, and not lose that sense of wonder. I hope I never do...
I met Natalie (from San Francisco) and Aaron (from England) over a spaghetti dinner at the hostel. We spent the night sharing stories, travel talk, and getting to know each other over wine and spaghetti.
Natalie works for a non-profit environmental organization in SF, and was doing the same circuit as me in-reverse over 7 weeks. Aaron's trip is a bit longer; he doesn't even have a predetermined return date. He spent some time in Asia and is now in South America. He was the inventory manager for Jaguar--just decided it was not fulfilling and quit one day, then hopped a flight to Asia.
I decided to share the bottle I bought from Concha y Toro because the idea of traveling with it for any more days wasn't all that appealing. It had only made it 48 hours. I ended up ditching the souvineer glass too, and donated it to the hostel kitchen after I used it. No more unnecessary baggage--I'll save my souvenir shopping for the end of the trip--lesson learned.
Anyway, there is a crickett cage in our hostel! Natalie and I convinced the English guy (Aaron) to teach us the basic rules so we could try it out because Americans don't know anything about cricket except that it's kind of like baseball. There's still a lot of the game that doesn't make sense to us. I think Aaron got tired of us making references to baseball as he tried to explain, but we still had a lot of fun.
It's been 14 days and six different hostels to date (not counting the overnight in the Lima airport). None of the places I've stayed in have lacked character, but some of them have been a bit grungy, some have been fantastic, and everything in between.
El Yoyo hostel in Valparaiso was in a run-down old building. One of the Cal Poly engineers from my room pointed out that the walls in our dorm weren't even built at right angles. He was right. Everything was kind of slanted. I liked the quirkiness, even if the bathrooms were a little rustic. To get hot water we had to light a match to spark a fuse for the gas tank. It wasn't the cleanest of hostels...and my bed sort of slumped, but for some reason I had the best nights' sleep. I didn't even hear the guitar playing and off-key singing at 4am that kept my roommates up. They told me at breakfast they wanted to break the guy's guitar.
In contrast, La Casa Roja was like the Shangri La of all hostels. It's definitely the nicest hostel I've ever stayed in. They transformed it from a 19th century old colonial mansion, and most of the original detail and architecture has been preserved. My room was an 8-bunk dormitory, but it still felt incredibly spacious with its cathedral ceilings and well-placed furniture. There were a lot of common areas in this hostel, and big courtyards in the middle of the massive mansion. This hostel even had a pool with a swim up bar! I spent most of the day hanging out in the pool playing beach volleyball with Eddie, the Australian guy. We traded stories from home, and got sunburned in the pool.
This hostel seemed to think of everything including an ipod docking station. And I had the best shower in two weeks!
My least favorite hostel so far was Luz Azul in Santiago. The common areas are very nice, but it reminded me of the first night backpacking in Barcelona. The bunk beds are stacked high, almost to the ceiling, and they cram 14 bunks into one room. I had one of the top bunks. People kept coming and going at weird times in the middle of the night, and with 14 people in one room it was hard to get any sleep. Plus sometime around 4am, a girl and a guy staying in the room decided to have loud sex on the bunk below me. Not only could I hear everything, but I could feel the bed violently rocking back and forth. And coincidentally, it's the same thing that happened to Chrissy on the top bunk in the Barcelona hostel. It's gotta be at least a little awkward doing it in plain sight with 12 other people in the same room. Try sleeping through that!
So far, the hostels have been a mixed bag--some good, some not so good, and some rustic. The dirtiness and less than ideal bathroom situations don't bother me as long as I have a clean bed to sleep in. I can deal with the showers that operate only at two temperatures: freezing cold and scalding hot. I can put up with the dorm rooms that sometimes smell like wet socks (travelers are dirty). I do, however, have a strong preference for the bottom bunk.
Cajon Del Maipo is a camping/recreational area set in the mountains an hour outside Santiago. I spent the entire day hiking and climbing. There are some really good routes for leading and top roping.
The scenery reminds me a lot of Malibu Creek back home. It's kind of strange to be so far away, and see scenery that looks kind of the same.
I met Luigi and Sasha, an Italian guy and Ukrainian girl, who are studying in L.A. They were both really good climbers. Even in the intense heat, we were able to get in some pretty good routes. I love that the sun doesn't go down until 9 o'clock here. It means there is that much more daylight, and more time to climb!
As I sat on the floor of the yoga studio waiting for the Indian concert to begin, what am I doing here, was a thought that crossed my mind more than a couple of times.
An indian concert in Chile?! There are stranger things...I guess...
I wasn't really sure what was going to happen, then the music started. With an audience of about 80 people, we all sat sprawled out on the floors and spilling out into the backyard, burning incense, and listening to classical music from Northern India.
They played a bunch of instruments that I didn't know, but the rhythm was enchanting. It was intensely spiritual and awesomely weird.
Wine tasting in Chile is a must. Wine is now one of the country's largest exports, and you can always find plenty of the good stuff in the markets and botellarias, or you can go straight to the source and do some tasting at the vineyards.
Concha y Toro is a beautiful vineyard about an hour away from Santiago. There are fliers in just about every hostel offering packages to Concha y Toro, or you can try to navigate your way there by public transporation.
The $7.000 CLP admission includes a guided tour in English or Spanish, two tastings, and a souvineer glass. The tour was really informative. We learned about the history of the vineyard, saw the gorgeous mansion with French architecture and 22 rooms, the immense gardens, the acres of grapes, and the cellar with barrels and barrels of fine wine.
We tasted a sweet white wine and a rich red wine. It was really good...although I really don't know anything about wines, and I probably can't tell the difference between the boxed wine and the expensive stuff.
Still, I was so impressed that I decided to buy a bottle home for a gift. How I will fit it in my backpack and travel with it for the next 6 and a half weeks...I still don't know...we'll see if it makes it back home...
Like most Latin American countries, Chile has its fair share of plazas, public parks, and green space. El parque de las esculturas is one of the more innovative ones. The Chilean Government commissioned artists to design sculptured installations for the park, so it´s like one big, green museum with at least 20 sculptures and different trees from around the world.
The grounds are kept in pristine condition with golf-course worthy grass. I also couldn´t help but notice the lack of graffiti and trash. It´s really a beautiful park to take a lazy stroll and look at the cool artwork. Mostly people come here to take pictures and to makeout.
Hostels are a great meeting spot. There are few other places where you can gather around a table and have a good conversation with people from so many other countries: Ireland, England, Brazil, Chile, Estonia, Spain, Japan, Australia...like a mini U.N. without all the squabbling...The first night, I stayed up late talking to the girl from Estonia, the Irish couple, and the professor from Cal State San Bernardino. We shared stories, exchanged travel tips, and passed on the second and third-hand stories from the road. The second night we celebrated at an asada (Chilean style BBQ) with our Chilean friends--good food, good music, and more good conversation.
They introduced us to this drink--a carved out melon, with pineapple ice cream and white wine. I liked this better than pisco sours. We played a game of pass the melon, and everyone got a taste.
The charming neighborhood of Conception, set in the hills, is very San Franciscan with its colorful buildings, political art, and stacked housing.
Santiago, Chile
When I first landed in Santiago, I was greeted by a barrage of "Hey Lady, where do you need to go?" and "Hey Lady, I take you where you need to go." A polite "No, gracias," was not enough to fend off the determined cabbies and shuttle drivers who persisted in following me until I made a dash for the restroom. With my unmistakeable backpack and weird shoes, they could smell tourist all over me. It was a little overwhelming at first, but I knew exactly which bus I needed to take and had somewhat of an idea about how to get to my hostel.
It's weird orientating yourself in a new city. Your senses are so raw because you're trying to take everything in...the smells, the sights, the people, the environment, the colors...
The beauty of Santiago didn't strike me immediately. After I settled into the hostel, I decided to take a walk to get acquainted with the city. I started walking, and it wasn't until halfway through my journey, when the hidden beauty of Santiago really started to surface. I don't know how else to describe it but as a thriving metropolitan with hidden charms.
In Plaza del Armas and the centro part, there is an urban beat...the streets surrounding that area are teeming with people. It's easy to get lost in the crowd and nice to people watch, but even I'll admit to feeling a little agoraphobic among the sea of people. The other parts of the city are much quieter. And it becomes easier to spot Santiago's hidden charms...the green space...the mix of European and Latin architecture, the public squares, the cobblestone streets, and the mix of friendly people.
I only wandered to one questionable area, but quickly left. And even that wasn't so bad. There was a farmer's market/swamp meet thing going on, but when the neighborhood noticebly changed, I took that as my cue to leave.
So far, so good. I'm liking the balmy Chilean weather--it feels like California in the summer time. I'm happy it's not humid. And I love that the sun stays out until 9:30!
