Puerto Varas, Frutillar, Saltos and Camiones

This past weekend, made my way south to Puerto Varas, a German influenced town placed on a lake with a grand view of Volcán Osorno. 

Volcano Osorno in the distance. Beautiful. 

the harbor in Puerto Varas and the cerro we hiked in the background

On Saturday after napping from an all night bus ride and a cup of coffee, we made our way to Frutillar. A smaller town on the same lake, with famous German cake, a big music hall, and many beautiful little churches and German inspired buildings. 

Sitting out on the dock in Frutillar. So peaceful! 

Rebecca straight up eating palta on the micro

That night, we went out back to the place we had coffee for free pisco sours, which turned into a night of free drinking. Piscos, mint juleps, and margaritas. all to celebrate my girl Carlyn's birthday.

Carlyn's gratis birthday of piscos

On Sunday, after hiking the cerro, we made our way over for some ice cream and lunch. We met my good friend, Brian. A big ass smelly street dog who lived in Puerto Varas. I  made friends with him and played catch in the lake, trying to give him a de facto bath. It was quite the scene, many Chileans got what I'm sure a priceless show of a gringa playing with a smelly street dog.  In the end, we won his loyalty and he followed us around the rest of the trip. Oh smelly Brian (named for being a mix between a Bear and a Lion). So loyal, so happy to be with us, so smelly.

Brian, our big beautiful smelly dog 

Miss him. He's smelly though 

On Monday, we got on another micro and made our way to the Saltos de Petrohue, beautiful waterfalls and hiking trails. We wandered around and went on a few trails.

Saltos de Petrohue. 

So fucking blue and beautiful   

We slept in on Tuesday, then headed home.

Carlyn running to our ride, yes, that's a truck

 In a big rig.

Rebecca's host family "dad" and us chilling in the camión. 

Yes, I know. Rebecca's de facto host family's dad drives trucks for his job, and happened to be heading back to Temuco at the same time that we were heading home, so we caught a ride with him. It was a huge hike up to the truck, a real climb. And the ride was definitely bouncier than I thought (though that might have to do with it being a 20 year old truck), but overall, it was a great experience. My first big rig ride was a success. 

The trip was great. It was calm, and it was a lot of fun to just chill with other volunteers.

Dieciocho

Chilean Independence Day has come and past. A week long celebration of asados (bbq's), ramadas (a lot like a county fair), cueca dancing (traditional dance of Chile), empanadas (empanadas), and drinking (terremoto's). 

Lots of activities, lots of sleep, and lots of fun. 

The students really were the best part of it, as per normal. They danced, they dressed up, they played sports games, they flew kites. 

Here are kids at Dario Salas, getting their cueca on. 

Students getting their cueca on at Dario Salas 

So cute in their traditional dress

The man in the tan jacket is my head teacher, the teacher I work with. He couldn't dance cueca, and all the kids were cracking up. Though I can't dance either, I definitely had a chuckle or two, he just looked so ridiculous.

At Liceo Forestal Pehuen, they had a field day instead of a traditional dancing assembly. Tug of war, three legged races, bag races, and a few traditional games. 

tug of war

The interesting thing was the whole field day was by classes, so each competition had point values attached to it.
At the end of the day, they announced that if someone from your class shaved his/her head, that class would receive 5,000 points. Well, how many kids do you think wanted to shave their head at my not participating school?

Surprisingly, the kids were pretty into the day and were just having a great time and three kids shaved their heads. It was crazy! 

Look at all that hair on the ground!! It's the hair from all three of them.


On Friday of that week, there was a big Padre Las Casas wide DESFILE! or Parade. Which wasn't really all that much of a parade, it was them waiting on the main street of Padre for 2 hours past the start time, when fianlly they started, only to walk two or three blocks. It was strange.

The strangeness aside, everyone was dressed up in traditional garb, or in their respective school's finest! Everyone was looking good. It was great fun, since both of my schools were there, so I got to hang out with both my students.  

So cute, can't handle it. 

All the kids in red sweaters with the plaid skirts and grey tights are my Dario Salas kids. In fact, that tan building in the background is actually Dario Salas! 

Here is my host sister! She's looking beautiful! 

God. Too cute. Couldn't handle how cute some of my students were. the kid who has his eyes closed is one of my favorites, he's kind of a troublemaker, but he loves playing games. 

Some of the girls! This group is the group that always bugs me about the Professor and I being together. hahaha. Oh 12 year old girls. 

Dario Salas also had a band section! I had no idea! 

Now on to the Liceo kids, not looking quite as cute, but still they were all in such a good mood! It was fun to just hang out outside of the class.

cute!

Some of them dressed up for the desfile, looking fly!

I've never seen them quite so organized! It was impressive! 

Hahaha. They were yelling, trying to get my attention. 

Overall, they really are good kids.



Now, I leave with you one final picture of adorableness. Look at how cute these kids are!

Fiestas Patrias turned out to be a lot of fun. Getting involved with all the festivities, seeing the kids get really excited about something, it put a huge smile on my face. =] 

Valdivia

A beautiful flower finding it's way through the sand and the rocks in Niebla, Chile 

After buying a new pair of pants (and a new iPhone charging cord, yet another story), I met up with a few other program members to explore, speak English, and hang out in Valdivia, a city in Los Ríos, about 2 and a half hours south and west of Temuco.

While not quite as old warm charm as related to me by various sources, Valdivia is a lovely city situated pleasantly in between several rivers, maintaining river front walking paths and large bunches of birds fluttering about (pelicans! Those beautiful big lugs).

The view from our river front coffee shop boat

While not too much different from temuco in terms of shops, and general look, Valdivia has a lovely waterfront market, lots of coffee shops with mediocre coffee (had espresso on a river front boat-which was pretttty sweet). And delicious beer, being the city with the largest German influence in chile.

The beach at Niebla, where a wave caught me off guard, salting my newly purchased pants (it wasn't my weekend). 

After wandering the city on Friday afternoon and finding some food, we woke up on Saturdayand made our way to the ocean and a town called Niebla, full of old German forts and small town vibe. After, exploring a bit, we made our way to the kuntsmann cervecería, where I had a lovely sampler.

This is one of the old forts, see the cannons in the bottom left? Defending the river entrance into Valdivia

Here I am with the sampler at the Cervecería! Had a really good double bock there that was delicious. Also, a great blueberry beer.

After a chill afternoon of wandering and walking the promenades with all the Chileans, we went out for a friend's birthday, only to end up at this "Mexican" restaurant, where the DJ used smoke and bubbles. It was too hilarious, so I of course had to take a picture. 

We did eventually find our way to a British style pub with a cover band playing Beatles songs, they were actually pretty good! 

The long weekend in Valdivia was a much needed break to get out of Temuco, explore somewhere new, speak a little English, and really just enjoy all that Chile has to offer. Walking the promenades in Valdivia, watching the sun set across the river, seeing actual other runners out and about. Ultimately, Valdivia, while not the most exciting city, would be a lovely place to live. The people are so friendly, so full of life, and just really taking advantage of all the natural beauty that surrounds their city of rivers. 

A sunset along the promenade 

Proud owner

Picture it, 8 am, the ground damp with last night's rain, the house dark with sleeping Chilean family members, and no one out in the crisp air on a Chilean holiday morning. It's Friday. I'm awake, I'm a bit bleary eyed. I step outside, carefully closing the self locking door to let the Chilean family members sleep peacefully. I go to open our protective always unlocked gate only to realize its not unlocked, like always.

If I wasn't awake already, I was now. Self-awareness flooded me, I was quite literally trapped between a sleeping family and a metal gate. Well, my first thought was oh shit.

Then the gears start turning. Priority one, let sleeping Chilean family sleep.

Path to achieve goal: climb fence.

I'm strong, I think to myself. I'm agile. I got this.

Step 1: Proceed to throw bags for my trip to Valdivia over fence.
Step 2: utilize awkward brick step to attempt the climb.
Step 3: realize that's not happening.
Step 4: check house door and gate again. Yep, both still locked.
Step 5: Psych myself up. I'm a badass I got this.
Step 6: Use the neighbors shared gate to get leverage. Stretching my left leg, up up. I hear a snag on the spiked fence. My jacket. I continue. I'm determined. Just a bittttt higher.

And bam. I hear a big tear, that's it. I'm done letting sleeping Chileans lie. I'm officially the proud owner of a large hole in my old worn out jeans.

Finally, after pounding on the door for a few minutes, host dad shows up, looks at me with the dirt on my pants and hands, and proceeds to ask me where I'm going. I get the keys, and happily make my way to the bus station.

After it all, I barely make my bus, the new proud owner of one snag in my jacket, one dirty bleeding cut on my left hand, and a big tear in my jeans.

The trip to Valdivia has officially began.

Villarrica

   On Saturday, after a night of meeting up with some fellow EOD program kids at the local bar scene (and going home for the first time in colectivos-taxis that are kind of like buses, they follow a specific route, cost a bit more, but are a bit faster and run all night, unlike the buses), a few friends and I made our way out to Villarrica, a little town on Lago Villarrica about an hour and fifteen away by bus. The town really isn't much, but dude, it's beautiful.

 Sometimes moments just really strike you, pricking you awake into a consciousness so present, connecting you with the now in a powerful way. Swinging on the swings, the wind flowing through my hair, all the while staring at an illuminated, snow covered volcano. Swinging, adrenaline pumping through, breathing in the fresh cold air, in that moment, one is beautifully aware. I thought to myself, "Damn, I'm in Chile, swinging and staring at a beautiful volcano. This is real. This is amazing." Moments like that, so full of joy, so present in the there and now are what life is about.

All the dust covered mountains reminded me a lot of Lord of the Rings, I got my geek on and wanted to be wearing a cloak. Makes you wonder why cloaks aren't cool anymore? I'm seriously considering bringing them back. Who cares what people think? They're genius. They keep you warm, keep you covered from the elements, serve as an emergency blanket, pillow. More than that, they give you an enigmatic flare, a little attitude, a little badassery. Also, if you ever are running from someone, they hide your identity (warning: though this logic only works if other people are wearing cloaks, otherwise, you will stand out more). 

Here's the main street in the town and Chilean flag.  The town is tiny, but it rocks a big tourist crowd during the summer.

This is our dog we picked up wandering the town. Little Charlita (She was Charlie first, till we realized she was a girl) followed us everywhere. She even followed us into the Jams and Desserts store. Too cute. 

     It was great to take a little adventure, to speak some English, hang out with some awesome chicks, and pretend to be in Lord of the Rings.

Bathroom Cornering

    Today, I was cornered by fifteen preteen girls in the bathroom. Traumatizing? No. Hilarious? Yes.

   So there I was, minding my own business. Just having finished a class at Dario Salas, I was tired, had stayed up reading too late again last night. Washing my hands, when a few girls came up and did the whole, "Hola Tía!" "Hello Teacher" kissing on the cheek saludos (greetings) business, nothing unusual there. I'm quite the new toy at school, I get all the attention. Lots of hellos in hallways, little kids waving in excitement to see the foreigner. Again, nothing new, I was a gaijin in Japan, I'm good with attention.
    Next thing I know, they've circled me! More keep coming. Apparently, the gossip of the school was I was dating the Professor I work with, Cesar, who I'm taller than, who is probably thirty or so, and who has a two year long relationship with a serious girlfriend. At first, I didn't understand their questions, quick preteen Spanish, with giggling in the backtrack. Finally, I understood what they were asking. "What is he to you? A pareja? A amigo? Su novio?" Well, nothing new there. Everyone in Chile wants to know if I have a boyfriend, who he is, all about my love life. Lovely.
   Then, to my consternation, when I said he was just a friend and that I work with him, they didn't even believe me, like that could even be possible, just friends. Several started yelling, "Well how did you meet him? Will you start to date him?" I guess the concept of a working pair, of just friends, doesn't exist for preteen Chilean girls. Nothing we had done or acted like with each other would give anyone any kind of ideas that we're dating, but to preteen girls with nothing but time will gossip about the new foreign girl and the guy she walks next to, and then proceed to encircle said girl in the bathroom on a snack break. Too great. I love the kids.

Una Pastilla & Reyes

     I survived the weekend. Four sisters, 1 Dog, 1 Crazy Host Aunt, 2 Host Parents (one overbearing, the other knocked out by drugs), and lots of antics.
    Like I mentioned, the two older sisters visited this past weekend from Santiago to come and meet me. They got there on Friday, where we not so promptly kept talking about going to the Stadium, only to leave 2 hours later (as seems to happen a lot here, ugh). All of their waffling had us there essentially in the dark, but still, a nice park with a big soccer stadium. None of them have been to a game at the stadium though, they've just visited it multiple times when nothing is going on. Weird, but who am I to judge. Then we made our way to the mall after an eventful police calling, yelling filled bus ride, where the Bus Driver wouldn't let my 10 year old sister pay the student rate because she forgot her ID, though clearly was a student. My sisters didn't like that, made a huge deal. It was a bit overly dramatic for my taste, but really hilarious to see all four sisters in action.  We got to the mall, had some dessert and picked out a present for a friend of Francisca's for her birthday.    
    That night was followed by karaoke in the living room. Now you all know, or maybe not, how I feel about karaoke, but I was a good host kid, played along as best I could, it was almost like a sociology experiment, watching this whole family interact, how similar they all were. It was absolutely creepy, it makes me wonder about what people think when I'm with my family, how similar we are, the way we talk, the way we express our ideas and interact with one another. It's really nice to see that kind of puzzle from the outside fitting together so seamlessly, just like I'm sure it is with my family or any other family.    
     Saturday morning was supposed to be a day for adventuring to Rican Lay, a lake about an hour or two from here, but it started with more drama. Apparently, the night before my host sister gave my host dad a muscle relaxer to just relax and sleep better, well he had a negative reaction, ended up in the clinic, and proceeded to sleep the whole day away. The sisters were besides themselves, especially the one who drugged her father. Hahaha.
    Despite their concerns, all the girls in the family (minus the little 11 year old sister), ended up at the bar that night. We went to a bar, La Boca del Lobo, where we had french fries and pretty good Southern Chilean beer, I would've gone for a bit darker of a beer for the setting, but overall, it was good. (Southern Chile has some of the best beer in the country, as this is where a huge German immigrant population arrived during the late 19th and early 20th century, bringing with them their beer making traditions, so there are quite a few German descendent brewery companies and places here in the South, especially near Valdivia in Los Rios). So there we are, my 26, 23, and 16 year old host sisters, my host mom, and my paternal host aunt, drinking in a dark pub, when the 16 year old suggests we play Los Cuatros Reyes. Next thing I know, I'm playing Kings with my host family. Surprise!
    The game was slightly different from the version back in the States, though really it just seemed like a bastardized version, one that came from us, but in transmission got a bit mixed up and I'd even say diluted. Like questions, instead of there being a question master, you stupidly ask questions to the person to your right, in a circle, until someone messes up and can't ask a question. I think they realized it was stupid too, but that were the rules here, so they did it. Although it sounds weird to play Kings with my host family, it actually was a really good way to relax with them and just hang out for once. We hang out a lot (meaning, we spend a lot of time together as is Chilean custom), but this felt really good, because we all felt like friends. I felt more comfortable, more open to express myself, and really helped settle things a bit with the family, made me feel more a part of things.  
    Nothing exciting really happened on Sunday, just more time, and lots of opportunities to practice Spanish. It's slowly starting to come back, my listening is kicking ass, but I still am working on getting my speaking back to where it used to be, something clearly happened when I didn't speak Spanish for the past two years. Silly me, thinking I could keep a skill by letting it get dull and dim.  The weekend ended, and surveying the damage around me, I had survived all the fun, all the talking and retelling of family stories and learning Chilean expressions, and all of the drama about very little. It was a good break in the day to day life, but now we're back into work.