One Trip, Three Hats

Because this is how I roll.

Still a Nat Geo girl.

It was freezing and windy here. I took a video at this spot so I could get a panorama, and the wind sounds destructive. A big thanks to my friend Elaina for making the hat and gloves I am wearing; they kept me warm!

It was warm in late afternoon when we took this in the Valley of the Moon. I'm hiding the floppy hat I was wearing under my legs. It's great for sun protection but not so much for pictures!

Where in the World . . .

Last weekend I went to San Pedro, a little town in the Atacama Desert in the north of Chile. It was otherworldly and wild.

I left immediately from work Thursday afternoon and went to the airport. The flight was 2 hours and arrived in a mining city called Calama. From there it was an hour and half shuttle ride to San Pedro. Instead, some people take a 20 hour bus ride from Santiago. NO, thank you. I arrived at the hostal late and was bummed to find out that I was too late to book an excursion for the next day. I went to my room and immediately made friends with the guys there. They invited me to go on the excursion with them the next morning. I didn't even know where it was going but I woke up at six the next morning and blearily asked the guide for a spot on the bus, luckily I got one. There was a group of five of us traveling alone.

We snapped funny photos and swapped stories and felt like new old friends. That's a volcano behind us. That's also a lake. I'm not clear where the water comes from considering it is the driest place in the world . . . from snow from the mountains? It was really cool. I was wearing two pairs of gloves and pants and I can't tell you how many shirts.

We went to salt flats. We saw four flamingos where there used to be thousands.

Friday evening my friend Magda and her friend Aaron arrived. Our excursion on Saturday morning left at 5 a.m., necessary because we went to the geyers and they are most active in the morning.

In the afternoon we went to the Valley of the Moon.

The next day I went on an all day excursion to the Tara Salt Flats, which are very close to the border with Bolivia. They are wild and remote. We went off-roading and were at a really high elevation. I felt it in my lungs after walking a few steps up a little hill. 

We had a picnic lunch at a salt flat. I found myself thinking that I never wanted to leave.

Guess Where I Went

If you think it's the moon, you're close, ish. More to come in my next post.

Appreciating Life

This is Jose Miguel, from Brazil. We both went on Friday's Spanish student excursion. He is happy and genuine and carries around a picture of his cat. We even took a picture with the cat. I asked him if he likes cats more than dogs. He told me didn't like either until he had a massive heart attack. His doctor told him he should get a pet to help relieve stress. A friend gave him a cat, which he didn't want. Now he loves it. He lives alone, just him and his cat. He said since nearly dying he tries to life live fully, travel, and learn as much as possible.

I learned more than Spanish that afternoon.

American Brunch

Yester my friend Leti and I went to Cafe Melba in a neighborhood called Las Condes.

It was THAT amazing! The cream with the pancakes tasted like a heavenly cloud. I still can't get over it. The potatoes were just like those at the best American diner. The caramelized onions were sweet and so good I might ask for a side plate of just them next time. Under the sausages were mushrooms and beans. The only thing that would've made this a true American brunch would be if the pancakes were as big as the plate, instead of three medallion-sized ones. Alas, portion control.

On the walk from the metro to the cafe we remarked how different Las Condes is from Providencia, where we both live. Las Condes is newer and has a more industrial feel. In Providencia the buildings are unique and old. Everyone has balconies and many are covered in plants.

I love my neighborhood and couldn't imagine living anywhere else, but as my dad says, "Different strokes for different folks."

A City Excursion

I take Spanish classes for an hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays. My teacher (or profe, which is the affectionate term here) is Marisol. She is nice and talkative and isn't shy about telling me all sorts of things. Everything from her divorce to why Chilean people stare to the surgery she has on her eyes.

Yesterday I went on an excursion for Spanish students. It was just me and another student, Jose Miguel, from Brazil. This was literally his first week studying Spanish but he could get by, I think, because of the similarities between Portuguese and Spanish.

We went to the Plaza de Armas. Mile Zero in Chile begins there. It's where all distances in Chile are calculated from.

To the left is the main post office. The yellow building is museum, and the white one is a government building.

This is inside the post office. I learned that chandeliers are called lamparas arañas, which means spider lamps.

This is inside the cathedral. It easily could've been a cathedral in Spain or Italy. Jose Miguel asked me if we have cathedrals like this in the U.S. I said that no, we don't really. Maybe the National Cathedral in D.C. is like this? I never made it there while I was living in D.C.

This is one of the first Chilean flags. We saw it at the National History Museum.

A scene from Chile's past. The people in the center with the white handkerchiefs are dancing a form of the national dance, the cueca. 

Making Empanadas

While I was in Talca this past weekend, my friend's mom taught me how to make empanadas. Well, half way. I don't know how to make the filling or the dough, but I sure can roll them out and stuff them. Empanadas are sort of like little individual meat or cheese pies. You can fry or bake them.

Rolling out the dough for fried empanadas.

 This reminded me of rolling out pie crust dough with Grandma Shea. I know my way around a rolling pin thanks to her.

 This filling is made of chicken and diced, fried onions.

Generally, you add a segment of hard boiled egg and an olive to the empanada.

We had both fried and baked empanadas. I love them both, but maybe the fried a little more!