The Twelfth Day

Today is our final full day in Chile, and it was our last chance to visit the University, and spend time with our Chilean hosts. We took the city bus for the last time, and made our way to Valparaiso and up to the top of the hill. At the University we received a presentation on studying abroad at Universidad Technica Frederico Santa Maria. It would be intriguing to be able to spend a semester in Valparaiso, but I think if I were to study abroad, I would want to go somewhere else, and experience a new part of the world. This trip has certainly made me think hard about doing just that.

After the study abroad presentation, we ate our last lunch in the school’s cafeteria. That is one aspect that I will not miss-the cafeteria food was never the best. After lunch, we took part in a traditional Chilean cultural activity-a soccer match. We played for the most part as gringos vs. Chileans, and us gringos held our own. In the end the Chileans may have won, but we put up a good fight and had a lot of fun. It had been a long time since I was able to participate in some physical activity, and it felt great. After some time to relax after our soccer match, we went to get pizza with the entire Chilean staff, as a type of final goodbye. We really appreciated everything they had done for us, and it was nice to spend one last meal with them before heading for the plane on Friday.

The Thirteenth Day

Friday was effectively an entire day of travel, despite the fact that our flight did not leave until seven o clock in the evening. We awoke later, with an opportunity to sleep in a bit, and went to lunch as a whole group at a local restaurant. I had one last chance to eat steak a lo pobre, which was my favorite meal, and talk with everyone. After packing everything up and bringing our luggage down the stairs to the lobby, we all boarded the bus and headed off to the Santiago airport. Arriving at the airport, we began the never ending of lines and waiting that are an inherent part of international travel. When we got the terminal, I was able to spend the rest of my pesos on a quick snack and an agua “con gas”, or with carbonation. That is one thing that I will miss in the States, because it is not nearly as common as it is in Chile, or other foreign cultures in general.

We boarded the plane around seven, and after an hour of delay due to mechanical issues, we were able to take off and begin our transcontinental trip back to the United States. It was a long flight, and I was not able to sleep very much, so this feels like one long day, instead of its reality of two days. It will be nice to sleep in my own bed for the night, before heading on and beginning the rest of my summer.

The Twelfth Day

Today is our final full day in Chile, and it was our last chance to visit the University, and spend time with our Chilean hosts. We took the city bus for the last time, and made our way to Valparaiso and up to the top of the hill. At the University we received a presentation on studying abroad at Universidad Technica Frederico Santa Maria. It would be intriguing to be able to spend a semester in Valparaiso, but I think if I were to study abroad, I would want to go somewhere else, and experience a new part of the world. This trip has certainly made me think hard about doing just that.

After the study abroad presentation, we ate our last lunch in the school’s cafeteria. That is one aspect that I will not miss-the cafeteria food was never the best. After lunch, we took part in a traditional Chilean cultural activity-a soccer match. We played for the most part as gringos vs. Chileans, and us gringos held our own. In the end the Chileans may have won, but we put up a good fight and had a lot of fun. It had been a long time since I was able to participate in some physical activity, and it felt great. After some time to relax after our soccer match, we went to get pizza with the entire Chilean staff, as a type of final goodbye. We really appreciated everything they had done for us, and it was nice to spend one last meal with them before heading for the plane on Friday.

The Eleventh Day

On the second to last full day in Chile, we made our excursion to the eighth largest city in the Western Hemisphere, Santiago. We took the two-hour bus ride straight east (for which I slept through most of) and arrived right in the central business district. The reason for our visit was to see Bolsa de Commercio de Santiago, which is the predominant Chilean stock exchange. Unfortunately, our visit was cut short because the trading floor, which is the main attraction at Bolsa, was under construction and we were unable to visit it. Instead we received a short lecture, and were sent on our way a couple of hours early.

After leaving the exchange, we visited many of the predominant Chilean tourist attractions, including the president’s office and the national museum. Instead of feeling like tourists, we felt more like the attractions at every stop, because the endless scores of Chilean students that passed us wanted their pictures taken with the gringos.

Our final stop in the city was atop a hill in the center of the city. From the top, you would hypothetically be able to see the entire city of Santiago, but because of the huge amount of smog, the view was somewhat limited. Nevertheless, the scape of impressive, and you really got a feeling for the enormity of the city. It just seemed to go on forever.

For dinner, we once again went to Telepizza, which has become our favorite quick and cheap food stop on the trip. It was just another full day in the life on Chile Plus3.

The Tenth Day

Today was supposed to be a relaxing day, and it turned out just so. With a late start time and a day of rest ahead of us, we boarded the bus and headed for a day resort type place in a nearby town. The concept of this resort was a little different from anything we have in the United States-it was really just a little hotel type place, with activity centered around their many pools and food stations. The spa was all you can eat, and we were able to take advantage of that, along with the large buffet that was provided for lunch. Luckily, the sun cooperated as well, and we were able to lay out be the pool and tan a little bit. I was even able to get the DJ to play ‘Chicken Fried’ off of my iPod. What is more perfect than that?

After lying out in the sun, we were all tired, and went back to rest at the hotel for a couple of hours. Soon enough however, we were back on the road on the way to a barbeque at Werner’s house, the director of the program. We took a city bus to the main road outside of his condo complex, and then walked the rest of the way to the top of his hill. His high-rise condo buildings have the best views in all of Valparaiso/Viña del Mar. At the barbeque we ate various Chilean meats-including sausage, chicken, pork, and beef-and danced different salsa steps all night long. All in all it was a great night. 

The Ninth Day

What a day. Today was hugely relaxing, and also a life experience I will never forget. We woke up and got on the bus to head to Concón, about 45 minutes away from our hotel. We arrived at the top of hill overlooking the ocean, where we had horses waiting for us to take on an expedition. We proceeded to ride horses around the surrounding area, including Chilean forests, deserts, and even on the beach of the ocean. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience. I had never ridden a horse before, but I found myself quickly confident with my horse, who was not too fleet of foot, but fairly obedient and a good companion. The sights were incredible, and the experience on the whole was unforgettable.

After horseback riding, we came back to the farm we started at, and there they had a huge barbeque waiting for us, with huge amounts of meat and traditional Chilean dishes. I had sausage, beef, pork, and chicken, and it was all very tasty, especially after our long trek. After a relaxing lunch, we boarded the bus, took much-needed naps, and returned to get gelato on the beach. It was a beautiful day, so we sat on the rocks and watched the sun set before returning to the hotel. From there, we were free, and I took advantage of the free time to have a nice night off, and relaxed at the hotel. Today we are headed to the spa for a day that I’m sure will be just as nice as yesterday.

The Eighth Day

After a good night’s sleep, I awoke this morning to experience my second ever Spanish Mass. I once attended church in Mexico two years ago, and this is my time experiencing it in Chile. I have to say, I did not struggle with understanding the service as much as I did two years before. That is a good sign for my language skills I suppose. The service itself was easily followed, and it’s always cool to see how little the service is different in different languages.

After church, we spend the afternoon exploring various aspects of Chilean commercialism. We visited the local mall, which was huge and very crowded, because it is one of the few venues that is open on a Sunday. After leaving the overwhelming mall, we went to visit the artisanal stands near the shore. As I am writing this, I realize that the piece of art I bought at the market was left at the pizza place we ate at later that afternoon. Oh well, I guess if that’s the worst thing that happens to me on this trip, it will all in all be a good experience.

Finally, for dinner we had a nice meal at an upscale seaside restaurant. We all got dressed up and enjoyed the night while listening to the waves crash against the rocks. It was nice to have a good sit down meal after eating a lot of fast food this weekend. I guess when there’s so much to do, it’s hard to find time to eat!

The Seventh Day

Today was our day of rest, and it was definitely needed. After waking up later than I have in a long time, we hung around for a little bit and then went to a late lunch. We went to a place that had wraps and gyro type sandwiches, and it was very tasty. We came back and hung out for a couple of hours, and then, around six, left to go a soccer game. The game, between the local team from Viña del Mar and a team from the north of Chile, near Peru, was a truly authentic experience. Although the stands were not completely full, the fans that were at the game were downright crazy. The cheering section behind the goal was jumping and chanting the whole time, and when their team scored a goal, they unfurled a huge flag that covered the entire cheering section. The wild fans, combined with the descending fog, made the game a surreal experience. You can truly see how crazy the Chileans are about their soccer.

The game ended in a tie, and clearly the home fans were upset. It seemed like the home team was supposed to kill the visitors, and everyone was on edge as the clock ran down. One interesting aspect of the cheering is that instead of booing, the fans whistled when something against their favor occurred. They did this frequently, whether it was at the refs, the opposing team, or even one of their own players, if they made a mistake. It was definitely worth braving the cold to receive such an authentic experience.

The Sixth Day

Today was quite possibly one of the weirdest days of my life, and definitely the weirdest day so far on the trip. The schedule said that we were going to be visiting the house of Pablo Neruda, but after an hour on the bus, we were told that the tour would not be until 5 o’clock, which meant that we had six hours before starting the tour. Essentially, we burned time for six straight hours. We visited a really creepy grave on a hilltop that was surrounded by fog and completely barren of both civilization and vegetation. We were all glad to be back on the bus after our brief visit. Then, after getting lost and randomly meandering in the Chilean countryside, we went to lunch in the port town of San Antonio. At least we thought that was where we were, but we weren’t really sure. The food was good, but once again we spend a large amount of time there because we were essentially killing time. After a brief visit to the world’s largest swimming pool, we finally made it to Neruda’s seaside home. He was a strange guy, and had large collections of really random novelties. The house itself was beautiful, however.

After leaving the house, we travelled through the thick fog back to the University and had our last dance class. We retuned to the hotel, and look forward to our free day tomorrow.

The Fourth Day

Today, the fourth day, we had our second round of company visits; to Viña Indomíta winery and LAN Airlines, the largest Chilean airline. The scenery at the winery was incredible, like almost everything seems to be on this trip. Built upon a small hill in the middle of the Chilean countryside, the winery has a panoramic view for miles of rural Chile. Although there was not much to see in terms of a business production or technical nature, we were able to sample a couple of their most popular wines, and it was still a fantastic experience.

Our second visit, to LAN Airlines, was the opposite of the visit to Viña Indomíta. It was lacking in natural beauty, but it was more technical, and we were able to tour their production facilities of maintenance and repair. We even were able to go around and inside a trans-Atlantic Airbus that was being serviced in the hangar. It was interesting to hear their strategies in the face of the recession and rising fuel prices. They remained profitable in the past decade, and are one of the only airlines that can say that.

Luckily, we now have some free time in the evening after travelling and visiting the multitude of companies over the past few days. It is a good chance to take a breath, and get ready for another day of activities tomorrow.  

The Third Day

On the third day, we had our first company visits, including the company I researched, Bosque del Mauco. We started early, arriving at Bosque around 9. We received a full tour of the company’s production, starting with the fertilizer that they specially combine to best grow their fungus. It is little more than hay, manure, and water. Then, we were able to see the mushrooms at different stages of growth. Each set of mushrooms is grown on a small square pallet, and the pallets are stacked to the ceiling in various climate-controlled warehouse spaces. Each batch produces of 15 metric tons of mushrooms!

Next we visited Centauro, which is a canned fruit and vegetable company. Although we visited in their offseason, when fresh canning does not take place, we still were able to get an understanding of the canning process, and take home samples of their products. They export all around the world, and its hard to believe that they do most of their production from the small factory we visited. An interesting note, their warehouses were entirely cleaned out by the earthquake—their purchasers bought and donated every canned good they had in their reserves at the factory.

After the visits, we had more culture classes, including one about Chile’s earthquakes. It was scary, but at the same time shows the strength and resilience of the Chilean people. After more dancing lessons, we had a night on the town, and returned to rest for another big day on Thursday.

The Second Day

Just kidding, today was not company visits, but instead more classes and a brief presentation session. After a much needed later start to the day, we once again took the bus to the University. Although it was another cloudy day, the scenery was still spectacular. At the University, after a bit of a delay, we started a class on Chilean business, although it ended up covering South American business as a whole. Our professor was very knowledgeable, and he did his best to cruise through his 180+ slide Power Point. Luckily we had a break for lunch in between sections of the lecture, and we got another chance to experience both Chilean food, and Chilean Spanish being spoken in the cafeteria.

            After the lecture, each group went through their company presentations, and everyone was a bit rusty after a having a month pass since last giving the presentations. The additional factor of general exhaustion from all of these new experiences did not seem to help.

            Now that I have returned to the hotel, I realize how tired I really am. With an entirely new environment, new experiences, and an entirely different culture, it is easy to become tired, but you do not notice it as you take everything in. I look forward to getting a good night’s sleep and being well prepared for tomorrow, as we have another full day planned. The experience is well worth the sleepiness, however, because everything we do-from classes to tours to dining experiences-provides me with a new perspective and an educational experience.

The First Full Day

Today was our first full day of activities in Chile, and I mean full. The day started bright and early at 7 a.m. After our inaugural public bus trip, we found ourselves at the beautiful Universidad Techníca Santa María in Valparaiso. The campus is indescribable. Composed entirely of gothic structures, the campus is perched upon a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. With panoramic views and spectacular architecture, the campus is unlike anything I have ever seen.

After a campus tour, we listened to two separate lectures on Chilean culture. We learned of Chilean geography, tourism, current events, history, and culture. Each lesson was insightful and presented in a relevant manner. All of us were impressed with José’s English, and his was a great resource on our next excursion as well, which was a tour of the surrounding region.

One thing that was interesting about our experience thus far was the nature of the Spanish spoken here in Chile. Although I have studied Spanish for over six years, I found it hard to comprehend the type of Spanish spoken around the city and on campus. The students, who all speak great English, explained that Chilean Spanish is often abbreviated and full of slang. Hopefully by the end of the two weeks, I will begin to understand the local dialect, and be able to communicate with the locals.

After a full day, I look forward to a later start tomorrow, and our first day of company visits!

Arrival in Chile

Today, on Sunday May 8, our group arrived in Santiago, Chile after an overnight flight from Atlanta. As we descended on Santiago, we were enveloped in a thick fog. One moment, the plane seemed to be in midflight, and then all of a sudden we met the runway. The pilot did a great job of getting us down in tough conditions. 

After going through the never-ending bureaucracy involved with international travel, we exchanged money and were on a bus en route to Viña del Mar, along the Pacific coast. For the better part of the trip, both sides of the road were enveloped in fog. Because of that, the scenery was not much to comment on, but something about the area surrounding the airport suggested that we weren’t missing much.

After an hour or so, we began to come closer to the Valparaíso area, and the scenery changed accordingly. The vegetation became lusher, and neighborhoods of houses began to spring up on the sides of the roads. Once we descended from the mountainside and into the seaside community of Viña del Mar, we were exposed to the beauty of the Pacific Ocean, and the surrounding developments.

We arrived at our quaint hotel, and began to settle in to our new home for the next two weeks. I look forward to enjoying my first Chilean meal, and exploring the surrounding area before classes begin tomorrow.