The buzz around being home.

I am itching to go home! Chile is a Spanish student’s dream but there’s nothing as exciting as a Christmas with your family and that too around a warm fire, some homemade cakes, hot drinks and snow! Although, I’m probably glorifying the whole concept a tad as I’m a 100% sure that my toleration levels for the cold has plummeted underground down to the core (That’s how hot I feel anyways). I may as well have a sign around my neck saying “PNEUMONIA, HIT ME” as my frivolous mood has me in some sort of “IT’S NOT THAT BAD” trance, “THESE PEOPLE BACK HOME ARE SUCH DRAMA QUEENS.”  I guess the only reason behind my excessive positivity is firstly, I miss my family and secondly, who doesn’t love being back in good ol’ London!

Anyways, here are a few snaps of my last day in Chile before I arrived in Argentina. Viña del Mar is a 2 hour bus journey away from Santiago and it is beautiful! A definite must for anyone who is planning to visit Chile during their summer (December-February).

30 degrees in spring.

I love November. Besides it having my favourite day of the year; my birthday, it’s amazing for all lovers of ‘being cosy’ - when warm fires heat the house, winter jackets are dusted out from the back of closets, Christmas lights are finally on display, and going to Starbucks seems way cooler with the gust of wind outside and you inside with your hands wrapped around a hot caramel macchiato.

But, I have the sun here. And November seems a lot more different to what I’m used to. The smog that planes the city has completely disappeared - which means living on the 24^th floor of a building has finally had its advantages. I CAN SEE THE MOUNTAINS! They look beautiful. Everyday, after a hard day’s work of university and the tremendously long walk home, it’s a lovely feeling to arrive en mi casa and congratulate myself on the heat I have just endured by staring out my somewhat panoramic window and appreciating the beauty before me.

All pictures are views from my window.

Now that spring has arrived, stepping out for my weekly shop to La Vega and Lider doesn’t seem like chores anymore. It’s a way to get out of the house and do something! Plus the sun really does affect the way in which you see Santiago. This grey and dull looking city turns into a concrete jungle full of colour and warmth. I even seem to think the people seem happier. (They’re not very used to the cold). This is the time to really understand true Chilean culture, full of festivals and parties, drinks and food, parks full of people and tonnes of ice cream. In fact, I might take a trip to the local heladeria* this weekend. It is local, but I still haven’t tried it. With the ample amount of ice cream flavours available, it’s about time!

And of course my birthday! I have never experienced one like this before. I hadn’t planned much for it. In fact I hadn’t planned anything until some amigos of mine invited me to watch a film and have a few drinks at the local pub. It sounded like the best option to me - it was different to the usual club scene and I happened to enjoy every bit of it. Thor exceeded expectations (especially the ending) and sitting outside a bar with a few drinks and good company; it felt just like summer! I’ve always been slightly envious of my younger sister who happens to be born in July and always has the best birthday get together. Pool parties, BBQ’s and even an outdoor house party are just some of the view. But now I’ve finally had a taste of my own November spring (summer compared to London) celebration, and you know what, I could get used to this…

In fact, living in Chile is something I could get used to if people walked faster, there were more vegetarian options for food, houses were more common (the list goes on).

All in all, I’m enjoying spring and putting off the travelling for a while (to save money for other adventures) and getting to know Santiago well has done me some good and expanded my inter-cultural ways J Ciao ciao amigos.

Heladeria* - Ice cream parlour

A veggie abroad (RANT)

As a vegetarian it is almost impossible to eat in Chile. At every Peruvian or Chilean restaurant I visit, I endlessly search through menus in disbelief for there are no veggie dishes that will relieve my hunger and give me a taste of real South American food. The disproportionate amount of meat to veg dishes leaves me embarrassed and often offended! Needless to say, South America is known for their extremely strong meat sense, but I did have high hopes for some sort of recognition for us veggies. So what happens next?

“Mmmm puedo tener arroz con verduras y papas fritas por favor?” (plain boiled rice with vegetables and chips (or if I’m in a Peruvian restaurant, rice and yuca.*)

Yep. The above is what most of my meals out consist of; side dishes I’ve put together to give myself a main. It doesn’t seem to escape me even when the food is FREE! The perks of being an intercambio* are perhaps, a traveller’s dream! “Why would I spend money eating out and shopping for tonnes of food when I can eat in la U* for free?” is what most intercambios debate. Yet my poor veggie self has the least options available to me and I’ve given up even trying to explain that I’m a vegetarian. Instead I opt for the plain ol’ healthy (but not satisfying) salad with three vegetables of your choice. Yippeeeeee, how exciting!

Don’t get me wrong; there are a few veg restaurants around - if you’re looking for more salad and more bread, or perhaps pasta. Personally, I’m an adventurous eater, drawn by herbs, condiments and anything spicy and I just cannot seem to find anything adventurous. (Hence why I’m always on the look out for a Peruvian restaurant with an array (or at least 3) of veggie dishes. I just cannot fathom why vegetables (unless its sweetcorn, peas or carrots) are so rare in dishes here. 

So yes, I have resorted to eating in doors EVERYDAY. And it will be that way until I find a restaurant that can respect the small minority of veggie eaters.

But a BIG kudos to Chile for the establishment of La Vega. A landscape in the heart of Recoleta which boasts colourful fruit and veg, (some that I’ve never seen before), dairy products and meat, busy vendors eager to sell and a flood of shoppers impatiently scurrying about in search of the best deal. La Vega market oozes culture and passion for food. And over here, at least I’m able to find food that I can cook myself!

Yuca – Mogo/Cassava

Intercambio – Exchange student

La U – Uni (University)

Fleas got the better of me!

Fleas. Those horrible pests we yearn to keep away from our pets, hoping that one day, our cat or dog will not be infested with those blood-sucking minuscule vampires that literally make mine, and may others insides churn.

You can understand how surprised I was when I was told I had the fleas. And you can obviously understand my reaction: "Haha, don't be so silly. Fleas don't bite humans. Stop joking around."

It didn't hit me until I returned to Santiago from the South and those few bites started turning into more and more bites that I came to realise, "perhaps, I have the fleas?" My initial reaction was research! Google is the bible of all knowledge, except that it can sometimes give you an overwhelming amount of information and give you a 1000 explanations for one problem. - So at this point, I was scared. Will I die? Are they in my apartment? Will I ever see my family? (I know, slightly overdramatic). But it didn't help that my I had no one to help me, my insurance was pretty much useless and to be honest, at first, my family hardly believed me. "Are you sure they're flea bites? There's no such thing? Humans and fleas?" my parents moaned. 

"Yes mum, I'm a 100% sure." I would reassure her with these words over and over again. It ONLY took them three to four days to search the internet, believe me and also understand how gravely painful these bites were. And that's when they finally decided it's time to go frantic! "Go the the hospital right now! Go, go go!" My father shouted. "It doesn't matter about the money, just go get yourself checked out." 

At this point, my dad had me so worked up, I decided I have to go tomorrow as soon as I finish from university. I was panicking, feeling itchy 24/7 and was constantly distracted in all my classes. So I decided to do some market research. (After all I am my father's daughter and anyone close to me would know how much of a market research doctor he is). So I decided to ask around from friends to my international relations co-ordinator and the pharmacy. They pretty much all said the same thing: "It's normal to be bitten by fleas."

I was completely gobsmacked. Never have I ever heard of being bitten by fleas in the U.K. At the beginning I was laughing in disbelief and now I was hearing how being bitten by fleas was as normal here as being bitten by mosquitoes. 

I guess at this point my moment of melodrama was a little settled and I decided to wait till the evening and think about what I really wanted to do. After googling symptoms a little more online, many people in my situation advised not see a doctor (it was pricey and they just prescribed antihistamines - you could buy them over the counter). So I decided that before making a hasty (and pricey) decision of taking a trip to the hospital, it'd be better to speak to a pharmacist. So I went around from pharmacy to pharmacy (and there are a tonne of them in Chile) and I finally found a pharmacist who genuinely wanted to help me, and probably felt a little sorry for me. She prescribed me some tablets which is working like a charm and I was advised to take some vitamins. (Fleas like blood that lacks certain vitamins apparently - it's probably because I'm a vegetarian).

At this point I was relieved. And after nearly a week of restless nights, pain and exhaustion I had finally, nearly purged myself of the problem. 

The last thing was to buy a flea spray (which again, I never knew existed), spray my whole apartment and wash everything that a flea could hold onto. So far, I'm fine and feeling better than ever!

*****

I don't think I bought any fleas home but I did carry out a routine of killing them just to be on the safe side. Fleas are very tiny and cannot fly, but do jump very high which sometimes makes them impossible to find. They mostly bite humans on the legs, lower back, neck and face. And their bites come most likely in pairs or threes. If you have one bite, be sure to find one 3-4 cms by it. 

What to do if you have the fleas.

REMEMBER: fleas cannot stick to humans, so the odds are they're hiding out in your knitwear or your mattress. - anything warm that they can stick to. To avoid the problem wash everything from your duvet to all your clothes, cushions, towels EVERYTHING! 

There is no need to call in an exterminator. Buy a pest spray (I used Raid) and spray your house silly! Everything! Literally everything!!!! It's a cheaper alternative and does the trick if the problem has just started and you want a quick solution. It's possible an exterminator can be called for more serious situations.

Bites can show up a few days later but always be on the safe side and take extra precautions such as meds and de-fleaing methods.

Before running off to the nearest doctor (especially if you're in a foreign country), GO TO THE PHARMACIST. They know more than what we give them credit for. If they do recommend any medicine, try it before having to make that horrible trip to the hospital. It might just work in your favour. I'm glad I did this because I saved a tonne of money. My pharmacist knew how bad my bites were and said its possible I had an allergic reaction. If this is the case ask to be given tablets. Cream will only ease the pain for a certain amount of time and you will have to keep reapplying. 

What do you do if it's late at night or sunday afternoon and everything's shut? LEMON JUICE! A great alternative to prescribed meds and herbal too! Just squeeze some onto cotton wool and rub over your bites. Helps ease the sting and very cooling. Tea tree shower gel is also a great alternative to use in the shower.

Most importantly, DO NOT ITCH. These bites are far more problematic than mosquito bites. If you itch these, they can lead to severe scarring and infections. Just let nature do the work, and well try stay away from nature too (to avoid the bites at least).

All in all, don't be a silly douche like me and think it's ok to touch every stray dog you see. I feel for them tremendously, but giving them my time of day just got me into more trouble!

A trip to the south of Chile: during and after. (Osorno, Puerto Varas, Frutillar, Puerto Godoy)

15th September
                                     

After already having spent two days here in Osorno, I couldn't be more in love with the south, the people and their culture. The German influence on the South makes parts feel so German like. It's incredible. I feel as though I'm in Bonne all over again. Restaurants and houses are adorned with German antiques, breweries are far from scarce and their attention to detail is impeccable. 

Within 3 days, I've managed to accomplish most of the things I wanted to do in the South.

 1. Visit a national park  that lies at the foot of a volcano and admire the beauty of some major waterfalls. 

2. Take a trip to Puerto Varas and enjoy a lovely Chilean meal. 

3. Spend an evening in a cute, artisan-type coffee shop overlooking the Lake District and volcanoes. 

4. (this I didn't expect) Enjoy an in-car picnic whilst overlooking  El lago de todos los Santos (All Saints lake) which lies between the south of Chile and Argentina. 

If I had to choose my favourite destination, it would probably be number 4. All these places are equally beautiful but places that seem of little interest to tourists, that many miss and only locals know about always seem to have the biggest impact on me because of their serenity and beauty. El lago de todos los Santos despite the cold weather was beautiful with its metallic blue ocean, grey sand and mountainous terrain. Definitely a must see! It is said if you drink the water of the lake, you will accomplish anything in life (I'm not really sure how much of that is true). 

*****

22nd September

Imagine waking up everyday to the sound of waves rushing elegantly towards the coast, gazing out a panoramic window with a view of the mysterious Isla Chiloe, quad biking on a deserted beach, spotting a single bird gliding and dipping into the Pacific Ocean whilst encountering dolphins dwindling ashore, swinging away with a full breeze blowing into your face whilst looking out into the ocean and watching the sun set over a hot cuppa in one hand and a good book in the other. 

After the week I had in Quillagua, Puerto Godoy, I have to admit, I found it quite hard to return to the hustle and bustle of city life. I knew I was visiting the beach when I accepted an invitation to join Nickolle and her family for the fiestas patrias. What I didn't know was that they had a beach house which sat on top of a hill that overlooked the coast and that despite the cold weather, the beach couldn't be more enticing. So what if it rained nearly everyday, that didn't stop us from BBQ-ing away, paddling and enjoying our sultrous surroundings. Quillagua's beauty surpassed my expectations and its secret location helped to add that little bit extra. 

Quillagua was a real representation of how magical nature can be. And I thank Nick for giving me a quad bike experience of the coast otherwise I would've never been able to fully appreciate my surroundings. Even my photos will not be able to do this place justice. It is beyond beautiful and beyond serene. It's paradise! A hot sunny paradise is overrated anyways. The breeze does it for me :)

11/09/13: Pinochet protests and mournings.

September 11^th marks a day of history. A day of terror, trauma, death and despair not only for U.S.A but for Chile too. In the midst of all things american, some may have forgotten or, are oblivious to this. As I roam the streets of Santiago, bursts of little but powerful signs and objects shed some light on just how traumatic this day was for some.

In 1973 this very same day, a coup d’etat by the Chilean Junta Militar overthrew the government of President Salvador Allende. Thereafter Augusto Pinochet was anointed as the new head of state. Some people ignore his wrong doings and call him a saviour, helping Chile to achieve a miracle along the path of economic liberalism. Others despise his ideology and constant bashing against human rights and believe a flourishing economy would have been achieved with or without him.

Above all, today is a day of mourning, to all those that were murdered and repressed by his regime. 

For an outsider like me to be living in Chile and witness something like this for the first time is not so much daunting and petrifying but exciting and interesting. My knowledge on Pinochet is not great but it’s ample. (My degree helps!) And what I have been told is that Santiago GOES LOCA! (crazy) People protest throughout the night, violence increases, bottles are thrown, fights are bound - you get the gist! People have already boarded up their houses and shops, children are not in school and the whole Chilean population seems to be emphasizing how imperative it is that I stay home. And although, I haven’t witnessed anything yet, I can see the affects of this event already. We’re just approaching 2pm here and everything is pretty normal except for the decrease of people roaming the streets, memorabilia of lost loved ones everywhere and of course los carabineros (police) & huge tsumo police vehicles at every corner of a street.

I guess I’ll just have to wait till the evening to see the real affects Pinochet has had on the people of this country..

An array of people outside los carabineros building. 

I wonder where they're heading to..?