New Jobs

So it's my second time around in Chile and I am doing similar but also very different things than last year. Last year, I was teaching Basic English to 20 students in each class at a university. These students hardly knew how to say anything in English so it was definitely a challenge. A lot of them weren't motivated because English was required and they didn't think it was relevant to what they were studying so often times they didn't come to class. Also, they were similar in age to me and my Spanish wasn't that great last year so it was very hard to control them or get them to respect me. However, there were definitely GREAT students who I truly appreciated and who were very motivated. I still keep in touch with a lot of them and have seen some of them since I've been back. 

This year, I am teaching Business Professionals. As of right now I am teaching 3 classes and one private conversation class. One class is for Sanofi, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. I am teaching English to the General Manager and one of the supply managers. This class is GREAT because it is so advanced that I barely do any of the talking. I think of ideas and activities but the 2 students pretty much do all the talking because they want to practice. It is difficult though because I don't have a book and there aren't any written tests so there is not a set curriculum. So I am pretty much doing whatever I want which is good but it can also be difficult. But the students are great becase they know English is important because all of their international meetings are in English and they travel a lot. My second class is for Jacobs, an engineering company. They are less advanced but they still want to talk and participate. This class is more structured with a book. I am sharing this class with another teacher and he is teaching all the grammar and vocabulary while I help them practice speaking. So I don't necessarily use the book but I think of activities that relate to the book. The students are really nice and they have brought me alfajores (cookies with manjar/dulce de leche) almost every class. My third class is for Pfizer, another pharmaceutical company. They are very basic and they are very busy so they will cancel class a lot of time. But I have a specific book that even tells the teacher what to do so that is nice but it is hard because I have to do a lot of speaking very slowly and a lot of repeating. Finally, I am doing a private conversation class to a business man who runs a Food company that provides food for low-income families and children. He has a very basic level but he definitely likes to talk. So overall, my classes are extremely different from last year in that I have a VARIETY of levels and I don't have to talk as much and I'm not only set to a specific book/curriculum. I am liking it a lot and it is great to work with such huge international companies and important people! I also really like working in the business sector of Santiago. I feel super professional and like being around a lot of offices, restaurants, stores, etc. But the BAD part is the metro in the morning because it is SUPER congested. Here are photos of where I work:

What is even more different than last year is that I am not only teaching, but I am also working in an office. I am the Program Coordinator at a company called Integra Limitada. The company

offers work/travel/internships in the US for high school, university, and older students. The students register if they are interested and then have to take a Written/Oral english test (which I will administer
and grade) and then a psychological test. Then I will help them with their resume, cover letter and application to the Sponsor in the United States. The Sponsor is the company that helps the student come
to the US. The Sponsor then talks to the employers to find the student a job placement. Then the student interviews with the employer via skype (the jobs are pretty basic, like housekeeper and waiter but there are some jobs such as assistant manager but those are very competitive). There are jobs available in every state.  Then they have to go to the U.S. embassy which I will also help them with to get their J-1 visa which is a lot of work. Then they have a meeting which I think I can also go to (either in Santiago or Concepcion which is south of Santiago). Then they go to the States on a 3 month visa from December-March to work and then they have a 1 month visa to travel.

So I will be focusing on the Marketing (Facebook, Internet, going to the schools to recruit), communication with the students and among Integra (in Santiago and Concepcion) and the Sponsors in the US. I will be the Program Coordinator which will be a lot of work but very interesting and useful. Right now is the slow season so that will be nice to slowly get accustomed and adapt to the job. Students can apply at anytime until October. Then, come October it will be very busy dealing with visas and the Embassy. I will be speaking BOTH English and Spanish, but the day to day stuff in the office will be in Spanish with my other coworkers which will help me TREMENDOUSLY. My Spanish should be and BETTER be exquisite at the end of this year haha.

It is going to be very challenging but a very rewarding job. I am very excited and glad I have the opportunity but I know I will be very busy (pretty much the opposite of last year). But I like being busy and kept on my toes :) 

My new Integra office building (office is on the 11th floor)

The Pro's and Con's of being back in Chile...

As many of you know, I have returned to Santiago, Chile to teach and work until December. I am teaching English at 2 companies: One called Bridge that is based out of Denver and another called Training Solutions. These companies offer English classes to international businesses. Therefore, the class sizes are between 1-5 students and the students for the most part are motivated to learn and speak because they know English is crucial for their jobs. I am also working as the Program Coordinator for an Intercultural Exchange program called Integra Limitada that sends Chilean students to the US to study/work. I will be recruiting students, testing their English, helping them with their resumés/CVs, and working with the US Embassy in Santiago to help the Chilean students get their visas. I am very excited to be working at such an international company. After living in Chile for a year, and then going back to the United States, and then coming back to Chile, I have decided to compare and contrast the 2 countries/cultures.

PROS:
A) For the most part, it is much easier to find a job in Chile. I have had 3 job offers from companies and have had 2 requests to teach private classes. And I know of more potential jobs if needed. The need for native English teachers here is crucial. As Chile is breaking into the international economy, the businesses realize the essential need for their employees to speak English. Back in the States, it is not as easy to find a job. I enjoy working at restaurants and it is good money but that is not what I want to do for the rest of my life.

B) I already know people and the city. I met a lot of people last year, whether it be students, Chilean friends, or American friends, and a lot of them are still here. So that made my decision a lot easier to come back. I also know the city, how the metro works, where the good restaurants and bars are, and how to get around. I am also accustomed to the culture which was very hard to get used to last year, so culture shock won't be as intense as it was last year.

C) The metro and buses are VERY efficient. There are 5 different lines that run through the majority of the city. And it is very quick during peak times. I can get from my apartment to my workplace in 15 minutes just by using the metro. Also, if I am going someplace for less than 2 hours, I can take the metro one way and then take a Micro (a bus) another way and won't get charged (so I only get charged for one way which is fabulous. However I am still not used to the Micro system so I need to learn how to use that). While the metro can get very crowded and hot, the main line now has air conditioning on some of the trains which makes it so much more bearable. I also like how I don't have to worry about driving. When I was in the States over Christmas, I realized how many more "photo tickets" there are just at local traffic lights. Thankfully, I don't have to worry about those here. The inter-regional buses are also very convenient and cheap. I can go to Viña del Mar/Valparaíso for less than $10 round trip. I took a bus to Pucón which is about 8 hours south of Santiago and paid about $50 round trip. Some of the airfare is even cheap, too. Also, when you fly anywhere within or outside of Chile, you almost always get a meal or a decent snack, whereas in the States you now have to PAY to get any sort of food.

D) The fruits and vegetables and wine are DELICIOUS and CHEAP. I can go to the Feria (the local market) or La Vega (the big central market) and buy a kilo of avocados for $2.  The wine here is exquisite and abundant. You can buy a high quality bottle of wine for about $6. There is also a grape called the carménere that is only grown in Chile that makes delicious wine.

E) My Spanish is and will continue to improve tremendously. I am much more confident than I was last year (although I still don't understand a lot of things but I have made a complete 180 compared to this time last year). While I speak English for my teaching jobs, I mostly speak Spanish at Integra. Although I will be speaking English to the companies in the US and helping the students with their English, my day-to-day work will mostly be in Spanish. I am also living with a Chilean roommate and a lot of my friends are Chilean so I am constantly speaking Spanish with them.

CONS:
A) Opposite seasons: I left the United States last year in February during winter and arrived in Chile at the END of their summer. Then I lived through the brutal Chilean winter and then left Chile at the beginning of their summer in December and arrived in Denver in winter. I left Denver at the end of winter in March and arrived my second time around at the end of the Chilean summer. It is ALREADY starting to get cold here which means it's only going to get colder. So basically I have lived through 4 winters in 2 years. I am ready for summer and heat. It is also extremely difficult when it is FREEZING in the morning and at night and then it gets hot during the day in the sun. And in the morning when I am walking to the metro it is freezing, but then I get on the metro and there are SO many people that it is HOT. So my body is always confused as to whether its hot or cold. And most of the buildings don't have central heat so you can't escape the cold when you enter the buildings. It is almost colder inside the buildings than it is outside. But luckily my apartment this year receives more sunlight during the day so I think that will help make it warmer than my apartment last year.

B) Lack of efficiency: I'm not trying to say that Chile is INEFFICIENT, but I am just saying that the United States is SO MUCH MORE efficient in a lot of ways. For example, even though the metro is EFFICIENT, the people in the metro are not. People do not understand that in order to GET ON the metro, you have to LET PEOPLE OFF first. It's as simple as that. But it does not work that way. You literally have to PUSH to get on/off the metro. And when your are on the metro, people don't move to the middle of the metro to make more room for other people. They literally just stand by the door and don't move so you constantly have to say PERMISO so you can get by them and get to the middle. Also, people don't tend to understand that you treat walkways/stairs/escalators like a road where you stay on the right side so the flow of traffic makes sense. And if you do walk on the right side and someone is coming towards you, they do not move out of the way or make room for you. You pretty much have to jump to one side or run into them so they get the idea. Also, people walk EXTREMELY slow so it is very difficult to get places quickly when walking. There is no sense of urgency to get places.

C) Lack of Customer Service: This is probably what makes me the most irritated. Fast food is NOT fast food here. You go to Burger King and have to wait 20 minutes just to order and then you go up and order and they don't have what you want. For example, every time I went to Subway last year, they didn't have something that I wanted. They didn't have the bread I wanted, no jalapeños, no hot sauce, and they ran out of Tuna on Tuna Tuesday! Yesterday, I went to Applebee's with one of my friends from high school and her boyfriend and we had to wait 50 minutes for our food. We complained and luckily got a free dessert. But, still. 50 minutes for a SANDWICH that I paid $18 for is not okay. Also, a lot of times, especially at bars, you have wait in line to order and pay for your drink FIRST and then they give you a ticket and you have to wait in another line to get your drink. It is very confusing. When I arrived in Denver in December for the first time in 10 months, the FIRST place I went was Chipotle. The lady was wrapping my burrito but she ripped my tortilla. She immediately apologized and asked if I wanted a new burrito. My jaw literally dropped to the floor because I was so happy and I was not expecting her to say that.

D) Lack of planning/punctuality: Planning rarely exists here. I had training for my Bridge teaching job TWO WEEKS ago and I STILL don't have a class because the Chilean companies haven't signed up for classes yet. I don't even have an official schedule which is really irritating because I would love to plan to do other things. Last time I was here, I tried to plan my going away party in December to start at 9 because we had to be out of the place at midnight, and I explained that to everyone, and mos people showed up at 11. I was leaving for the beach for Independence weekend and I didn't find out what time I was leaving until less than 10 hours the night before. If a Chilean friend says "voy en camino" (I am coming now) it means 2 hours later. My students (both at the University last year and my business professionals) are notorious for arriving at least 20 minutes late to class. My work schedule is going to be very hectic and I try to make plans in advance to see people, but the plans very often change or don't follow through. Luckily, I still have some good "gringo" friends here who appreciate planning so we enjoy planning things in advance. For example, my friend Holly and I planned earlier this week to have a taco night this weekend for Easter. We planned when and where and what we needed to buy. I am thankful that I can still plan, but I am also more aware and trying to be a little bit more relaxed when it comes to punctuality. I know that I don't HAVE to be as stressed whereas in the States timing is CRUCIAL. So the Chilean culture has helped me relax in some senses even though I still love to plan.

So OVERALL I would say there are more PROS than CONS and I am happy to be back in Chile. I have more job opportunities. I can get around very easily. I can enjoy delicious fruits and veggies nad wine for cheap. Even though the Cons can be very stressful (such as lack of planning and not having a schedule), I appreciate them and understand them way more this year than I did last year. I am expecting them instead of being completely culturally shocked. I will try to keep my blog updated once a month. I know I forgot about it at the end last time but I will try very hard to fill everyone in on MI AVENTURA CHILENA :)
Happy Reading!

October...

I seemed to have temporarily forgotten about my blog. But I am back! The month of October FLEW by. Actually my entire time in Chile has flown by. Teaching has been easier and enjoyable at times and frustrating at others. I started doing BeachBody Insanity workout which has made me feel so much better. It really is INSANE. Each video is between 40-60 minutes and I start to sweat within 2 minutes. It is a lot of plyometric and cardio work. There is no equipment necessary which is really nice because I can just do it in my apartment. I still go to Parque Bustamante every once in a while to be outside and get a change of scenery but I really like Insanity. Also, at the beginning of the month the TIPS from my school and I got together to create a "gift to Duoc" which is a brochure of English knowledge/advice for our students to give them little insights on English slang, food, culture, etc. We went to Trisha's and made fried Reineta (my favorite fish yum!), potatoes, a salad, and a fruit salad for dessert. That was really fun. It has been nice to have 4 other "gringa" girls at my school because we all help each other out and get along really well. Then we had our DUOC 44th Anniversary dinner at a hotel with super nice appetizers, drinks, and dinner. We all got dressed up and mingled with some of the other professors. Also, within the month of October, we had an asado at our apartment to celebrate our friend Ali's birthday. That was really fun to have people on our rooftop and enjoy some Choripan and Burgers. I thought October would be warm but it was definitely still chilly with some warm days here and there. At the end of October was Halloween, of course. Trisha, Holly and I dressed up as Belly Dancers and we went to a club to celebrate with our "disfraz". Towards the end of October, it finally got warmer and sunnier and it felt like spring was officially here.

At the end of October/Beginning of November, we had 2 "feriado" days off from school on Thursday and Friday. And I never teach on Wednesday so I had a 5 day weekend! I knew I wanted to go somewhere but I didn't know where. My friend Darío invited me to go camping in Cajón del Maipo. I immediately said yes. Camping in the Andes sounded wonderful. Darío, 4 of his Chilean friends and I all left on Thursday morning to take a bus up to Cajón del Maipo. We got there around 10:30 and began to "trek" around 10:45. We had to carry backpacks, food, tents, sleeping bags, and everything. We didn't know exactly where we were going so we got turned around a few times. It was difficult trekking with all our bags but it was all part of the adventure. It was also pretty hot while we were hiking. We hiked for about 6 hours and arrived at our campsite "Monumento natural el morado". The boys pitched the tents and we got settled in. We were pretty high up and once the sun went down it instantly got cold. The boys made a "parilla" grill and we ate choripan and pork the first night. Going to bed it was absolutely freezing and waking up it was ridiculously hot (typical of camping). We woke up the next day and immediately went in search for a natural water source. There was a river about 15 minutes from our campsite and we went there to bathe and drink some water. THe water was SUPER fresh and cold from all the snowmelt. We hung around there most of the day and then went back to the campsite for a siesta. Later that night it got even more cold than the first night that I couldn't even eat dinner because I was so cold. I just went inside the tent and tried to warm up. On Saturday we went back to the river for more water and decided to pack up and head back down to the base. We began to walk around 3:30 and realized we probably wouldn't make it with all of our bags by sunset so we got a ride down the base which was a huge help. The new campsite had more trees and was near more civilization so that was a huge help. Spaghetti was on the menu for the night and then the Chileans sang some typical songs which was entertaining. It was significantly warmer at the lower altitude and with all the trees so it was easier to sleep that night. On Sunday, the last day, we went to Baños Morales which are natural thermal baths. It was super nice out so  I finally got to tan and get a little bit of color! Overall it was a very fun camping experience! Extreme in the sense that it was hot, then cold, then freezing, and lots of walking with lots of bags. But that made it all even more memorable (and the fact that I was camping in the Andes!) :)

Fiestas Patrias: Dieciocho de Septiembre (Celebrating Chilean Independence)

The entire month of September has basically been devoted to Fiestas Patrias: Chilean Independence. Dieciocho de Septiembre de 1810 (September 18 1810) was when Chile gained independence from Spain. 202 years later Chile still knows how to celebrate. I had heard about this holiday when I first arrived in Chile and was excited to have a few days off from school.  A few weeks ago, I found out I had not just a few days but the WHOLE WEEK off from teaching! I was THRILLED. Everyone was starting to get ready for the week off. Almost every house, store, school, etc. has had a flag displayed the entire month. In fact, when Pinochet ruled, if you didn't put up your flag during dieciocho, you would be fined a pretty hefty amount. During one of the weekly ferias I bought a Chilean flag to feel patriotic. Chileans are proud of their heritage and I am proud to be part of this cultural event.

A week before the break I was invited to go to Pelluhue, a beach town in the south. I immediately wanted to seize the opportunity to go with Chileans who knew how to celebrate their independence. Seven of us (3 "gringos" and 4 Chileans) left on Saturday to drive down to the beach. Normally a 4 hour drive turned into a 7 hour drive because of "TACOS" (traffic jams) and getting lost. We stopped for lunch and I began a 7-day streak of eating nothing but meat, meat, more meat and carbs. We arrived to Pelluhue and unpacked our stuff in 2 wonderful cabins on a hill looking over the Pacific Ocean. It was perfect. Then we began the first of SEVERAL asados on the parrillas to grill meat and empanadas. Then our Chilean friends tried (key word "tried") to teach the gringos La Cueca: The Chilean National Dance.

The next day we slept in and let me tell you it was great to sleep outside of Santiago because the only noise I heard were roosters instead of car alarms, drunk people, quiltros (dogs), trucks, etc. We drove to Curanipe, the next town over from Pelluhue. We walked along the beach, saw Huasos and Caballos (Chilean cowboys and horses), ate Fried Cheese Empanadas and drank Chicha and Terremotos, and took a nap on the beach. We scoped out the "Fonda" (Festival) that we would be going to that night and enjoyed the sunshine and the beautiful day. We had another asado with more meat (Choripan, Chicken) salad and rice and exchanged Chilean and American drinking games. Then we went to the Fonda and danced to Chilean music and watched people dance Cueca. It was a fun second day of celebrations :)

The next day was the day before Independence Day so we decided to take it easy and just relax in Pelluhue, go to the beach, and eat more empanadas and meat. We played some old school games such as Mash and Chilean games that predicted love (1313). We called it an "earlier" night and went to bed to prepare for the big day. On Tuesday (September 18!) we woke up to a beautiful day with lots of sunshine. We walked toward the beach and saw mini-Huasos (mini Chilean cowboys). We indulged in some Queso Macha (Cheese and Clam) empanadas and began to drive to Chanco to go to the "rodeo." While it wasn't a real rodeo, we still saw horses and Huasos doing a show and tricks to entertain the crowd. It was super "campo" which made me feel like I was authentically in the Chilean countryside. Then we went to the Fonda and played some games, ate Anticuchos (meat and veggies on a stick), and shot a BB-gun at a Pisco Bottle. What better way to celebrate Chilean Independence than another asado! We grilled some more meat (chorizo and ribs) and ate some salad and fries. To finish off the night, we went back to the Fonda and danced until 4 in the morning. We slept in the next day and drove back to Santiago in 4 hours instead of 7.

The 5-day vacation to the beach away from Santiago was just what I needed. I was so relaxed and happy to be with friends and in a new place. I was glad to get back to Santiago and see some of my other friends who I didn't see during the break. I went to Parque Bustamante (The workout park that has multipurpose machines to do exercises) and went to a salsa club. I went to the Feria on Friday with Holly and we bought Reineta fish and vegetables and her Chilean roommate made the DELICIOUS fish with garlic, cheese, onions, tomatoes, lemon and rice. The next day I went to an asado on the rooftop to celebrate Chadd's birthday. He ordered a keg, grilled LOTS of meat and veggies, and we were able to use his pool and dip our feet in as the weather was GORGEOUS. We came back to our apartment to continue the celebration and had a fun night. Today was the last day of break even though I do NOT want it to end. Holly, Trisha and I went to the Feria and bought Reineta Fish again and fried it and made potatoes and a fresh cucumber, tomato and pepper salad. This break is what I consider to be the "spring break" of Chile (as it is Spring down here and I did get a whole week off from school! Although multiple Chileans have told me that it is SUPER rare to have a whole week off for Dieciocho so I guess we just got lucky!) I hung out with great people, ate DELICIOUS food, and went to some wonderful places :) Feliz Fiestas Patrias CHI-CHI-CHI-LE-LE-LE!

Second Semester and Spring is in the air....

Looking back on the day before classes started for first semester, I was a nervous wreck. I had NO idea what to expect. I didn't know if the students would like me, how the lesson plans would go, how to grade the tests, etc. The second time around, for second semester, I did a complete 180. I was not nearly as nervous and I felt much more confident in my teaching abilities. I was, however, not looking forward to planning for 3 SEPARATE classes instead of 1 class. This semester I am teaching 1 Basic 2 English Class, 3 Intermediate 1 classes, and 2 Intermediate 2 classes (Last semester I only taught 7 Basic 1 classes). So I am teaching completely new material with completely new students. Three weeks into the first semester and I think I have my planning down to an art. The typical things happened the first few weeks: I met some great new students, some students didn't even come to class and had no idea what was going on, I saw a bunch of my students from last semester, and I have taught all the material for the first test which is next week. For the most part, I really enjoy my new classes and most of my new students. I definitely miss some of my previous students but I still keep in touch and see some of them so that is nice. I have one class that has almost perfect attendance and who make class fun and entertaining. And they seem to understand what is going on for the most part. I have another class with students who failed the same class last semester so they are taking the class over again. Let's just say that a lot of them have the deer-in-headlights look. I try to give them assignments and exercises that will help prepare them for the test. I feel like I am preparing them better this semester for the test than I did last semester but I want to see how they do next week on the test. Once they are done with the test, then it is FIESTAS PATRIAS which means we get a whole week off from school for independence day! Can't wait for that!

Outside of school, I have found some good friends who I have enjoyed going to dinner or making meals with. About once a month a few of us get together to go to restaurants to get different types of ethnic food such as Sushi, Korean, Indian, Chilean, etc. If we don't go out to eat then we like to get together at someone's place and cook. We have had burger nights, pasta, lasagna, and spaghetti nights. A few weeks ago it was my friend Kimberley's birthday. Holly, another TIP at my school, decided to host a spaghetti lunch for Kimberley. I made a spinach, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers and cheese salad, Holly made the sauce and spaghetti, and Trisha baked banana bread. It has been really fun going to people's place to eat and save some money. Not only did we eat good food, but we also had an INCREDIBLE view of the Andes and Santiago. It had rained for about 3 days and once it rains the infamous smog usually clears up leaving a clear and spectacular view of the mountains. It was the most clear I think I have seen it since I arrived in February.

Being a spinning instructor in the States and having run several races has always made me want to stay in shape. However, joining a gym in Santiago is expensive and my "gym" in my apartment consists of 1 treadmill that rarely works, a few indoor bikes, and a multi-purpose weight machine. I have tried running outside but there are so many street lights and hardly any running paths (and being "rubia" and extranjera definitely makes guys stare). Lately, I have been working out at an outdoor fitness park with Holly and Trisha. The park has some leg and arm machines and a nice area to run. It has been great to be outside and get some sunshine while getting some exercise. The smog is definitely an issue and I hope my lungs aren't taking a toll. I had been looking for races to run in Santiago but didn't have much luck finding anything. Last month, my friend Greg told me about a 10k race in Santiago. I instantly wanted to sign up. The Corrida Santander Techo race only cost $8,000 CLP (approx. $16) so I thought that was a great deal considering most of the races in the States cost at least $50. Also, I knew the weather was only going to get warmer so I thought it would be perfect to run in the start of spring. On Saturday, Greg, Trisha, Andrew and I went to the race expo to pick up our packets in Las Condes.  It was definitely a hot day and it was even hotter considering we had to take the metro and then a super crowded "micro" bus to get to the mall. We got a really nice Asics running shirt and some other goodies. We were also informed that the time was changing to "summer" hours so we would turn our clocks forward the night before. I frantically changed all my clocks and woke up early the next day to make sure I didn't miss the race. The race started at the Presidential palace (La Moneda) and made a big loop around the city to end back at La Moneda. It was a perfect temperature for running (not too hot and not cold). I hadn't been running as much as I do in the States so I was a bit nervous. I got a mild cramp at the 4km mark and then I drank some Gatorade at the 6km mark and felt GREAT after that. I saw the finish line and looked down at my watch and sprinted to the end. I crossed the finish line at 54:04. I have run the Bolder Boulder 10K 4 times and I have NEVER finished before 58 minutes. So I was THRILLED when I had a new PR. I felt GREAT. It was also great to have some friends cheering us on before, during, and after the race. We got some fruit, Gatorade, water, and a FREE MASSAGE after the race that felt incredible. Then, a few of us went to La Vega Chica market and ate a typical Chilean Chorillana (Fries, Steak, Onions, Eggs) and some Fried Fish. Later on that day, I went to Abby's boyfriends place for an asado with his family. Overall, it was a GREAT way to start springtime in SANTIAGO :)

Winter Break: La Serena, San Pedro de Atacama, Bolivia

First semester of teaching=done. Crazy. To celebrate, a few friends and I decided to go on vacation to different cities. First stop: La Serena. Abby, Sam, Andrew and I decided to take a bus up north to the beach town of La Serena and head into Valle de Elqui (aka Pisco Valley). It was really nice to get out of a major metropolitan city and go to a nice, quieter beach town. And boy was it a beach town. Our hostel was literally right next door to a fish market so it definitely smelled like seafood. The first day we there we decided to take a tour to Valle de Elqui. Our driver took us into the mountains and the sky was literally a crystal clear blue. No smog! It was sunny and warm out which was so nice. We got to see the valley, walk around, and go to the Gabriela Mistral museum (she was the first and so far the only Latin American woman to win the Nobel Prize). Then we went to lunch at a solar-powered restaurant where solar-panels cooked my meal which consisted of goat (delicious). Later, we toured a Pisco distillery (Pisco is a national Chilean (and Peruvian) drink distilled from grapes that tastes like brandy) and got to try samples of this Chilean favorite. At night, we went to an observatory to look through telescopes and look at the INCREDIBLE stars. The Southern Hemisphere has different constellations (including the Southern Cross) and Valle de Elqui is notorious for having some of the most cloudless, clear nights for star-gazing. It was incredible. I could literally see the Milky Way with my naked eye. Through the telescope, we saw Saturn and its rings/moons, and Mars. I also saw some shooting stars and the Andean constellations. Anything about outer-space is truly mind-blowing and I was even more blown-away after this tour. The next day, we walked around the beach, saw the Faro (lighthouse) and made tacos at our hostel. I could not have asked for a better start to my winter vacation.

I arrived back in Santiago and had a few days to recover and get ready for the next trip. I packed my backpack and got ready to fly north to the desert. Abby, Sam, Trisha and I were stoked to explore the northern part of Chile/Bolivia. We flew to Calama and took a bus to San Pedro de Atacama, the driest desert in the world. Since it is a desert (and it is winter), we knew it was going to be warm/hot during the day and COLD at night. But we were not prepared for the cold that was awaiting us. One of the first activities we did was take a tour to Valle de la Muerte/Luna. Valle de La Muerte (Death Valley) was originally called Valle de la Marte (Mars Valley) but people misinterpreted it to be called Valle de la Muerte (where in fact no one has ever died, thankfully). The valley was incredible. And it was hot. Later, we took a bus to a salt cave and crawled through caves literally made out of salt.  Next stop was Valle de la Luna to watch the sunset. Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley) is supposed to resemble the moon and from my superior knowledge of the moon (ha) it certainly did.

Once the sun went down, we went back to our hostel and prepared to wake up for sunrise the next morning. Our bus picked us up at 4 in the morning and drove us to the El Tatio Geysers for sunrise. We had been informed to bundle up. Bundling up did not help. It was FREEZING (-11 Celsius approximately 10 degrees Fahrenheit but it felt A LOT colder). We got out of the bus and couldn't feel our toes or our fingers. But it was still really cool to see the geysers at sunrise. They were fuming with steam and smelled like sulfur and rotten eggs (most of that was due to the fact that our tour included breakfast which meant hardboiled eggs cooked by the geysers and chocolate milk boiled to become hot chocolate). The sun came up and it was still cold but the sun helped make us feel warmer. We had the opportunity to go swimming in thermal baths but we all refused.  Our tour continued through the mountains and we saw the local Vicuña animal (related to the camel), some llamas, and ate DELICIOUS goat cheese empanadas.

Later that day we went to Laguna Cejar, which is a Salt Lagoon in San Pedro where you literally float because of the salt density. It was pretty cold so I didn't get all the way in but it was definitely salty and made your skin feel incredibly dry. Then we went to the "Ojos de Sal" (Salt Eyes) which were two smaller lagoons that literally reflected everything. It was approximately sunset so I was able to get a cool picture where you can perfectly see my reflection. Finally, we went to the last lagoon at sunset which had a spectacular view/reflection of the San Pedro de Atacama volcano. I need to get a better camera because my pictures do not even begin to do the colors and the scenery justice...

One of the coolest parts of the trip was going to Bolivia. We woke up early Thursday morning and went through Chilean immigration. We took a bus to the Chile/Bolivia border and had to pay an entrance fee (because the United States charges other countries to enter the United States, the other countries such as Chile, Argentina and Bolivia charge a reciprocity fee. Sometimes being a United States citizen has its disadvantages). After paying the fee, we met our driver and our group who we would be 4 Wheel Driving through the Bolivian desert with: A British couple named Kirsty and Alex and our driver Guido. It was pretty cool to be driving through the desert but I could definitely understand why 4WD was needed. It was sandy, dusty, and bumpy literally in the middle of nowhere. The first day in Bolivia consisted of going to gorgeous Lagunas (Lagoons), thermal baths (again I didn't get in because it was WAY TOO COLD outside), eating lunch, meeting the other groups who were 4WD with us, and seeing flamingos. That night we heard it was going to be "the coldest" night but it actually wasn't as bad as I though. A few of us decided to take our "torches" (flashlights) as the British like to call it and walk to the store to get some wine. The other 4WD cars had 4 British people, 1 Australian, 3 Dutch, 4 French, and 1 Brazilian so we all decided to teach other games that night. We learned about Fuzzy Duck/Ducky Fuzz, Goodday Bruce/Sheila, Candy Shop, Jimmy 1 Spot, etc. I can't wait to teach all my friends back in the States about these fun games. It was a great first day in Bolivia.

Even though the first nigh wasn't the coldest, I still managed to sleep in 2 pairs of socks, long underwear, sweatpants, a long sleeve shirt, 2 sweaters, 2 blankets, a comforter and 2 more blankets on top of that. I had a sleeping bag but I didn't need to use it that night. Let's just say when you are 4500 meters above sea level (approximately 15,00 feet) in the middle of Bolivian mountains and desert, it is COLD. The second day we went to a Piedra de Árbol (rock tree), some more lagunas, a volcano, saw some more flamingos, and drove more through the desert. That night we were guaranteed a hot shower and let me tell you, everyone literally ran to the shower haha. It was hot but the water pressure was pretty much nonexistent. We stayed in a Salt Hostel where literally everything was made from salt (the floors, the walls, the tables, everything). We stayed right outside the Salar de Uyuni which was our main destination of the trip. That night, we played more games and had even more fun interacting with all the groups.

After a fun night, we woke up to watch the sunrise over the Salt Flats. Then, we drove to an "island" in the middle of the salt flat where there are tons of cacti and incredible views of the salt. Salar de Uyuni is 12000 sq km and 10 m deep. That's a LOT of salt. It is the biggest salt flat in the world. Salt Lake City is close behind but I have never been there. When we drove into the middle of the flats, we began to have tons of fun taking crazy pictures because of the lack of depth perception and the bright reflection. We pretended like we were climbing on things, holding people, having dance parties, and doing super creative things. It was difficult to arrange the photos and it took a lot of time and patience. We could have spent hours playing around there but our driver was getting inpatient and wanted us to leave haha. The sun and the reflection definitely made it a hot day and no matter how much sunscreen I put on I couldn't avoid getting burned. Then we made our way to the town of Uyuni, I bought a shot glass and dice made out of salt and a Bolivian bracelets (I am notorious for buying and wearing bracelets from every country I go to and wearing them until they fall off). We ate some delicious Bolivian soups and meat and continued to explore. Finally, we went to a Train Cemetery which was like another giant playground. We stopped by the tour office of Cordillera Traveler (the tour company) to say goodbye to all the other groups. Most of the other people were continuing their travels through Bolivia while the 4 of us had to go back to San Pedro to head back to Santiago. It was sad saying goodbye but it was definitely an awesome trip and we met some really great and fun people.

Finally, we began our drive back to Chile. We had a pretty rough ride back meaning it was super cold, dark and bumpy so it was very difficult to sleep. We stayed at a hostel that was definitely the coldest night. We woke up super early, went back to the Chile/Bolivia border and arrived back in San Pedro de Atacama. We were glad to be back in Chile but sad to have left Bolivia. I would definitely like to go back and spend more time there (plus I heard it's SUPER cheap!). Relaxing at the hostel was much needed in the afternoon. Later, we went sandboarding in Valle de la Muerte. Growing up in Colorado and strapping 2 skis on my feet since I was 5 made it so much more difficult to learn how to sandboard. It was fun though. I think I will stick to skiing though (My dad should be proud) :)

Overall, I have had a WONDERFUL winter vacation. Bolivia marked my 20th country I have EVER been to! I want to get to 50! I think that is manageable. I still have a week off to relax in Santiago, maybe go skiing, and get ready to start teaching again. Next semester will be a lot different since I will be teaching 3 different levels of English instead of one. I know this is a long blog but I hope you enjoy reading it :)