How Clean are Chile's Buses?

Calling all free-spirits with some cash & sense of adventure. Don't you wish you could throw the windows open, make bracelets and drink Argentine maté while cruising around in a yellow VW van? 

I wonder if I would actually like being cramped in there for a while. The French guy we met in Pucon is driving around, kayaking in Southern Chile. He's typical: dreads and really chill. Not normal? He was sleeping in his van and was attacked & robbed by Chilean fletes. Ended up in the hospital. Poor guy. Lesson: Don't come across as someone who has something to steal. 

Cleanliness of Chilean Buses

The bus from Pucon to Santiago is 10 hours. 10 hours in a bus seat that reclines and is wide enough that I can do a mini crunch to sleep rather comfortably. Our longest ride? 17 hours! Luckily, we had a 3.5 hour cargo ferry ride so we were out in the fresh air and watching the dolphins swim next to the embarco. 

So, is it safe? That really isn't the right question.

Is that blanket clean? (see below)

Second floor, first row view

Maybe I've taken maybe 20 long-trip buses in Chile. I feel safe on every one of them. I've been given free water bottles, been tucked in with a blanket and pillow by the worker guy and given a sugary breakfast.   Bonus for smiling (or maybe it's the gringa card) but when I get off the bus and go get my luggage, 8 times out of 10 I get my luggage before the pushy people, old ladies and people first in the chaotic clumping (no queues in Chile). They grab my big red mochila and hand it to me. Thanks! 

Back to my question. I got a call today from the JAC bus supervisor (remember, in Spanish). He received my Facebook message and my email and actually called me to follow-up. WHAT. I was not expecting that! He assured me that the buses are fumigated once a month or once every two months. They have their own laundry service and wash the blankets in Santiago when the buses get to Santiago. 

My bus was fumigated on March 16 and I was on it on March 23. 

This is about to get personal. 

On Sunday afternoon, I started to itch. A lot. We got in at 7AM Sunday morning and slept for a few more hours before heading out to a friend's BBQ. When I was getting ready to leave, I felt itchy and saw some red welts. I focused on enjoying the steak, pork, chorizo and chicken at the BBQ because I was so itchy. 

It hit me like a bag of bricks. 

Bedbugs. NOOOOOOO. I stripped the bed. Vacuumed the mattress. Threw out the clothes from the bus. There's no way I got them at the last hostel because I slept in my sleeping bag and have slept in my sleeping bag 10 times in 6 weeks. The bites matched up directly with where the blanket hit my skin: arms and parts of my back where my tank top met my leggings. 

What's cool is that JAC buses called me. And the guy was so nice, but he was trying to tell me it was an allergic reaction to their laundry detergent. 

My conclusion? Chilean buses are clean but backpackers who use them, not so clean. 

My Favorite Chilean City: Puerto, Varas

I found a favorite. Puerto Varas is charming, filled with people my age but also rich in history and culture. 

Puerto Varas has a magical feeling to it, like Disney or Las Vegas. But so much better. Beautiful views of the lake and volcano paired with old German-style buildings and incredible roses on every block make you feel like your home. There's a small downtown, a lakefront running path, and fancy shops to prepare for your Patagonia adventures. Get coffee, grab a book and hang out on the beach. 

Sarah and I spent 8 days there! In 7 weeks of travel, more than a week in this tiny German town on Lago Llanquehue with a view of Volcan Osorno. Most adventurous thing we did? Biked more than 20 kilometers from Puerto Varas to Frutillar one day.

No trains, but cows were a hazard!

There's rafting, fishing, hiking and waterfalls to see. We didn't do any of that. But we LOVED this town. I already imagine living there one day. 

Best evening? With my friend Axel & his wife, Flo and their brand new beautiful baby, Nicanor. Axel and I go back to my days studying abroad here. He quickly became a friend after an adventure in Pucon and nights out dancing in Santiago. 8 years later we spent a beautiful evening together! 

Axel's front yard at sunset

Since Sarah and I are food-focused, we really loved our night at Axel's. Grilled octopus, homemade salmon-mango ceviche and meat. Dream dinner? I think so! 

We even got introduced to his good friend, Nick. Nick is Chilean-American, grew up in the states and now is in Puerto Varas running a cheese farm, M Queso. 

Land at M Queso

How do you spend a day at a cheese farm? Good question. Eat cheese empanadas, do a cheese sampling and play with days-old Burmese mountain puppies and their mom. And scare the cows, eat apples and blackberries on the roadside and sit on a log, chatting. Want to go? There's a bus that goes between Puerto Octay and Puerto Varas, but its a weird schedule. 

I already planned a house, a garden and a way of life in Puerto Varas. With a lake, a marathon and endless hills to cycle, I'll be a triathlete, gardener and explorer. 

You know how there are street dogs everywhere in Chile? Puerto Varas has the best dogs! They are clean, beautiful and friendly. Even the street dogs are German blue-eyed blondies in this lovely town. 

Travel in Chile: Cochamó Valley

Words cannot describe the beauty of this Valley. Pictures don't capture the enormity of the granite walls, the depth of the forest and the songs of the neon-green birds. Climb, hike, swim, slide through waterfall slides, read a book and marvel in the beauty of where you are. 

The bright green moss grows in every little crevice and the endless forest is full of dinosaur-age trees. Beautiful neon green birds sing and dance through the Valley. The water in the river is SO pure I still can't believe it is real. I really couldn't stop staring & marveling at the purity of the water. No bottled water is that pure. f

It's a paradise that takes 3.5 hours on horseback or 5+ hours trekking to get to. When it rains, it floods so don't think you are going in or coming out when rain is coming. We got lucky with clear blue skies and warm weather. Even our trek out was not so muddy. Apparently, the mud can be knee deep. GROSS. 

The Valley is raw and pure. It's sexy and classy. And when you are alone at the top of a mountain, with no one else around, what else do you do? Scream!? Jump around! Be silent and listen to the potential energy of all that rock, those million-year-old trees and the birds. 

See the little green patch of grass? That's the Refugio & campgrounds. The campground holds up to 200 people during the peak weeks of the season. In mid-March, maybe 20 people were camping?  

I went for a solo hike, to Amfiteatro. All alone for a few hours in the forest but not alone at all. What I am about to tell you will make you think I am uber-hippie, cheesy and simple minded. But its deeper than that. I felt so raw, exposed and happy everywhere: in the forest, in the water and at the Refugio. 

Being out there with just the birds, sleeping spiders and an occasional salamander gave me the sense that I am a visitor in their home. I've never thought about my place in nature as much as I have here. 

The 360 degrees of gorgeous mountain peaks and pure, undeveloped nature have captured me. I'll go back. Climbing up the rocks and walking through the alerce and bamboo forests is tough work but incredibly rewarding and without a doubt, humbling.

Cochamo is more than a place where the sun shines happier. The pebbles and water show us how to live in harmony a bit clearer and the strength and gentleness of the trees and rocks teach us patience and purpose. Find your way to Cochamo!

Visit Chile… and Stay

Chile has a way.  

And if you walk this way with an open mind and compassionate heart, you may just blurt out, "Yeah. I WILL be back here," or "It doesn't feel right to leave. I don't want to leave." 

slack line at Paradise Pucon

7 Weeks of travel in middle Chile & northern Patagonia and you'd think, "Time to move on." Not even close. Jumping off cliffs into crystal clear rivers, eating mussels the size of my face, surfing one day and kayaking through a dead forest at dawn the next, then eating plums from our backyard tree and cooking with zucchini and parsley that we snagged from our organic garden. What? Is this real?  

Kelsea, me and Sarah at Rio Turbio en Pucon

I've got 2 fun, loving and smart friends. We've supported each other through big life decisions, belly laughed while floating down a river and danced til 5AM. I couldn't ask for more adventurous, caring and liberated friends.

Tobogan Waterfall & natural slide rock with our guide, Cochelo

Then you've got living history. Cochelo, our horse guide in Cochamo is a living legend. He & his beautiful horses know the valley better than I know the Quadratic formula (I know it too well). His genuine care for his horses, his land and the people that come to visit will comfort you and inspire you. How could I not ask him a million questions in 3.5 hours through Chilean rainforest on a centuries-old ox & horse path?

Best curanto, if you can't get to a real hole in the ground

Don't forget about traveling in style: black leggings, wool socks and a sort-of dress. I wore that outfit 20 times in 7 weeks (sorry, Mom). I may also toss that dress tomorrow I wore it so much. 

I've learned SO much on our trip (what trip? I'll fill you in soon). One important thing? A travel plan that is open for opportunities and not focused on a checklist is bueno. When the plan is about the people that love you, support you and care for you, it's a good plan. A plan that has a checklist and is titled, "I Did It!" is not for me.

Say "Yes" when people ask you to go fishing. Tag along for a trek in the rain to a waterfall. Because at the end of the day, you get to eat fresh fish, go swimming in crystalline teal-colored rivers and smile.

Because "Yes" this is real life. 

Patagonia Fruits & Vegetables

When was the last time you looked for an apple at the grocery store and couldn't find one? What about carrots or beets? 

Hey, what are you looking at?

Ever wonder why we can eat grapes year round or think about the fact that Michigan is not a place where one could grow bananas easily? So, why can we eat them in abundance? 

Leaves died last night in the first freeze to bring on fall

In my 2 weeks volunteering on an organic farm, I've reflected and want you to know that:

• I love the gratification of finding a bright orange carrot top, grabbing the leafy green tops and popping it out of the ground. It's extra exciting when it's a big one! Sorry to all you little guys that weren't quite ready but got pulled out in the excitement.

• Searching for cucumbers hiding under their big, slightly scratchy leaves is addictive. It's better to be addicted to organic cucumbers than to be addicted to, let's say, McDonald's french fries. No? 

• I'm over the bugs. Who cares if a bee/earthworm/earwig is around the lettuce while I'm taking out weeds and turning the toil? They live there, I don't! Earwigs are and will always be so gross.

• A vegetable garden is the best natural grocery store there is! Rows of lettuce, legumes, beets, parsley, carrots, snap peas, chard, potatoes. 

Whatever these legume/beans are, I can eat you EVERY day 

Name this herb! 

Salivating over all these freshies? It's hard work and my hands are dirty. But it is rewarding. We weed and the weeds just don't stop. We rake horse poop and spread sheep *hit to feed the compost. And we also get to take what we want from the garden to eat that day! If WWOOFing has crossed your mind, I recommend that you go for it!

I've learned about using old plastic bottles for individual greenhouses, using sheep wool to keep out bugs (good) but it also keeps out water (not good), that basil grows well close to tomatoes, that zucchini grows like bacteria: quick! and bitter lettuce does not taste good.

And in one cold summer night, the giant cucumber and zucchini leaves had no chance, the garden is asleep until next season.

One last grocery run….

Life in Northern Patagonia: Palena

It is slow. Days start around 2PM (for me). And rainy all day. There is no bar. But at least we are eating about 40 plums a day EACH. That means Sarah is eating 40 plums and I am eating about 40 too. 

from our backyard plum tree

So our Foundation house is the nightly hang out spot. We sit around our breakfast nook, drink wine and play a card game that I barely understand in English or Spanish, called truco. It has been raining continuously which means I only went outside yesterday for 10 minutes to collect more yellow plums from our backyard plum tree. 

our only source of heat in the house

Sarah learned how to start a fire in our homestead stove, aka home heating system. She also is catching on to cutting kindling from our supply of firewood. Left to fend for ourselves, I feel like we are in a comedy movie. Urban mountain girls head to the chilly and rainy Northern Patagonia to learn to garden and survive without running paths, coffee or restaurants.

Ironically enough, I love it. The slow, chilly start to the day is brightened by 360 degrees of mountains, fresh plums and thigh-sized zucchini waiting to be picked, chopped and eaten. Plus, our Palena friends stop by with wine, play cards and critique our strange vegetarian cooking methods.

see that blue dot? That's where I am today. 

Heading this way? Bring your rain gear, a good book, some American playing cards to teach these folks some Euchre and be ready to survive off of no fresh vegetables or fruit, and drink Nescafe. The beauty and fishing will trump any reason to not get on a bus, then a ferry and take a small van to get here. Or, be glamorous and come in on a helicopter. 

WWOOF it in Northern Patagonia, Chile

My new friend Ricardo fishing along the river in El Tranquilo region

Waddle Walk Onto Octupi Feet. Whisk White Oreos On Frosting. Whisper When Old Onomatopoeia Farts

Or… World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms.  

We arrived to a city that doesn't even appear on most Chilean maps. Palena, Chile. 2 hours by bus from Futalefu, one of the world's greatest rafting rivers. And Palena? Quietly famous to some millionaires for fly fishing.

In only a few days, I've learned so much about fish (from some scientists/locals/pescadores that my head is about to explode and all I want to eat is trout and salmon.

• Did you know that rainbow trout, trucha arcoiris, are a non-native species of fish? They should only be in tributaries from the Pacific in parts of N. America and Asia. Yet, they are found around the world for sport. 

• Rainbow trout kill out native fish. Only ever caught trout? They've killed off any other fish that should be there!

But I'm here to WWOOF it. After 2 whole days on the river watching fly fishing, crossing rivers with little rapids and big rocks, and taking (and eating) fresh plums from any plum tree I see, I finally WWOOFed today. 

Mom, you'd be SO proud. I was taking weeds, malas hierbas, out for 2 or 3 hours in an organic garden. BUT. Earwigs were everywhere. They are like the cockroaches of Patagonia. EWE. Ugh. I think they are crawling all over me when I go to bed. They aren't. I imagine them creeping up on me. 

Sarah brushed one off my neck. Thank YOU. 

I learned about letting a plant "go to seed" and taking its seeds, to plant next season. Tia and I took some legume seeds today and then… I learned how to plant lettuce. Planted about 10 fragile seedlings today with Sarah, Monica and Tia. Baby lettuce is so cute. 

Being in the garden, getting my hands dirty and working where I am doing my free "grocery shopping" was marvelous. Everyone should have a garden. Why not?

If watermelon can grow in the harsh weather of Patagonia, YOU can figure out how to plant ___?___.

Chilean Patagonia

I've realized something important. I'm curious and I wonder...

Do trout live in families? Or alone?
Does a river change like the ocean tides, with the moon? Or is it only rain that affects the river levels and behavior?
Where do the pumas hang out during the day?
Why don't I see dead street dogs (Chile has MANY street dogs)
How does a rooster know to crow at 10AM on Sundays, and not at dawn? Or, Are Chilean roosters always late at crowing? They tend to be later than dawn..
Why don't schools teach geographically-appropriate science education?
Why can gorgeous roses grow everywhere in Chile when it's a country of 4,000+ km?
What unites all US citizens?
How can I live more sustainably?

How is it that the heart wins over logic?
Whose to say what's right or wrong if cultural differences include differences in human and community values?
Why did I chose to come to Chile?
Why do I feel like I need an answer to that?

I've got many more. Any questions that keep you up at night?