Saturday outside Santiago: Rio Clarillo

Sunny with a side of rushing water made for a spectacular day at Río Clarillo. It's a park just south of Santiago, in the suburb of Pirque - where the internationally known winery Concho y Toro was born.

To get there, there are micros and colectivos but we drove Súper Rojo to the park, paid our fee then found parking in the shade. My grand idea was to hike. Get to the top and be able to look into a green, lush valley. Pablo was along for the ride. Poor guy, he's dating a girl that lived in Colorado and lives for adventure when his ideal weekend is: sleep, and sleep a lot. Good thing he's a Boy Scout and with a little coaxing, he's right by my side.  

We went without knowing where to hike and at first, ended up smelling more asados than vegetation. It was great to see so many families enjoying the outdoors: grilling, swimming in the river and playing soccer. Do you think they'd notice if we joined in their party? No Chilean family is smaller than 30 people - they might think we're just another set of cousins! One day, I'll find the chutzpah to introduce myself as Pablo's girlfriend (true), because every Chilean family has at least one Pablo,  and start small talking. Being Chilean, they'll have to offer me a choripan and bebida. Let's just hope their Pablo is a single man under 70 years old!  

After meandering, we eventually found a hanging bridge and a trail map. We followed the well-marked trail and made our way to the lookout point for a clear view of the green valley and in the distance, the peaks of the Andes.  Bridges are fascinating, right? Someone designed and constructed a walkway over rushing water. You've got to have a deep understanding of geometric modeling, weight and movement conditions and the necessary suspension pressure.  If one calculation is off, that bridge could not hold you. Think about that the next time you cross the Mackinaw Bridge or San Francisco's Big Red. 

There's something calming and rejuvenating about being next to a river; it's like a shower for my soul and cleans out what's dusty and dirty, leaving me feeling like I'm shining bright like a diamond.  I feel most myself when I'm out there, me and Mother Earth. It's when I think most clearly, solve problems and project my path in life. Deep, no?  If you're wondering, I'm still searching for the meaning of living abroad and my purpose in life. In the meantime, I'll keep hiking. 

After hiking, we boulder hopped to a shady spot along the river to snack and reflect on life's big questions: Where should we travel next? How bad do you want to eat an empanada right now? 

If you need a day without hearing car horns, with clean(er) air and a place to swim - Rio Clarillo is a fabulous spot! There are plenty of BBQs and picnic tables with plenty of shade, lots of parking spaces and rocks perfect for soaking in the sun.  

What Does the Typical Chilean Eat?

If you know me, you know I appreciate food and the social act of eating. Getting together with family, friends or new colleagues around a shared meal is FUN.  If we are going to eat 3-4 times a day, why not enjoy it?

My seafood sampling at a port restaurant in Valparaiso, Chile 

My palette is quite diverse: seafood, fresh vegetables, varieties of rice, sushi, spicy, Indian, Peruvian. When I came to Chile I made a foodie observation right away: no diversity. Grocery stores are stocked with the same 1 brand of cereal/bread/rice/tea for the whole aisle. Look in people's grocery carts: all the same items but different families.

Cooking in Patagonia with fresh vegetables from our garden

Before I share my WHOA! observation about Chilean socio-economic levels + food, let me start with the USofA. As a teacher in low-income neighborhoods, I taught students who received free breakfast and lunch. Being with them for 7+ hours a day gave me insight into their eating habits: Hot Cheetos, pizza, french fries and other high caloric, high sugar content, low nutritional benefit foods. In comparison to my students from middle/high income homes who ate fruit, sandwiches and somewhat more nutritional foods. When I was a teenager, I ate a mix of school lunches (Fenton's massive chocolate chip cookies and decent salad bar) and healthier, homemade lunches. 

In the US, kids from low-income homes are eating what's federally funded and their options aren't healthy or tasty.

**Full disclosure** I am not judging anyone. I just like to observe, notice trends and make sense of the world around me. 

In Chile, the kids from extremely wealthy families ($15,000/year tuition) and kids from low-income families (less than $50/year in school fees) eat the same food: hot dogs with mayonnaise, rice and chicken, tasteless crackers, cheap dry cookies, french fries with mayonnaise, chicken soup, ham and cheese sandwiches, avocado and turkey on white bread. They all drink the same: Coke. Big bottles of Coke and Fanta are everywhere.  It is not easy to find a Chilean teenager or adult who does not eat these foods. Babies - less than 2 years old - drink Fanta. My jaw wants to drop seeing a baby drink corn syrup!

How do I know this? I work in 5 different low-economic neighborhoods in Santiago, I live in one of the wealthiest, privileged parts of the city. In Round 1 to Chile (2005) I worked in the poorest part of the city and lived in a very wealthy neighborhood. 

How is it that two worlds that never collide eat the same foods? How is it possible that from North to South they eat the same thing.  Who wants to eat bland rice with bland chicken? Or white bread - Wonder bread's Latino cousin - with avocado and tasteless cheese? In a society so fixed on not mixing below their socio-economic status, how do they chew the same bread, prepare the same exact salad in the whole country, and drink the same plain Lipton tea?

Good thing I eat up all the fruits and vegetables, mix them up and totally shock people when I eat the skin of tomatoes/potatoes/cucumbers. (yeah, it's the best part!)

An (uninsured) American in Chile

Obamacare. How many times have you heard that this week? Here in Chile I've heard it mentioned a few times on the radio.

Today marks the opening of the new federal health insurance marketplaces. A place to buy your health insurance plan - to carry out the new law that all Americans must have health insurance. Is all health insurance equal? No. Will all Americans have health insurance plans? No. Will people receive a fine? Yes.

Do you know how to prevent needing health care?  Hmm. 

The issue should not be the law. The question I as is How do I stay healthy so I don't need health care? and Is there a connection between the furious and the unhealthy?

Sure, there are people with cancer. They need health care. But the preventative diseases that millions are suffering from: heart disease, stroke, diabetes, pain, respiratory problems from smoking/obesity, etc.

Sit with this one for a bit. Aren't those related to mental health care issues?  There is choice involved in taking care of the 1 body you have and when you make choices that negatively affect your body you better be paying for those choices from your own pocket.

Back to me and my special case. I don't like to break the law (too often) so when the law says I need health care - I wonder, what about me?

I'm a US citizen living and legally working in Santiago, Chile. However, I still work part-time for Teach for America and thus, receive a US salary and have to manage my US taxes. But I also am not a resident of Chile.  Who has the answer?

Feriados in Santiago: Hiking Cerro Manquehue

See that half-mountain to the left of the Marriott? It's actually Cerro Manquehue which is more than just a mountain, it's first life was as a volcano. And I made it to the top on Chile's Independence Day.

With hiking so close to my house, I should go all the time. So why was yesterday my first time? Pablo's been robbed there, and he wasn't alone at night. He was with friends in the daytime out for a nature walk. So you can see why I haven't gone yet.

Hiking with a group of Chilean friends means I definitely stand out in my Lululemon purple leggings and hot pink tank with my small snowboarding backpack with a Nalgene and chocolate granola bar. What do Chileans wear hiking? Sweatpants and t-shirt, a fanny pack and an old Coke bottle filled with water.

But who cares what we wear. The best part of the hike was sticking together, helping each other out of rocky situations where I thought I'd slide down like a drop of water into a ravine. There were fun conversations, times where someone would trek on alone for a bit and necessary group water breaks.

Major difference in hiking here and Colorado? Quality of the hiking trail here is... there is no hiking trail. You are following where hundreds have walked before but there is no official trail. Rocks are loose, steep inclines don't have constructed stairs or rope to support your climb.
What about between Manquehue and Camelback Mountain in Phoenix?  Camelback is a mix of bouldering up a desert mountain, listening for rattlesnakes and standing in line at the DMV, waiting to be the next person to advance. Here at Manquehue, we saw maybe 15 people, the most dangerous thing is being off-balance on the descent and

If you are a casual hiker, this is not the hike for you. You'll grab tree roots to pull you from one boulder to the next patch of loose dirt; the terrain is so slippery with dirt that you'll travel down safer if you use the mountain as a slide rather than a ramp. I was on my booty for more than half the hike down. 3 points of contact? It was 2 cheeks, 2 feet and a hand on a rock.

You gotta do it. With a 280 degree view of Santiago, it's worth the hike. Plus, we had a clear blue sky and could see the ski centers and the national futbol stadium.

Buying a Car in Santiago

My first week of being a Chevrolet car owner has passed.

So, I stalled out on Andres Bello - the busy, main drag in Providencia. Stalled out? Yup. In rush hour traffic no less.  I learned to drive stick in Colorado this July (thanks to Chris) and bought a stick shift car.  Why not add it to the list of "big life changes in the month of July?"

More on the driving part later.

This was the first time I've bought a car and I had to do it in a country that loves, deeply and madly loves, paperwork and signatures. I signed my name 10 times before they handed me the keys. First off, you need the magical RUT number. You have to buy one at the Registro Civil and they may tell you that you can't buy one. But you can. Then the dealership may tell you you can't purchase a car with the RUT that you have - because it doesn't look like a 'normal' Chilean RUT, but you can. When people tell me I can't do something here, I say I've already done it somewhere else - then magically, I can do it. 

The Search.  One chilly, winter Saturday I went searching with Pablo in tow for a decent used car. From 10:30 - 4:00 I looked 1) price: 3,000,000 pesos ($6000) 2) & 2) 120,000 kilometers and 3) age under 10 years. In all that time, I browsed through 100 cars and found 4 that fit my conditions.

Car dealerships here do not negotiate like in the States. Out of 10 dealerships,  only one caved under my negotiating prowess - and then I didn't buy it. If you negotiate a car price down, you must have done something scandalous. I'm a blond, cute girl from the US and they didn't budge ni un peso.

One week later, before buying a bottle of wine I casually walked through the dealership right next to my normal grocery store - 5 minutes from my front door. 30 minutes later and I was signing paperwork!  I got a 2005 Chevy Aveo, 4 doors, double airbag, one owner, alarm and electric windows for a decent price and a 3 month guaranty.  She's a hottie!

Factory Color: Red SUPER

Not standard in Chilean cars: airbags. How is that not a minimum standard? Forgot about dealerships filling up your gas tank, changing the oil or replacing the windshield wipers.

Purchase tip: If you buy through chileautos.cl or vivastreet.cl, you have to do lots of paperwork that will cost about 200.000 pesos and 2 days of lines and waiting. Dealerships do the paperwork and your title gets mailed to your house. And buy from a used dealership that guarantees the car for at least 3 months; most of them will tell you No so keep looking!

Chile has obligatory national car insurance that covers your car if someone hits you. But I got full insurance through Falabella for about $80/month US.

Now, on to driving a stick shift in city traffic with very minimal traffic law enforcement.

Jet-Setting Stateside

Sounds like a beach novel…

Miles are accumulating and I am about ready to forget 1 of my 5 suitcases in a Denver alley. But...All I know is that I am so blessed. My family is so.much.FUN. My friends? Silly, supportive and just freaking fabulous. In the last year, I had 3 friends come visit plus the parents' trip. This year? May have some more takers! Who's coming!?

My cousin Jess and I had serious quality time together. Lunched, walked, read WWII letters between our grandpa and his parents, had a sleepover and reviewed our Before 30 list. 

Laura and Seba got married! Dreamy wedding spot, right?! The love was apparent, visible and filled every square inch of that dance floor. We swam at the creek, I ran the canyons, we sat at the pool and I may have botched tried translating the speech of my friend, and the best man, \from Spanish to English. Not easy with an improv speech. 

Dad, "What are you doing today?" Me, "Well, having breakfast, reading my book, you?"

"Thinking about going for a plane ride. Want to fly and have lunch somewhere?" 

Those headphones felt just right on a FNT>ARB flight; we even surprised my cousin Jess at Zingerman's on her lunch break. 

I've got hottie high school friends, right? And Amanda and I didn't even plan our outfits together!  

 My alarm clocks every morning. And possibly the reason I didn't get out of bed on rainy Michigan days.

These two Tigers hadn't gone to a game in…. 20 years! I didn't even know they were young enough to have that problem. Thank goodness we fixed that with some scalped tickets in Mo-town. It's cute that they match, isn't it?

All these friends, these trip and our hours/days/weeks together were AMAZING. Met friends' newborns, sat on a boat (I'M ON A BOAT!),  ate and laughed on rooftops and patios, got picked up at airports and noticed how smart I must be to enjoy such fabulous friends. 





What did I learn? Nothing beats a Michigan summer, Colorado has a big chunk of my heart and I'm a little bit crazy - but so excited -  for going back to Chile on Monday <3 font="">

Still Here!

I'm here! 100% committed to all you fabulous readers and dreamers. Just catching my breath during my 6 week stay in the beautiful USA. 

I cried and danced the night away under sparking Sedona stars to celebrate my friend Laura's wedding. Love was poured into every drink, twisted around dancing friends and family and glorified through God. 

Then off to Michigan to hang with my family and a few good friends on the lake, playing disc golf and BBQing. Nothing beats a Michigan summer. It should be the next trendiest honeymoon destination. Side trip on Amtrak to Chicago to run with my good friend Sarah and eat at a hot new restaurant (Beatrix) where Amanda is sous chef! Fancy friends, love. 

For my final week of fun I am soaking up the crisp, hot air of the Rockies. I can't believe how much I love being in Denver with my silly, strong and smart Colorado crew. We know how to choose delicious beer. All 5 of us drank Titan IPA last night. We know good beer. No Escudo here! With a mountain wedding this weekend and a planned long layover in Dallas to catch up with Holly, you'd think I was a trust fund kid. 

Ha. Thanks to the generosity of Sarah in Chicago, Lindsey in Denver and Laura and her family in Sedona, I've been able to do what I love - invest in people and my relationships. My family and friendships encourage me to follow my heart, be myself and love. How could I need anything more? 

I absolutely am soaking up each hug, round of laughter and tidbit of your life.

Back to Chile (and a gorgeous bigote) on Monday!