Trip to Mendoza
Trip Start
Jul 13, 2005
1
5
32
Trip End
Mar 02, 2006
Mendoza,
Argentina
Friday, August 19, 2005
Greetings from Chile once again! I hope this finds everyone in good cheer. Things here are great, although its seems that the groundhog saw his shadow or whatever. Its once again freezing, and we havent had sun in 2 days, but I shouldnt complain! Its been a busy week, as usual. I am still shuffling my classes all over the place, but I dont really have any fun stories about mishaps! I think I am also adding in a friday class, which is bad news, but good news since the class is Mountain Sports. We go on trips around Chile to backpack, trek, climb, repel, camp, ect! I think it could be a real fun time, and get me prepared for Patagonia or whatever. I also just got my time slot for my 'flute audition'. Its funny though because Ive never touched a flute before, yet I am having an audition. Could be funny, ill keep you posted.
Last night we went to a BIG BAND show. It was bittersweet. They were entertaining, and played some great tunes ( Desafinado anyone... Colin? ), but at the same time, I kept imagining K Jazz, and Im gonna miss that a lot. I was also upset because the Bari players never took solos. The PUCV jazz band was good, but not really much better than K, and if it wasnt full, I would definately have tried to find a way to try out. Ah well, spring come around soon enough.
Last weekend I went to Mendoza, Argentina. Its on the other side of the Andes, about an 8 hour bus ride after you factor in the line at the border and everything. It was the cheapest place i have ever been in my life. We ate Argentinian filet for like 5 bucks, and the service was great! About 15 people from our study abroad program took the trip, but we split up in smaller groups to explore. Argentina is like a different world, with all the influences from Europe.
After we got there, a huge snow storm went through the Andes, and they closed the mountain pass! We were worried about getting back, but when monday came around, the pass was open for about 4 hours, and we snuck through ( i think we were the last bus they let go up) The most snow I have ever seen in my life! I sat by an older argentinian- chilean woman. She talked to me the whole way, and gave me chocolate. It was fun for the first half of the trip, but after like 5 hours I just wanted to sleep. When we were going through the pass, she talked a lot about how we were just in God´s hands, and she had this little prayer book that she clutched while we decended the switchbacks.
The Andes are Huge and intimidating. Near the pass is the mountian Aconcagua - the tallest mountian in the world outside of the Himalayas. I inquired into climbing to the summit, but It may be a little out of my league. 23,000 ft. 21 days, 1600 dollars. Yikes. If i had the money and the time I would definately be interested!
I now have a conversation exchange person too. We meet once a week and spend half the time conversing in spanish, and half in english, except she doesnt really know english, so its basically just speaking spanish. Oh well, shes nice. Its funny here. The country has a goal to be bilingual in like 5 years with english, but like nobody speaks it, and no one is learning.
That brings me to another point. Sometimes I get really angry because there is American Crap everywhere here!! Theres like MacDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Hut. They play american music allll the time, and they use american words. Shopping = shopping. Show = show, theres the huge grocery store called the Jumbo thats right next to my house, and you can buy anything there. We saw a Walmart in Mendoza, and let me tell you...
Casa Central of La Católica
I wanted to cry. However I have no choice but to learn spanish, and Im doing ok. The comprehension is still tough, but my speaking is not bad. Im starting to have struggles in speaking english. I kept using 'speaked' the other day, or 'what are you doing this night' Its comical, and if parts of my emails become incomprehensible, you will know why.
I try to keep up with my exercising, by riding the family´s bike around, and playing basketball with chileans ( the last time we played the ceiling was leaking from the rain, and they had like towels on the court that we had to play around. Its really hard to play bball when you slip everwhere, and forget about trying to get squared up to the hoop for a jump shot.) Its funny though, Im so used to being the shortest in basketball, and here Ive been one of the taller ones.
Another funny tidbit about my family. My hostmom goes to Santiago to massage clients there about once every other week (shes a massage therapist). And when shes gone, the rebellious younger son, Diego, likes to drink and smoke in the house. The maid was cleaning after this night, and she came into my room laughing, because to cover the evidence, he had thrown a boxed wine into the tree at night. It was funny. (boxed wine here is really really cheap, but its actaully not half bad.) The family is cool, but I still wish they would hang out more together, and sometimes I get scolded for not doing things the chilean way. Little things, that I never think of doing, or the results of misunderstandings. Cultural and language barriers are a pain, but Im keeping my sense of humor. Oh yeah-- the hardest part about a foreign language is communicating humor. If I can get anyone here to crack a smile or laugh, its like an accomplishment for the week. They dont use sarcasm here like we do, and every time I try to say something sarcastic it gets taken the wrong way, and so I have to explain, and its just a real mood killer. Haha oh well.
Sorry for writing so much, I have to practice my english a little!! Most of the time with the kids on the program now, we speak spanish amongst each other, unless we are on the phone - spanish is really hard on the phone. I am pretty sure this was a very long scatterbrained email, but now my fingers are numb from being exposed to the air, so Im gonna sign off and go sit by the fire. Feel free to write me emails! I love getting news from the states, and when I have time ill be sure to return them! Also- I think there should be new photos on my photo site, so check those out if you are bored.
Good luck to everyone who is heading off to school, or returning to school, or going on study abroad, or already on study abroad! Appreciate every moment there. Especially the crazy ones! Un abrazo a todos..
Coast along Viña del Mar
