NZ to Santiago, Chile
Trip Start
Jun 29, 2008
1
31
40
Trip End
May 15, 2009
Santiago,
Chile
Sunday, November 16, 2008
I had arranged to be taken from the airport to the family I was staying with. I hoped this would make it easier for me but it was still a pain. It dawned on me that not a lot of people speak english here and it filled me with a sense of panic. I arrived at my families house eventually to be greeted by the mum, Jeanette, who doesnīt speak any english and her husband Sergio who speaks some. They have 4 boys, Sergio 14, Martin 10, Joachim 4 and Lucas 1. Sergio jnr apeak really good english which is a god send as I spend most of my time looking like a rabbit caught in headlights!! There is an american guys at the house too Todd, heīs about my age. He is typically american, their the greatest etc and he canīt have a conversation with it turning political and heīs a church goer (doesnīt mention this much though). Heīs shown me how to get to school which is good as itīs a 30 min walk and Iīd had never found it on my own.
The school is good and I am learning with 3 others who donīt know any spanish. I know some and I know most of what we are doing I just canīt speak the damn stuff. I can read and write some basics. The speaking is very frustrating for me as I always get it wrong but itīs right in my head if you know what i mean.
I wish I had opted to stay in a Hostel rather than a home stay as I am pretty isolated where I am. I spend all my time in my room reading and napping. Iīm starting to get cabin fever. Todd stays in his room too but he has his laptop so spends all his time on that, I wish I had mine now. He moves out on Saturday to his own apartment as he has got a job over here so god knows what iīll do with him gone. Iīm thinking of maybe changing to a hostel for the last few days so i get some interaction with other travellers. I need to somehow sort my sleep pattern out as I nap when I get in til 10 then Iīm awake till 2 and then canīt get up!!
Yesterday (thursday) was a better day. We had a practicle afternoon lesson so we learned how to buy friut from a market stall. Cathy my afternoon teacher took us to see her friend Emilio. He speaks a little english so he made us feel very relaxed and talked thru the spanish names of the fruit and made us laugh a lot. I also managed to travel on their underground system on my own without getting lost and took myself to the supermarket to but some stuff. I only get breakfast (bread and jam) at the house so I have to feed myself in the evening. I got through that and found my way home!!! Yay!!! I go to lunch with Todd and his friend Joeren (dutch) and they translate for me most days which is good.
Looking forward to seeing the city at the weekend. The metro system here is really easy Iīve found as it only has 5 lines. It is really quick, clean and new, not like the tube, however it gets as packed as the tube does. People are very polite and automatically give up their seats for the elderly and pregnant women. You definitely wouldnīt see this on the tube. I found my way into the centre of the city pretty easily armed with my Lonely Planet. I go round the recommended museums and churches which is really interesting and get a bite to eat at a mall, I needed the loo and this was the cleanest place to go. I walked around the city centre for about fours hours and then treated mydelf to an icecream...itīs very good here but apparently it is even better in Buenos Aires. The family went out this evening so I had the whole house to myself. Todd moved out to his apartment today. I got to watch english speaking TV with spanish subtitles...best way to learn swear words!! Sunday I took myself back to the city to see the museums which are free on a Sunday...count the pennies and all that!! Went to one which had loads of pre-columbian artefacts, inca etc, was so interesting. Iīm glad I made the effort to go around it.
Was back to school for the following week. Felt a little more confident as I had ventures out all weekend on my own and could understand more of what the homestay mum was saying to me even if I couldnīt reply back. Found my way to school all on my won too..not that hard after all. I met a couple of newbies one from Northampton, Pete and an australian, Geoff who were complete beginners which mad me feel better as they speak even less spanish that I do. I also got talking to Melanie and candian girl who speaks pretty good spanish. The three of us got on really well and went to lunch. So a good start to the week. Apparently after Tuesday I have my spanish class all on my own so it was private lessons for group prices!! Still spending time in my room after school except for when I am helping Sergio with his english, I must stop telling him bad words!!
Geoff is renting a studio apartment for the three weeks heīs here and it has a pool so he kindly invited the three of us, me, Pete and Melanie to go back there after school which we did for the rest of the week. The roof provides a really good view of the city and mountains if you can see them throught the smog!
Wednesday after we left Geoffīs we headed for a drink and had a couple of pitchers of beers (Geoff and I) for the princely sum of 2 quid per pitcher. Its pretty cheap here and itīs supposed to be the most expensive place in South America. We had arranged to meet some people and one of my teachers, Mauricio, at a Kareoke Club later on. We got there about 10.30 and were given a free drink, their local speciality "Pisco Sour" which tastes abit like tequila with lemon juice (its a longer drink that tequila). Mauricio and his wife got up to sing but the rest of us werenīt brave enough even after several piscolas (pisco and cokes). We headed out about 3am. Itīs not a good idea to drink Pisco on a school night...it gives you a really bad hangover, well it did me. I donīt think I learned anything at school that day! But it didnīt stop me from hitting the pool in the afternoon.
Friday was my last day at school and even though I pretty much hated being in Santiago the first week I was actually sad to be leaving. I liked my teachers and the school, made new friends, got to know my way the city better and was starting to go out and enjoy myself. Oh well thatīs just how it rolls. We headed to Geoffs at the end of school as usual, sunbathed for a bit and went and got some beer and wine. Melanie and I both planned to leave early enough to catch the last metro but ended up staying til really late. Pete and I shared a taxi at 2am. Probably wasnīt a good idea as I was leaving the next day at 10am to fly to Buenos Aires.
I was really sad to say goodbye to the family in the end. Sergio had english school so he said goodbye before he left. I had just started to feel at home here and it was sad to go.
