Los Dias del Santiago

I am on my way south to Puerto Varas, where I studied during high school to see my old friends. However, I just had the best past few days in Santiago.

I arrived at around 8am on Friday the 7th and as soon as I stepped off the plane to the airport itself I felt a sence of freedom. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face even as I waited in the very long and slow line to go through immigration. I was unbelievably excited. I had just walked into freedom. I was in another country with no idea where I would be staying and no plans of what I would be doing or for how long but the possibilities were endless. The first necessity once I had collected by backpack was to find a hostel. Once I was learned how to connect to the airport wifi I booked myself a cool hostel for two nights in the Bellavista neighborhood of Santiago. Now the new challenge was how to get there and what to do until 3pm when I could check-in. I decided to try my hand at the bus since a cab seemed like a very unnecessary expense. However, the bus whose route I had looked up was no where to be found so I decided to hop on a different bus and see where it took me. Forgetting I had no wifi or service I took the 40 minute ride into the city and assumed I could just get off when I recognized downtown Santiago. Noting is that simple. The bus didn't seem to go that far and instead I was forced off at the last stop with absolute no idea where I was and no service. The next logical decision I made was that since that transportation experience went so well I should try my hand at Chile's metro system. So after about 10 minutes of wandering around I found an entrance to the subway and bought my self a bipcard (the subway pass here for Santiago). I decided that I should head to the university area, because where there are university students there would be coffee, food and most likely wifi. This turned out to be a very good idea, except for the fact that I was carrying a very large winter jacket, two carry-ons and a massive backpack through a subway station and packed car. I made it though, the stations are labeled very clearly and everyone was so helpful. It was now close to 10:30 am and I spent a solid half hour wandering around until I saw a sign for Starbucks (a familiar face). The baristas and I bonded over similar Starbucks experiences and they helped get me turned around. From here I decided to walk through La Moneda and take to 20 minute walk to the art museums I have been dying to see. Luckily when you are looking lost and carrying a very large backpack everyone is surprisingly helpful and got me to the museum after I took myself in a few full circles, the streets ares not easy.

The museums are AMAZING. It is two each with an entrance on opposite ends that connect throughout, the MAC ( Museo de Arte Contemporeno) is contemporary and run by the University of Chile and the MNBA (Museo National de Bellas Artes) is a more classical and historical art museum. The exhibits in both were beautiful, the MAC's main show was based on Le Corisbusier the architect which just so happened to have been my favorite topic that I studied in human geography last year. The MNBA had many exhibits from one of a Swedish artist, to classic Chilean art but my favorite was one about the idea of masculity and its role and effects on our society, politics, art, and history. The show had pieces from the early 1200s to the 1700s to the 1950s and modern pieces all mixed thogeher to display themes such as birthright and honor/status, the colonial history of masculinity, the "father" figure and its power/state relation, the patriarchic definition of "being a man" and ultimately the changing definitions of gender and masculity throughout time. (This is what I got from the exhibit and the text in Spanish, hoping I am right) It wasn't a show about male vs female, nor a critique on men, but an exploration of why masculity exists the way it does now, and what it changed/caused in our history. After spending many hours in the art museums I decided to walk to 20-30 minutes to my hostel in Bellavista to see the neighborhood, and because I didn't know where the nearest subway stop would be. 

After taking a very long nap (exhausted form the 6 kilometers I walked with all my belongings for 7 months and the 20 hours of travel I had just endured) I woke up feeling ready to hit the town again. I got ice cream with 4 super cool Australian girls that I had just met in my hostel who were just finishing a 2 month backpacking trip around South America. It was their last night and my first night. Embracing my freedom I had ice cream for dinner (of course chose Manjar as the flavor). We went out that night and as they had done the pub crawl the night before showed me to cool bars and clubs, we ended up sneaking on the pub crawl to get the drink deals and got the wrist bands for half off. Chile really never sleeps and most of the bars were still going at 5am, the bar tender at one of the clubs told me happy hour was starting in half an hour, it was 2:30am. 

The next morning I got up early and the two German girls who were my other dorm mates invited me to go to Cerro San Cristobal (the large virgin statue that can be seen from all of Santiago and located directly behind our hostel). We also took the metro into the city together as they needed to buy bus tickets south and I was going shopping and exploring other parts of Santiago. For lunch I had the most amazing 4 cheese empanadas and a salad with calamari and fried shrimp on top. It was incredible. Afterwords I met back up with Katharina and Birte and we walked over to the funcionar (tram) which takes you to the top of the mountain where the Virgin Mary stands. The line was hours, hours, long. 

We knew there were trails up and around the top and decided that even though I was very unprepared (no water, wearing Birkenstocks and a skirt) that it would be more worth it to walk up the mountain. However, we couldn't find the trail, eventually running into a Chilean couple who warned us that it was very long and complicated and easy to get lost, assuming they were exaggerating we said we wanted to do it and asked where the start was. The directions were to look for a hole in the fence with a sign that said "No Pasa" or No trespassing that we should start there. Well we found the sign ok but it immediately stars with a fork in the road going to different directions up the mountain and is just tiny dirt trails going strait up at a severely intense inclines, and intersecting with bike trails. While contemplating which way to start a group of three Chilean guys came through the fence and started hiking to the left so we followed. Next a middle aged Chilean couple followed us. Katharina and Birte and I felt better knowing that if we got completely lost on this mountain there would be 8 of us total. However somehow the guys slowed down and we took the lead and all of us hiked together single file with me leading, but I DIDNT KNOW WHERE I WAS GOING, there were constant switch backs with would head in opposite directions and I randomly chose either one. About half way up we took a rest and began talking to the guys. Somehow we lost the couple on the trail, but found them at the Virgin Mary and celebrated all of our success at surviving together. An hour after we started we made it to the top. Also let me explain that between that bottom and the top of the mountain is the zoo, so while we were lost we were also hearing all of the animals roaring from who knows where. However, it was incredible. The views were absolutely amazing you can see ALL of Santiago from the hills and we stumbled upon many picnic areas hidden around. In an ironic twist one of the guys was in the military and another a police officer, and so we felt better about trespassing since it was with them. However I was not walking the 8kilometers back down. We decided to see how long for the funcionar was, another hour, so the 6 of us took the cable car across to a different mountain and down. As someone who is terrified of heights I spent the majority with my eyes closed but opened them to capture a few photos because the view was unbelievable. 

The beginning 

   All of us at the top of the hill

That little white thing on top of the mountain is the Virgin Mary. 

Once back at the hostel I said goodbye to to the Australians who were headed to the airport and Katharina, Birte and I decided to cook dinner in the Hostel as it was the most economical choice and we were to hungry to find a restaurant. Monday morning I packed up my backpack which seems to be much larger and impossible to pack up again even though I haven't bought anything new, hoping to somehow get a system down. I stored my backpack in the hostel storage, and wandered around Bellavista. I had wanted to go to Pablo Nerudas house/museum but it was closed, just another reason to come back. I spent the afternoon booking ferry and buses around Argentina Uruguay and Paraguay as well figuring out Patagonia. I am hoping to meet up with the German girls again in the south potentionly Punta Arenas or Puerto Williams. And the Austrailians invited me to stay with them in Brisbane if I head that way while in Australia. 

Ultimately I spent my last afternoon in Santiago in the sun with 6 new people from my hostel, two Americans (one taking a break as he just finished working on Hilary's campaign), a German (who has been traveling for the past 7 years), and two women from Portugal who offered to let me stay with them when I reach Portugal. We sat and talked for few hours over beer a typical southern Chilean drink of rum cinnamon and milk. The perfect ending to my weekend in Santiago. 

My final thoughts

      I started this post while sitting in the Dallas Airport after finished my first flight and realizing this was actually happening. I was waiting for my flight to finish taxiing to the gate and to get the most important dinner before being fed airplane "food".

      The past couple of days had been interesting. Originally the plan was on Wednesday I would drive up to Vancouver to party and say goodbye to all my friends one last time and then drive home at some ungodly hour in the morning to make it to a lunch with my entire family. Then a dinner with Seattle friends, with time in between to finish shopping and other last minute details that I hadn't gotten to. However about 15 minutes into the three hour trip on Thursday morning the car decided to break down. The alternator broke, the battery died and it started making many weird noises before simply not doing anything. This was not only a problem because one of my best friends Anna B. and I were now stranded on an icy road with no idea how to fix a car, but we also had no idea how long it would take to fix and my flight was in about 24 hours but from Seattle. 

      Yesterday was one of the best days of my life. While yes, my car broke down, I was stranded in the wrong country with a flight to South America fast approaching and I couldn't do the shopping I needed to do in Seattle as well missed lunch with my family; it was so fun. We got to be towed and ride up front in the tow truck, which I had never done and was pretty sweet. Afterwards while the car was in the shop Anna and I explored Granville Island (one of my favorite places in the entire world and a key reason I chose UBC for school). After getting coffee and breakfast for our poor hungover bodies we walked around some art galleries on Granville street and then headed to the Granville Market for macaroons. After getting the macaroons we ended up at the Granville Distillery tasting flights of spirits (Vodka, Whisky and Gin) at 11am.

            After this we were able to grab lunch and see one of my best friends from UBC Sabrina who hadn't been able to make the party last night. It the perfect last day in North America, relaxing and distracting from any nerves I had. This is also a very classic Anna travel experience, I tend to have the worst luck that turns our alright in the end when traveling. Having been detained in countries, made emergency landings in other counties, and had more flights then I can count be cancelled or planes break. Yet through it all they are usually the best times. I'm sure that throughout this trip I will experience many a travel casualty that will in the end turn out to be some of my favorite days and adventures. 

Archaeology Digs

As many of you may now I applied to be part of an Archaeological Dig run by a professor through a school in New York at Petra. 

Petra, Jordan 30.3285° N, 35.4444° E is exactly 6,776 miles from Vancouver, British Colombia. It is also considered as one of the Wonders of the Modern World. Having studied archaeology in class, each one has been based on readings from text books about sites that seem very far away from our class room in the Pacific North West. I have also had many amazing opportunities to experience first nations cultures of Western Canada, and especially those located directly around our campus. MOA, the Museum of Anthropology on UBC’s campus specializes in indigenous history and studies. These experiences and views have sculpted my education so far, and I would love to diversify my views during my trip around the world. 

Description: Petra (Jordan) Copyright: © Editions Gelbart

Author: Jean-Jacques Gelbart (From UNESCO website)

Petra Jordan is seen by most people as an exotic archaeological site made up of beautiful pink, intricately carved buildings. However, I am more interested in the people who lived there. What their day to day life was like, what they experienced and how their cultures developed. This program is specifically looking at the tombs and domestic structures to gain a picture into the lives of these ordinary people. Surrounded by the Byzantine Churches and magnificent tomb facades, Petra has a story to tell of the people that built and lived in this site, but it is buried under layers of sandstone.

Working on a field school site also provides the experience of actually helping write and explore history. It not only brings to life all the methods and history that I have learned about in my classes, but it allows me to have a hand in discovering the history of people who walked millions of years ago. The world has come a long way since the 1^st-4^th century AD and having a greater appreciation for the lengths that humans have come technologically and culturally is important for understanding our modern society as well. I couldn't imagine being the first to see something after over 2000 years of it being buried underground. 

HOWEVER, after all that, the program was canceled and changed due to unrest in the Middle East and Jordan. When they changed where the field school would take place, the dates did not work with when I have available. I have looked at many other options and am keeping my schedule open for something that might fit in.

I want to make sure that this trip is not only travel and that I feel as if I am doing something with my time. A few of the things I am now thinking of doing is visiting as many archeological sites as possible, Petra included, as well the Rock Hewn Churches in Ethiopia and Roman sites throughout Italy. I as well am looking into volunteering at different wildlife conservation reserves. I will also potentially be working for 2 or 3 weeks at a time in hostels around the world to help cover costs. 

Trains, Plaines and Automobiles

A lot of people have asked, "How do you plan to get around?"

To be honest, I am not completely sure. This is because I will be traveling to so many different countries and regions of the world that I will be taking an abundance different of types of travel. I decided the easiest way to explain my general plan is break it down by continent.

South America: The subways in Santiago were surprisingly manageable last time I was there, and while in the major cities I plan on using the subway, to go between countries I will most likely be taking buses and ferries. (Antarctica is still my dream destination, and so to get there if I find a way I will be hiding out in Ushuaia and waiting for cruise to Antarctica, or bussing up to the north of Argentina.)

Europe: Just bought and received my EuroRail pass (there was a 20% off sale!!!) which gives me seven days of travel in 23 different countries. While the pass was expensive, I think in the end it will be both a money saver and the easiest and most scenic ways to get around. I will use this both before and after the Iceland portion of my trip.

Iceland (not its own continent but its own special case): The weather in March is going to be frigid and wintering, and so my original intention of hiking around and buying the hiking bus pass which will pick you up and drop you off in major cities and trails heads, seems to be debunked. Most sites online recomend highhiking or renting a car which are both options I am looking into. (Mom and Dad no matter what happens I will be very safe, and won't hitch hike alone).

Middle East (another special case): Agian this is not its own continent, but I felt it could be its own category for transportation. My plans are still up in the air for where/when I will be here, and as those plans are solidified, I will have a better idea of how I will be getting around.

Africa: I will only be getting around via cabs or one tour bus/ renting a 4 x 4 for the dessert outside Morocco, hoping to spend a night sleeping outside in the Sahara Desert.

Asia: Here I will be backpacking, and will most likely fly from Vietnam or Thailand to the Philipines. On my way home from Asia I am contemplating boarding a freighter instead of flying home. It would allow me to not only see a different side of travel (the commercial ports) but also take some time to slow down and be by myself. The freighter would leave from China, visiting two cities there and one port in Tokyo before heading to Canada and then Seattle. The whole trip is going to be six months of always exploring and nonstop activities/adventures; I think being able to just hang out on a ship for 10-15 days could be nice. It'll give me time to keep up on the posts that I haven't finished as well reflect on my crazy little adventure.

Oceania: In Australia and potentially New Zealand I will be traveling by bus, potentially again renting a car, depending on who is with me to help pay for it and gas.

Life Cycle

I began thinking about my life and the places I have lived last night, and I realised something that scared me. My life has become one big cycle.

I grew up in Seattle, Washington in the Pacific North West. I lived there, went to school there and spent the majority of my time in Seattle. Every summer my family from the first year of my life would board our sailboat and escape to British Colombia usually starting in Vancouver and then up and around Vancouver Island. The younger I was, the more time we spent on the boat. School was less important when I was 3 then 12. My sister and I spent our summers swimming and exploring islands, using toonies to pay for ice cream and taking in the summer sunshine and air. However, as my sister and I grew older, school was more important, friends and social engagements seemed to matter more, the FOMO on an authentic Seattle summer set in. We began to spend less and less time on the boat each year.

Senior year of high school rolled around, college applications, SAT tests and Seattle parties were in full swing. I had spent maybe a week on the boat that summer. As all my classmates waited nervously for acceptance letters, I sat at ease knowing not only where I was going but exactly what it would be like. I only applied to one school. Call me dumb, but my backup plan was if I didn't get accepted I would figure out what to do then. I applied early and heard back in the first weeks of December. The University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC had accepted me. Canada would be my home again. I was so excited; I thought about visiting Granvilleile Island every weekend for doughnuts and fresh meats and flowers. I thought about the Vancouver Art Gallery and Museum of Anthropology. I could imagine and even taste where I would eat dinner; the classes looked inspiring and interesting. It felt right.

Having only American citizenship, I am considered an international student even though my home address is a closer to UBC then many Canadain student's flights home. I expected a mix of realities, the paperwork they sent for being international was a bit dramatic from the pamphlets I expected EVERYTHING to be different. But I took a deep breath and realised that I knew Vancouver, and moving there would be easy. Now instead of spending 9 months of the year in Seattle and 3 in Vancouver, I would be spending 9 months of the year in Vancouver and 3 in Seattle.

One of my favorite photos I've taken of Vancouver

Seattle sunsets are still some of the best in the world

My realities have switched places; America is where I visit on a break from school and vacation. Canada is where I call home. The rain has replaced sunny afternoons, and swimming has been replaced with studying and toonies are used to buy beer instead of ice cream cones. However, even though I go to school in a country different from my high school, I feel as if nothing has changed. The weather is still the same, still the classic PNW grey. The trees and beaches smell the same. The currency is different, but everything is still expensive. I have always wanted to challenge myself, to explore cultures and see all the corners of the world, but I've realized while UBC might be the right school for me, it is too comforting, it is too similar. The adventure from when I studied in Chile isn't there, and the daily exploration isn't the same.

I'm hoping to break this cycle that has become my living arrangement, To escape the PNW for a little bit and to challenge every aspect of myself; Physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually.