A few months before I flew to Ireland, I made a phone call to a dear friend of mine, Megan. The call’s purpose was to, I admit, brag of my upcoming study abroad trip. In seconds, however, I discovered that she, too, by complete coincidence, was to attend university in Dublin at the same time that I was to attend in Galway.
I do love it when the Universe plays tricks on us unsuspecting commoners. Surprises like that never cease to add a little flavor to the pan.
Megan came last weekend, the two of us reading books side-by-side in a student apartment bed meant for one when we weren’t out-on-the-town contributing to the general chaos of the city. The crowning achievement of our reunion, though, was neither finishing fantasy novels nor dancing in pubs. We gave that title to the 10-mile bike ride we took in Inishmore, the largest of the Aran Islands.
Ferry ride: peaceful. Bike ride: glorious. We rented cruisers and headed down the length of the island, passing horse-drawn carriages and stopping only to pet the ponies and look at the Bronze-Age settlements.
We shared a sandwich from the Jungle Cafe (which we had, the day before, purchased from the popular joint in Galway) over the edge of the cliffs at Dún Aonghasa. I bought a wool hat from an old lady and a postcard to use as a bookmark (as opposed to an old grocery receipt). And Megan, with her keen sense of direction, navigated us over old, stone walls and sunken grass to the “wormhole,” a swimming-pool-like rock formation at the base of the lower cliffs, east of the previously mentioned fortress.
Exhausted upon our return, we stopped for Korean food. It was well deserved, I assure you. 1500 calories burned, according to Megan’s apple watch.
I woke up this morning to 18 new bug bites, and my two from the previous days were quite inflamed and red. Nevertheless, I ended up joining the people on my dorm floor on a trip to a fishing village and the beach. I am honestly astonished by how many events I have been going to recently. It would not have been at all out of character for me to have taken the day to rest after everything that I’ve been up to for the last few days—the karaoke/hot pot dinner event of two days ago, and the hike I went on yesterday.
The hot pot dinner from a couple nights ago. The left side of the pot is a spicy broth, and the right side is a non-spicy ginseng broth
But, to explore as much as I can of Hong Kong before classes start, I’ve kept joining activities. And although I’ve been exhausted all the time–my legs feel ready to fall off from the steep uphill and downhill path from the hike yesterday, especially when we take a similarly steep path to the beach, it’s been worth it.
I’ve introduced myself countless times over the past week, my name, where I’m from, and my major (creative writing)—always a conversation starter that leads into a discussion of books, my planned path after college, etc.—but the conversations have all been really nice.
So, taking it from the top, the group met up at 1pm and walked to the closest MTR station. We scanned our Octopus cards (which are used primarily for paying for public transportation and at some stores, in addition to paying for the air conditioning and for laundry in the dorms) and found our first train. We stayed on for a few stops then switched trains, got off (scanned the Octopus card again, which calculates the charge based on where you first scanned it—I don’t have much experience with public transportation so I don’t know the system for paying for the metro in other places, but I assumed it would be more like buying a ticket for a particular stop; the Octopus method seemed a lot simpler). We got on a bus, and then we had arrived at the fishing village, where we had dim sum for lunch.
A view over the water at the fishing village
I’ve had dim sum before getting to Hong Kong, but this experience was distinct. To begin, when we got to the table, there were a couple tea pots filled with near-boiling water and an empty glass bowl. One member of our party, who is from Hong Kong, poured the hot water in the bowl, and began dipping the tips of everyone’s chopsticks, and then the cups, bowls, and spoons in the water to sanitize them, saying it was a tradition to ensure everything is fully cleaned.
After sanitizing the utensils and dishes
The flavors in the food were quite different to what I was used to when I’ve had dim sum at home. Also, rather than ordering dishes separately, we got several dishes for everyone to share and then divided the bill equally between all of us. I can use chopsticks fairly well, but I’m still trying to learn how utensils are used in Hong Kong—often, by using a fork or chopsticks with one hand to eat, and then holding a spoon with the other hand beneath the food, I assume in case anything falls.
Some of the dim sum dishes we had for lunchA custard bun
After lunch, we boarded another bus. I ended up sitting next to a guy from mainland China, and after exchanging information on where we’re from and a little bit of small talk, we began sharing songs. I’m not really one to start conversation, and he gave me the impression of not being super talkative either, but it was a nice way to exchange things about ourselves and the cultures we come from.
On the second bus toward our final destination (the beach), I hadn’t reached my seat before the bus started moving, and I didn’t walk toward my seat as much as I was propelled toward it.
I hadn’t thought to bring my swimsuit, so I sat on the beach with another student studying abroad, and we chatted about ourselves and our experiences of arriving in Hong Kong, but after that mostly just sat in silence with our thoughts, watching the view of the mountains and the water and the rest of our group playing in the water.
A little after sunset, we walked up to the bus stop. We had to wait 15 minutes since we had missed the last one, and when a bus arrived, I was very doubtful that we would all fit. And indeed, sardines could hardly be more packed more than we were. I could only hope that no one would fall over. People were packed up to the front door and if someone fell sideways at the front, they would’ve landed on the driver. There were too many feet for me to stand in a very stable way. I wouldn’t say I’m necessarily claustrophobic, but I don’t really like people to be super close to me, and someone’s backpack was pressed against me for the whole ride, but I preferred many times to be in that packed bus than outside at mercy of the biting bugs. I was amazed that at the progressive stops people kept boarding.
At one particularly sharp stop, someone did fall on me, but I managed not to fall over completely. I had thought we were packed tightly enough that we couldn’t fall, but it was more like dominoes. Luckily only a few of us were affected. Then we were at the metro, and it was just a short bus ride home. The charge was around 6 HKD for that final bus ride to get back, but students get a discount if they say suk se (“dorms” in Cantonese) to the driver. I gave myself the rest of the night off and ate a cup of noodles for dinner – my dorm floor has a machine for hot water and cold water, which can I just say is amazing.
Today’s adventure was a hike along Dragon’s Back Trail. We were supposed to meet at the metro station at 2pm, but me and one other student missed the bus to the station because it was too full, so we walked the 13 minutes to the metro station. I’ve gotten used to walking a lot since I got here, and walking in hot weather, though my body is still getting used to it: my ankles are stiff and a little bit painful but not unbearably so.
Most places I would need to go are about a 15-20 minute walk away from campus, including the closest Community Testing Center (to get the required PCR tests after arriving), and a mall to buy supplies or get food (I didn’t realize until I was allowed to eat out in a restaurant again after 7 days of quarantine/medical surveillance that the canteens on campus allowed takeout). I was glad I was going on the trip in a group, as I most likely would’ve gotten lost if navigating by myself the bus rides and train stops to our final destination.
The view from the trail
The hike was supposed to be 2 hours long, but it ended up being closer to 4 hours. I have never in my life sweat as much as on that hike, and I don’t know if even waterproof sunscreen would have been enough. Luckily most of the trail was shaded by trees and bushes.
The trail ahead of us
At the end of the hike, my part of the group fell behind and were momentarily concerned we had taken the wrong path, and, to complete the picture, it was getting dark and we were too far behind to hear anyone in our larger group. Luckily, cell phones prevailed and we were able to contact the rest of the group. We sped up and were able to join the others. On the last stretch of our walk, we passed by the largest spider I have ever seen (excluding tarantulas). It was probably a good two or three inches in diameter, sitting in its web just off the path.
One of the dishes we had for dinner
After the hike, we all went out to dinner. Over dinner, as I’m a creative writing major, the conversation came to books, my favorite book, favorite author, etc. One person at the table asked about the first book that started my love for reading and writing. Up to this point in my life, I guess I had never realized the extent to which globalization causes the exchange of popular culture between countries. Someone suggested Geronimo Stilton (until writing this, I had not realized that this book series originated from Italy), and when I brought up A Series of Unfortunate Events, everyone exploded with excitement. I hadn’t expected that, or really for anyone to have recognized the series, much less to apparently have grown up with the same series that I had grown up with in the U.S. But I guess that, given how books, movies, songs, and other media originating outside the U.S. have become famous within the U.S., it’s not surprising that U.S. media would also be well-known outside the U.S.
Classes start in a few days but I’m looking forward to exploring more sights before starting!
For the past month, I have been preparing for September 21st, 2022. The day I, and 3 other girls, fly 3 hours 43 minutes to Dallas, Texas then 8 hours 56 minutes to London, England. I am grateful to have traveled internationally a few times before and know what to expect but never have I had to pack and prepare for 4 months away in a different country.
So far, I have to say that picking out classes was the peak stress mark. So many options and things to consider from how the classes are graded to if there are prerequisites or certain requirements. Although, I think I was finally able to pick a great selection and I am excited to see what university is like there, especially the teaching styles.
In terms of everything else, I am grateful for the support and the preparation IPO and previous England participating students have given us. Without them, I would have been lost and forgotten a lot of things, especially little things such as getting voltage converters, a medical check-up, and an international phone plan before I go. In addition, the other girls and I have been chatting with each other about what to pack. I have to say jackets and rain boots have been at the top of the list.
I want to say, what a crazy time to be heading to England as the Queen, Queen Elizabeth II, who reigned 70 years (longest in England history) has recently passed away. However, to be able to witness some of the impacts her death has had, to be able to get money with her face still on it before they start changing it, and to see the impacts of her son, King Charles III, becoming king will be fascinating to me. I love history and England is definitely the place for such exploration.
I have never been so stressed and excited at the same time as I now count down the days, hours, and minutes till I arrive at the airport for my flights. Thank you, IPO for this adventure opportunity. England here we come 🙂
The slow start I’ve had has not hindered me. It took my companion and I a good week-and-a-half to truly settle in, but we have already incorporated ourselves into a friend group consisting of, primarily, Germans with business majors, along with a few outliers on the side, us Americans included. There are twelve of us total, a group large enough to ensure there is always a plan brewing. Thanks to the ambitions of one of us, Hedda from Sweden, we were able to organize a two-hour bus ride to the Cliffs of Moher last weekend.
The bus was public, no bathrooms aboard, no local guide on the speaker announcing the arrival of a castle on the left or a battlefield on the right. We preferred it this way. It allowed more time to pick the brains of our friends and find pockets for laughter over an inside joke that’s made its presence known to every social outing.
At the Cliffs, our group split in two: those of us who wanted to walk the extent of the trail and those of us who preferred to lounge near the entrance. Me being an avid hiker, naturally I chose to walk the extent. We ventured far enough that the majority of the other visitors fizzled out, a charming perk that allowed us relief from what is, quite honestly, an indisputable tourist trap.
Finally alone, the appreciation for the place became insuppressible. One is dwarfed by the Cliffs. There’s no room for gawking, no room for noise. Each moment only allows its guests the opportunity to remember their own pitiful insignificance in the shadow of Mother Nature’s complete, green, frightening reign. I was inclined to fear Her as much as she invited me to take pleasure in the view I was so generously offered.
I woke up the morning of the 16th of August knowing the day had finally arrived when I would depart for Hong Kong, all nerves. All the preparations made: airplane flights, quarantine hotel arrangements, visa, PCR test result back negative…
The first plane of my journey
My first flight was out of Portland on Air Canada, to Vancouver. I sat one row back from the front of the plane, with no one sitting next to me, enjoying the view out the window and picking up on a few words in French every so often as the flight attendants made announcements in English and French, and amazed by the numerous small islands that passed beneath us.
My second flight required me to check all my documents again at the gate—a three-day quarantine hotel reservation, visa, negative PCR test result (the sample taken within 48 hours of the time my flight flying into Hong Kong departed), vaccination record. And then to boarding. When I got on the plane, a calming music was playing over the speakers, which made the moment feel all the more bittersweet. In a rush, I was seized by a quote from Sam in The Fellowship of the Ring, Sam stopping behind Frodo in the wheat field at the beginning of their journey, telling him that if he took one more step, he would be farther from home than he had ever been before. Once my plane arrived at its destination, that would be the case for me. The wheat waved before my eyes as I stepped forward to the next cabin.
11 hours later, I arrived in Korea, and around 5 hours after that, at midnight, I arrived in Hong Kong. The airport was emptier than I had ever seen one, and the path they had constructed for us to get our required PCR and RAT (rapid antigen test) reminded me of the line to get on a ride at an amusement park, but after everyone has left for the day. We presented our QR codes (we had to fill out a Health Declaration form before arrival, with information on vaccination status, quarantine hotel booking, plans after arriving in Hong Kong, etc., and the QR codes held the information from the Declaration) and got a test kit and a lanyard with a code on it, got the tests, left them in a bin (they used the numbers/code on the side to connect each of us with our test results), got on a tram to somewhere else in the airport, through more checkpoints for documents, to the baggage claim, and then into a line for a bus to send us to our designated quarantine hotels.
My first view of Hong Kong, on the way to the quarantine hotel
I was dropped off at my hotel around 2 am, after nearly 24 full hours of travel. I checked in at the desk, signed agreements, received a stack of papers, then got handed a bag of my dinner, got put in an elevator, and sent to my floor with my luggage.
Over the following days, I had to take a RAT every day, submit a picture and the result to an online program and leave the test outside my room, and take my temperature once in the morning and once in the afternoon, and record if I was feeling any Covid symptoms.
The view from my quarantine hotel room
And then, on the 20th of August, I checked out and boarded an Uber for campus. I had to check in with a provisionary ID card and have my temperature checked (temperatures are checked at every entrance to campus, as well as to the residence halls and cafeterias). This was my first real exposure to the heat (around 90 degrees Fahrenheit and humid), as the hotel had been at an unchangeable 68 degrees AC temperature, and I was hauling around two suitcases and a backpack. I got my student ID card, room key, key to the unit box, some disposable masks, and a package of 7 RAT tests (I was required to take a RAT test for every day until the 10th day after arrival).
The way dorms are set up at HKBU is entirely different than at Linfield: there are two towers, each 20 floors tall, and my dorm is on the 17th floor. The dorm itself looks like a typical dorm room, albeit arranged somewhat differently than the other dorm rooms I’ve lived in before. There’s a closet with some drawers and a rod for hanging clothes, drawers under the bed, a desk with two book shelves above it, and several drawers underneath it, as well as a fridge and freezer.
My dorm room before moving in
Rather than a whole floor sharing a bathroom, in the arrangement here, two dorm rooms (both doubles) share a bathroom—two sinks, one toilet, and one shower. There’s also a rod for hanging clothes to dry spanning the ceiling of the dorm room, and a station for hot and chilled water in the lounge on my floor, which is extremely convenient.
Students pay for AC and laundry with what’s called an Octopus card, which holds money. There’s a machine connected to the AC unit, and a separate one for the washers and dryers, by which to pay with the Octopus.
On this first day, I started by walking the 15 minutes to Lok Fu, a mall nearby, with someone else on my floor, sweat pouring down my face (not an exaggeration) because of the humidity. And for an awakening to the different weather patterns in Hong Kong, just before reaching the mall, it went from clear skies to pouring, though the rain was welcome in the heat.
Class doesn’t start until the 5th of September, so I have the next 16 days to explore Hong Kong and get used to living on campus, but those are stories for another day.
The last two weeks of July were a complete blur. We never really thought that the day would come where we would actually have to say goodbye to our new family and friends, our beautiful Chile experience. It was a month full of lasts. Izzy and I took our last trip together, and at this point we felt like travel experts. We had our last meals with our families, trained with our soccer and basketball teams for the last time and shared our last moments with our university friends. I still don’t know if I’ve fully processed all of my emotions from leaving, but what I do know about hard goodbyes is that they make the return so much sweeter.
Our last trip was to the southern city of Pucón, located around a breathtaking lake that the mountains reflect off of. It unfortunately was a bit rainy so we didn’t get to everything we wanted to but some highlights were that we stayed in an old Volkswagen van at our hostel, swam in Las Termas Geométricas, kayaked and found some really great food.
We stayed at what is claimed to be one of the best hostels in Chile, right on the lake, named Chili Kiwi. When we were searching for a place to stay we were looking for some cheaper options since it was our last trip. Us being our adventurous selves, when the van option popped up, we booked it with little hesitation. And it definitely was an adventure to say the least. When we got to the hostel, we were led to the backyard where it was parked and opened the door to about two feet of space with the bed directly in front of us. But we honestly thought it was hilarious trying to navigate staying in that thing.
The outside of our hostel, Chili Kiwi
Our first day we went to Las Termas Geométricas, which consists of a ton of natural hot springs that you can go swim in. It was definitely odd getting ready to swim when the mountains and bridges around us were covered in snow, but there was so much steam from the pools that we didn’t even get cold. We swam in at least 6 different pools and it was super relaxing. There were also several waterfalls around the hot springs that we could see.
The red bridges that carried through all of the TermasAnother photo of the red bridgeOne of the several waterfalls featured in the park
Another highlight of the trip was an amazing restaurant we found called Café de la P. We loved everything we tried there, from hot chocolate to coffee to salad to their dinner selections to the chocolate that you could buy just outside the café.
Our amazing salad and picadillos from Café de la PHot chocolates we had the next morning
When we got a break from the rain, we decided to go kayaking on the lake. It was a super peaceful morning, the water was calm and we saw several interesting birds.
Izzy paddling in the front of the kayakKayak selfie!View of the town, the mountains and the dock from the water
Once we got back to Chillán, it was time to start saying goodbye to experiences that had become routine to us. I had my last basketball game and practice, went out and ate with my team one more time, rode our last micro, ate our last complete with our university friends, went out to a really cool restaurant with Izzy’s family, Onda al Pala, that we hadn’t tried before and had our final presentation for one of our classes.
Izzy and I in front of Onda al PalaIzzy and I all dressed up for our final presentationLast completo with our university friendsComparison photo on our first day at the same place with our university friendsOur last micro ride!Micro Dos, the micro we always took on our way home from school
The love that I was shown by so many of the people that I met in Chile is something that will always stay with me. People are genuinely happy to see you and sit down and talk with you. And with the Hispanic/Latino culture being so centered around family, I immediately felt like I had a place there, with both my host family and my basketball team. It was a strange experience leaving because it felt like I was just starting to fully get used to the culture and language and then all of a sudden I had to leave. But I know that I now have lifelong friends and family that I can go visit whenever I can, and the memories Izzy and I have in Chile will always have a special place in our hearts.
Me with a bunch of new basketball friends I made when we played in a tournament togetherMy last game with my university teamIzzy and I with her family on our last nightIzzy and I with my host parents on our last night
Lindo Chile, te voy a echar de menos y nunca te voy a olvidar.
June included a lot of trips near our house, so we could save our money to take our longer trip to San Pedro at the end of the month into July. First, we wanted to visit one of the beaches near the coastal city, Concepción. The beach we visited was called Cobquecura. This beach is known for its giant rock that is home to many sea lions. From the shore, we were able to watch the sea lions hang out on the rock, jump off and swim with their friends. We walked along the black sand, taking in the coastal air and enjoying watching the crashing waves. I’d never been on a black sand beach, let alone seen that many sea lions in one place.
The famous rock of the Cobquecura beach, home to many sea lionsAnother view of the rock with the crashing wavesSea lion sculptureCobquecura sign
Since it’s still winter here, the coast can get even more chilly than where we live in Chillán. After walking along the beach for a while, we were super cold so we wandered up to the row of stands that were selling warm foods and drinks. We ordered orange flavored hot chocolates and they were so good we came back later and ordered another one! We walked through the tiny town, bought some chocolates and soon it was time to get back on the bus and head home.
The amazing orange flavored hot chocolates with marshmallows and a muffin
Later on, our friend Gillian from the university invited us on a hike to see Las Turbinas in the town of Los Lleuques. We caught a bus early in the morning and arrived in the town about an hour and a half later. The hike started off with around a 2 kilometer walk down what appeared to be a residential gravel road. As we kept walking, we met four dogs that followed us down the path. Eventually, we made it to a clearing with mountains all around us. These mountains were unique because we had been used to seeing ones that were a lush green or had begun to gather snow on top. These mountains, however, held captivating autumn colors such as oranges and yellows surrounded by the rich greens we’ve been used to seeing.
Mountain of autumn colorsView of the mountains and the river through a tree
We walked down a steep set of stairs to arrive at a river where the sun shone beautifully over the running water. The dogs were still following us, and they took a break with us in the sun before we kept walking. The hike also included lots of signs indicating the many different species of trees.
Sun over the riverSigns looked like this along the hike with species of trees
The next stop were the waterfalls that this place is known for. Not one, but two streams rushed down from the river above and continued down to the river that we had just visited. Something about water is just so fascinating and calming to me. I instantly feel a rush of peace whenever I am around it.
View of the waterfalls from the topLower view of the waterfalls
Fast forward a week, we spent our last weekend of June in San Fabián with our families. Not only did we enjoy lots of good food and family time, but we also managed to get outside and head to a popular viewpoint in the small town. In order to get to the viewpoint, there was a short hike to get to the top. Once we made it up, we could see the entire town down below.
View from the top of the hill through the treesViewpoint looking down at the town of San Fabián
Time is passing by way too fast. We are taking advantage of every opportunity to enjoy the mountains. I simply cannot comprehend leaving my family in just a month…they feel like a part of me that will always be there.
The final two days of the month we would spend traveling to San Pedro de Atacama…but that’s for the next blog.
To start off the month of July, we found ourselves in perhaps the most other-worldly place that I have visited, San Pedro de Atacama. What made this such an interesting and different experience was that the city is located in the desert of Northern Chile. Especially since we live in Washington, we’re very used to seeing green trees and mountains. Everything was different in San Pedro. Instead of being surrounded by shades of green we found ourselves in a wonderland of light pinks, oranges, purples and blues. It was as if the sunset had painted everything around us.
View the entire drive surrounded by mountains and desert
We left on a Wednesday on a super early flight into Calama, Chile which was an hour drive from San Pedro. This was one of our trips that Linfield helped pay for through the study abroad program, so we went with Florencia who is the professor who has worked with Linfield to coordinate everything for us. We decided to rent a car since Florencia had been there a few times before, which would be cheaper in the long run because we wouldn’t have to pay for as many guides on the trip to get around and see places. The entire drive from Calama to San Pedro we were just sitting stunned at the beautiful desert around us. Before arriving in town, we stopped at a famous viewpoint called Ruta del Desierto and took pictures of the incredible landscape.
Me posing at the Ruta del Desierto viewpoint looking over miles of desert
The rest of that day was spent exploring the cutest little town of San Pedro. The architecture is so interesting there because buildings are made using adobe, which is material made of cacti, chañar, tamarugo trees, volcanic rocks and wood. It gave the buildings a very rustic vibe, perfect for a desert town. We sat down for lunch at Adobe, one of Florencia’s favorite restaurants, and all of a sudden we hear what seems to be a parade going on outside the restaurant. We ordered our food and then went to go check it out. There were several groups of dancers and people playing instruments like drums, tambourines and guitars wearing traditional clothing from Northern Chile. We noticed from one of the banners that it was a parade meant for the remembrance of the death of Saint Peter (or San Pedro whom the town is named after and is an important figure in the Catholic faith). We loved how colorful and lively the festival was and the streets were packed with people watching the parade.
Banner indicating the traditional dance Baile Catimbano being performed in devotion to San PedroDancers in traditional clothing dancing CatimbanoDrummer and flautists playing traditional music from Northern Chile
After lunch, we explored the many markets along the streets, packed with vibrant, artisanal crafts and trinkets. We also stopped by the famous white church of San Pedro, where they were holding masses all day for San Pedro. That night at dinner, a band was playing traditional music from Northern Chile and we loved them so much that we followed them to the next restaurant.
Famous church of San Pedro
The next day, we went with Florencia to see the Lagunas Escondidas, (the Hidden Lagoons) and Ojos de Salar (or Salt Water Eyes). The lagoons are protected by the region and a small fee is required to enter. There are seven total hidden lagoons, but the ones we were able to see were the Laguna Cejar, Laguna Piedra, Laguna Baltinache and Laguna Tebinquiche, which was near the Ojos de Salar which are two small lagoons side by side that look like eyes. The water in these lagoons was so blue and the salt water sparkled in the sun. We even spotted flamingos in a couple of the lagoons!
Florencia, Izzy and I posing at Laguna CejarA flamingo at Laguna TebinquicheOne of the two “Ojos de Salar”
On the way back, we decided to grab a bite to eat in a town even smaller than San Pedro called Toconao. We explored their markets and found a well-known snack from Northern Chile which are quinoas but they’re light and fluffy and sweet. We also met a llama behind one of the markets, whose fur is used to weave some of the artisanal crafts and clothing. That night we returned to San Pedro and listened to a different band that played traditional music.
Llama in ToconaoOne of the beautiful sunsets in San Pedro
The next day would be an even longer day of touring outside the city. We went with Florencia again and first arrived at Valle de Arcoíris (Rainbow Valley). It has this name because the rocks surrounding the valley contain a variety of concentrations of clay, salts and minerals that have changed their colors over time to be red, beige, green, white and yellow. The contrast against the bright blue sky was amazing to see. It almost felt like we were walking through a Dr. Seuss book.
Green, purple and red rock at Rainbow ValleyMore Dr. Seuss-like rocks
Later that day, we visited Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley). It’s called this because it is one of the best places in the world to see the moon at night, but we decided to go during the day to take advantage of the four viewpoints that you can hike/visit. It’s such an interesting place because it has various stone and sand formations which have been formed by wind and water. The range of color and texture is impressive, looking similar to the surface of the moon, literally making us feel like we were on another planet. There are also dry salt water lakes which create the white layer covering the area.
The most perfect sand dune to start off our exploration at Valle de la LunaThe dirt paths we followed through the valleyIzzy and I with the hills in the valley covered in saltView from the top of the last viewpoint
That night, we realized a little too late that we might need guides for the places we had left to see. After dinner, we found a tourism and guide business that happened to still be open and we were able to secure the last two spots on a tour to see the Geysers del Tatio the next morning and the Astronomical Tour during the night time.
The only thing with the Geysers tour was that we had to wake up at 4 in the morning to get picked up by our tour bus. While the first hour was quite cold, we were much more comfortable after the sun came out and the pictures made the trip well worth it. These geysers are 4,200 meters or 13,779.53 feet high in the mountains and the water that spurts out from them is 185 degrees fahrenheit, which creates the steaming effect.
Sunrise before seeing the Geysers, featuring the Chilean flagSun rising and the landscape of geysersSun peeking through the steamSun fully risen over some run-off from the geysers
Later that night was our last activity of the trip, the Astronomical Tour. We met our tour guide in town and we took a van out to a closed off area where there were benches for us to see the stars and telescopes for us to get a closer look. First, we learned about all of the different constellations that were out that night. There were so many, I don’t remember all of the ones that our guide talked about. However, there was one that was especially cool called the Southern Cross, which is only visible to the naked eye from the Southern Hemisphere. Our guide even pointed out star signs such as Virgo, Capricorn, Sagittarius and Leo.
Next, it was our turn to take a photo with a special camera in front of the stars. After that, we looked at specific planets, stars and galaxies through a few different telescopes.
The breathtaking stars featuring Izzy and IThe “Sombrero Galaxy” we saw through one of the telescopes“Unistellar” galaxy we saw through a telescope
We already want to return to San Pedro, it was a completely magical experience. And, we can now say we’ve experienced all of the different environments of Chile, from the dry but pleasantly warm desert in the North, to the windy beaches, to the small town feel of Chillán and to the refreshing air and lush greens of the South.
Early this month, I was lucky enough to welcome my boyfriend, Marques, to the country I’ve called home the past three months. He was not only excited to see me, but also to experience a new dialect of Spanish that he hadn’t encountered before. Having grown up in a Spanish-speaking household, he is fluent in both English and Spanish, so getting around here wouldn’t be a problem for him. I was also lucky enough to be on break from school that week, so it worked out perfectly.
Our week together started with meeting him at the airport. He got in at night, so all we had time for was grabbing Chilean ceviche at one of the cool restaurants near our AirBnB. One of my favorite dishes here is the ceviche, made with salmon and/or shrimp in a delicious sauce with vegetables.
Ceviche and bread rolls
The next day was when the real adventures began. After grabbing a quick breakfast panini, we first stopped at Cerro Santa Lucía since it was right next to our AirBnB. Izzy and I had visited here before, but we were able to find a couple new spots to take pictures and enjoy the view of the city.
Marques and I in front of the Santa Lucía fountainMe posing at the top of the Santa Lucía viewpoint
After that, we headed to the Palacio de la Moneda and then the Museo de Bellas Artes. The museum had free admission which was a great benefit, and there were so many unique paintings and sculptures to admire.
One of the many beautiful white marble statues on display at the museumSculpture of King David’s head
Cerro de San Cristobal was our next stop, and it was definitely my favorite. We were able to find a cable car that took us all the way to the top of the hill where there was a path called, “Camino de las Siete Palabras” that led to a huge statue of San Cristobal. The path featured seven crosses, all painted differently, representing the seven days of creation in the Catholic faith.
Marques and I taking a cable car up to the top of Cerro San CristobalOne of the seven painted crosses with a viewMarques and I in front of the San Cristobal statue
The day after Santiago, we took an hour and a half bus to Valparaíso. We of course enjoyed the famous street art and piano stairs before grabbing one of Chile’s most well-known foods, the completo. It’s essentially a giant hot dog with your choice of avocado, tomato, mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard. We did a lot of walking around on this day, enjoying the colorful houses and environment around us.
Completos
We then headed to Pablo Neruda’s “La Sebastiana” house. It was so cool to have been able to see both his Santiago and Valparaíso house and compare them.
Pablo Neruda’s house in ValparaísoView of the colorful houses from Pablo Neruda’s house
By this time, the sun was about to set so we headed to the beach to watch the sunset. The sky is truly unlike anything I’ve seen here. There is almost always a beautiful sunset with vibrant colors begging to have their photo taken. It was then time to get some food, so we went around to a couple different restaurants taking advantage of our time on the coast to try Chilean seafood.
The next day was an absolute rainstorm, which caused our flight from Santiago to Concepción to be canceled. Our original plan was to meet my host family in Concepción since they had rented a beach house for the entire family to stay at. Since our flight was canceled we ended up having to take a long bus ride and then an Uber to Pingueral beach to meet my family but we eventually made it!
The following day we spent talking with the family, sharing stories and enjoying a wonderful lunch in the afternoon. We barbecued meat and sausage and had salad, corn and potatoes to accompany it. Marques was quieter than usual, completely taking in the new dialect and listening intently to see how much he could catch. It was so interesting to watch because it was like watching how I felt when I first got to Chile. My family loved getting to know him, and it was also interesting for them to converse with someone who speaks in a Mexican dialect. The rest of the day we spent playing card games and enjoying down time.
It wasn’t as rainy the day after, so my siblings, their boyfriends, Marques, Izzy and I went to the beach to take pictures. We spent time with the family the rest of the day and then returned to my hometown, Chillán. Marques and I talked with my family for a long time at “once” and compared cultural traditions. We shared photos and videos from trips we’ve gone on together and simply enjoyed each other’s company. An opportunity like this for both me and my family would not come often.
Izzy, Marques and I on the beach
To end the trip, I wanted Marques to be able to see the incredible Andes mountains, one of my favorite parts of Chile. We took an early bus to Las Trancas and started our short, but steep hike to a viewpoint of the mountains. Once we got to the top, it was all worth it. The mountaintops were covered in snow since it’s winter here, but the sun still shone brightly overhead creating the perfect setting for pictures.
Snowy Andes mountain
The next day, it was time to say goodbye, but it was so surreal to have a piece of home with me in my new favorite place. Watching my two worlds collide was an experience that I will never forget.
