View from Here

An Update

2011-02-22T09:54:00.000-03:00

So its a bit of an embarrasment looking at the last post from May 2010! This blog has sat pretty much dormant despite all the wild turns in my life. A baby has been the main focus as of late. This all started as a travel blog back in 2004, but as my life here in Chile has become more "normal" and less of a constantly new experience I have struggled a bit to find what to talk about here. I hope to continue with an update here or there.

The majority of my blogging and writing is going into www.foodyChile.com check it out!

Boutique del Campo

2010-05-31T19:15:00.000-04:00

So it's been a while since the last post. Most of my time has been spent building up a new store with my wife called the Boutique del Campo. Have a look here at our facebook page. We hope to soon have the full website (at least the alpha version) up and running. The Boutique del Campo combines natural foods, gourmet products, fresh produce, juices and more. It has been quite the experience putting it all together. We started focusing mostly on fresh produce due to some good contacts and opportunities at the time. This was back in November of last year. Since then the concept has grown and evolved and we are now putting more emphasis on the gourmet and prepared foods. I plan to launch a seperate blog soon that will delve more into the products and store. Stay tuned.

Get ready to laugh: Some Improv Comedy

2010-03-20T20:11:00.001-03:00

Getting ready to go out and see my wife compete in an amateur improv comedy competition in Bellavista. The competition is one of the many events hosted by Lospleimovil, a comedy/theater group. There are several rounds of competition between four or five member teams. Caro's team lost the last one thanks do some pretty crappy officiating (yes a bad ref is even possible in improve comedy). Hopefully today she'll get a better judge.

Cordillera Chilena: Punta Lagunas

2010-03-15T23:49:00.001-03:00

Continue out into the Cajon del Maipo, leaving the urban jungle of La Florida and Puente Alto behind, continue past Baños Morales and you'll get to Punta Lagunas, a group of cerros with an amazing view of several of the Cajun's glaciers and a peek of a few lagunas.

I'll be honest, despite the name, the Lagunas were the less impressive part of the hike. Rather it was the panoramic view of the region around, as well as a some 300 meter wall filled with fossils and at almost a perfect 90° angle. At a bit of 3100 meters, the hike isn't too difficult, although there are some exposed points that will give you a bit of vertigo if you don't prepare yourself. Plus the constant aftershocks make any sort of walking on mountains around boulders a bit more worrisome.

The Presidential Handoff in Chile: Goodbye Bachelet, Hello Piñera, Let the Earth Shake

2010-03-12T18:47:00.001-03:00

Piñera, his camera smirk/smile, and myself at Vendemia Santa Cruz

For the first time in over 50 years a member of Chile’s right wing alianza took the oath of office yesterday after being elected and the earth shook below. A billionaire airline tycoon, Sebastián Piñera, is now the president of Chile. But the entire changing of the guard has been overshadowed by the seismic activity. The big presidential hand off was no exception.

At about 11.30 am yesterday morning a 6.9 (also reported in the Chilean press as a 7.2 “aftershock” struck with a an epicenter near the coastline south of Valparaiso. It hit right as Piñera was taking his oath of office, and not too far away.

A tsunami warning was issued immediately afterwards the earthquake and people scrambled to higher ground. Taller buildings in Santiago were evacuated.

What a day to take office. But then again having to deal with a 8.8 earthquake in the last few days of office isn’t exactly an attractive proposition either.

Piñera’s assumption of president is rather significant. Chile’s right wing parties and the alliance the have formed, the Renovacion Nacional and the Union Democratica Independiente, haven’t had power since Pinochet was in control. But Piñera beat Eduardo Frei, with a pretty solid margin.

Piñera managed to win the election despite a high approval rating of Bachelet. The Concertación, the three center left group is made of three parities. The PPD, PS and the DC, wasn’t able to cash in on this popularity and the relatively smooth handling of a global financial crisis.

Piñera is a very wealthy man. He controls minority and majority stakes in some of Chile’s largest companies, among them the airlines LAN Chile, Chile’s most popular (and infamous) football team Colo Colo. He controls TVN, one of the largest Chilean broadcasters. His total wealth is somewhere up there around USD 1 billion.

His success as a business man has garnered him a lot of respect from many Chileans, not surprising considering the country’s now stable love of free market policies, even if they were instilled into the national character at gunpoint.

But Piñera’s name has also arisen in several investigations. He was fined in 2007 for using insider information to his benefit to sell stocks. Probably more dubious was his connection to the default of the Banco de Talca in 1982, while Piñera was general manager. He was cleared of wrong doing by the government, at that time the dictatorship that he supported.

Piñera’s 2010 campaign took on a mix of Obama’s “change” with some old fashioned Pat Buchanan or Ronny Reagan tough on crime talking points. In the end it was his positioning as the candidate of change that allowed him to win. The incumbent Concertación was not able to produce a new candidate, rather relied on an ex president, Eduardo Frei, who now is at best an elderly statesman. Despite the popularity that Bachelet enjoyed, it wasn’t enough to convince people that the status quo was the line to walk.

Personally I have some sort of distrust of Piñera. I don’t trust him to make good decisions as a statesman. Too much time as a shrewd businessman can skew one’s sense of public good. I’m not saying that just because one is a successful businessman they are somehow corrupt or evil. Hardly. But when one already has all the money and plenty of influence, what exactly is it about being president that they feel they lack? The influence? Is he into the idea of himself as some sort of guru? Some sort of neo-liberal Chavez? I can’t trust the guy. But in the end I think this is what happens when a political party has been in power too long, even if democratically elected. It entrenches the bureaucracy, the stale institutionalism that is all too prevalent in Chile. It does need a serious shaking up.

I actually met Sebastían Piñera once last year. I had been drinking wine at the Santa Cruz Vendemia (wine grape harvest) Festival and he ran up to shake hands. I snapped a foto of him. He looks much different in person, much shorter and smaller than on TV. His head is a bit too big and his arms really long. I think if we wrestled I could pin him no problem. But that’s besides the point right?

So here we are. The era of Piñera. Lets see how he handles this mess and devastation these earthquakes have left.

Flatland Reflections on a Chilean Quake

2010-03-08T23:47:00.001-03:00

Curico on March 3rd

In Iowa the ground will grow about anything. It’s the solid foundation of all life, a constant in a complex equation. So naturally when my apartment building here in Santiago began to shake back and forth last Saturday (Feb 28) screaming of steel and concrete grinding together the world that I had once knew -that concept of the earth being solid and firm- it all ended in the doorframe of my apartment.

It took me over five years to finally get a taste of a Chilean earthquake. I expected sooner or later it would hit me considering the seismic activity all along the country. Chile’s geography, it’s rugged, mountainous landscape, defines it as a country. It has a bit of everything. The 5000 mile long slice of land wedged between towering summits over 24000 feet and a cold, rugged pacific beach is made of glaciers, deserts, forests, rivers, lakes and volcanoes. All along the expansive Placa de Nazca fault line.

At 8.8 on the Richter scale the quake registered as the one of the strongest since they started measuring. There is something about that earth moving that ruptures your notions of what is protection and what is just another layer between you and the harsh natural world. That ceiling, that roof, the wall of your house can all be ripped apart like paper. The single strongest sensation that I got while huddling in the doorframe of my bedroom. (Not under my blankets thanks to my wife who knew how to react.), was how small and feeble our sense of order really is. The chaos outside afterwards reinforced that feeling. No lights. A dark, damaged city of nearly 6 million people. The intersections were filled with cars playing chicken with each other to get to their destination. You could even see some of the constellations above.

The quake struck at around 3:30am, just off the coast of the Maule region, some 200 km from Santiago. The litoral central is the center of Chile’s Agricultural district, dotted with small communities and a few cities, such as Concepción, where some of the worst destruction was focused. The coast got the worst, with a tsunami follwed in the hours after the quake and taking houses, cars and lives out to sea.

In all the quake lasted 3 minutes. Actually a long time to be shaken violently. But it’s the aftermath that really is startling. The fact that entire cities have been altered forever is hard to grasp. The entire supply of the most basic goods is thrown into question. When doubts of the source of upcoming meals arise, people react by getting as much as they can while they can. For some this means filling shopping carts in the supermarket and waiting the long lines. But People start stealing. Some because they have to, others because they are just thieves. Images on the Chilean TV stations of people looting washing machines. Gymnasiums where the liftin machines and weights have all been stolen. The worst of humanity comes to the surface.

But so does the best. In a mere four days 40-year TV and fundraising veteran Don Francisco organized a massive telethon that raised around USD 60 million. There have also been countless smaller initiatives. On Saturday (March 6) the city was full of all sorts of different fundraising and donating drives. From nurses taking your blood pressure to massages in the Plaza de Armas, lots of music, haircuts for donations and old fashioned peer pressure at the supermarket line urging shoppers to donate some non perishable goods.

Even the mobs that looted Concepción seemed to come together that weekend, leaving thousands of dollars of looted goods in common plazas and along the street.

In Santiago things are more or less normal. There are several neighborhoods that received damage from the quake, especially in the northwest of the city. But for the most part basic services were restored within a few days. People have been out to have drinks, eat food and reflect on all the madness. But the central southern region of the country is a much different reality.

All the destruction is hard to believe. Massive boats moved inland. Entire neighborhoods wiped off the map by tsunamis. Brand new apartment buildings lying on their side like cast away legos. If the photos are intense, the reality must be overwhelming. One friend of mine returned recently from reporting on the tragedy in Concepción and told me he doesn’t know how he can return to his “normal” life of office work here in Santiago. Witnessing the collective loss isn’t easy for an observer, so it must be hell for those affected directly.

When the quake hit I was sleeping and without even knowing what was going on I was between the doorway, almost sure that my apartment would come down. The sheer force and violence of the earth’s movements are enough to unsettle anyone. I look and think back about what was going on in the days leading up to the earthquake, it all seems a bit trivial now. The continuing aftershocks only keep the anxiety going. Last week the ground shook my world, leaving something that is a little less certain, a little less secure, but just as intense and as beautiful as before.

Cordillera Chilena: Cerro Canoitas

2010-02-23T22:19:00.000-03:00

Finally made it back up a cerro after a long work induced pause. This time I went with a group of about 20 people up Cerro Canoitas, located about 15KM up Camino Farellones, just a few minutes past the start of the zona de curvas that leads up to the ski resorts. The hike was pretty easy, starting at around 1800 meters up to 2600 meters. Not much of a trail though, more of a web of rabbit trails, some of which blazed by this guy below. (I must add that he was freed, not eaten nor sold for his fur). Add to that about three false summits and a very loose shale that made the decent a bit more difficult and painful. The summit was great though, with a view of El Plomo and of the city below. I would only recommend it for those who have an idea where to find the trail head (somewhere there are some GPS coordinates on the internet) and don't mind scrambling towards the peak and back down again.

Photos from 09 I should've published: La Plaza de Bogotá

2010-02-18T18:24:00.000-03:00

In October of last year I traveled to Bogotá for work. During the trip I took a short tour of the main wholesale fruit market of the capital. It's full of all sort of tropical and imported fruit. I entered along with a receiver of the exporter where I work. It has its dirtiness and chaos, as does any fruit market in Latin America (in the north the are still crazy but a bit cleaner), but it is now a safe place. My guide for the day, who has worked in the market, or as it is referred to there, La Plaza, for more than 10 years, says today it is a safe and relatively good place to be working. Not the case 10 years ago when it was run by competing cartels.

Today it is the principal reception market for imported fruit that arrives to the port of Buenaventura.

In the photo above a worker is packaging plantains, that large banana looking fruit that is so delicious when fried. Ever tried one? They go great with pulled pork, baked beans and coleslaw.

Photos of 09

2010-02-15T21:38:00.000-03:00

So here are a few of the many photos I've been wanting to put up for a while.

I'll start off with a shot from just outside of La Grita, Venezuela. La Grita is a prime farming region that supplies a great deal of the rest of the coutry with vegetables. The crops are planted literally into the side of the mountain, some of them extremely steep! Small (1-2 hectare) plots with carrots, brocoli lettuce, strawberries and onion, among others are nestled into every growable nichesand corner. Above is from a little pond in some of the higher fields.

Solstice and those dreaded standardized tests

2009-12-21T16:40:00.003-03:00

So today is December 21st, the longest (or shortest depending on which hemisphere you are in) day of the year. I've always wanted to be in one of those pyramids in Egypt where the light shines perfectly through that one hole and then through the use of ancient mirrors and other wonders lightens up the inside and you can see ghosts. I think that's how it works. But I'm spending this one in Chile, where the December Solistice means its summertime and despite the cold spring, it is defintely feeling hot like summer should.

December 21 this year also means a day of reakoning for those Chileans who took the standardised test to get into the university. The PSU. It's one of those dreaded tests that dictates you future and the future of your children and their offspring. Do poorly and you'll be flipping burgers, do well and you'll be walking streets paved with gold and own a bit of them too. Well maybe its not that harsh but it feels something about so. We of course have our share of college entry exams in the US. I believe I took the SAT but didn't really care since I was going into the army right after high school. When I did finally go back to school I went first to a community college where you just have to have write a check that doesn't bounce (ok maybe you had to send transcripts and show your HS diploma) and then transferred to the university.

In Chile the whole university route is quite strict in the sense that what you choose at 18 will have a long standing mark on your professional life. Plus the degrees run about 6 years here. I'm very grateful that I was able to take the approach my father suggested: just get it done with, worry about what I will do for work later on. As a result I chose a major that I thought I would enjoy: studio art. It was a lot of fun and somehow I've managed to find work and even break into other areas without the degree that might have been required if I were Chilean.

But for your average Santagiuno even thinking that route is hard. Its not just the pressure from the family, from friends, from that always watching mass of society, it comes from within. How will you find work with an art degree from a good university, much less from a tier two school? Better to go with that Ingeniero Comercial route.

So the whole process starts with those dreaded PSU scores that were delivered today at noon. I hope things went well for everyone who took one all though it never works like that. But boy am I glad that Kirkwood Community College didn't ask me to take anything like that to get in. Who knows where I might be had it worked out like that.

All that social media stuff

2009-12-03T15:35:00.003-03:00

I had a friend here in Chile who recently left for the states to work at a power company as a "social media expert." I don't know what he does with his days or how a power company can better their business with social media like facebook, twitter or a blog. I suppose its about tracking their image and being aware of what people are saying, and maybe, just maybe having some sort of influence over it all.

I've long been interested in all that good stuff that allows you to post about your life through different media. But I'm hardly in control or manage to post on any sort of social media platform with any sort of frequency. The last post I wrote was months ago and gives you an idea of how long my absences have become.

When this blog started back in 2004 it was easier. I had just arrived in Chile and everything seemed so new and interesting. Just going to teach English classes was food for thought. But as time passes I've become more accustomed to my surroundings and need to reach deeper in order to keep my interest in the blog, let alone that of you...a devoted and returning reader.

But then came along facebook, then twitter, and those other strange sounding inventions that are supposed to make our lives better or at least more public. I guess you could call it a good thing even if privacy is obsolete. I have a twitter account and have tweeted once I think, but still people continue to follow. Not in any great quantity but here and there. Facebook has proved to be extremely useful, especially when it comes to keeping touch with my family and friends, who are scattered around the world in places as disperse as Iowa, Michigan, Germany and even the Philippines.

However the downside of Facebook is that the more I post or upload photos there, the less I seem to do it on the blog. In the end I would rather focus on the blog, it is mine, it has been around now for a while and in some ways it better reflects me. Facebook though guarantees a certain level of distribution of your thoughts.

So here is what I'm thinking: update with Twitter which goes then to the facebook page, write on the blog and link it from facebook, share the best photos on both the blog and on facebook.

So the dilemma continues. Any ideas?

Thus ends another trip

2009-08-25T12:06:00.005-04:00

So once again a long planned, long anticipated trip has come to an end. I spent the last three and a half weeks in Europe, visting family of my maternal grandfather and grandmother in two separate, amazing and large family reunions.

Some of these people I met on my first two trips to Germany, one 13 years ago the other 17 years ago. Things have obviously changed. My generation is quickly moving into the middle position, although there is only now one cousin expecting the next generation.

Some of the things that stand out from the trip:

Randomly running into my 86 year old grandfather in one of Germany's oldest breweries in Munich, the Hofbrauhaus. I had no idea he had arrived in Germany yet when on a trip to the bathroom between the liter sized steins, I almost bumped into him. We were both surprised. He had just finished his second liter with a group of random high school students from Illinois

The places themselves where the reunions were held were incredible. Kinsegg, located near Fussen and the Rosshof, south of Frankfurtwere picturesque settings for these gatherings. The sheer quantity of people was also impressive. Some 130-140 at the first and 40 at the second. Its nice to go to a country one hardly knows and have that sort of network already there.

I think about half my time I spent admiring the food. Both the renions had an excellent spread of Kuchens, sausages, salads, breads, sauces…makes me hungry just thinking of it. No better way to share time with those closest than over a plate of top grade grub.

And most of all the atitude of hospitality from our German hosts. I wish I spoke some German and it wasn't easy for all to communicate at all times, but there was a mutual, communal willingness among the group to welcome and share our lives and stories. Couldn't ask for better.

More photos to come!

Andergraun

2009-07-20T09:29:00.000-04:00

Chile's punks are hard core. The documentary "Andergraun" (a jarbaled version of "Underground" in Chilean) follows three punk bands in Valdivia. These bands are real Do-It-Yourself, no frills, lets go out and tag the walls and put up flyers for our next show that we drew type bands. While I'm not the biggest punk fan, I enjoyed the movie. It's the dream of starting a band in its purest form, or maybe rawest would be a better way to describe it.

Check out what I wrote about it on Revolver.

San Carlos de Apoquindo

2009-07-17T16:01:00.004-04:00

Last Saturday was a rarity. The weather was perfect: clear, warm with a good strong sun. Something that one learns to relish during a dreary Santiago winter. So we loaded up and headed to San Carlos de Apoquindo. The area is owned by the Universidad Catolica and serves as a sports/activities complex. They have everything from a football stadium to a polo field. But for me the best part is the network of trails that you can hike or bike. The main route leads you up to Alto Naranjo, one of the hills that make the route up to Cerro Provincia. But there are a number of other trails at San Carlos that will take you to some great look outs over the city.

Discovering the Plaza Ñuñoa.

2009-07-15T16:52:00.007-04:00

I like where I live. Ñuñoa is a community in Santiago located just south of Providencia. It is mostly residential, lots of trees, only recently have taller buildings made there way to the community, unfortunately taking away some of the great views of the San Ramon group of mountains towards the east.

As a muncipality Ñuñoa also has a lot going for it. Its the only community in Santiago that has a recyclng pick up service. It also has a free bus in the mornings (though it doesn't get quite far enough). There are a lot of free music shows in several of the plazas, including the Plaza Ñuñoa, near where I live.

The Plaza Ñuñoa also offers some great night entertainment: breweries, theater, live music, good happy hour specials all make it an attractive destination at night.

Revista Revolver just published a short guide I wrote to the night scene in Ñuñoa. I didn't go too far in depth into the places, and I probably left out a few goodies (La Isla, Butapest, to name a couple), but it gives you an idea of what is possible if you're looking to get to know the Plaza a bit more.

Republika 550 - After four years they've gotten run out

2009-07-15T16:08:00.004-04:00

Several weeks ago I wrote an article about Republika 550, an abandoned house that had been taken over by a cooperative of artists and used to over a whole bunch of art and performance related workshops. Check out the orginal article here.

Well today I saw in a couple of papers that the house had been "retaken," ie raided by police and the cooperative that has been using it, Akí, booted out. It's too bad but to me not that surprising. There was a lot of good that was being done there. There were a whole lot of activities going on and all for free. From clowns, painting, theater, urban graffiti to dance and more. For a moment, after all the legal steps were taken to kick the group out, there was some hope that maybe there would be some sort of arrangement. But it seemed at best a long shot. A stuttering bureaucratic state agency in charge of administrating this state owned, but abandoned houses; and a revolutionary/anarchist blend of artist activists who denounced regularly "the system" all coming together didn't seem too realistic.

The house its self needs a lot of work, and although Akí found a lot of creative ways to use the space, as well as cleaned up a decent amount of trash and done some redecorating, a much larger restoration effort is needed for that place. It's a beautiful house, but has been sitting there for too long without much upkeep. I wonder if had they been a bit more active in not just using it but improving it, things might be different.

But in any case I hope some of the creative energy invested into the place over the last four years will convince whoever is in charge of it now that a cultural center open to the public is the way to go forward.

We'll see.

Revolver Night tonight in Centro Arte Alameda

2009-07-08T09:23:00.003-04:00

Tonight is the one year anniversary and "official" launch of Revista Revolver, an online mag that covers music & culture here in Santiago (and Chile in general). It starts at 9.30pm at the Centro Arte Alameda. I'll be there at the door and pouring some wine (while it lasts). Then we got a couple live bands and a DJ. Come check it out, the CAA is a pretty cool place, has a bar upstairs and is only a block or so from Metro Baquedano.

4th of July at Santiago Radio

2009-07-06T22:56:00.003-04:00

In search of a more festive 4th of July atmosphere than Ñuñoa on a dreary saturday I headed to Santiago Radio's new studio, located in Barrio Suecia on Bucacrest 118. I visited Nick aka Nico Jah, and Jimmy Jam, probably Santiago's only english language reggae DJs, while they played some music over the internet broadcast.

The new studio is a huge step up from their garage styled operation in the back yard of Steve Anderson's Santiago Times in Bellavista. DirecTV is even providing sponsorship (big flat screen) in order to reach more gringos with a "English Spoken here" campaign. The place still is in the works, but should be open around August 1st. Check out their link above.

The new studio will also serve as a Café with a small setup of tables and couches for snacks and conversationl.

Back to the Basketball

2009-06-17T22:43:00.003-04:00

Today I played basketball for the first time in about 15 months. The last time I fell badly and dislocated my ankle from my leg. It was ugly, painful and put me in crutches for a month, physical therapy for weeks and off the court, bike, trails, even the sidewalk! But I've recoved. There is of course a need to be careful. I can't go for every rebound like Dennis Rodman used to do. But I can once again play. Feels great.

Looking Down on the City

2009-06-16T23:03:00.003-04:00

Photo by Kyle Weaver

It's been about a month and a half since I made it up to the top of San Ramon with a great group of guys. We ended up being eight, and managed to start the first day, about a six hour hike, pretty late around 4pm. The darkness turned it into an 8 hour climb this night. The end of the hike wasn't exactly pleasent. I struggled on each step up and the darkness only played more tricks on my tired mind and body. But on above me were the Andes, lit up by a lightening storm ever so and then. And the view over the valley as I passed the last bit of rock obstacles near the top shortly before midnight was grandiose. 6 million people and all their lights, all over a kilometer below me.

Chile vs Bolivia photo

2009-06-15T20:26:00.003-04:00

As I mentioned on my last post we went to the Chile - Bolivia game last week. Chile won squarely 4-0. Plenty of goals to celebrate. Another win and another step towards the World Cup in South Africa next year. It's been fun to watch them play and this game was no exception.

Vamos Chile

2009-06-10T12:49:00.004-04:00

The Chilean soccer team hosts Bolivia today and I've got tickets. Chile has played exceptionally well the last few games and is looking very good to qualify for the world cup. They even beat the top ranked team in South America, Paraguay, last Saturday. Should be a good game. VAMOS CHILE!

Getting back to the bike

2009-06-09T15:23:00.009-04:00

Last weekend I made it out to Huinganal, an area in La Dehesa witha a great set of mountain bike trails. It had been a while since the last time I'd been out there, and I had the same reaction that I did the last time I went overa year ago: Why do I not come out here more often?

Chile's hills, cerros and mountains are well suited the adventerous biker. The sport seems to be gaining a lot of momentum. Huinganal for one was packed, and this last summer saw the opening of the first downhill bike park near Santiago in La parva, one of the ski resorts located on the edge of the Andes.

The photos below are from the 2009 Panamerican Mountain Bike Championship, which were held in March up at La parva. These guys are fearless. There were riders from all over the Americas. (check out the article I wrote about it in Revista Revolver.
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The travel blog dilemma: what’s the next step?

2009-06-04T18:44:00.001-04:00

Today I should really start with that line but it would just be too obvious. My blogging suffers as a second tier activity in my life. No matter what it is that I seem to be doing with my day, the blogging never will get to be first in line. Even when I’m working in something that appears similar the blog gets less priority. In fact the more similarity my day tasks are, for example writing short articles for BNamericas nearly killed this blog, the less willing I am to focus on updating when the day’s work comes to a close.

There is another dilemma at the heart of all this. Why keep the blog? When I first started this blog back in November 2004 it was an unapologetic travel blog. Look at those stray dogs! The fresh fruit is cheap! The Plaza de Armas has a cathedral, etc, etc.

But as time goes by the day to day life in Chile appears less noteworthy. It’s a natural process of growing more comfortable with my surroundings. It’s a good thing, but it means that some of the things, or many I should say, that were a source of inspiration upon my arrival today are just another part of the backdrop.

So what’s next? I don’t know the answer to that one. I follow some other expat themed blogs here. There are several I like, others I don’t care much for. It’s too easy to fall into the trap of keeping a blog that serves as a sounding board for complaints and gripes. For me it has to have something more than just comments on the slow service, something else that appeals to the positive side of life, although the negative will always be there as well.

So, if after all this delay, you, dear reader, are still coming back here, I hope to promise you some things like:

Links to articles I’m writing on Revolver. These articles have a life/cultural/arts focus. Much different than my work at Yankee Group writing market research reports or my breaking news stories at BNamericas. They are definitely a more engaging article to write, although I still do like to talk about mobile handsets.

Photos, photos. I love to take photos. There are many that haven’t really seen the light of day and this is a good place to share them.

What else? I think that’s what is a bit unclear. Exactly what direction to take this blog in its post-travel era….

Sleeping dogs

2009-03-02T20:35:00.002-03:00

Street dogs rarely have it quite this good.

Santiago Places: Puerto Fuy

2009-02-26T12:23:00.003-03:00

So last night I went out with family for a nice dinner..we made it to Puerto Fuy, an upscale restaurant on Nueva Costanera that specializes in a sort of seafood inspired fusion. It's not exactly cheap, (prices per plate range from 11,000-15,000), but unlike some other restaurants in its price range it delivers on both quality and service, in fact I would say it does more than just deliver, it excels.

A good place for an out of the ordinary night out for a bite. And the host and waiter pay stations have cool mini tablet PCs with touchscreens.

La Ciudad de Fotografos

2009-02-24T10:42:00.003-03:00

Two weekends ago I made it to the outdoor documental film festival held in front of the museum of contemporary art in the barrio Bellas Artes. The documentaries were a collection of some historic reels -an interview with both Fidel Castro and Salavador Allende- and more contemporary titles as well.

The night finished with La Ciudad de Fotografos, a documentary by Sebastian Moreno about a group of photographers that documented public protests under the military regime. The film is told through the eyes of Moreno, whose whole recollection of the military government is based largely in the photographs taken by his father, one of photographers featured in the film.

These weren’t the foreign journalists working with Reuters or the AP, but rather Chileans who felt these events had to be captured on film and formed their own independent group to do so.

The film combined interviews with several of the photographers, the actual photos they had taken at the time and video that had been shot of them taking the photos during the protests.This was dangerous work, the military didn’t want these photos to get out. They had little options for publishing them due to government censorship. at times they would just hang them from their neck and walk through the center to get people’s attention. They were exposed to danger and the risk of detention at a time when people were going missing and being tortured.

While the documentary is about the photographers, it is also about those times that they lived and all the nuances of covering these public protests. It is also a tribute to how powerful photography is in shaping people’s perceptions. In one scene they show a magazine that is to be published, but all of their photos have been censured, every single one.

I highly recommend the film (not sure where you can find it though sorry, but the trailer can be watched here) to anyone who is a fan of photographer or interested in Chile's recent history.

Magic cheeses, Craigslist and the easy way out

2009-02-23T10:59:00.000-03:00

As a result Craigslist and several other websites aimed at freelancers have been a frequent destination for my web browsing. If you have spent anytime on Craigslist at all you know that there are quite a few of these posts that promise some high paying figure “working from home” or as a “distributor” of some strange sports gel.

It would be quite nice to just rake in the cash by clicking on web ads or surfing the internet. It would be the easy way out, but I do have to admit, it would also be insanely boring.

The urge to believe that these things might work (and who knows, maybe they do?) seems to be some sort of primordial belief. It goes hand in hand with hope and desperation. Looking for something new, something bigger that will come and lift you out of your hopeless (sic) situation.

In Chile this sensation seems strong. While most Chileans are spared the desperate poverty of some of their neighbors, Chilean slums are much nicer than across the border in Peru or Bolivia, but still there is a large mass of people barely scraping by that haven’t got the things or financial freedom afforded to even the lower middle class in the US.

As a result there are always stories arising in the evening news about the most recent scams. Recently there was a group that called their victims pretending to be a TV executive and told their victims if they brought more cash with them to the studio than other unknown contestants they would win a free house or something. The victim then arrives and is greeted by a nicely dressed individual, who takes their cash and walks off. Middle aged woman seemed particularly susceptible to this tactic.

But there is no scam that seems to have attracted as much attention, both before it was revealed and in the aftermath, as the case of the magic cheeses.

Another characteristic of Chile is that foreign sounding names or companies seem to gain an instant credibility. So when French born “Madame Gil” showed up as a representative of a company called Fermex Chile, people listened.

She had a niche market at her fingertips and was generous enough to cross the world in order to find some “investors.” Starting with a US$ 500 investment, her Chilean partners would manufacture in their home a sort of cheese that could then be used to make cosmetics. It was a market sure to grow and only took 10 days to produce.

The investors, or as we should call them, victims, lined up and bought her package, started making the cheeses and delivering them to Fermex. At first some received a return on their investment, thus intensifying the buzz around the Quesos mágicos.

The buzz grew to an obsession in some places. An entire town in the south of Chile, Coltauco, was almost completely involved. As the word on the street grew, people sold their possessions, even their houses to invest more in this supposedly booming industry. In total Chilean authorities estimate Madame Gil pocketed some US$ 27.8 million through the magic cheese scam.

Then one day she was gone. A continuing stream of TV documentaries and interviews in the paper followed.

Eventually she was caught and is on trial in France. Authorities there have rejected calls to extradite her to Chile. Her victims have organized and hired lawyers, and a judge from France even came to visit some of them. However the investigation moves at a snail’s pace and the chances of her victims recovering their cash seems slight at best.

I realize, maybe it is a stretch to compare the “get paid for doing almost nothing ads” on Craigslist to a magic cheese scam, but when I read pages like this, I can’t help but think of Madame Gil.

Dusting off the blog

2009-01-28T16:48:00.002-03:00

It's been another long and unannouced break from the blog. The last entry was in November. Since then life has been full and I just haven't squeezed the blogging as I should. I should at least put a photo up everyonce in a while.

But at least I've made it to sit down today. It's a new year and its summer...will have to keep this better updated....

Karate Kid

2008-11-18T22:46:00.002-03:00

I ran into a group practicing various forms of martial arts over the weekend. The guy in the back shouted the commands and the rest all jumped.

A Place for a Cat

2008-11-17T23:00:00.001-03:00

Taking a rest from the sun near Quinta Normal

The Chilean small business

2008-11-14T00:16:00.006-03:00

I’ve long been intrigued by the quantity of small businesses in Chile. This little shops that you past on the bus ride to where ever it is you are going, some of them packed, others always empty. Most you’ll never walk into but in Santiago I’m always aware of their existence.

This fascination has prompted me to walk into them with my camera and explore them visually. Most people are pretty open to the lens, while others or not. Some have suspected me of being some sort of salesman, others simply just don’t care and a few sit and talk to me about their lives.

In any case I haven’t gotten out as much as I would like. I’ve posted two other entries (here and here) on a couple of the places I’ve been to in recent weeks.

A personal post to the world….a wedding in Chile

2008-11-12T20:09:00.003-03:00

Last Friday I had the civil wedding (i.e the legal paperwork) with my Chilean girlfriend of nearly four years. When I landed in Chile I knew on October 12, 2004 I knew it would be the trip of the lifetime, but I didn’t know why. At the time I didn’t know how long I would stay. It was an emotional moment and I have to say I feel a bit more Chilean after living it. It was a small event and afterwards we drank too much wine and champagne.

All I know is that I’m very lucky to found the love that I have in this world.

I’ve gotten to know her family quite well and feel completely welcome in their company.

I tried to get my mother involved through a video chat. We chat frequently online and rarely lose the signal. But this day it refused to work. Turns out that shortly before my father passed away of cancer the discussion arose as to whether he could participate in the wedding ceremony (coming later this month) via video chat. He was against it, thought it too intrusive. His presence was strong that day, he was with us I could just feel it.

Chilean researchers turn to Mapuche medicinal plant to fight brain cancer

2008-11-10T18:09:00.003-03:00

Last Thursday Chilean researchers annouced they have isolated anti-carcinogenic compounds in a indigenous medicinal plant used traditional to treat an upset stomach that they believe can be used to eventual fight brain cancer in humans.

Led by Dr. Rolando Martinez of the Universidad Austral in Valdivia along with researchers from the Universidad Andres Bello and doctors from the Barros Luco Hospital, the project will move into an advance stage treating lab animals with brain cancer and then humans.

Martinez and his team focused on isolating anti- carcinogenic chemicals in the Leptocarpha rivularis, used by the Mapuche to treat an upset stomach, to attack cancer cells. Research using the plant has shown the natural derivatives force proteins from the cancerous cells to start a process that corrects the infected cell’s DNA. Moreover tests have shown the compound has no impact on healthy cells.

The first two phases of the project, conducted over the last twenty years, focused first on creating brain cancer among lab rats and then treating it with the compound. The second phase then focused on liver cancer among terminally ill volunteers. The third phase will focus on Chilean patients with brain cancer.

Researchers, however, expect more complications from the third phase due to the limited amount of people with brain cancer in Chile willing to participate in such a study.

Leptocarpha rivularis is a plant known in Chile as “palo negro”, stands at a meter and a half and is found in the south of Chile. The plant has been used for generations by the Mapuche people, one of Chile’s last surviving indigenous groups.

Riding a bike in Santiago, Chile

2008-11-06T20:25:00.003-03:00

So as my work situation hit a period of change recently I've had the opportunity to work in new areas, one of them in tourism. Specifically I'm giving bike tours of Santiago with La Bicicleta Verde.

The two tours I'm currently working on focus on La Chimba, the area north of the Mapocho, i.e. La Vega, Patronato, etc. The other one takes you through a bit of providencia, parque Bustamante, Plaza Italia, Lastarria, Santa Lucia, etc. Its a very interesting thing to be doing because it forces you to learn a whole lot more about the terrain you are showing to tourists. As a storyteller this gives me another reason to be perusing the internet for odds and ends about these eclectic barrios.

The Big Day

2008-11-04T18:33:00.006-03:00

Today is the day. This is a huge election and such a crazy and unstable time. I think Obama is who we need to start the healing process of the last eight years, it won't be easy. It sounds like an awful job to have in fact, but I think he will move us in the right direction.

RN Rio de Los Cipreses: Great place for trekking in Chile

2008-11-03T20:03:00.006-03:00

Over the weekend Caro and I went to Reserva Nacional Rio de los Cipreses, located just to the south of Santiago. I was quite impressed by the park. It features a long trail going from the entrance to the very end with numerous extensions along the way. There are several high mountain peaks that can be climbed. A relatively flat trekking that can be done through the valley plus glaciers, waterfalls and lots of green. I highly recommend it as a long weekend getaway.

Above: the town nearest to the park, Coya, is an interesting little place. Many of the political flyers leftover from last weeks election were still up. Including this one, Por el Huaso que quiere

They have been reintroducing Pumas to the park and have some sort of protection program going. We didn't get to see one though.

Plenty of quality hiking and the trail I think could be done on a mountain bike as well as long as you don't mind hauling it over rivers.

Some great peaks line the borders of the park.

Pure campo as you drive into the park.

We both had a great time....highly recommend the getaway!

50 Cent in Chile

2008-10-30T23:05:00.005-03:00

As luck would have it I ended up at a 50 Cent press conference (no, I'm being serious here).

I'll admit I don't have any of his music in my iTunes, but you can't deny that he is a big name so it was interesting to be right in front of him. I was expecting someone a lot more aggresive, but in person he seemed pretty laid back and interested to be in Chile.

He's performing in Chile and Colombia, which he said were the two countries in Latin America he hasn't been to yet or had any of his albums go gold or platnum. There was a good show out of tabloid press, TVN, CQC, etc. The Chilean press seemed very fascinated with some of his eccentric requests. What I heard there (before his entry) was that he needed 20 black and 20 white towels....he asked for lots of mirrors in his room? He ate his chicken with no skin on it? It was a very strange voyage into the curiousities of the farandula focused media in Chile.

Then he talked. He doesn't really understand what they are saying in most reggaetone songs, but he understands the rythms. He came to Chile because he wants to say he has been everywhere. He writes his lyrics about the violence, the streets because expressing the experience through music is a peaceful way of dealing with it. That's the kind of statement I would say bullshit if I read it but hearing someone say it and mean it was something different. The guy next to him had an Obama hat on, which got a bit of attention as well, and 50 said he wanted a president white, black, just a president that is a good president, but the other guy was all about Obama.

I asked him if he liked Chilean girls. He said he hadn't seen any that would scare him away.

There were some other questions, there was a sort of hesitation but interest between the Chilean press and the three man group. Then Caiga Quien Caiga, which if you've ever seen the show you know how they are, gave him some gift and asked him for one in return (a T-shirt or something), but they were so serious. It was very weird of them to be like that, maybe I just didn't get the joke. That's happened before.

Municipal Elections in Chile

2008-10-28T11:04:00.000-03:00

On Sunday Chileans went to the polls to choose their mayors and city council. Municipal governments are quite important in Chile since there is no real regional (or state) power, just the city and central government. Therefore many decisions about everyday life (from zoning to taxes, recycling, adult education, cultural events, etc) are passed on to the municipal government.

Moreover the elections this year drew a lot of attention as they serve as a sort of barometer of how people might vote for the presidential elections to be held next year.

The overwhelming consensus that one can glean from the municipal results is that the right wing is much stronger today. Bolstered by corruption and transparency scandals, a lack of leadership, a disastrous transportation system, the Alianza, made up of Chile two right wing parties the UDI and RN, seem to be in their best position to actually win their first presidential election in decades.

The incumbent government, the Concertación (the coalition), is a grouping of three center to center left parties (the DC, PS and PDI). The coalition was formed in 1989 when Chileans voted Pinochet out of office in a nationwide referendum. However as years have gone by, the need to unite against the military and Pinochet (who died in 2006) and the effect of being in power for almost 20 years seems to have weakened the coalition as an institution.

The future candidate with the most momentum today is Sebastian Piñera, a billionaire from the RN party. The prevailing logic states that if he is so good at business, he must be good at running a country as well, right? I get a bit nervous when I think of billionaires (and all of their assets) being trusted to run the country in a way that is best for the general good of the country not just good for their business interests. These people get to where they are by following their own vision, but does that vision include everyone else?

I definitely think that the Concertación is in a very weak position and some change would be good for how business is done at a government level. However I have a hard time being as outraged at the Chilean government as most Chileans, but that’s because after watching Bush dismantle my country and take the world along with it in a bloody, criminal fashion, some light corruption scandals and a poorly envisioned public transportation system seem like a paradise.

In any case watching the municipal elections as a foreigner is always a bit puzzling and interesting. The main strategy to get elected is create a large, up to 2 meter tall sign inverted V shaped sign with your photo and a catchy phrase (or not). Something like, “we are with you.” Then reproduce that sign a thousand times over and set them right next to each other on the street. I find it hard to believe that it really influences people, but I guess in some sort of way it must. In any case it’s a boon for street dogs (hence the photo) and teenage vandals that poke out the eyes and color in the teeth.

Better late than never....

2008-10-21T11:59:00.002-03:00

So I wanted to get a post up last week....but didn't get around to it.

Last week on Wednesday October 15th I turned 30 years old. Quite the milestone, its hard to believe how time has flown by, especially since I arrived to Chile in 2004. That was the other milestone, on Oct. 11th I hit my four year mark in Chile. A week of reflection and a bit of celebration was in order. On my birthday I went to what is my second soccer game ever and my first in Chile against their arch rivals, neighbors and a historically very successful team, Argentina. There have been quite a few occasions where people have asked me if I wanted to go or that I had considered going, but it never happened.

Never seemed like the right time.

The wait paid off. Chile played their best and beat Argentina 1-0. Really should've been at least 2, or even 3-0. They really did beat Argentina. This is the biggest thing that could happen to the Chilean national team. Winning the world cup would only be bigger if they had to beat Argentina to do so. Moreover, Chile has never beat Argentina in a world cup elimination round, and it has been 98 years since they beat them in any situation at all (i.e a friendly match).

Radiohead in Chile?

2008-10-10T19:15:00.002-04:00

That's what the rumor is. There was an article in El Mercurio as well as talk in Argentina about a Latin American tour.....I sure hope so. Supposed to be in April or March 2009 and would be in the SandeaApoquindopoquindo stadium.

Oktoberfest in Chile

2008-10-09T16:57:00.004-04:00

So its about time for the 2008 Oktoberfest that will take place just outside of Santiago from October 30- November 6. Its an excellent opportunity to try the growing selection of Cerveza Artesanal. I went two years ago and was quite impressed by the number of breweries on hand. This year there are supposed to be around 30 micro brews and the event should see some 40,000 visitors.

Prost!

Change

2008-10-06T09:59:00.001-04:00

Damn it’s been a long time since I updated this blog. A lot has happened since I updated this blog. A period of pretty intense change has struck my life, some of it very welcome, some of it surprising but in the end probably positive and some just plain difficult and painful.

Some of the change is still coming and very good. I will get married later on this year. (Actually I still need the official date from the Municipal government here, but the registro civil continues on strike, grrrr). This is a positive change and one that is planned and welcomed.

Other changes are also brewing. I have been working for a year as a telecoms analyst, researching and writing in-depth market research reports on subjects like machine to machine technologies in Latin America, the rise of smartphones, prepaid vs postpaid mobile subscribers and WiMAX, etc. However the company downsized and rather quickly laid off almost half of its analysts, myself included. So this change has been unexpected, but not entirely unwelcome. Sure I will miss the stability and paycheck that this job provided. But it is also an immense opportunity to expand my focus to new areas and expand my craft past just writing. More to come on that one as it develops.

But then there are the changes that we all know will come to us one of these days but that are completely unwelcome and painful: the loss of loved ones. My father fought a long battle with cancer. First it appeared as colon cancer and after a major operation and intense chemo session he recovered. Then several years later it returned as prostrate cancer.

I remember when he told me about it, I almost left Chile right away. I think about now how different the last few years would’ve turned out had I done that. I stayed because he wanted me to continue with what I was doing and I didn’t feel finished. We communicated via email and video chat on a regular basis and all my free time I could muster was spent going back to the states to visit him.

In that time I managed to get into journalism as a reporter and then got the job as an analyst, which gave my father and I, who was a journalism professor for over 30 years not too mention an editor, photographer and writer in the past, a whole new dialogue. I never really thought that was the path I would go down when I came to Chile. But it worked its self out somehow. So despite the distance I think we were able to develop the relationship even a step further. Many people, especially Chileans, have really questioned why I would be in Chile if my father was fighting cancer. But this development of a common trade has put us closer in mind than we ever could’ve been had I moved physically closer to him by going home.

Over the last year (since August 2007), I have been able to make four trips home. I have been able to bring my Chilean fiancé Caro to Iowa City on three occasions now. The urgency that the cancer created really made it a priority to get home when it was possible, sometimes it was my job that brought me back, other times it was just to visit. I can honestly say that I think we made the most of it with the two and a half years that we had.

But of course we knew that there was a day coming where things would change, and like clockwork that day came, and we lost my father last month. I got to be there for that and share with my family. We had a great service for him, surrounded by the people he influenced over the years as a friend, father, teacher and advisor.

But now that I’m back in Chile, the full magnitude of these changes is becoming clear. I don’t fear it, as long as I’m being proactive in embracing new possibilities. In trying to develop my professional and personal selves actively and not dwelling too much on the weight of the situation.

And what better time to be back in Chile than in the spring time when the mountains are green and still have snow but the weather is nice?

World Press Photo

2008-07-25T19:24:00.003-04:00

I went about a week ago (maybe it was a bit longer than that) to the World Press Photo. This is the third year I've seen it. In Santiago it usually passes through the Centro Cultral de Las Condes. The place gets some good shows but this is one of my favorites. The photos are very good, very serious and can be a bit overwhelming. They go to show you how watered down our newspaper images are, and how powerful photography is as a story telling medium. This year my favorite was a series of photos taken in the moments before and after a suicide bomber attacked Benazir Bhutto. There is one of her adjusting her veil in the last seconds of her life that is simple but very very powerful. In any case if you aren't familiar with the World Press Photo and you like photography or the news its worth checking out.

Santiago places: Bar Constitución

2008-07-23T15:54:00.003-04:00

So last weekend I made it out with Caro to Bar Constitución, located in Bellavista along Constitución (the street parallel to Pionono where all the nicer restaurants are). The place has gotten a fair amount of attention and attracts a mid twenties and younger crowd. The bar itself is set up nicely, although the wall that faces it is made of crappy unpainted wood that doesn't mix with the rest of the place. It has a DJ stand and the place fills up quickly after 11pm. The place even has some good microbrews hard to find in most bars...Mestra, Kross, Capital....all a plus.

Everything seemed nice upon walking in, but it all went down from there.

Service in Chile isn't very good in general, but this place was an extreme. The service was horrible!

The waiter took forever to even bring a menu...the first round took quite a while...the second one I had to get up and ask if I could just walk around the bar and pour myself a beer..then they just stopped attending to us at all...and it has that stupid system quite popular in Chile where you pay in one line and then go to another to get the actual drink. Then when we finally got the bill they over charged us. Plus while I was at the bar just trying to get them to bring more drinks the staff was running around with all these bills all confused like they had lost someone's tab or something. It gave the impression that there was no manager and never had been one.

So its a place that has potential as long as you don't require food or drinks!

Olympic Gold Medals: Extracted from Chile

2008-07-19T13:34:00.005-04:00

So this news is a bit old but I found it pretty interesting anyways. The medals that will be used for the upcoming Beijing olympics were made from metals in Australia and Chile. In fact the gold medals, all 2,000 of them, were made from gold extracted from Escondida, a gold mine located in the Atacama desert. The metal was then refined in China for their final form.

Interesting tidbit of albeit trivial info, something to pull out at random moments in cocktail parties and quite elevators.

Auctioning Lost Luggage

2008-07-16T22:43:00.002-04:00

Every wonder what happened to that bag that continues to circle the baggage claim belt?...round and round it goes while you start to worry whether the (American) airlines has again lost your luggage.

Well if it goes unclaimed long enough in Chile, they will auction it for charity!

I have to say I was surprised by it all. It was auctioned, as I understand, by LAN Chile and the airport and the earnings went to support an NGO that builds houses for poor people.

The suitcases were sold of course without knowing what was inside. Seems like such a curious event, just imagine what you might find folded/hidden/stuffed/vibrating/nicely wrapped with a bow in that suitcase.

The Flower Lady: A Slideshow Story

2008-07-15T13:11:00.004-04:00

So I've been wanting (and others have urged) to put some of my photos together into stories as a slide show with a narrative and everything...so here is a little test run of some photos I took a month or two ago in the Plaza Ñuñoa. Hope you like it.

Back in Chile-Back on the Blog

2008-07-14T15:06:00.000-04:00

So its time for one of those I haven’t updated the blog for a long time type entries. It just seemed to get pushed further down on my list of priorities. I’ve been busy, I’ve been traveling, yadayadayada

I made it to Iowa to see the family. It was flooded, very flooded. But the weather was wonderful. It was nice to wear shorts and a short sleeve shirt. I also got to see the fourth of July for the first time in a long time…I think its been about four years now. Last time I was completely sick of all the flag stuff, all the patriotism, it just made me sick. This time around after not living in the US for three and a half years there was something nice about it, go figure. I even got to light off some bottle rockets with my brother.

So we’ll say that I’m back on the blog, there will be entries again, and again. Or at least I hope so.

What about the pets? Update

2008-05-14T20:49:00.002-04:00

Thought I'd just add something to my post from yesterday....The pets (a hundred of them or so at least..they say there are 500 more still behind) have been rescued. From the photos in the press it looked like all dogs. I'm sure we'll see this on Animal Planet or something.

Chile in Headlines: What about the pets?

2008-05-13T18:31:00.004-04:00

So its been well over a week since Chaiten, a volcano in the far south of Chile, started bellowing ash, smoke and lava. The town, which holds the same name, has been evacuated, the last member was just recently pulled out. But recently there has been a fair amount of attention on "what will happen to Fido?" What about the pets?

The government said late this weekend that it would allow a small group to enter the restricted area to feed the animals, but hasn't authorized actually pulling the animals, estimated to be aruond 1,400 strong, out of the area.

Now my guess is that they don't want to add to the logistical nightmare they are already facing with just the people. Adding dogs to the living space, not too mention the bill, would just be more than the state had in mind.

But it does raise some interesting issues. Is a dog a member of the family? Who decides this? How can the state punish people for poorly treating animals if it doesn't care for them in times of need?

I guess the cynic in me says, if the discussion is surrounding what to do about pets, then things are going pretty well for a natural disaster. But then, what about Fido? Will he be left to just eat pigeons and lap dogs?

El Regalon

2008-05-12T17:53:00.002-04:00

After an extremely filling meal at what might be one of the best restaurants around Santiago...Calypso, Caro and I rested in a field behind the eating area (the food is rich and the wine is strong so they have some comfy chairs and hammocks to rest in)...we were visited by a large but friendly dog.

A spot to enjoy

2008-05-08T19:22:00.003-04:00

I felt going to the archives and pulling up something from the past.

From Termas Geometricas which is just north of Villarica. The place is stunning, with a very nice infrastructure that flows perfectly with the narrow canyon, waterfalls and massive green plants that form the nature around it. Not to mention the 17 naturally heated pools that it has. A true gem.

Although a lot has happened here in Chile over the last 9,000 years:

2008-05-07T18:00:00.004-04:00

There is one thing that has never happened.

Pic from National Geographic (who else would have it)

Until this last week. On May 2 a Volcano in the far south -Chaitén- blew its lid. After a couple days or so of puffing smoke ash it has started to spew fire and ash, as in the photo above, mixed with lightening. Yesterday saw some of the biggest explosions yet.

The event is nothing minor, ash has reached as far as Buenos Aires and forced the evacuation of the entire area. Luckily there aren’t any major urban centers nearby. But on the news I saw a dog left behind, lying at the front door of his house with a sad face.

I was lucky enough to see a different Volcano, Llaima, erupt in January, near Temuco. But this is something much bigger, and notable, since it has been dormant so long. It makes you wonder about those four or five dormant monsters on the edge of the capital.

Catching a Taxi at the Santiago airport- what not to pay

2008-05-06T18:05:00.000-04:00

Today El Mercurio reported that airport authorities will be darkening all of the glass around the doors where passengers enter the main terminal from the arrival area to combat “pirate” taxis that have charged up to 200,000 Chilean pesos for a ride to the city. For a bit of context, hiring one of the official airport taxi chains costs between 12,000-15,000 pesos depending on how hard you push for a bargain and where you are going.

I don’t know who these foreigners are that arrive so completely clueless as to what the going rate of a taxi ride is from the airport. Ripping off arriving visitors at the airport is a con job performed round the world. So if you are coming to Chile, save yourself the headache and just hire an official taxi or a “transfer” shuttle bus.

Although probably perfectly legal, the price inflation also applies to hotels. I went to meet someone passing through Chile at their hotel -The Sheraton- just yesterday. I took a cab from Ñuñoa and paid about 3,500 pesos. When I was leaving I asked the hotel staff how much a hotel taxi would cost to the same place: 7,000 pesos...double the price!

Remembering the heat

2008-04-29T21:12:00.002-04:00

Seems like quite a while now that I didn't hesitate to put on shorts and a short sleeve t-shirt. Those days have slipped by a bit too fast and now the cold winter without good inside heating looms.

It all makes me feel a bit dreary, especially since I'm pretty reduced in movement thanks to a sprained ankle sustained in a basketball game.

In fact we even had rain just yesterday. The seasons move forward, the stories coming from family in the US is now of spring, its warming up there after a long nasty winter. So bring it on now, I got out my thick wool sweaters and wear them all to often, and winter really hasn't even fully began.

The N95 street view: Gotta light?

2008-04-08T22:23:00.001-04:00

A friendly light at the local shoperia.

So I took this with my Nokia N95...I sometimes forget that my phone has such a good camera, so in order to force myself to use it a bit more I'm going to start posting some shots from the "street" view using the phone. Hope you enjoy.

The Junk Food Alternative

2008-04-04T20:23:00.003-04:00

Along one of the main arteries in Santiago Leonardo opened a shop about three years ago. He owned the building so its overhead was low. So he took aim at what he thought was a problem in Chile: too much junk food.

Soy mayonnaise, peanuts with salt, with garlic, hot pepper, even healthy dog food for the family pet. Everyday you can find him manning his post, watching the street, speaking to the occasional visitor, trying to bring a bit more health to the Chilean diet.

Chilenas en China

2008-03-31T19:45:00.003-04:00

My Chilena goes China in Shangai.

Taking Flight

2008-03-19T19:14:00.002-03:00

The textures in this photo were what caught my eye.

Five Years

2008-03-19T12:59:00.002-03:00

Nothing to do with Chile, but worth mentioning anyways. Its been five years since the US invaded Iraq. Feel safer?

Reuters has put together a multimedia site telling some of the stories that its staff has experienced and witnessed over these last five years.

Contemplation

2008-03-18T15:36:00.002-03:00

What is he thinking about?

Show up early to get a parking spot

2008-03-17T15:20:00.004-03:00

As with all parking always best to have a reserved spot.

Dusk hits Algarrobo

2008-03-13T12:27:00.004-03:00

As the sun slips past the horizon the sea comes inland while the moon rises. What in the afternoon was a peaceful rock to sit on and enjoy the sea air is now feeling the full brunt of Pacific waves.

Chile In Headlines: Chile cracks down on Gringo "illegals"

2008-03-12T10:56:00.004-03:00

The Chilean Interior department has deported three US citizens for working illegally in Chile as fly fishing guides in Aisén, located in the far south of the country.

According to a report in Emol the three gringos didn't have a work permit and weren't paying taxes either.

This comes right after the same department wrapped up an amnesty campaign for Latin American foreigners, granting thousands of visas to Peruvians, Ecudorians, Brazilians, etc, but not to US citizens.

Algarrobo: A Place of Love and Heineken

2008-03-10T23:36:00.002-03:00

Need I say more?

Ok...but only because you insist....

Made it to the beach, the salty air refreshed me once again, in a little nook where things are almost ideal...or at least close enough.

Chile In Headlines: Wal-Mart in Talks with D&S

2008-03-10T20:47:00.000-03:00

So just last week D&S and Falabella officially dropped plans to merge their operations after Chile’s anti-trust commission rejected the proposed merger.

I said it would be good for Chile, good for small business, but if Wal-Mart buying D&S and entering Chile is the alternative…then hey bring on the merger!

Citing "industry sources" El Mercurio reported that D&S and Wal-Mart have been in talks since “shortly after the merger ended.” Not that entering the market would be easy. US retailers have failed before trying to get into Chile. (JC Penny and Home Depot for example) But Wal-Mart partnered with a successful local firm? Could get traction.

The news has already caught people's attention: the Santiago stock exchange suspended trade on D&S' stock until they clarify what is going on. D&S was quick to deny the rumors, but it was enough to raise at least a few eyebrows.

Riding with the furious

2008-03-06T17:27:00.004-03:00

This week was the monthly ride of "Ciclistas Furiosos," in which a couple hundred bike Fanatics get together and ride down the streets during rush hour. It was a nice ride that went into some of the older parts of Santiago where I wouldn't even think of riding at night alone. It brought out all sorts: hippies, kids, office workers, dogs, and even a rat.

Chile In Headlines: Energy Crunch

2008-03-06T11:30:00.003-03:00

Chile's government has been forced to take measures in order to ensure that its electrical grid can supply enough energy to meet demand. Rainfall shortages have meant that its hydro electrical dams haven't been able to produce enough electricity to keep up.

The government has created a special commission to deal with the problem. They have created a list of things people can do to decrease their own consumption: use energy saving light bulbs, shut off the computer when you aren't using it, don't defrost food in the microwave, among others. The congress has also passed a law requiring electrical companies to invest and use renewable energies as well.

The crunch has also meant several controversial dams projects will also get the green light from the government. Despite the measures taken, authorities still won't rule out that mandatory blackouts could become necessary in the not so distant future.

Late Night Liquor Store

2008-03-05T22:59:00.002-03:00

In the Headlines: Bond comes to Chile

2008-03-05T12:14:00.003-03:00

Soy Bond, James Bond....

James Bond will be coming to Chile to shoot the latest flick "The Quantum of Solace." 007 starts shooting on Monday, March 10 and will spend most of his time in the north near Antofagasta.

According to an article in El Mercurio they will shoot a couple of fight scenes that involve two Land Rovers and also film at the Paranal Observatory.

Beach Dogs

2008-03-04T12:56:00.002-03:00

Living the hard life of a beach dog.

In the Headlines: Retailers drop merger

2008-03-04T11:20:00.000-03:00

Today two of Chile’s largest retailers Falabella and D&S dropped plans to merge their operations into Latin America’s second largest retailer after it was rejected earlier this year by the country’s anti-trust commission.

The merger would have created a Chilean Walmart with a whole lot of power to influence the price of everything from food to domestic electronics to clothes and furniture. Falabella is a department store, something like Sears, and D&S owns one of the country's largest supermarket chains: Lider.

Critics argued it would destroy small businesses and give the company too much power over its providers, while others said it was necessary for the consolidated firm to compete internationally.

I think it is a good sign since it gives more opportunity for small business, there are so many ma and pa stores that would suffer from the conglomerate coming together.

Born to Ride

2008-03-03T18:17:00.002-03:00

Nothing could stop this little guy.

Santiago places: La Feria

2008-03-03T16:16:00.001-03:00

So over the weekend I made it to this place: Club La Feria. Located in Bellavista it has been described to me as the best place for electronic music in Santiago, and a really good club. Add to that the 6000 peso entry (the mid tier places usually charge around 3000 pesos and give you a crappy rum and coke) that comes without a free drink and I got my expectations up for something really nice.

The pluses of the place: The DJ knew how to DJ, how to do a transition (no trance followed by AC/DC which can happen in a place with a “typical” Chilean DJ, no 80s music..etc). The place had a fairly interesting look to it as well. The bar tenders could make a drink and take money. (Many places have two separate lines, one to pay one to get your drink), and they also were more like bar tenders, if they saw you needed something they came to you.

But the negatives: Needed something more visual, I think they have a TV, but for a place where the DJ is center stage and all he is doing is pushing play on the laptop, video is important. The drinks were a bit expensive 3500 for rum or vodka, 4000 for whiskey, 2000 for a bottle of beer, and it was very small.

So if you really want to dance to some electronic music it is worth it, but just make sure to bring enough cash.

In the Headlines: Bachelet calls on Colombia to explain itself after weekend attack on the FARC in Ecuador

2008-03-03T13:45:00.004-03:00

So the political drama unfolding between Colombia and its neighbors has been at the center of attention in Chile, where the country’s President Michelle Bachelet called on the Colombian government to explain its actions following an attack on FARC rebels that spilled over into Ecuadorian territory.

According to a report on El Mercurio’s site, Bachelet spoke with other leaders in South America and is ready in intervene as an intermediary to resolve the conflict. She called it “worrisome” and said that Colombia owes Ecuador an explanation as to how and why it crossed into its territory.

If you missed it, Colombia bombed a FARC camp located about 2km into Ecuadorian territory on Saturday, killing the FARC’s #2 man: Luis Edgar Devia, aka "Raúl Reyes." The FARC have long been suspected of hiding out in Ecuador and Venezuela to escape the Colombia military.

The attack generated strong reactions from Hugo Chavez, who has recently clashed with Colombia’s Alvaro Uribe over negotiations to free FARC held hostages. Chavez warned Uribe that it would be war if he did the same in Venezuela started amassing troops at the border. He also accused the US as having backed the attack as well.

Colombia had a shot at one of its enemy’s at it took it despite the potential fall out that we are seeing today. Authorities in the US have accused Venezuela of providing shelter to the FARC to conduct their kidnappings and use as a corridor for drug trafficking, something Chavez has denied. Granted I wouldn’t expect Colombia to take any aggressive action. Let’s hope cooler heads prevail at this point.

Center of the Community

2008-03-02T12:49:00.003-03:00

Heading towards the mountains in Chillan there are a surprising number of Evangelical churches. Many are like this one in the photo, small little shacks that draw the local huasos to worship. There are hardly any real towns in this area, just roads with houses, farms and shacks on the side. The nearest town is basically an intersection with a couple stores and a restaurant. So this little church is the closest thing to community for miles and miles.

The only other establishment is, of course, a liquor store across the street.

Linares Chile by Night

2008-02-29T22:45:00.003-03:00

Night time hits in Linares, Chile where Carolina and I were stranded due to what we now (almost a week alter the fact) know was probably due to a bad batch of oil. So part of the engine nearly caught on fire and the whole car shut down while we were going about 120 Km/hr.

Luckily Carolina has one of these roadside assistance insurance plans. They came to the rescue and put us up in a (crappy) hotel with a view of the center of town, La plaza de armas de Linares…imagínate!

It’s a lot like many small Chilean towns that I’ve had the chance to see. For some reason I thought of Salamanca, where I stayed over the course of 20 weeks while teaching English at a copper mine a little less than three years ago. For some reason though the place was pretty lively, not in a New York sort of way, but rather in a lets get ice cream or pizza or beer kind of way. Plus every single teenager was in one side of the plaza, while the older youth of Linares gathered around the perimeter of the place listening to music in their cars. But no one was doing the time honored activity of “crusin the loop,” despite the fact that this plaza, well actually any of them for that matter, seems built to do circles round.

So we saw it for a second, and then returned to the fourth floor of the crappy hotel (where I should say the clerk had a porn movie going on in a small TV below the counter. We couldn’t see it, but we could hear it, real classy place, but free) and I watched the flow of people and cars pass by the strange wolf or dog statues they had in each corner of the plaza. Why they were there?...A mystery.

a midnight scene under the moon

2008-02-29T10:56:00.003-03:00

Facing the Andes under a full moon as the generator hits the bottom of the fuel tank the pool took on an almost mystic quality. The moon was bright enough to draw shadows beneath the trees and light my way.

Best friend for five minutes

2008-02-28T21:04:00.003-03:00

One of the things I enjoy about wandering around in Chile is that you meet lots of random street dogs. Some of them are in a sad state, some of them are as free and as happy as doggedly possible. This guy was somewhere in between.

Fresh Fruit

2008-02-27T16:29:00.004-03:00

Along the highway are tons of these small fruit stands where you can walk away with boxes of fresh and extremely cheap fruit. We came across this one en route to a mountain cabin in Chillan.

Movistar's 3G

2008-02-19T17:23:00.003-03:00

So I went out today to sign up for Movistar Chile's 3G offer. They are still marketing it for laptops, I think they may have one or two handsets offered through their store that can use the HSDPA network.

So among the things they say:

600kbps downlink
Same coverage as GSM voice signal
It will be activated today

It is a bit pricey at this point..about 30,000 pesos a month. Hopefully that will come down soon, but I imagine it could take a little while.

Why did I get it? I wanted to be able to work from wherever I please and not depend on some Cafe's crappy WiFi signal. I want to also be able to use it on my phone...I won a Nokia N95 last year when they launched it here and haven't really been able to take advantage of some of its advanced features..save the 5megapixel camera...which took the photo in the header, and the MP3 player.

So we'll see how the service goes.

How do you know you are not much of a "mountaineer"

2008-02-18T14:26:00.002-03:00

When you have to be rescued by a helicopter from Cerro Manquehue. Granted its a bit steep in some parts, and if you get off course you could get into some pretty nasty areas. But it is one of the easiest climbs around Santiago and at around 1600 meters it is pretty small for Chile. It isn't really part of the Andes. Several of the taller peaks surrounding Santiago stretch past 5,000 meters, to put it in perspective.

Having said that though it is a fun hill to "summit". Unfortunately it has no sort of protection or caretakers, so in many places people have written on rocks, littered or worse. More its known to be a bit dangerous thanks to thieves that pray on lone hikers. Best to go in a group. But despite some of its down points its definitely worth a try, it has a great view of the city and the mountains around it. Just download the route from Andeshandbook.cl first and don't end up like these four who were rescued. What's next? Aerial rescue from Cerro Santa Lucia?

Santiago in February

2008-02-17T12:19:00.001-03:00

I always have associated February as a time of cold, thanks to the homeland of Iowa. It was always the coldest month, the month when winter becomes a bit too much to deal with and thoughts turn to the upcoming springtime, even if it is still several months off.

In Santiago though, with the seasons upside down, it is the peak of summer. Hot scorching days (though it’s a dry heat) mark the second month of the year. Its also prime time for vacations and traveling. As such the city feels almost deserted at times. I went outside this morning to find a newspaper and every single kiosk within three blocks of my apartment (about four of them) were closed.

When I first arrived in Chile February was the off season, since I was teaching English. It was part of the three month period that lasts from late December into mid March where there is no work. So I traveled. I rambled through the north of Chile, then onward to Peru and Bolivia one year. The next year Carolina and I went to Torres Del Paine for a 12 day trek. Two years straight of great travel and new experiences.

Not the last two years though, full time work has meant that I spend most of the month in the city, save a quick jaunt for the weekend to the beach or the mountains. This year was much better than last. I enjoy my work more, I got to travel back to Iowa and to Boston for work, and we escaped to Pucon between Christmas and New Years and had a great time. I even got to see an erupting volcano on the bus ride back.

But about this time of year I start to feel a bit anxious. I want to sit at the beach. All the “llegó Verano” (Summer’s arrived) commercials on TV seem to make it worse. The city seems a bit more boring and harder to deal with. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to complain here. When I traveled I would return broke and stay that way until about May. Plus if you end up traveling these months you pay a whole lot more for everything, especially bus tickets and lodging.

But still, there is a part of me who just wants to be on a bus without worrying about when I will get back and how long it will take me to get caught up or deal with that back to work blues that always hits after a vacation.

Can we give this another shot?

2008-02-14T15:28:00.003-03:00

Its been a very long time since I wrote in this blog. I was actually thinking of laying it to rest. I still think maybe I should. The whole thing started when I came to Chile in October 2004. I think maybe I started it in November. It was a travel blog at that point. It was my contact with the world I used to know as home, it was a log of the places I went. Entries about basic food items like Empanadas and completos, places like the plaza de armas. The things you think to write about only when they are so new.

How things have changed. I can't say I'm a traveler anymore, I've put some roots down. I've lived in the same apartment now for over two years. I don't have three month periods to roam around the continent. I work at least eight hours a day. I'm getting married. I have to ask for vacation.

But I don't want to really just pitch this one aside. I need to some how reinvent it. I'm sure no one that might've checked it before still does. I haven't been a good updater. Just look at the archives, single digits for the entries in 2007.

So, I could write one of those "things are going to change" entries, but I don't want to waste your time today. Check back tomorrow, if there is something here than maybe there is a chance I could bring it back.

We'll just have to wait and see.....

Diezyocho

2007-09-23T20:17:00.001-04:00

Diezyocho…the 18th of Sep…Chile’s independence day. It is always a pretty interesting time, the weather is nice, it involves several days off from work, and this year the government even passed an extra day, meaning a five day weekend.

Around the first of September the rawraw starts, one can feel it in the air and see it in the amount of flags that all of a sudden go on display. Fondas, an area with plenty of bbq, some dancing maybe, drinks pop up all over the place.

These are days that one thinks of the country, or campo, even in the city they bring in farm animals to some of the fondas to give you that country feel in the middle of suburbia.

This year I was stuck in Santiago as I had to work two out of the three days that were off. It meant that it lacked some of the excitement that took hold of a lot of the people around me. It was the first year that I stayed in the capital for the holiday, so I went with Caro to her mother’s house, where a whole bunch of her mother’s family showed up to have a little mini fonda…

I wonder how many pounds people put on during the holiday...meat is in no short supply

Caro and her aunt.

Great aunt of Carolina.

Caro's mother.
Bailando cueca.
Homemade empandadas.

Pomaire

2007-09-17T18:32:00.000-04:00

Its not very far away from Santiago, just about an hour on a flat nicely paved highway with tolls.

Pomaire it’s called, a place of around 10,000 nestled in low lying hills between the Andes and the coastal region of Chile. Its claim to fame is a style of pottery marked by its dark tones and earthy appearance. While there are some artists who choose to paint their work, most has a very raw feel to it. It is for all practical purposes raw mud.

The town itself has a very held together by spit and sawdust feel to it. There are no posts that are straight in this town, there are no signs that clean, and the houses all look a bit old, with lots of dust surrounding them, giving the place a very simple but intriguing feel to it.

Of course on the long weekend surrounding Chile’s independence day of September 18, everything is a bit different……

2007-09-02T19:47:00.001-04:00

Just a few pictures from the stay in Key Largo....

Alberto what were you thinking?

2007-07-04T23:44:00.000-04:00

So have you heard of Alberto Fujimori? The ex-President of Peru, he stands accused of several human rights violations in the land that he once ruled, excesses of power during his 10-year rule that ended in 2000 with him fleeing to his ancestral land of Japan.

BUT HE CAME BACK!

Despite the risk of falling in the hands of Peruvian authorities he showed up in Chile in November 2005 and was detained by authorities here in Santiago. An expedition process was started soon after, and he now awaits the final word of a judge who has already received a report recommending his extradition.

The question remains, what did he have up his sleeve? He is not stupid, Fujimori had to have known that he could and would fall into the hands of Chilean authorities. So there is plenty of speculation and rumors surrounding this.

But just when it couldn’t get much stranger, a Japanese political party announces that he will be there candidate for the Japanese senate in an election to be held on July 29! Now, they are claiming “political persecution” against Fujimori from his political enemies in Lima.

What still is not clear however, is exactly what was on this guy’s mind when he thought leaving a sheltered exile in Japan to make another run for Peru! In the meantime, he is under house arrest in his country home, which is far nicer than my apartment.

Races, rides, and other madness....

2007-07-03T22:47:00.000-04:00

One has their skills and their faults

2007-07-03T18:14:00.001-04:00

I have an announcement to make to the world: I'm no skier. This past weekend I tried out my skill on the slopes of Cerro Colorado, located just outside of Santiago, it didn't go so well. Sort of like riding a bike with no breaks.

The place itself is very beautiful, and really feels like a different country. Some "fashionable" people up there, much cooler than I could ever be. It attracts a very elite crowd, which I think have, on average, spent more on their ski parka than I have spent in total on clothes in the last six months.
The view is one of the main attractions, you can see the smog of Santiago below, surrounded by snow capped peaks.

lunch

2007-05-29T20:22:00.001-04:00

I stumbled upon this in one of Mexico City's largest park. It had a sort of pickled cactus, cilantro, onion, this cheese (is it goat cheese, I'm not sure) a bean paste as a base on a sort of grainy hard shell. Of course there was some of the salsa roja y salsa verde. I couldn't even finish the thing.

Drunken Dog Nap

2007-05-27T14:02:00.001-04:00

Just a week ago I was in Mexico

2007-05-26T15:11:00.000-04:00

28

2006-10-16T18:14:00.000-03:00

So my 28th birthday has now passed, it was well celebrated with good food and better company, on a beautiful day at the base of Los Andes, well actually technically it wasn't the Andes yet, but at the base of a mountain.

To me 28 now means that it has been 10 years since I gained the right to smoke and be arrested. It has flown by, but then again I think about some of the places I have seen or done in those last ten years and it feels aweful long.

I suppose though, the bigger landmark is that it is only 2 years away (now a day less) from turning 30, and that makes me feel like an old man.

Long Time passed by

2006-10-03T23:12:00.000-04:00

So its been a while now hasn't it....lots of days passed by unrecorded...hate to say that I haven't managed my daily ritual of updating and recording the events that pass me by so well...

El Pochoco

2006-08-01T20:09:00.000-04:00

The vastness of the paved reallity

2006-07-03T23:35:00.000-04:00

Urban life...opening doors worldwide.....coming soon to a forest near you

In the Mean Time

2006-07-02T02:15:00.000-04:00

Just a sliver...

2006-06-27T11:22:00.000-04:00

The sunset over the Pacific is always a spectacular sight. When it gets almost all the way down, until nothing but a sliver is left, you can watch it slowly slip away, you can see the earth move slowly, turning day into night.