It´s been a crazy awesome past few days in Buenos Aires...
On Friday night, we went to a club downtown called La France. If you´re not familiar with the nightlife here, you should know a couple of things: 1) people usually don´t even start getting ready to go out until 1:30 or 2:00 and 2) they oftentimes don´t leave home for the club until 3. We went out around 2:30 and danced to reggaeton until 6:30 AM(!) then cabbed it back to the hostel and passed out. The club was still packed when we left. It´s a common thing for people to stay out until 8 and then go for breakfast. How do they do it?
Yesterday we ran into Andy Levinson, a guy we know from Atlanta, at a random shop in downtown Buenos Aires. He had been studying here for the past several months and was leaving town today. Over the course of this trip, we have encountered a few people with whom we have friends in common, but never someone we personally knew. This encounter was literally a small world story.
Today, we spent the entire day with one of Matt´s dad´s clients, Señor Hernan Tomasini. He picked us up from our hostel and then took us on an amazing tour of B.A. and the surrounding suburbs. We met his two older children (a son of 16 and a daughter of 19) and his youngest son, who is 4. He was one of the cutest kids we´ve ever seen. We´ll post a pic of him soon. After a delicious lunch (consisting, of course, of beef), he took us out on his boat. It was sweet. We´ll try and post the pics and vids from the trip in the next couple of days.
Tonight there is a samba band playing at the hostel, and then there is going to be karaoke. We miss you all and hope you are well. Hasta mañana.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
The Once district
Today we visited the Once (OHN-say) neighborhood of Buenos Aires. While not officially a barrio of the city, the area houses a large garment district and is where several departments of the University of Buenos Aires are located. It also features the largest concentration of Jewish people in the city. After lunch, we went to a Sephardic synagogue. The security presence was tremendous, and it apparently has been since the mid 1990s when there was a rise in terroristic acts committed against Jews. We weren't even allowed to take photographs for reasons of security. It's sad. We think we're going to return tomorrow for Friday evening services and then try to go to someone's house for shabbat dinner.
Afterwards we briefly visited the rather dumpy Museum of Foreign Debt, located in the basement of one of the U of B.A. buildings. As its name suggests, the museum chronicles Argentina's series of fiscal crises. We were able to obtain English language headsets to guide us through the exhibit, but we became so bored that we decided to leave midway through the recording.
The weather here has been great--cloudless blue skies everyday. Our Spanish fluency has been improving daily, but we fear it will become crappy once again when we return to the U.S. C'est la vie, we guess...
Afterwards we briefly visited the rather dumpy Museum of Foreign Debt, located in the basement of one of the U of B.A. buildings. As its name suggests, the museum chronicles Argentina's series of fiscal crises. We were able to obtain English language headsets to guide us through the exhibit, but we became so bored that we decided to leave midway through the recording.
The weather here has been great--cloudless blue skies everyday. Our Spanish fluency has been improving daily, but we fear it will become crappy once again when we return to the U.S. C'est la vie, we guess...
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Puerto Madero and walking around
Greetings,
Today we walked around the Puerto Madero barrio, which lies along a portion of the Rio de la Plata (Silver River). The sky was clear and blue, and the riverfront views were very nice. We visited an old Argentinian naval vessel which has been converted into a museum. That was pretty cool, too.
Afterwards, we did a lot of walking. We came back to the hostel and napped and then went out for dinner. We had some tasty pasta casera (freshly-made pasta) from a local chain called Il Gatto. The food in Buenos Aires is among the best we've ever had. It's also pretty inexpensive.
Not sure what we're gonna do tonight. Later.
Today we walked around the Puerto Madero barrio, which lies along a portion of the Rio de la Plata (Silver River). The sky was clear and blue, and the riverfront views were very nice. We visited an old Argentinian naval vessel which has been converted into a museum. That was pretty cool, too.
Afterwards, we did a lot of walking. We came back to the hostel and napped and then went out for dinner. We had some tasty pasta casera (freshly-made pasta) from a local chain called Il Gatto. The food in Buenos Aires is among the best we've ever had. It's also pretty inexpensive.
Not sure what we're gonna do tonight. Later.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Arrival in Buenos Aires
Hi,
After a nearly sleepless night, we arrived early yesterday afternoon in Buenos Aires. This place is big! It really reminds us of New York City. There are huge signs advertising Broadway musicals, enormous buildings reaching skyward, and people everywhere busily making their way to their destinations. We've already met people living here from the U.S., Australia, and the U.K. We even met a guy here from outside of Atlanta (a GSU grad from Snellville) who, at the age of 25, is enjoying a great deal of success after organizing the Buenos Aires Pub Crawl, a wildly popular bar-hopping event. He is also the part owner of a restaurant/bar. Pretty interesting.
Last night, we went to a steak place called Desnivel in the San Telmo neighborhood to try some of this amazing Argentinian beef we've been hearing so much about. The meat was unbelievable. We each got a huge steak, perfectly seasoned and cooked, and shared a liter bottle of Quilmes, the most popular beer in the country. Including tip, the meal cost us each less than $10 American. We will both be returning to the states with high blood pressure and hardened arteries.
Our hostel here is unlike anything we've seen. It is so nice! It has a bar complete with pool table, a full computer lab, and a TV lounge. It is five stories high and has one of those charming old-fashioned, cage-style elevators. It also has a 130-person capacity.
We also forgot to mention that the tap water in Santiago, Valparaiso, and Buenos Aires is safe to drink. We were buying bottled water every day (which can add up quickly), but some Americans studying abroad in Chile told us we could drink right from the sink.
More to come later.
After a nearly sleepless night, we arrived early yesterday afternoon in Buenos Aires. This place is big! It really reminds us of New York City. There are huge signs advertising Broadway musicals, enormous buildings reaching skyward, and people everywhere busily making their way to their destinations. We've already met people living here from the U.S., Australia, and the U.K. We even met a guy here from outside of Atlanta (a GSU grad from Snellville) who, at the age of 25, is enjoying a great deal of success after organizing the Buenos Aires Pub Crawl, a wildly popular bar-hopping event. He is also the part owner of a restaurant/bar. Pretty interesting.
Last night, we went to a steak place called Desnivel in the San Telmo neighborhood to try some of this amazing Argentinian beef we've been hearing so much about. The meat was unbelievable. We each got a huge steak, perfectly seasoned and cooked, and shared a liter bottle of Quilmes, the most popular beer in the country. Including tip, the meal cost us each less than $10 American. We will both be returning to the states with high blood pressure and hardened arteries.
Our hostel here is unlike anything we've seen. It is so nice! It has a bar complete with pool table, a full computer lab, and a TV lounge. It is five stories high and has one of those charming old-fashioned, cage-style elevators. It also has a 130-person capacity.
We also forgot to mention that the tap water in Santiago, Valparaiso, and Buenos Aires is safe to drink. We were buying bottled water every day (which can add up quickly), but some Americans studying abroad in Chile told us we could drink right from the sink.
More to come later.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Our last day in Santiago (for real)
A few things...
Beard-off '09 has, sadly, come to an end. With a mere ten days remaining in the competition, Matt shaved off his beard. He was quoted as saying, ¨It looks like shit. I´m getting rid of it.¨ And Shane? Well, he´s gonna keep right on growin´. It ain't too pretty, but he is starting to have a legitimate beard. Look out for pics in the next couple of days. We know that´s the main reason you´re reading this blog.
Today we took the Metro to a neighborhood where there was a huge flea market. We saw an original Gameboy for sale (with a nice selection of games) and Matt almost bought it. We also saw some really cool surplus Chilean army stuff. Additionally, there was some Nazi paraphernalia (stuff with swastikas, the SS insignia, etc.). Chile (as well as other South American countries) apparently has a decently-sized Nazi community comprised of expatriated former Nazis and their decendants. There are apparently entire towns of Nazis scattered throughout the continent where the beliefs and values of the Third Reich are being perpetuated still. One American girl from Brandeis who has been studying in Chile also told us that the Nazis taught their torture tactics to the Chilean military. We thought all of this was pretty disturbing.
After the flea market, we went to a Middle Eastern restaurant in Bellavista. It was delicious! The hummus, falafel, and babaganouj were outstanding. The restaurant was run by a Palestinian woman and her family (there is a sizable Palestinan community in Santiago, mostly Christians).
Tonight we're taking it easy. We fly outta here at 11:30 AM. The next time you hear from us, we´ll be in B.A. ¡Ciao!
Beard-off '09 has, sadly, come to an end. With a mere ten days remaining in the competition, Matt shaved off his beard. He was quoted as saying, ¨It looks like shit. I´m getting rid of it.¨ And Shane? Well, he´s gonna keep right on growin´. It ain't too pretty, but he is starting to have a legitimate beard. Look out for pics in the next couple of days. We know that´s the main reason you´re reading this blog.
Today we took the Metro to a neighborhood where there was a huge flea market. We saw an original Gameboy for sale (with a nice selection of games) and Matt almost bought it. We also saw some really cool surplus Chilean army stuff. Additionally, there was some Nazi paraphernalia (stuff with swastikas, the SS insignia, etc.). Chile (as well as other South American countries) apparently has a decently-sized Nazi community comprised of expatriated former Nazis and their decendants. There are apparently entire towns of Nazis scattered throughout the continent where the beliefs and values of the Third Reich are being perpetuated still. One American girl from Brandeis who has been studying in Chile also told us that the Nazis taught their torture tactics to the Chilean military. We thought all of this was pretty disturbing.
After the flea market, we went to a Middle Eastern restaurant in Bellavista. It was delicious! The hummus, falafel, and babaganouj were outstanding. The restaurant was run by a Palestinian woman and her family (there is a sizable Palestinan community in Santiago, mostly Christians).
Tonight we're taking it easy. We fly outta here at 11:30 AM. The next time you hear from us, we´ll be in B.A. ¡Ciao!
Friday, June 19, 2009
A change of plans...
Hola compañeros,
Today it poured in Valparaiso. Matt and I went to the bus station to see about buying bus tickets to Mendoza and were promptly informed that the only route through the Andes was unpassable. The guy we talked to said that it could be 3, 4, 5 days or more before it was cleared. Bummer. We checked Orbitz and found a relatively inexpensive flight to Buenos Aires from Santiago (we didn´t want to stick around Valpo anymore). Tonight, we are back at La Chimba, our original hostel. We´re a little upset about not being able to go to the Sonoma County of Argentina, but we´re also stoked to be back in Santiago where we´ve made some good friends.
Our stay in Valpo made us realize that we take so much for granted. Hot water during all hours of the day, central heating, a computer in every building we walk into--these are things that we simply expect in the good ol´ USA. Our hosts in Valpo, however, were fantastic. The hostel we stayed at (Hostal Nuevamente) was run by this dude Gustavo and his girlfriend Pilar. They hardly spoke any English, but we were able to communicate with them plenty. They gave us bar/club recommendations and always wanted to make sure we were as comfortable as possible.
Nothing else for now. Ttyl, y´all.
Today it poured in Valparaiso. Matt and I went to the bus station to see about buying bus tickets to Mendoza and were promptly informed that the only route through the Andes was unpassable. The guy we talked to said that it could be 3, 4, 5 days or more before it was cleared. Bummer. We checked Orbitz and found a relatively inexpensive flight to Buenos Aires from Santiago (we didn´t want to stick around Valpo anymore). Tonight, we are back at La Chimba, our original hostel. We´re a little upset about not being able to go to the Sonoma County of Argentina, but we´re also stoked to be back in Santiago where we´ve made some good friends.
Our stay in Valpo made us realize that we take so much for granted. Hot water during all hours of the day, central heating, a computer in every building we walk into--these are things that we simply expect in the good ol´ USA. Our hosts in Valpo, however, were fantastic. The hostel we stayed at (Hostal Nuevamente) was run by this dude Gustavo and his girlfriend Pilar. They hardly spoke any English, but we were able to communicate with them plenty. They gave us bar/club recommendations and always wanted to make sure we were as comfortable as possible.
Nothing else for now. Ttyl, y´all.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
A view from our hostel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CDelXzOBLA&feature=channel_page
If anyone knows how to use the video bar feature on Blogger, let me know so I can post this video directly on the blog page.
If anyone knows how to use the video bar feature on Blogger, let me know so I can post this video directly on the blog page.
Viña
Yo,
Today we took a bus to Viña del Mar, a town neighboring Valparaiso. It was much cleaner and wealthier than Valparaiso. We even saw another gringo. Matt wanted to try his luck at the casino, so he played a few hands of black jack and poker. Matt was down 5 thousand pesos (about nine bucks) when he decided to play one last poker hand. And what would you know, he got a full house and tripled his bet!
Afterwards, we walked around the city. It was beautiful. For dinner, we ate a traditional dish called chorrillana (a description can be found in the caption to the right.) Nothing else really happened to us today. This post is quite the snoozer.
One more thing. We spoke to a Chilean man in the casino named Jamie Patterson. That is all.
Today we took a bus to Viña del Mar, a town neighboring Valparaiso. It was much cleaner and wealthier than Valparaiso. We even saw another gringo. Matt wanted to try his luck at the casino, so he played a few hands of black jack and poker. Matt was down 5 thousand pesos (about nine bucks) when he decided to play one last poker hand. And what would you know, he got a full house and tripled his bet!
Afterwards, we walked around the city. It was beautiful. For dinner, we ate a traditional dish called chorrillana (a description can be found in the caption to the right.) Nothing else really happened to us today. This post is quite the snoozer.
One more thing. We spoke to a Chilean man in the casino named Jamie Patterson. That is all.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Valpo, baby
Hey everyone,
I`m sorry that we didn´t post yesterday, but our new hostel in Valpo doesn`t have a working computer. We`re now at a public phone and internet place. A little bit about the city...
It`s on the Pacific coast in central Chile about two hours outside of Santiago. It is directly adjacent to a city called Viña del Mar, which is supposedly a bit nicer and wealthier than Valpo. Walking around yesterday, we quickly became aware of two things: 1) that people were looking at us oddly, much more so than in Santiago, and 2) that there aren´t any white people here. Today, we`ve been walking around for hours and literally haven`t seen a single white person. People often use the word ``literally`` hyperbolically, but seriously folks, we may be the only white people in the city. The only non-Chilean we`ve met here so far is this dude Daniel from Honduras (who speaks very good English which he learned from watching American movies and TV with subtitles).
Last night, we were sitting and drinking with a couple of locals and Daniel at our hostel. They said they weren`t going to go out, but after a few glasses of wine, we were able to convince them to hit the bars with us. We went to one place to see a metal band. Within seconds of walking in, a group of girls came running up to us, asking all sorts of questions of which we understood about a quarter. We went with these girls and our hostel friends to a club called El Huevo (``The Egg``) and danced the night away. ¡Que bueno!
Today, we walked into a random restaurant on a small side street for lunch. We walked downstairs, which was packed with customers, and everyone fell silent. It was like that scene from ``Road Trip`` where the Ithaca dudes walked into the dining hall at the black fraternity house. After a few moments, everyone resumed talking.
We really can`t get over the fact that we look so strange to these Chileans. Everywhere we go people either stare at us or point and laugh and whisper to each other about ``los gringos.`` Craziness!
There has been a request for a beard update. Shane has taken a commanding lead, but Matt is slightly ahead in the mustache category.
About Chilean food in general...we`ve been eating at pretty cheap places for the most part. Empanadas, this kind of sandwich with beef, mayo, and guacamole, hot dogs, and gelato are all very common. Right before we left Santiago, I had an amazing meal at a small Mexican restaurant--tacos al pastor (spicy barbequed pork) with fresh corn tortillas and a trio of salsas. With almost every meal, they serve this pico de gallo-esque salsa with tomatoes, cilatro, and onions. Breakfast is typically bread with jam and butter, cereal, and fruit juice. In Valpò there is a specialty dish (whose name I can`t remember) which is basically fried potatoes with fried egg, meat, and cheese. Yesterday, we had some freshly-prepared pasta which was really good. Tonight, we are going to go to a nice Chilean seafood place. And of course, the wine is delicious.
Whew. Quite a post. We`re going home to nap for a little now. More pics to come.
I`m sorry that we didn´t post yesterday, but our new hostel in Valpo doesn`t have a working computer. We`re now at a public phone and internet place. A little bit about the city...
It`s on the Pacific coast in central Chile about two hours outside of Santiago. It is directly adjacent to a city called Viña del Mar, which is supposedly a bit nicer and wealthier than Valpo. Walking around yesterday, we quickly became aware of two things: 1) that people were looking at us oddly, much more so than in Santiago, and 2) that there aren´t any white people here. Today, we`ve been walking around for hours and literally haven`t seen a single white person. People often use the word ``literally`` hyperbolically, but seriously folks, we may be the only white people in the city. The only non-Chilean we`ve met here so far is this dude Daniel from Honduras (who speaks very good English which he learned from watching American movies and TV with subtitles).
Last night, we were sitting and drinking with a couple of locals and Daniel at our hostel. They said they weren`t going to go out, but after a few glasses of wine, we were able to convince them to hit the bars with us. We went to one place to see a metal band. Within seconds of walking in, a group of girls came running up to us, asking all sorts of questions of which we understood about a quarter. We went with these girls and our hostel friends to a club called El Huevo (``The Egg``) and danced the night away. ¡Que bueno!
Today, we walked into a random restaurant on a small side street for lunch. We walked downstairs, which was packed with customers, and everyone fell silent. It was like that scene from ``Road Trip`` where the Ithaca dudes walked into the dining hall at the black fraternity house. After a few moments, everyone resumed talking.
We really can`t get over the fact that we look so strange to these Chileans. Everywhere we go people either stare at us or point and laugh and whisper to each other about ``los gringos.`` Craziness!
There has been a request for a beard update. Shane has taken a commanding lead, but Matt is slightly ahead in the mustache category.
About Chilean food in general...we`ve been eating at pretty cheap places for the most part. Empanadas, this kind of sandwich with beef, mayo, and guacamole, hot dogs, and gelato are all very common. Right before we left Santiago, I had an amazing meal at a small Mexican restaurant--tacos al pastor (spicy barbequed pork) with fresh corn tortillas and a trio of salsas. With almost every meal, they serve this pico de gallo-esque salsa with tomatoes, cilatro, and onions. Breakfast is typically bread with jam and butter, cereal, and fruit juice. In Valpò there is a specialty dish (whose name I can`t remember) which is basically fried potatoes with fried egg, meat, and cheese. Yesterday, we had some freshly-prepared pasta which was really good. Tonight, we are going to go to a nice Chilean seafood place. And of course, the wine is delicious.
Whew. Quite a post. We`re going home to nap for a little now. More pics to come.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Last night in S-Town
Hey all,
Sorry for the tardy post, but we went out early and came back late on Monday. Much to report. Yesterday morning, Matt, our Scottish friend Andy, and I went out to see (Chilean poet and Nobel Laureate) Pablo Neruda´s house, which is just a couple of blocks from the hostel. We were dismayed to find out when we arrived, however, that the house (which has been converted to a museum) is closed on Mondays. Instead, we went to La Vega, an enormous farmer´s market in the bordering neighborhood. Fresh produce, meat, and fish were everywhere, but so were the security guards who didn´t allow us to take pictures. I still managed to squeeze a couple off, though.
After the market, we walked around the area near La Vega. There were people selling tchotchkes everywhere we looked. Bootleg movies, bootleg hats, bootleg shoes--if you can name something that can be reproduced as a cheap knockoff, they had it. I also bought a disposable razor. Don´t worry, I´m not shaving my beard--I just need to do a little maintenance. We then took a cab to a Metro station and bought our bus tickets to Valparaiso, on the Pacific coast, where we´re headed today.
Walking away from the station, we stumbled upon La Republica, once one of the wealthiest parts of the city. Today it is a popular hangout spot for students of the nearby universities. We saw a group of university-looking dudes walk into a bar and decided to follow them in. It didn´t look like anyone in there was under 25. We started talking to some kids and ended up spending the entire night with them. We went to one dude´s house via the Metro, talked to his mom, rocked out to some tunes, and played magnetic darts. They came back to the hostel with us and we chilled some more. Though we didn´t want to, we finally had to say goodbye. Muchas gracias, amigos.
We´re off to Valpo at 2 PM. Peace.
Sorry for the tardy post, but we went out early and came back late on Monday. Much to report. Yesterday morning, Matt, our Scottish friend Andy, and I went out to see (Chilean poet and Nobel Laureate) Pablo Neruda´s house, which is just a couple of blocks from the hostel. We were dismayed to find out when we arrived, however, that the house (which has been converted to a museum) is closed on Mondays. Instead, we went to La Vega, an enormous farmer´s market in the bordering neighborhood. Fresh produce, meat, and fish were everywhere, but so were the security guards who didn´t allow us to take pictures. I still managed to squeeze a couple off, though.
After the market, we walked around the area near La Vega. There were people selling tchotchkes everywhere we looked. Bootleg movies, bootleg hats, bootleg shoes--if you can name something that can be reproduced as a cheap knockoff, they had it. I also bought a disposable razor. Don´t worry, I´m not shaving my beard--I just need to do a little maintenance. We then took a cab to a Metro station and bought our bus tickets to Valparaiso, on the Pacific coast, where we´re headed today.
Walking away from the station, we stumbled upon La Republica, once one of the wealthiest parts of the city. Today it is a popular hangout spot for students of the nearby universities. We saw a group of university-looking dudes walk into a bar and decided to follow them in. It didn´t look like anyone in there was under 25. We started talking to some kids and ended up spending the entire night with them. We went to one dude´s house via the Metro, talked to his mom, rocked out to some tunes, and played magnetic darts. They came back to the hostel with us and we chilled some more. Though we didn´t want to, we finally had to say goodbye. Muchas gracias, amigos.
We´re off to Valpo at 2 PM. Peace.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Another day, another peso
Whuddup,
Today it was rainy and yucky in Santiago--the perfect day to go to a museum. So that's exactly what we did. The Museum of Precolumbian Art was fantastic. We saw artifacts from the Maya, the Aztecs, and a ton of other cultures we had never heard of. Cool stuff. We met someone there from the panhandle of Idaho and talked about how there aren't many states with panhandles.
Matt got a Big Mac to see if tasted the same as in the states. It did. You know what they call a Big Mac in Santiago? A Big Mac. Not even "Mac Grande." Just "Big Mac." A Quarter Pounder is a Cuarto de Libra (literally, "Quarter Pounder").I got an empanada and a Pap (a papaya-flavored soda) from a little corner store. The women working there asked us where we were from and could barely contain their laughter as we conversed in our poor Spanish. We were glad to amuse them.
We also bought a bunch of alpaca wool stuff. I got some hats (the kind with ear flaps that Andean people wear), some gloves, and some socks. Not too much else to report for now. More posts to come.
Today it was rainy and yucky in Santiago--the perfect day to go to a museum. So that's exactly what we did. The Museum of Precolumbian Art was fantastic. We saw artifacts from the Maya, the Aztecs, and a ton of other cultures we had never heard of. Cool stuff. We met someone there from the panhandle of Idaho and talked about how there aren't many states with panhandles.
Matt got a Big Mac to see if tasted the same as in the states. It did. You know what they call a Big Mac in Santiago? A Big Mac. Not even "Mac Grande." Just "Big Mac." A Quarter Pounder is a Cuarto de Libra (literally, "Quarter Pounder").I got an empanada and a Pap (a papaya-flavored soda) from a little corner store. The women working there asked us where we were from and could barely contain their laughter as we conversed in our poor Spanish. We were glad to amuse them.
We also bought a bunch of alpaca wool stuff. I got some hats (the kind with ear flaps that Andean people wear), some gloves, and some socks. Not too much else to report for now. More posts to come.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Our hostel and more of the city
Buenos dias,
A little bit about our hostel, La Chimba...It's a very nice place. The beds are extremely comfortable and we have down blankets. There is a TV in the lobby with Direct TV and American programming. We were even able to watch the Braves (but oddly enough, game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals was not being broadcasted). Most of the people here are from English-speaking countries (the US and the UK) and are young (in their twenties). Most of them are also traveling completely alone! According to these individuals, this is the best way to travel. I'm begining to agree with them (just kidding, Matt).
Today we woke up and had a nice Chilean breakfast at the hostel and then went out walking. First we went to an open air market and scouted out some gifts. We then visited Plaza de Armas, which is the cultural center of Santiago. Several museums are located there. Tomorrow, we are going to return to the area and go to the Museum of Precolumbian Art (admission is free on Sundays!). We also took a gondola to the top of San Cristobal Hill, a small mountain directly adjacent to our hostel, where we were treated to a panoramic view of the city. We would have taken more pictures, but it is really smoggy in Santiago, especially during the winter, and our view was somewhat obscured. The weather here has been nice. It is pretty chilly at night, with temps in the high 30s-low 40s. During the day, it gets warm, with highs in the low 70s. Around 5 PM, it begins to get cold again.
Tonight we're going to go out and see what the nightlife is like here in Bellavista. We hear it gets pretty crazy...stay tuned!
A little bit about our hostel, La Chimba...It's a very nice place. The beds are extremely comfortable and we have down blankets. There is a TV in the lobby with Direct TV and American programming. We were even able to watch the Braves (but oddly enough, game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals was not being broadcasted). Most of the people here are from English-speaking countries (the US and the UK) and are young (in their twenties). Most of them are also traveling completely alone! According to these individuals, this is the best way to travel. I'm begining to agree with them (just kidding, Matt).
Today we woke up and had a nice Chilean breakfast at the hostel and then went out walking. First we went to an open air market and scouted out some gifts. We then visited Plaza de Armas, which is the cultural center of Santiago. Several museums are located there. Tomorrow, we are going to return to the area and go to the Museum of Precolumbian Art (admission is free on Sundays!). We also took a gondola to the top of San Cristobal Hill, a small mountain directly adjacent to our hostel, where we were treated to a panoramic view of the city. We would have taken more pictures, but it is really smoggy in Santiago, especially during the winter, and our view was somewhat obscured. The weather here has been nice. It is pretty chilly at night, with temps in the high 30s-low 40s. During the day, it gets warm, with highs in the low 70s. Around 5 PM, it begins to get cold again.
Tonight we're going to go out and see what the nightlife is like here in Bellavista. We hear it gets pretty crazy...stay tuned!
Friday, June 12, 2009
Day one
Ladies and gentlemen,
What a day! This morning at approximately 6 AM, we touched down in Santiago, Chile. The flight was more or less uneventful. After going through customs, we immediately took a cab to our hostel, La Chimba, in the Bellavista barrio (neighborhood) in the northern part of the city. We then took a much deserved nappy poo for a few hours.
We woke up around noon and set out exploring. We befriended a theater teacher/actor named Marco who took us all aorund the city. He showed us the University of Chile (the so-called Harvard of Chile which every Chilean president has attended) as well as the Catholic University of Santiago. We also saw La Iglesia de San Francisco (the Church of Saint Francis) as well as the Biblioteca Nacional (the National Library of Chile, the largest library in the country). Beautiful architecture and public art abound in the city.
We also went to a public market and ate some delicious Chilean cuisine, mostly seafood. We must also mention that the the Chilean national soccer team won a championship game today against France, so everyone was in an especially good mood. Right now, we're pretty pooped. We'll probably call it a night soon so we can wake up and do it all again tomorrow...
SHT & MGL
What a day! This morning at approximately 6 AM, we touched down in Santiago, Chile. The flight was more or less uneventful. After going through customs, we immediately took a cab to our hostel, La Chimba, in the Bellavista barrio (neighborhood) in the northern part of the city. We then took a much deserved nappy poo for a few hours.
We woke up around noon and set out exploring. We befriended a theater teacher/actor named Marco who took us all aorund the city. He showed us the University of Chile (the so-called Harvard of Chile which every Chilean president has attended) as well as the Catholic University of Santiago. We also saw La Iglesia de San Francisco (the Church of Saint Francis) as well as the Biblioteca Nacional (the National Library of Chile, the largest library in the country). Beautiful architecture and public art abound in the city.
We also went to a public market and ate some delicious Chilean cuisine, mostly seafood. We must also mention that the the Chilean national soccer team won a championship game today against France, so everyone was in an especially good mood. Right now, we're pretty pooped. We'll probably call it a night soon so we can wake up and do it all again tomorrow...
SHT & MGL
Thursday, June 11, 2009
A little snag
Loyal blog followers,
Greetings from...Miami? Yes, we know you expected us to be in Santiago this morning, but we have experienced a minor hiccup (or is it hiccough?) in our journey. The plane we were supposed to board last night had maintenance problems, so the fine folks at American Airlines put us up in the beautiful Hotel Sofitel near Miami International Airport. We fell asleep last night to the sweet sounds of aircraft taking off and landing. Finding ourselves with several hours on our hands today, we figured we'd be productive members of society and attend the Marlins-Cardinals afternoon game at Dolphin Stadium. Our plans were hindered, however, when we were informed that cab fare each way would be $75. F that! Now, we're just chillin' at the hotel, mingling with the townies.
I would also like to tell you that Beard-Off 2009 is underway. Though today is only day 2 of our three week-long competition, both Matt and I are already sporting some major stubble. May the most grizzled-looking man win.
Our flight is (hopefully) this evening at 9:50, which should get us into Santiago by 7 AM tomorrow morning. Take care now, y'hear?
Tepper and Levy out.
Greetings from...Miami? Yes, we know you expected us to be in Santiago this morning, but we have experienced a minor hiccup (or is it hiccough?) in our journey. The plane we were supposed to board last night had maintenance problems, so the fine folks at American Airlines put us up in the beautiful Hotel Sofitel near Miami International Airport. We fell asleep last night to the sweet sounds of aircraft taking off and landing. Finding ourselves with several hours on our hands today, we figured we'd be productive members of society and attend the Marlins-Cardinals afternoon game at Dolphin Stadium. Our plans were hindered, however, when we were informed that cab fare each way would be $75. F that! Now, we're just chillin' at the hotel, mingling with the townies.
I would also like to tell you that Beard-Off 2009 is underway. Though today is only day 2 of our three week-long competition, both Matt and I are already sporting some major stubble. May the most grizzled-looking man win.
Our flight is (hopefully) this evening at 9:50, which should get us into Santiago by 7 AM tomorrow morning. Take care now, y'hear?
Tepper and Levy out.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Welcome to Nuestro Viaje
Hey everybody,
Welcome to Nuestro Viaje ("Our Trip"), the official blog of Shane and Matt's trip to South America. We just wanted to let you know that we will be chronicling our travels right here on the world wide web. Sweet. Anywayzers, we're leaving on 6/10 (this upcoming Wednesday) and coming back on 6/30, so mark your calendars. We'll be visiting four cities (Santiago, Valparaiso, Mendoza, & Buenos Aires) in two countries (Chile & Argentina). Should be a great time. Take care and check our blog regularly for updates.
Hugs & kisses,
Shane & Matt
Welcome to Nuestro Viaje ("Our Trip"), the official blog of Shane and Matt's trip to South America. We just wanted to let you know that we will be chronicling our travels right here on the world wide web. Sweet. Anywayzers, we're leaving on 6/10 (this upcoming Wednesday) and coming back on 6/30, so mark your calendars. We'll be visiting four cities (Santiago, Valparaiso, Mendoza, & Buenos Aires) in two countries (Chile & Argentina). Should be a great time. Take care and check our blog regularly for updates.
Hugs & kisses,
Shane & Matt
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