Hello hello hellooooo!

I am home! And falling terribly prey to jet lag. I am so in love with my husband and so thrilled to be back in his arms.

There is so much to be done! First, under threat from aforementioned husband, all my traveling gear must be cleaned, packed, and put away pronto. 

Secondly, we may be moving soon (within a month and a half).  And we are very conflicted.  We do not love the complex we are in, but definitely do not want to go anywhere worse than where we are.  And the pros and cons have a difficult time balancing (price, amenities, security, mature vegetation, tall ceilings, two bathrooms, location, etc.).  I would love a change, but only if it is a happy change.   Meanwhile, I have been bitten hard by the re-design bug (and apparently husband did not vacuum much while I was gone because I have two very itchy spider bites). 

So on that positive note, I am starting with a porch make-over.  Before and after photos will appear soon.  I am scouring summer sales and craigslist. The weather is rather deadly during the day, but the 80 degree 9 pm evenings are perfect for us to sit outside and connect after a long day (and I have a great new recipe for "grown-up" lemonade).

Today my sister and I are having a girls day!  My feet are a  disaster after a month of travel and I need a pedicure like you wouldn't believe (it is a rare indulgence).

I spent the day with my mother yesterday  catching up on our lives, and I was in a swimsuit, oh how I missed the summer weather!

I have started boot camp with my goose-berry horse.  He was a rather bad boy while I was gone and now we are getting into shape, together, for some shows this summer.  I was at the barn at 6 am yesterday (I think it was the jet lag), and 7:30 this morning (adjusting to new time zone!).

My parents garden is starting to uncontrollably vomit zucchini as it does every summer.  I already have a big bag full.  Let me know if you have any great/ creative recipes with that vegetable.  I love it, but am running out of ideas beyond zucchini bread, zucchini burgers, BBQ zucchini, zucchini in pasta.... 

This was an incredibly rambling little blog post.  But now its out, you're all caught up- and hip hip hurray to a beautifully creative summer! 

Healthy! But ready to go...

Hurray! Thank you for all your kind wishes, I am healthy!  And Christin has improved dramatically.

Christin pre-diagnosis, and now recovered thank goodness!

 I felt so well yesterday that I decided to join the group at El Colorado, a ski resort outside Santiago.  

Lunch break with Marthyna, the Polish girl- Santiago in the background (to the left under the cloud/smog layer)

There was some nice fluffy powder, at certain points it felt like I was skiing on sponge cake it was so bouncy.  I spent the day on the slopes with some other great skiiers and boarders.

Today I am studying for finals, how terrible.  Being bored makes me incredibly hungry.  Tomorrow is another study day, then two days of tests and I fly home!

Por Cina

I spent all morning in the hospital.  My roommate Christin was with a fever all during the night with her lungs on fire.  She wasn't able to stand up to walk across the room.  So after a disgusting wait in the waiting room (i.e., hacking and coughing, kids throwing up inside their masks causing the white vomit to trickle down into their shirt-collars) Christin had her temperature taken (102.2 F/ 39 C), lungs listened to, and the diagnosis pronounced: SWINE FLU.

I as the roommate am more or less quarantined in the apartment.  The two other girls from our apartment have been transferred to another room.  I was not permitted to go to class, and if I go outside I have to wear a mask.

Attractive, I know...

If I do not have symptoms by tomorrow morning then I should be in the clear (and I can go skiing with the group!!).  I have a slight cough but I think it is more mucus related (yum, I know)- I am guzzling fluids and airborne and taking it easy.  The vacated room has been cleaned so I will sleep in a different room at least, though at this point I have been exposed to the germs so it will only be so I can sleep through the night without hearing Christin cough.  Poor girl.

And to think I was so flippant about the swine flu a couple weeks ago.  Funny enough, Christin must have gotten it in Argentina.

Happy Father's Day!

Wish I could BBQ with you today!

Photo Source: Hair salon window in Santiago

Inspiration: Recuperation

We left Buenos Aires with a bang.  We spent Friday on Malaly's family motor boat on Rio del Tigre.

View of BA on Rio de la Plata (divides Argentina & Uruguay)

Friday night we went to dinner at Malay's again (and once again, ordered in empanadas YUM and had more Freddo ice cream).  After dinner, around 12:45 we went out to the Plaza Serrano area to Sugar and spent time with friends.  

We got home to our apartment about 5/5:30 (it's cultural to be out that late; but John, you're right- if we live down here, you will rarely (x 100) see me out at that hour!).  Woke up at 9:15 to pack for check-out.  Left for the airport at 11, caught a flight that afternoon back to Santiago, and now here we are!  We are so happy to have a free day and we will be studying for finals.  

Wow, less than a week left!

Abra la Boca

We went to La Boca area today.  It is the area next to the port where Tango was begun.  The sailors (German and Italian mainly) would come to port and outside the brothel windows would call and sing to the prostitutes, thus the agonizing and passionate dance of love = tango. 

The buildings are so colorful because the immigrants would steal paint from the ports to decorate their new Argentine homes thus creating a patchwork of colors.

Leaving La Boca was painful- huge protests today blocking Avenida 11 de Septiembre, which at 19 lanes is the largest avenue in the world.  The protests presumably are in anticipation of the elections in two weeks- there is great discontent with Presidente Kirschner, who assumed presidency when her husband's terms ended.  The elections are regarding Congress.

Oy, only one and a half days left in BA. que triste.  But I am out so late and sleeping so little I am getting a bit sick, so it is probably a good thing that I go back to slightly boring Santiago so I can catch up on my rest!

surprise: another great BA day

Fredo dulce de leche, doble chocolate helado

homemade milanesa for dinner

most ridiculous taxi ride home.  make sure i tell you the story later. might need to be an in-person kind of story. christin and i are still laughing.

tomorrow, the Supreme Court de Argentina! somos tan especiales, no?

xox

This is the best city in the world

No more can be said, BA is the most incredible city to which I have ever been.  It is my second time here and my expectations of the wonder of the city have been surpassed beyond my expectation.

Finalmente, empanadas perfectas- de chocolo, roquefort, carne suave, jamon y queso...

Christin was a high school exchange student with a family here and they have visited each other and stayed in contact for all this time.  The younger daughter, Malaly (Maria Laura) was a bridesmaid in Christin's wedding even.  So the parents and Malaly picked us up from the airport, took us to their three story penthouse, fed us demaciados empanadas y el helado mas rico en el mundo- de doble chocolate y dulce de leche tan buenisima (I immediately took a Pept0- lactose intolerant, or lacking self-control...? no se...)

La familia increible: Juan Carlos, Claudia, Malaly, Nacho, Christin, y Nico

Christin and I then went out with Malaly, her boyfriend Nacho, and her brother Nicolas to meet with some friends when dinner finished at 11.  We needed a toast of Quilmes to new friends and to being in BA.  Oof, we checked into our hotel at 4 am.  John I wish you could be here!

Las tres companeras: Cwis, Malaly, y Cari

Today we had clase a la UBA- mas de negocios.  After class we took a small siesta, then went to the local "hippie" market stalls.  We took a taxi to Malaly's y tomamos cafe y fuimos para cenar in a restaurant k fue fantastic.  Fantastico.  We need to go to sleep earlier tonight, so now it is 11 45 and hopefully to sleep by midnight.  (Quien soy? no estoy dormienda a las 10??)

Driving around these streets I am so happy.  I get jittery.  This city has a certain feel, an essence, it is hard to explain.  I love being with locals.  I love how beautifully dressed all the women are.  I love how cultured the city is, yet so distinctly Argentinean.  Estoy tan feliz.  John I can't wait to bring you here!  (and maybe stay?? start working on that castillano :) )

muchos abrazos- we'll be very busy tomorrow and wednesday, but I'll do my best to keep updating.

que rico k puedo dormir en la ciudad mas mejor en todo el mundo !

whhhhhheeeeee!!!!!!!!!

Vamos a Buenos Aires manana!

Que Lindo!

As always, I send my affection to all of you; and as always I appreciate your comments and thoughts on the posts!

In-flew-enza

The world health organization has declared a swine flu pandemic.  Chile, unfortunately, is listed.  Our program is discouraging us from riding the metro and we are having class at the hotel conference room rather than at the law school.  When we fly into Argentina on Sunday customs will be spraying us down with disinfectant.

The article is here.

But I'm feeling very healthy and am not very concerned.

Thursday

Class then Villa Grimaldi.  Very triste.

Here is the story:

An Italian came to Chile and built a beautiful, walled, Tuscan estate in the 1960s outside of Santiago proper.   He built a water tower within the compound because water lines were not yet able to service his estate.

In 1973 the military led by General Pinochet presented the Italian with a choice: sign the documents releasing ownership of the property to the military and go away into exile, OR, refuse to sign and die.  He chose to sign.

From 1973 to 1979 over 4,000 Chileans were trekked through the compound as prisoners of the military.  If they were kept in the water tower converted to a prison then they were on the brink of becoming one of the disappeared.  

If not in there then they were kept tightly bunched in small cells and tortured throughout the day by either electrocution in the man or woman's most sensitive areas, water suffocation (water boarding), or dry suffocation (shavings placed in a plastic bag wrapped around the prisoner's head that entered the air passages once the oxygen was depleted from the bag).  A total of 236 are known to have died or disappeared from Villa Grimaldi (of 3,000 total that died in that time).  Disappeared means the helicopter flew bodies over the ocean, tied rail road ties to the bodies, placed them in bags, and dropped them.  These rail road ties have since been recovered some with remnants of buttons or clothing.

Presidente Michelle Bachelet and her mother were kept in the water tower as prisoners because General Bachelet was a member of the socialist party.  The President was exiled rather than killed; she returned for quite the triumph.

__

I'm sorry to share such a gruesome tale, but knowing the history is not only so important in understanding Chile's progression socially, politically, and economically, but is also important to analyze if the solutions Chile has employed to this history of horror could be applicable to current atrocities in other countries around the world.

So. An educational, somber visit.  But these courses are certainly a steep learning curve!

A quick run down

It's funny, I started this blog as an Israel travelogue.  So now I'm going to revert back to the original purpose of tracking my travels while I am away from home.

I am very ready for a nap, so here goes a quick run down:

Sunday morning: flew in at sunrise, phenomenally beautiful (picture not adequately representing, below).  The Andes are amazing.  Very cold when we arrived (7 3

0), met up with other group members, took the bus into Santiago.  Checked into "rent-a-home," which are furnished two bedroom two bath apartments.  We are in a quaint area, very c

onvenient to the metro.  I am roommates with my friend Christin (from Florida) which is super.

Sunday later in the morning: too excited to nap, Christin and I took the metro to Plaza de las Armas.  It was Father's Day, and as it was Sunday, the museums were free.  We listened to a

 great band, watched the celebrations, had lunch at a little cafe (traditional Chilean soup= one large chunk each of: carrot, pumpkin, potato and a hefty leg and thigh of chicken, also in one piece on the bone, in a shallow dish of hefty oily broth).  We went to the Natural History Museum (enlightening), walked through an artists neighborhood, grabbed cafe con leche to people watch, came back to the hotel and crashed; first full group meeting at 7 (orientation); went to eat with ten others (ordered a big plate of empanadas!); then home and bed.

Monday morning: alarms didn't go off- frantically scrabbled to get ready in ten minutes.  No coffee- yikes.  But we found a McDonald's on the way, which pleasantly provided us with cafe con leche...grande.  Class started at 9 and went to 1 (more descriptions of the classes later), after which we had a reception (more empanadas and sandwiches).

Monday afternoon: Christin and I went to a large hill in the city and received 360 degree views, phenomenal.  At the top is a gigantic white Virgin Mary, arms outstretched over the city (much like Jesus in Rio).  

We took a funucular to the top (a large wooden trolley of sorts took us up the very steep incline).  We decided to walk back from the mountain top, which took about 2 hours.  We found some very nice stray dogs who helped lead us back, one we named "Chilean Lassie."

We were exhausted when we got back so we bought empanadas and jugo de pina at a little shop next to our hotel, went home and did some reading for the next day's class, and went to bed early!

Tuesday (today): alarms worked!  Had a small breakfast provided downstairs.  Class once again 9-1 then Christin and I caught the metro to a rather large market selling typically traditional wares- a lot of alpaca items, lapis azul stones, and other crafts.  We found a nice little cafe and had empanadas and diet cokes. (are you getting the drift that I love empanadas?)

And now, relaxing and reading for a bit before we meet up with the group this evening.  We're watching Motorcycle Diaries- I've seen it probably 6-7 times, but since I am watching it in Chile, I think it will take on new relevance.

Much love to all!

mystery destination revealed

Remember I said my blog would get more interesting, at least to me, in a short time? Well that time is here and now.  Here is the view from my apartment window:

I present to you Santiago, Chile!

Colored falling leaves, crisp air, cold mornings.

I have been impressed and delighted in my two days here.

Much more detailed post to come!!