After a six-month study abroad session in Chile, I learned a lot about the mysterious, unknown South America. Here are some of my findings:
The earthquake
Evidence was visible everywhere. The sidewalk tiles are broken, have holes and random drop-offs, and when it rains, it all turns into puddles that are easy to fall into. Several 20-story buildings have broken windows, and the roof and/or walls have giant cracks that span six feet or more.
The food
In Chile, food was a mixed experience for me.
The popular food that all the university students eat is a completo (hot dog). And this is no ballpark hot dog. This is a 12-inch boiled hot dog, in a bun slathered with mayonnaise, avocado (which I am always in favor of), diced tomatoes and onions, some ketchup or mustard, and probably some more mayonnaise.
I will remember some Chilean dishes fondly, such as a parrillada (mixed grill). It’s a cast-iron bowl brought out steaming with freshly cooked meat and potatoes. Under the bowl is a pile of coals to keep it warm. The tabletop barbecue includes chorizo, pork chops, flank steak, blood sausage, a chicken leg and three boiled, skinned potatoes.
The avocados in Chile were always ripe, and you never had to leave them out for three days to eat. The onions in Chile are so big I had a hard time picking one up with just one hand. And when I went to the fería (open-air market) I would come back with a 15-pound bag of potatoes for only $2.
The fashion and music
Chile, in some manners, exists in a time warp.
Chilean fashion is similar to American fashion in the 1980s. The mullet is popular, and it comes in all shapes and sizes. The mullet with a single dreadlock in the back is one example of how they elaborated on the timeless hairstyle.
Acid-washed jeans are popular, as well as floral-print tights and leggings. Music seems to be stuck in the 1980s as well; A popular band in Chile is Guns N’ Roses. When people aren’t jamming out to some hard rock, they are doing karaoke in a bar with friends.
Stray dogs
There are more stray dogs in Chile than there are places to order a breakfast burrito in Albuquerque. On every block, you see a dog running timidly up behind someone to sniff a hanging hand. Dog shit is everywhere.
I was walking around for three hours and snapped a picture of every stray animal I saw. At the end of the three hours, I had about 50 pictures of dogs sprawled around the city.
The nature
Most stunning in all of Chile was the nature. The Atacama Desert, in the north, has no record of rain in the last 400 years. Throughout the country, there are beaches, forests, mountain ranges, pastures, and each is stunning in its own way.
The most incredible beach I’ve ever seen is on an island called Chiloé. The water, a mix of sea and river water, was freezing, but it felt good on tired feet.
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In my last week in Chile, I went down to the southern tip, near Antarctica, and did a seven-day tour of Patagonia. That was one of the best weeks in Chile, because I was active everyday, hiking The W in Torres Del Paine, as well as horseback riding on a sheep ranch through herds of llamas.
The people
Overall, it was the Chilean people who I connected with most.
In the beginning, Chileans are not the most outgoing people. They are not going to start talking to you if they’ve never met you. But once you have any sort of connection to what they are talking about, or a friend in common who can introduce you into the group — you’re in. The people were curious about why I had chosen to study in Chile, and what life was like in New Mexico.
I think one of the most valuable aspects of traveling is when your stereotypes are proven wrong, and your worldview is broadened.
South America is often thought of as a dangerous place where there is only poverty, corruption and crime. But the same things exist in the United States. I think that they are just harder to see here because we have based our nation on the idea that everyone is treated equally, and freedom is a door-prize.
