cerros Crayola y mas...

OK, I've left you hangin since Thursday, no? I have a ton to tell. Well, on Thursday I left the hostel to explore the Centro, which is just few Metro stops away (the metro is the train/subway. The metro and bus sytem is incredible here, btw. Its better and cheaper than in sf or ny.) I ended up just walking, for like 4 hours, getting lost then re-orienting myself, over and over. The city is massive. As this was my first aqcuaintance with the centro, I can't really say what was what or where I was exactly; it was just ins and outs of bustling dusty streets, until I saw a street that called my name. A cafe, another cafe, could this be that 2 block stretch I wanted, within the hundreds of blocks in the centro? It was! I wanted some coffee, but realized I had to get cash first. I decided to just go wherever felt right, and get cash when I found a Citibank. That little street of Cafe's led me to a pretty and patrimonial stone staircase and lush green hill amidst the dusty bustle. I walked through it, I saved the trip to the top for when I have company. I continued to look for the citibanks that the manager of the Berkeley branch said were 'all over Santiago'. Turns out, Citi is just affiliated with Banco de Chile, who boasts the Citi logo. They charge me to use the ATM, 6 bucks; this totally defeats ther purpose of me opening a bank acct with Citi in the first place, but I get money anyway (more on this situation later).
By now, Shay calls me and I make my way over to Plaza Nunoa, a district away. We did some errands for Shays phone, it was broken, and then the new one broke, now she cant turn on the other new one she bought (very annoying :( ) We had some lunch at a resturaunt; it was much better than the Chilean hard rock cafe, but still catered a little to 'us folks'. We visited Corrie's homestay (Corrie lived in Ridge house, too, and is here for the same time/thing shay is). She lives on the 13th floor of an apt building in Los Condes, an upper-middle class neighborhood. The view was spectacular, if a bit smoggy. Tons of Apt buildings, backdropped by the snow topped Andes (its like 85 degrees out here!?) and the other surrounding mountains (Santiago is basically surrounded by mountains). I have pictures of the view.
Friday. I met Shay for lunch at Anjelicas house (homestay). She made us a typical Chilean lunch: salmon, with (i'm pretty sure..) just oil, lemon and salt, and some rice, and avo and tomatoes and bread. This place is overflowing with avocados! We thought Carpinteria was home to avos...here theyre a staple, and hella cheap, I got two big ones for something like a buck. And lunch is the main meal, dinner is small. Lunch was incredible; better than what I had at that resturaunt on Thurs. (You'll hear a lot about what I eat and drink lol....)
Then Shay left for the weekend :(
She had an orientation for her program at a resort (it might have been a resort ten years ago she says, but half was closed and/or crumbling..) between here and the beach. So I stayed at the hostel on Friday night, for a BBQ the owners were hosting. We all hung out on the back porch, with Chilean wine, and had kababs of veggies meat and...hot dog peices? also two tables of salad options, and steak. Tranquilo, muy tranquilo. I talked with a cool Australian couple, and somebody from LA, and listed to their stories/suggestions for Macchu Picchu.
un poco vino, y puedo hablar espanol! Herman (pronounced kinda that way, maybe spelled German), who owns the place, and I talked in Spanish about how he came from the poor regions of Chile and realized his dreams to live in Providencia (where we are, a nice area in Chile), while his friends wound up selling drugs.
Then, off to Bellavista! We went to a matte grey fronted building with a doorman, and entered into, apparently, one of the hipper clubs in the area. Some more talking (or screaming over the music), and we headed home. I reeked of cigaretts because people smoke in there. Honestly, there are other things I'd prefer to do in my travels, but it was fun.
I pulled myself together the next morning in spite of the late night, and left for Valparaiso on my own! Valpo is the cultural capital of Chile, on the beach about an hour and half bus ride from Santiago. So the Metro and public buses are incredible. Then theres the Tur-Bus (and other companies like it), which are even more incredible. I took the metro from my hostel (it stops a block away), to the Terminal de Buses, about 15 min. I bought a round trip ticket to Valpo for like 6800 pesos. Thats like 13 bucks! The bus was exactly on time; its a legit tour bus--reclining seats, air-conditioned, movies, and it drives fast. They sell you refreshments on board. They ask where you need to get off. All with efficiency and ease. I left at 230, (I mean 1430) and got there around 4. I had made a reservation on hostelworld.com for that same night, so I made my way to the hostel. It's a single door in an alley that leads up two floors to a big flat, and the owner and his family lives there too. It was the wrong hostel. Same name and owner, but wrong hostel, crap. A stroke of luck--somebody left, leaving me a bed; and, this hostel has private rooms, so I had a queen bed in a private room that night. I napped.
At about 815, I went exploring. (It stays light out until around 930). And...whatta ya know, I stumbled across the Carnival Cultural de Valparaiso, a massive festival celebrating Chilean culture, held in Valparaiso (the cultural capital of Chile). I stopped to listen to the band, which played on a serious stage--mulitple screens, lights, effects etc. I ended up staying for two more hours, listening to the next bands, and the crowds came booming in around me. I have pictures. I left to find some food around 1130; I had my first 'Completo' from an old couple/street vendor for 500 pesos (a buck). A completo is a hot dog in bun, with saurekraut, mashed avocado, tomato, maybe something else, and mayo. Next time I'll skip the mayo, but it was good enough, I was hungry. I slept. Well, I slept after enduring some ninos y ninas running and screaming throughout the house (it was like 1am, wtf!?)
Sunday I roamed Valpo. I'm lost for words to describe this city, but I'll try. Multiple 'cerrros' (hills) rise steeply behind the flat port area of town. These cerros are drenched with a spectacle of colored houses, muraled walls, and spidery staircases. As my guidebook says, not even the most gifted cartographer can capture the erratic hills, roads and stairs of this place. Crumbling mansions and perched shacks, artists' studios and cafes, and of course, endless happy stray dogs that navigate what feels like an MC Escher drawing in Crayola come to life. Multiple 'ascensors' (elevator things) that were built in the early 1900's take you up the near-vertical sections of the cerros for 300 pesos. Half the acsensors dont work, which I found out the hard way after hiking up the hill to take one down.
Then I realized I left my passport and wad of cash between the mattress at the hostel. ****. Luckily, Orlando, the owner had given me his info, so after asking a local about the local area code, I called him. I asked him about my things (my spanish is improving by the second), he said he'd look, and I called him back in 5, and he had them. First, however, he informed me that I have a 'cabeza de pollo'. I said 'si, es verdad.' I went back and got my passport and cash, to my releif.
That situation had inturrupted my plan to eat lunch up on the cerros. So I went back, and entered 'Valparaiso, Mi Amor', a resturaunt. It too catered to tourists, who can afford the food. In other words it wasn't that cheap. But, it was a cool little place. I ordered (crap I can't remember how to say it...maripochos something?) Chilean clams with parmesan and butter and I think a green leafy herb that looks like cilantro but isn't, I gotta figure out what its called. And house white wine, I couldn't quite make out from the waitress what it was called. They start you with awesome bread and a pico de gallo like salsa for it. The clams came, all 20 some of them on the half shell, with a rose made from tomato skin in the middle. They were incredible. Unfortunately, I had to eat more quickly than I'd like to, cause I had a bus to catch.
I scurried down on the acsensor, and had to get a cab, or else miss the bus. The cab cost only a little less than the whole ride back to Santiago, but at least I made the bus.
I met Shay when I got back, and we went to 'Lider', a big Chilean grocery/everything else store. We got groceries for me, and another new phone for Shay, and some wine and chocolate for Anjelica. Anjelica had us for dinner--bread, salami, cheese, avo and vino. I headed home around 12.
We are going back to Valparaiso.
Today I haven't left the hostel. I slept as much as I could (the last week has been a battle against snorers, kids, travelers in and out, etc), and made myself breakfast-croissant, avocado, tomato, salt, and Via instant coffee. That stuff has been a godsend. As has the rest of the travel accessories, btw, thank you!! That little chico-bag...(a re-usable grocery bag that stuffs into an attached pouch and clips onto you) ...so rad.
I opened a new bank acct with Charles Schwab--it refunds all ATM fees, so I don't have to shell out 6 bucks everytime I get out money. umm mom? can you send me the check card and checks that are coming to your house?? and the camera charger I forgot??? :) i'll call ya.
after that and writing all this, quiero almozar.
i'll try to update y'all more often. and i'll get the pictures up.

best,
el cabeza de pollo