Chile - September 1997
Arriving into Santiago, Chile was quite a headrush. This was probably one of my most desired lifetime long desired places to go in the world right up there up with Nepal. The idea of starting a new life here.. equipped with a teaching certificate, a year in Korea, and such was an exhiliriating one.
One of the very first things I did was find the International Youth Hostel.. which wasn't anywhere near as cheap as I'd hoped.. not bad.. but since I still didn't have any money at all.. and already using credit cards.. the prospect of spending yet more money on housing and living meant I'd have to be extremely quick about finding work.
One of biggest shocks was when I first arrived at the hostel, and asked for a room in English.. they had no idea what I wanted.. here I was with a few bags on my shoulders and backs.. standing at their front desk.. of an International Youth Hostel.. and absolutely no clue as to what I could possibly want there.. I tried to say it in English several different ways so they would hopefully understand it was a room that I came to get.. but no luck.. eventually I pulled out a book.. found the direct translation.. which said 'una habitacion, por favor'.. and finally they understood why the gringo guy with the bags on his backs was standing at the front desk of an international youth hostel.. he wants a room..
Incidently, the next day the same thing happened again in the kitched of the international youth hostel.. there was some kind of small breakfast buffet.. you pay for the meal.. so I went there to ask if I could get some breakfast.. while standing in front of the line for breakfast.. people seemed really puzzled once again to what I could possibly want.. I once again found my phrase book.. and said 'una desayuno por favor'.. and then suddently they realized the hungry gringo was standing next to the breakfast buffet with hungry eyes because he was hungry and wanted to eat.
So anyhow, extremely quickly, I realized that being in Chile was not like being in Turkey or Thailand or Nepal or Korea or Japan or anywhere else.. I would have to study Spanish constantly just to be able to do the most simple of things.. even in the most international of places.. which actually was a good thing.. as finally I would be learning a language that I personally found extremely useful for traveling but also back in the United States as well..
One of the first things I did was I began to look for English bookstores throughout Santiago.. which incidently, there are none at all.. I was able to find a very small section of one major bookstore which had a few Lonely Planet travel guides.. and a few things on studying Spanish as well.. including one book that was titlted 'How to Speak Chilean'.. and as I read the back cover, and later began talking to other foreigners in the hostel and such.. that in Chile.. they speak so different from the rest of the Spanish-speaking world.. that most others don't know what they are saying.. apparently, even foreigners who are fluent in Spanish.. and have been able to travel everywhere without problems in South America.. have to tweak the Spanish alot to adopt the Chilean way of speaking.. since I was no expert on Spanish at that time.. I still could not tell you what the major differences are.. for one though, I heard they often drop the last syllable of the word when speaking.. and also they have a countless amount of slangs and idioms that are pretty much only understood in Chile..
One of the things I liked the most of Santiago though.. is there were tons and tons of parks and trees and city entertainers.. the streets were kind of cool.. and I loved walking around the place.. it seemed like everywhere I went there was some kind of performer.. I also found Chilean people to have been the nicest and most kind people I've ever met.. as a foreigner, I was a very big novelty to everyone I met.. and no one once ever tried to scam me or anything.. for the most part.. they were so polite.. they offered just about anything to me.. and they asked me that if I was traveling in Chile.. and if I wanted to.. I could visit their brother or sister or cousin in some other town if I had the time.. and they'd be very hospitable and do anything for me.. this kind of thing.. I was often taken back at people's genuine interest..
One of the interesting parts that I saw in all of the parks.. were for one.. they were very beautiful.. must like the one in the picture on the top of this page.. and number two, it seemed like every park in the city had hundreds and hundreds of couples kissing on park benches nearly everywhere you went.. that part was absolutely amazing.. does everyone just bring their lover to the park and kiss all day? It was one of the most common things in the world to see.. tons and tons of lovebirds everywhere.. just as a random thought I wondered if any were actually married and in the park with their secretary or something.. probably not as Chilean people seemed so honest.. they just looked all young and in love.. and enjoying the beauty of the parks with their lover.. passionately entwined and kissing all over the parks..
One of the more boring parts of Santiago though.. is it was kind of quiet at nighttime.. there were some bars and clubs.. but nothing that great.. i found the big nightlife area of the city.. but it was kind of expensive since I didn't have any money.. plus it just wasn't that great.. I was the only foreigner around.. also I noticed the art and style of the nightlife area.. not really that interesting.. alot of art was around.. but it was kind of kitsche.. or whatever that word is.. like elvis-like velvet painting or pictures.. something like that.. and alot of the guys had really long stringly greasy hair.. kind of like you were going to the carnival in a small American town.. so that aspect of Santiago quite surprised me as I'd assumed it to be more cosmopolitan.. but really.. it was kind of very hidden away from the world.. and while this made the people very friendly and warm.. it also had kind of a really withdrawn feel.. and a bit sleepy.. as I just didn't find anything that interesting for nightlife.. actually the times I went out.. it was equally hard because no one spoke any English whatsoever.. so I was constantly forced to resort to my phrasebook to say 'its hot' or 'i'm hungry' or whatever really simplistic thing you could possibly imagine.. but this was in fact a great blessing because it meant I was actually learning some basic Spanish every single day I was there..
I also went around to alot of English schools looking for work as well.. but I had almost no luck whatsoever.. one school I went to told me they only hire people from abroad and would never consider hiring someone who just wandered into town.. I found that kind of odd.. as if they wandered into town.. or took the iniative to come here.. then I would think that would be a good teacher to have.. I also found that the best-paying school in town was about $10/hour.. but of course it didn't have any housing (a shock after Korea or Turkey.. each of which employers paid more and offered free housing as well).. I had my name on just about every school in the city for work.. but no one was looking for teachers..
Incidently, one night an American rolled into the hostel who'd just come from teaching English in a school called 'Linguatec' in Sao Paulo Brazil.. apparently there was also a 'Linguatec' in Santiago.. and he had just finished his time in the Brazil branch and looking to get involved in Chile.. he was telling me all about it.. I had also been to the Linguatec-Santiago branch.. but they just weren't hiring.. so I got alot of information from him about it.. as well as Brazil and Argentina (where'd he just been traveling around.
The other thing I began to do was look at other options at this time as well.. maybe Santiago just wasn't going to work out for me.. so everyday I would borrow a couple books from other travelers on all the countries in South America.. I began to look at Bolivia and Peru.. thinking I'd want to study Spanish and stay within the Spanish-speaking world.. but everytime I read anything about Brazil.. it just got me kind of excited with the prospects of possibly going there.. in addition, a Chilean guy I met.. constantly told me to go to Brazil.. I would love Brazil.. its so amazing.. you must go.. you must go.. you must go.. and we talked about nightlife and where things were most interesting.. and it seemed everyone pretty much said Brazil.. so.. at some point I'd decided maybe Brazil is where I should go as well.. in addition to that.. the American guy gave me a phone number of his old school in Sao Paulo.. and suggested that I could find work there very easily.. and there is alot more money in Sao Paulo. Anyhow, I'd decided I'd take him up on that..
First however, I'd travel through Argentina..
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