UN POCO DE TODO!!!
Following on from Santiago, I took an extended Easter break.  
Just doing my job! Reference: LIA goal number 2.7-

• Understanding of of places, sites and monuments with cultural,        historical and national significance.

I found an incredibly diverse and beautiful region,with un poco de todo, (a little bit of everything).

UN POCO DE LAS MONTANAS...

After being in shadows of the foothills of the Andes for several days in my favourite city, they beckoned me to visit and certainly didn`t disappoint! Fossils found in these mountains share the secrets of their past life.
The mountains are as majestic close up as they are from a distance.  I regretted not having bought my hiking gear, but that is a definite on the list for the next trip. 


UN POCO DE CAMPO...

Best way to explore the countryside is on horseback for sure!   My first time in loooong time, too long! But kind of like riding a bike, it was so much fun! Fortunately my horse new the drill and wasn't disturbed by my shrieks of laughter as he spontaneously broke into a canter.  Words fail to describe the
incredible scenery and light as the sunset over the acres and acres of vineyards that stretched all the way to the foot of the mountains.  And then to trump it all was an early rising full moon!

UN POCO DE VINO...
Well, it be rude to ignore the world class export that is the pride of Chile.  I know have a new found respect for the time, resource and sheer genius that goes into the tipple that I too often take for granted! Months in making, moments in the mouth!  




My favorite bodegas of the day was totally organic.  From the
 planting, to the nurturing, to the processing, to the bottling - 'todo natural´. This family run vineyard, now in its fourth generation, seems to have captured a beautiful balance with the old and the new techniques, maintaining the integrity of organic product and quality of a great wine.  An exquisite lunch boasting the full flavors of the farm and vineyard , was served in the shade of a massive walnut tree, amongst the vines. Que rico,!

UN POCO DE LA LITERATURA...

The word of Pablo Neruda; Nobel Prize winning poet, entertained and enchanted me all afternoon in the cafe near his old home on the coast of Isla Negra.  His home and final resting place is now a tribute to his life and loves that inspired his poetry.  From the design to the decorations, Neruda life and loves are reflected.  The house is cleverly set out like a boat and a train carriage and sits on the edge of the ocean with a constant sound track of crashing waves.  Each room is filled with collection of  exquisite and eclectic objects from all over the world. Neruda died just days after the military coup in 1973 but his body was not able to be buried at his home until 1991 when democracy returned to the country.  Fortunately he is once again celebrated as a literary genius.

UN POCO MAS DE VINO... 

Because I do like have a well rounded perspective, I checked out another winery, kind of like getting a second opinion. I indeed found evidence to supporting my first conclusion, Chile makes great wine, especially reds!  Chonca y Torro, the third largest wine producers in the world, in their 5th generation of wine making.  They make the best known Casillero del Diablo (devils' locker), legend has it that the original winemaker invented the story that the cellar was haunted to deter the neighbours from pilfering his treasured stocks!

UN POCO DE LA HISTORIA...  The official word on Valparaiso is - ´cultural capital´ of Chile and it is also named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.  To me it was a combination of the character and hills of Wellington,  the grunge and dilapidation of studentville in Dunedin, along with the shambles and edginess of Naples with the pavement.  It is rough around the  edges and has a distinct bohemian feel.  In one word, I would call it funky.  Crooked stairwells, crumbling homes stuffed into every crevice of the hillside, trusty cable cars hauling through the steep slopes, old European style buildings and monuments,  street markets, and coastal scenery all gather to create a fascinating a diverse picture of this historic town.

So the past coupled of weeks I have been more focused on the cultural goals than language ones, yet I haven't been homeless, stranded, hungry or lonely, nor have I needed to draw any pictures to make myself understood. So in comparison to my first trip to the supermarket - I will take this as progress! 
However, it seems that tourist talk doesn`t necessarily translate to day to day life and now back home, I am struggling to string a decent sentence together at the dinner table!  So with respect to grammar ' its back to the the drawing board - or rather whiteboard and post-its and notes tacked to my wall.

Faced with the prospect of Monday morning like very one else,  I shall leave you with the words of Pablo Neruda, which come to mind -   El dia lunes arde como el petroleo cuando me ve llegar con mi cara de carcel - Monday burns like kerosene when it sees me show up with my mugshot face!
This a rather poetic complaint, but seriously, I love my job!

SANTIAGO, ME ENCANTA

I am sitting on the roof top terrace of my Santiago hotel watching the lights from skyscrapers and apartment buildings wink at each other. It is like being in a cityscape from a movie.
I love this city. Me Encanta as the Spanish would say, it charms me.
 Last night I followed sounds of music floating through the streets, like a child in the Pied Piper and was treated to a free outdoor classical concert in front of the exquisite Museo de Bellas Artes! It's funky and full of character, antique architecture reflects the influence of Europe and the Spanish colonisers from hundreds of years ago, yet at the same time modern buildings of glass and class clearly show that this city has not been left behind in the fast paced world.  The street art and graffiti, particularly prominent in the bohemian part of the city Bella Vista where I am staying give it a character all of its own.  Negotiating such a massive city is easy with the infrastructure of the modern day Metro system, which is again decorated with art, distinct style for each station.  This beauty and attention to detail takes the edge of the sardine like treatment as we all cram into the the already filled carriages.  For me this is the perfect combination for a capital city.
I have come here to Santiago (a three our flight from Arica) to meet with the NZ ambassador tomorrow, on behalf of AFS and to promote the scholarship, what a privilege! It should at least be interesting and I hope that I can find an iron!
Meanwhile, I am taking this opportunity to expand my understanding and knowledge of this country and culture by touring the city!  This morning started with the Santiago Marathon, with 30,000 participants in 10-42km races it was quite an event.  What a fantastic setting, I watched with utter respect and some disappointment that I wasn't participating myself.  I was envious of those endorphined pumped athletes. "Vamos! Vamos!" I cheered along with the other spectators. Then I saw a runner face down vomitting in the gutter and I had flashbacks of myself in Rotoru, needless to say my disappointment quickly disappeared, and I set off to explore the city happy that I was not crippled by the event.
I ascended the 500 metres to the top of the Cerro San Cristobel in a cable car, where an enormous statue of the Virgin Mary stands, arms protectively stretching out over the city, a tribute to the country's Catholic allegiance. What an incredible view! The city, home to 7 million people stretching upwards toward the sky and sprawling outwards to fill the entire valley, yet completely dwarfed by the surrounding foothills of the Andean mountains!
Its a humbling perspective.