The end of the world (fin del mundo).
This is where I went for my first Rotary trip here in Chile, the south, not the deep south or down south it was truly on the opposite end of the world close to Antartica.
For 6 days there was 36 exchange students all closely packed together in hotels, planes, and buses. All wild-eyed and crazy and ready for some adventure and to speak in english (which were totally against the rules, but how can 7 consellors stop 36 students from speaking the language they want to speak in, well they can't)
I arrived at the airport December 14th at 7am which meant we had to leave our house in Talagante at 6am. It was not a fun wake-up that morning, went through some super relaxed domestic security (no taking off jackets or shoes) and we made it on the plane in no time. While waiting though all the exchange students spotted a Starbucks which I haven't had in about 4 months even though it was more expensive and not up to the usual standards it was still Starbucks. Especially since everyone here drinks instant coffee, which to me isn't bad at all. Our plane ride was about 3 hours long and lucky for me I got the emergency exit row which is wonderful for someone with super long legs, which Chileans seem to lack. Once we got off the plane we got our bags and boarded our bus, and we headed off into the tundra, and there was nothing much more to look at but clouded skies, little hills, and maybe the sea.
This is where I went for my first Rotary trip here in Chile, the south, not the deep south or down south it was truly on the opposite end of the world close to Antartica.
For 6 days there was 36 exchange students all closely packed together in hotels, planes, and buses. All wild-eyed and crazy and ready for some adventure and to speak in english (which were totally against the rules, but how can 7 consellors stop 36 students from speaking the language they want to speak in, well they can't)
I arrived at the airport December 14th at 7am which meant we had to leave our house in Talagante at 6am. It was not a fun wake-up that morning, went through some super relaxed domestic security (no taking off jackets or shoes) and we made it on the plane in no time. While waiting though all the exchange students spotted a Starbucks which I haven't had in about 4 months even though it was more expensive and not up to the usual standards it was still Starbucks. Especially since everyone here drinks instant coffee, which to me isn't bad at all. Our plane ride was about 3 hours long and lucky for me I got the emergency exit row which is wonderful for someone with super long legs, which Chileans seem to lack. Once we got off the plane we got our bags and boarded our bus, and we headed off into the tundra, and there was nothing much more to look at but clouded skies, little hills, and maybe the sea.
We took a detour onto a dirt road that went on forever until we reached a beach where we could walk a trail and see penguins. Which to my surprise there actually were penguins, usually you go to park reserves to find nothing there. We spent a good hour in the tundra, taking pictures, and we headed to Puerto Natales which was a three hour bus ride from Punta Arenas. We had a nice hotel to which Clea my roomate and me had three beds and a massive room to ourself. This day for lunch and dinner we had chicken and mashed potatoes in a row! It's a big joke that gringo food is chicken and mashed potatoes, every Rotary event we attend we seem to have it. In the night we went to the water, where we met a university student from Ecuador studying in Chile, he talked so slow in Spanish and I understand why the Chileans make fun of other latin american countries for how slow they talk.
2 comments:
woooot
i'm glad to hear your trip was fun!!
mine was great too
PENGUINS?! LIKE IN THEIR ACTUAL HABITAT? that's pretty rocking
<3
ahahahahahhahahahah.
PENGUINS. that's amazing. like. highlight of life.
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