December Round Up

Christmas morning = jammy-time

My nut & olive lady @ La Vega.  She has a crush on me,
I think her husband does too.

$2US gets you a bowl of killer ceviche.  It was very good.

Hey, ya'll, Matt here.  So December is almost over and with it come the holidays.  For those of you that we talked to on Christmas: it was great to see/speak with you and you were missed horribly.  To those that we didn't talk to: it would have been great to see/speak with you and you were missed horribly.

Sandwiches go in here.

Our buddy, Canuto, with his new kitten.

Prior to Christmas, the world, of course, has gone on.  As it is summer here there are a ton of good deals to be had on fruits and vegetables, outdoor fairs, and occasions to hang out with friends.  We've been finding particularly good deals at La Vega on avocados (look at the sticker on yours at the supermarket, they probably came from Chile); it has been delicious.  We also got to go to the first annual Sandwich Festival (Feria de Sanguche) at Parque Araucano (a park in a rich part of town).  The festival was kick-ass: it only cost $4US/each to get in and then craft beers were $2US and artisanal sandwiches & burgers were $3US.  We probably had about 3 sandwiches each, it was great.  

Cola de mono ingredients.  Settle down, Sara.

It has also been very fun seeing folks and watching the futbol (soccer) season wind down.  The Universidad de Chile (U. de Chile) won the Copa Sudamerica and are now in the finals for the Chile-wide tournament against Cobreloa (based out of Calama, Chile).

Definitely adjust amounts to your tastes

As it is Christmastime here too - though it doesn't feel like it as it is hot - it is time for Christmas-themed blogging.  Christmas is big down here, including the winter themes and all (strange as it is so hot).  All the children want to see Viajito Pascuero (Santa Claus) and get their favorite toys on Christmas Eve (when most Chileans celebrate).  One Christmas tradition here is a drink called the cola de mono (literally "monkey's tail").  This drink is basically milk and booze and will knock you on your ass if you aren't careful.  Here are the ingredients I used to make it:

Cola de mono and a slice of pan de pascua, breakfast of champions.

• 1 liter milk (it comes in boxes here)
• 1 cup aguardiente
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 5 cloves
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 3 tbsp. coffee
• Lemon zest (1/4)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

It is pretty easy to make, but you will need a few hours to let it cool down to appropriate drinking temperature (it is served w/o ice, but as cold as possible; again, it is very hot here on Christmas).
Here are the steps:

Christmas Eve dinner.  Pork chops, mashed potatoes, &
a Cuban salad (avocado, onion, tomato, mustard, oil).

1. Combine milk, cinnamon, cloves, vanilla, zest, and coffee in a pot and put on low heat, you don't want it to boil.
2. Let it heat, stirring occasionally for about a 1/2 hour, it will be a nice cafe con leche color.
3. Remove from heat.  As it is cooling slowly add sugar and then booze.  Strain into another container.
4. Put in fridge and wait about 4 hours.
5. Merry Christmas!

You can make plenty of variations to this recipe: Charlie recommended whiskey (gotta try that one!), I made one with a 1/2 c. of peanut butter that was good, and I've also heard that more/less booze can really change the flavor.  This drink is traditionally served with a slice of pan de pascua (Christmas bread, like fruitcake).

Big American breakfast on Christmas day

Getting snacktastic in Parque Forestal on Christmas

So for Christmas here Sara & I woke up at a reasonable hour after watching Christmas movies (National Lampoon's, Charlie Brown, etc.) the night before and had a big breakfast and opened gifts.  Afterwards, we packed up a big picnic and went to the park to sit in the sun, read, listen to music, throw the frisbee, and enjoy our first Christmas together (awwww).  While it was very different being hot and away from our families, plenty of cola de mono and gchatvideo/skype afterward made the day a success.  We closed out with a HUGE dinner at our local Peruvian restaurant, it was crazy good.  I haven't cursed that much at dinner in a long time/ever.
Millsy & Danielle are coming down this Wednesday, which will be a whole lot of fun.  I'll try to post some stuff from their visit and New Year's Eve celebrations in the new year.

At El Aji Seco for Christmas dinner, that food is unbelievably good. 

We hope your holidays were/are/will be everything you want them to be.  Our big hope for the New Year is that the troll-man who has taken up residence in the streets below our window moves on.  He sounds like a combination of Captain Beefheart, Tom Waits, and Dr.John, and loves to stay up late talking to no one about everything.

Back to Summer

Inside Estacion Mapocho, designed by Eiffel.
Once a train station, now a cultural center.

Hey, everyone.  Matt here.  Not too much has been going down around here.  We've been trying new foods, seeing some sights, and trying to keep breathing.

@ Ciudad Vieja, an excellent sandwich shop

   Sara continues to work like a mad(wo)man, making a lot more money than me.  She is also palpably excited for her work to start in March.  I had a few interviews last week for some jobs that didn't go so well.  One was at the local dive bar, Mano Manja (Not Mano Monja as in earlier posts.  Thanks, Charlie.), where I was told directly that they didn't want an American.  Another was for a study-abroad program, which I didn't leave feeling particularly strong about.  Lastly, and this was a real pisser, one for a guiding company that was called off after a 3 week delay because they had all the positions filled.  However, I do have one more sweet, sweet paycheck coming from the NYCDOE, so I'm not in too much danger.  Also, I'm actively working to concoct as many get-rich-quick schemes as possible.

A very busy beverage

   The time off has been nice as every day is getting warmer as Summer arrives in full (students are already off for break).  Most every day is sunny, dry, and about 80-something degrees.  The arrival of summer has also brought some great deals on fruits and vegetables at the open-air produce market, La Vega.  Just a few deals:

Pichinga: cheap, salty, and greasy

• 1Kg (2.2Lbs) Apricots - $500CLP (Approx. $1USD)
• 1Kg Cherries - $500CLP
• 2Kg Watermelon - $2.000CLP
• 1Kg Lemons - $300CLP

We've also been able to try some new foods and drinks that one doesn't see in the US.  One particularly excellent one is very common streetfood - the Mote con Huesillo.  This is basically peach juice, mote (a grain), and a halved huesillo (dried peach).  A 12oz. cup is $450CLP, refreshing, and damn delicious.  It is a serious must-have in Chile.  A dish that has proven a little less delicious is called pichinga.  It is basically a mix of mortadella, ham(s), olives, pickled onion and cauliflower, and cheese ends.  It is very salty and greasy.  I imagine drunks living on the cheap off of this with a loaf of bread.

Terremoto in a cleaner part of La Piojera

   Another distinctly Chilean institution, in the sense of place and custom, is La Piojera.  This bar is very close to our home and serves a crazy beverage called a terremoto ("earthquake").  This bar was once referred to as a "flea's nest" by a Chilean president; this is not far off.  It is a pretty dirty place that sees a lot of people getting seriously mangled.  Our first time there, within 5 minutes, we saw an old lady getting carried out on a chair.  Seeing people get taken out is fairly common.  This is more understandable after 1+ terremoto.  Here is a quote about the place & drink from LanguageRoulette.com:

A creepy clown at La Piojera

This traditional restaurant and bar is known for it’s home-cooked meals and variety of  drinks that will knock you on your ass.  The most famous, the Terremoto (or earthquake), is a combination of Pipeño (a Chilean wine), ice cream and liquor that tastes like a sweet mixed drink but hits you like a booze train.

We've always stopped ourselves after 2 of these, which seemed like enough.  I imagine that 3 or more and you are really banged-up.  Hence, all the jack-asses getting dragged out of there.

Moonrise over Cerro San Cristobal

   In other news, Universidad de Chile won the Copa Sudamerican soccer tournament last night in their final versus Liga (from Ecuador).  We were watching the game at a bar, which was very fun; the people were very into it.  After the game ended (about 11:15), the city erupted into celebration for hours afterward.  People were honking their horns and waving flags into the wee hours.  

A vegan protest.  I feel bad for these people.  They're standing
in direct sunlight for hours holding dead, rotting animals.
The stench is pretty bad, yet I'm surprisingly hungry.

   That just about does it on my end.  I hope everyone is feeling Christmasy and doing well.  Drop me a line if you are/aren't.

You Gotta Take Some, And Leave Some

We got to sit at the big kids' table

   Hey, everybody; Matt here.  It was good to hear from family and friends about your Thanksgiving festivities; you were all sorely missed.  We were fortunate enough to have Charlie's family invite us over for a Thanksgiving meal that Friday.  A true Thanksgiving on Thursday would have been impossible as people have to work here on that day (What an injustice!).

Happy 30th Birthday, Ina

Mashini, this guy is a lawyer

   The meal had all the important parts: turkey, potatoes, pies, wine, and beer.  I was relieved to discover that I could maintain the hallowed Thanksgiving tradition of immoderate consumption of food and drink in Chile.  We brought along some excellent dishes to share as well.  I brought an marinated olive mix (from NYTimes' Mark Bittman, very easy & quick).  Sara made a killer stuffing and stuffed red peppers.  We also volunteered ourselves in the kitchen as soon as we got there and my copper pennies in a pinch were a hit.

Looking up the Yerba Loca valley to La Paloma (glaciated peak)

   The next night was our friend, Ina's, birthday.  It was a great time and we got to hang out with a fun crowd.  Many of them were Will's friends that we haven't been able to see as much as we'd like. In fact, we had such a good time that we didn't find ourselves getting home until about 7am the next morning.  Needless to say that Sunday was completely shot.  However, I'm proud to say that we did manage to get ourselves out of the apartment in time for sunset (around 7pm) to straggle our way into cheap/quick food (mmm, freezer-aisle sushi & empanadas from the supermarket).

At my base camp.  La Paloma, Altar Falso, and Altar behind me.

   Last week I was able to get out of work on Thursday which allowed me to get back into the mountains.  The plan was to make for the summits of La Paloma (4900M) and Altar (5100M).  They are both located in Yerba Loca Nature Sanctuary, which is just outside Santiago on the Camino a Farellones (road to the ski resorts).  Public transportation and hitchhiking had me there in a few hours.

Los Sulfatos waterfall, stunning.

   The approach to these summits is fairly long, ascending the Yerba Loca valley for about 21km to the base of the La Paloma glacier.  In that time, you slowly and steadily gain elevation while getting cooked from the intense Chilean sun (it is seriously intense down here).  While exposed and grinding, the approach is pleasant and goes through several environmental zones.  It was interesting to see the composition of flora and fauna change so clearly as the elevation changed.  The physical geography of the land is also striking.  There are many waterfalls, plains, cliffs, boulders, and stratifications that are the result of glacial movements thousands of years old.

My route goes right up that glacial field in the center

   The approach was going well until I got towards my high camp (about 3800M) on day 2, where the route turned into very steep and loose rock.  In stiff-soled, heavy mountaineering boots this is not a very comfortable way to travel.  In another rather unfortunate development, I began to have quite a headache the night before my summit attempt.  This is one of the signs of altitude sickness, for which there is only one cure: descent.  Knowing this, I decided to try my own cure - time.  I figured that maybe I'd feel better in the morning and could continue on to the summit.

Big views from about 4500M.
I'll be quite sick in about 1/2 hour.

   The stars when I woke up at 4:15am were incredible; there was no moon and not a cloud in the sky.  I was pumped to get moving (it would also help with the cold).  After slamming down two granola bars and a piece of chocolate, I began the summit attempt.  I don't think anyone had gone my route (up the Rincon glacier) in quite some time; there were no boot prints anywhere.  This was understandable in retrospect as the ascent was a bastard.  The parts on the glacial moraine (base of the glacier) were more steep, loose rock.  The surface of the glacier was also extremely sun-cupped (referred to here as penitentes), which slowed my progress significantly.

Penitentes = major bastard for travel

   When I reached the top of the glacial valley (approx. 4500M), I was feeling mighty cooked: the altitude sickness (known here as La Puna) and exertion were catching up to me quickly.  About 1/2 hour later I was at the summit of Cerro Fortuna (a smaller summit en route to La Paloma, approx. 4600M) and felt a definite "reversal of fortuna" coming on.  At this point I was a little behind schedule, tired, cold, and certainly getting sick; but also only 300M from the summit.  I made the smart decision and began to descend; it sucked.
   However, as I knew would happen, I immediately began to feel better as I reached lower elevations.  The mountains aren't going anywhere, so no worries, just disappointment.  To punish myself/make my exit easier, I decided to descend the 17.5km from high camp to Villa Paulina (day-site in Yerba Loca).  By the time I reached Villa Paulina (approx. 1900M), I had been moving for about 12 hours and my feet had turned into ground meat.  After a quick dinner of instant mashed potatoes w/ a sausage, I died in my sleeping bag for the following 13 hours.

Sara making friends at Gourmet Mundo food expo

   After scoring a sweet hitchhike from the entrance to Yerba Loca (4km from Villa Paulina) all the way to the La Vega produce market (4 blocks from our apt.), it was great to see Sara.  She had bought a bunch of great food and cheap beer on which I proceeded to gorge.  Sara also knew about a great food expo happening about a mile into the park by our apt.  We went there and got to sample all sorts of Chilean foods, drinks, and condiments; it was a load of fun.  
   All in all, that's about it on my end.  I have interviews this week with a study-abroad program and a mountain-guiding service.  Hopefully one of those will hit (c'mon, mountain guide!) and I can stop tutoring English.  But you know, you gotta' take some, and leave some.

I just think this is neat.

   One more thing: it is very strange to see a Santa's Village set up in the Plaza de Armas which is sunny, hot, and full of palm trees.
   If you want to see more pictures from my trip to La Paloma, visit my adventure picture website: http://getserious.shutterfly.com.