Ides of February

Well-worth $100CLP/$.20USD

The Costanera Center, which will be the
tallest building in South America.

   Hey, ya'll; Matt here.  How've you been?  We're doing OK: working, getting out, seeing folks - you know, the usual.
  Sara has been working like a maniac on multiple fronts in preparation for the coming school year.  She's been tutoring Santiaguinos like a madwoman the past few weeks to build up cash reserves.  On top of this, she's been bettering herself and her experience here by taking Spanish lessons.  She now commands enough Spanish to be a danger to herself and others; she's loving it.

Sara loves this.

Making a fly out of own beard hair = time for a haircut

  I've been working a decent amount doing bike tours as a full guide.  Most of my students have been on vacation in late January/early February, so this is really my only source of income currently.  It's paid well at times and fairly poorly at others.  I really lucked out this last weekend and got a couple of Americans who gave me a fat/phat tip.  Interestingly enough, they were landscape architects from CT who knew about the city I grew up in (Guilford, CT).  The small-world aspect of this was well summed-up by one of the guys as I told him about sandwiches at Deli Unlimited on Route 1, "I can't believe I had to travel to Santiago, Chile to find out where the best sandwiches in Guilford, CT are."

Looking towards Volcan San Jose
in the Valle Engorda near Banos Morales.
Chilean-engineered bridge.

  Sara & I have also been making sure to find time for ourselves to find good food, drink, and times.  On Pio Nono, in the Bellavista neighborhood, there are usually street performers at night for the string of beer-bars which line the street.  These include rock/blues musicians, one-man-band boys, comedians, clowns, mimes, etc.  Sara's current favorite is a dance-tastic transvestite.  He/she is a spectacle and naturally chooses people who look like they'd be uncomfortable (me) as targets.  I was able to delight several Santiaguinos by breaking out my finest lower-lip-bitten & eyes-closed dancing for him/her.  We've also gotten into the habit of having lunch at La Vega when we do our fruit/vegetable shopping.  This has provided plenty of opportunity to try many new dishes like chupe de mariscos (cheesy seafood chowder) and lomo salteado (french fries, steak strips, peppers, onions, rice).  Hanging with friends has been good as well.  A few weekends ago, Charlie took me along for a day of trout fly-fishing in the Yeso River in Cajon del Maipo.  While I didn't catch jack-squat or even get a nibble, it was a lot of fun and a great way to spend a day: steak, beer, fishing.  I've never said that I was a good fisherman, just that I enjoyed fishing.

Near sunset at 4900M.

Hundreds of goats, no chupacabra in sight.

  On the note of food, I've been perfecting my peanut butter recipes and so far have gotten mostly approval of the results.  The merquen (accent on the 2nd e), oregano, and original blends are pretty damn good right now.  Honey, almond, and cinnamon-raisin still need some work.  If you have any good ideas on how to make an idea of this sort work, please shoot me an email and fill me in.

Excellent place to end a 5 day journey.

  And now for something completely different: I had no students to tutor last week so I made a trip out to the southernmost 6000M peak in the world, Cerro Marmolejo.  This mountain is about 50 miles outside Santiago and is on the border with Argentina.  It was a gigantic mountain and unfortunately turned me away after 3 days of approach ascent to 5000M.  However, on my way back to the small village of Banos (with ~) Morales, a hot springs, I ran into a former Chilean Military Mountaineering Corp. member.  After speaking for 1 minute, he invited me back to his sister's house for the following 3 hours where they showered me in pisco sours and snacks, despite my smelling absolutely god-awful.  This was one of the most hospitable things that has ever happened to me and was greatly appreciated.  It made the defeat on the mountain far more manageable.  As always, if you want to see more pictures from this trip go to http://getserious.shutterfly.com.

Chilean Kenny Powers.  I couldn't get a front shot,
but trust me, this dude is the damn spitting image of
the man.  He was only missing 40lbs. and jean shorts.

  Looking ahead, we have a lot coming up.  Sara's friend/Fabulous Lady's Book Club member, Rachel, will be visiting us for a few days.  My buddy, Davin, will be heading down to hang in South America for a few months.  It will be most excellent seeing folks from stateside and catching up.  Also, there will be some great music coming our way really soon.  Roger Waters, of Pink Floyd, will be performing "The Wall" in the beginning of March and Lollapalooza, the 2-day music festival, happens later in the month.  We're also hoping to make a small weekend trip near the end of March for my 28th birthday (a fact which Sara seems to love reminding me of).
  We hope that all is well with you and ask that you Skype/Gchat/facebook (only Sara)/email/snailmail/etc. us to let us know how you're doing; we think of you all the time (only good thoughts).  Big news, small news, mundane BS - we would love to hear it, please share!  Ciao, amigos.

Cerro Marmolejo.  I was stopped by massive penitentes on
the glacier 100M higher.  3 hours spent looking for a route.

Gringo It Up

"Hey, Buddy" (Use the voice Sara would use with a dog)

Another beautiful day out in wine-country

   Hey, everybody; Matt here.  It's been a while since I rapped at ya' so here it goes.  Not too much is new around these parts.  We're working (Sara moreso) a lot to make ends meet until Sara gets her killer job going in March.  This will finally allow me to work on my killer tan (meant literally as a likely candidate for skin cancer).  It's summer here, so we're still having countless beautiful, hot, and sunny days.  We never thought we'd say it, but a rainy day (gotta fit in The Temptations whenever possible) would be nice.

Sara biking through Plaza de Armas near sunset.  She isn't
always happy when we ride bikes.

Homer Simpson @ Plaza Italia

   So when I left off last time, I mentioned that I started a new job working for a bike guide company.  The job is really great; I get to talk history, work with fun people, and every tour includes a free snack and/or drink.  Some tours include trips to bars, wineries, and even cafe con piernas (coffee with legs).  It would be nice if the pay was better, but the work is far more satisfying than tutoring.  Like guides everywhere, I rely on tips which are usually forthcoming from Canadians & Americans.  I've had particularly bad luck with Aussies, British, and Brazilian visitors as far as tips go; maybe there is less tipping-culture there.  I also suppose my legendary gringo-charm doesn't work on other gringos.

GRINGOS, THEY'RE EVERYWHERE!

  On the note of gringos, Sara and I finally made it to the main gringo-bar of Santiago, the California Cantina.  It is run by American expats for American expats.  Why go?  Well, they play American sports on the TVs and it's pretty much the only choice for seeing NFL, MLB, and NBA games (you remember what a sports nut I am, right?) in Santiago at a bar.  We went there the first time before our friend, Mashini's, birthday.  We were blown away by how many gringos we saw ("So that's where they hide.") and the American pricing on drinks/food ($$).  We went back last night to see the Ravens vs. Pats game and by the time we got there (2nd Qtr.), they had already run out of wings....c'mon, really?!  They were suggesting reserving tables for Superbowl as well and they apparently fill up by 2 hours before kickoff.

Sara & the birthday boy/man/ghost, Mashini

   Going to Mashini's birthday party was a load of fun; we got to stay up late, see friends, and have a ridiculous time.  The only downer was that I had to work the next morning because of the new job (all weekends).

Statue of St.Michael in the National Cathedral.
Yes, Mom & Dad, I went into a church.

   On another gringo note, I'm considering another get-rich-quick scheme (shelving Barbaroja's Cheesesteakery for now) that plays the gringo card: peanut butter.  Many folks have been so kind as to send us peanut butter (chunky!) due to our (my) frequent bellyaching about the availability of PB here.  While you can find it here, it is of low quality, expensive, and generally creamy (blech!). With that in mind, I'm thinking of making and selling my own brand of peanut butter featuring Chilean ingredients.  If you have any suggestions for company names, flavors, images, programs, or whatever, I would love to hear 'em; just drop me a line at my email.  Of course, this will most certainly not make me rich or do it quickly, but along similar lines to the bike-work, I think I'll enjoy it.  As this is also a major wine-producing country, I might be able to float some product on PB & wine ideas (think PB&J, same concept, stole the idea from the Peanut Butter & Co. guy in NYC).

Live music in Parque Balmaceda @ sunset

As always, we hope that all is well and that you know that we think of you often.  You are highly encouraged to send/post pictures & stories of what's happening in your life.  Until next time, ciao.

New Year, Old (insert something clever)

@ Ciudad Vieja in Bellavista, killer sammies.

@ Cerro Santa Lucia by the Neptune Fountain

Hey ya'll, Matt here.  It's been a while since I rapped at ya' so there's plenty to report on from the Southern Hemisphere.  First of all, Happy New Year to everyone and a rousing "Screw you, 2011!"  We were able to send off 2011 and see in 2012 with our friends, Millsy & Danielle, from the US (G-Town).

Costillar w/ mashed potatoes & onion/tomato salad

  It was very nice to have the opportunity to show off what we know of the city to others.  With trips to the parks, restaurants, and nightlife we had a fairly full schedule.  We made excursions to the major lookout points of the city, Cerros Santa Lucia and San Cristobal, which provide great views and a load of sunshine.  There was also a good amount of eating out at great Chilean food-spots.  We had some of the classics: 

@ Le Petite Frances

• lomitos (sliced pork w/ avocado)
• completos (hot dog w/ mayo & tomato)
• chacarero (sliced pork, aji chiles, green beans)
• pollo asado (grilled chicken)
• costillar (pork rib)
• pastel de choclo (corn pie)
• mote con huesillo (peach juice, peach, barley)



@ Le Petite Frances

• leche con platano (milk & banana shake)

Millsy & Danielle seemed to take kindly to the mote & completo.  I believe her comment on first having a mote was something to the tune of "this is exactly what I wanted."  Of course, we had some of this great stuff at La Vega, where a random Chilean repeatedly (approx. 6x) told me that there is where Chileans eat.

These were seriously everywhere.  Panties, panties, panties!

BOAR!!!

 We also made an excursion to Cajon del Maipo to spend a night in the Andes.  We stayed at a nice little place called Le Petite France, which was in the style of a French Mediterranean villa.  Between swimming, taking in the views, consuming an immoderate amount of wine, and having a great meal (I had boar, like a king!) it was an excellent way to spend the last day of 2011.
  We made our way back to the city for New Year's Eve.  One item that should be noted, Chileans have their own distinct New Year's traditions such as:

• wearing yellow panties (sold all over the streets)
• really fun confetti blasters (80cm popper tube)
• putting money in your shoe
• eating 12 grapes



Do I have to?

• eating lentils

The roof of our apartment (26th floor) was packed with people taking in the view of fireworks going off all over the city.  The main display was from the Entel (a telephony co.) Tower.  The show lasted about 1/2 hour and had fireworks shooting up, sideways, and down (I had never seen that before); it was pretty cool.  Most people in Chile ring in the new year with their families and then go out after to party into the night.  We went to sleep at a reasonable 2 or 3am.  When we were waking up on Jan. 1st, we still heard revelers until about 11am; people here take their partying seriously.  

Terremotos @ La Piojera

  On their last day here, we did try to cram as much as possible into the final few hours.  By that, I mean we went to La Piojera for some terremotos and then to the SoHo-esque Lastarria neighborhood for some Peruvian drinks & snacks.  In an interesting turn of events, right as Millsy was getting money at the ATM for the airport taxi, someone was creating trouble a block away throwing molotov cocktails at a policewoman (How about that?).  For more pictures from Millsy & Danielle's trip (non-explosive), check Millsy's facebook.

The Rio Mapocho & La Bicicleta Verde across the river

Making sangria.  Thanks, Chi & Gabby!

  In other new year news, I landed another job, and this one I have more interest in.  It's at a place called La Bicicleta Verde (The Green Bicycle).  You may have heard of them in the New York Times, Rolling Stone, or on TripAdvisor.  They provide bike tours of the city; it is a nice intersection of my interests: being active, history, and food/drink (every tour has a snack and/or beverage).  I'm in training right now, but hope to be leading my own tours soon.  Downside: it takes away my weekends currently, so I'm not sure when I'll be able to get back into the mountains for another high altitude trip (bummer!).  

Ocarinas at a craft fair.  The sign says don't play as it will
spread colds and HERPES!

  Sara is still working like crazy tutoring English.  She has started attending professional development and planning sessions at Santiago College and says the people are very kind and helpful.  She seems very optimistic about the coming school year.

One very happy kitty atop Cerro Santa Lucia

   Oh, yeah, yesterday we had our first Chilean tremblor (earthquake below 7 on the Richter scale).  It was a 5.1 (pretty small), but we felt the apartment shake a little bit.  I'm not too worried about a big one as those are generally about 10 years apart (last big one was in 2010).  Another "oh, yeah," you should tune in to "CashCab" on Jan. 26th (I think, ask Brandon for details) to see your favorite tall, smart, handsome (and slightly tipsy) hero try to make some easy money.
  So with that, I'll close out.  All is well and we hope all is well with you.  Shoot us an email and let us know how you're doing, post pictures, do something because you know we miss you.

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.