a final goodbye

Sitting here in the airport in Chile, all of us can only reflect about what happened in the past two weeks. Every day was just so different from the rest and with each one a new memory was formed between all of us. We are all sitting here with our new USM sweatshirts and it is depressing to know that we will not be together again. We all did not really know each other before the trip, but we all came together just like our family, especially in our little meeting corners in the lovely Hotel America. We all wished we could have at least take a souvenir from the hotel seeing as how it was one of the weirdest and interesting experiences of our lives. I know it is safe to say that we will never have that same experience anywhere else. We all embraced the hotel and more importantly took on the Chilean culture and atmosphere to its fullest degree. Every day could easily be the best days of my life. I am torn between a couple of the days for my favorite, such as the Pablo Neruda house, horseback riding on the beach, the spa day, and especially surfing. This whole trip has opened all of us up to so many doors and experiences which few people get to have. I was not all to enthusiastic before the trip, thinking it would not be that much fun, but I could not have been any more wrong. I made a lot of new friends that I would never have met them at Pitt, but I know now that the memories we share together will always stay with us. These past two weeks have been the greatest days of my life so far and I hope to come back to Chile sometime in the future.  Even now, just hours after we all departed from eachother and it feels like it has been a year since we were all together in Hotel America. It is very depressing to think that we just spent two weeks in Chile and it is already done and gone. Sitting down and talking to my parents and family about my trip and all of our experiences truly does make me miss not only being in Chile, but everyone that was there to share the experiences with. We all came together with Chile as our common bond; no matter our background before Chile, we will always have that common thread that will be with us forever. If I could change one thing about my time in Chile it would be to truly appreciate every single day and moment that I experienced in Chile because our two weeks spent there went by way to fast. I remember sitting in the hotel room after surfing and just thinking that we were halfway done with our time there and that in merely five more days we would be on a plane heading back to the states. I think I speak for all of us when I say this, I already miss being in Chile, waking up in the morning and heading downstairs to see everybody and just enjoy each others' company.

Horseback riding

The day started off rough today. We were supposed to leave the hotel at 8:30 and Nick, Aaron and myself all woke up at 8:25. We had to rush to get down the stairs and just try to not be late. We made it and once we got on the bus we all passed out until we got to the place for horseback riding. I was the only one that was wearing shorts and the lady came up to me and said I will need to wear some of their chaps. Luckily everyone got them but it was a great start to the day. My horse ended up being the oldest and largest horse they had. It's name was Carnella but I renamed her Pinecone simply because I saw a pinecone on the ground and it seemed like a good fit. When we started to trot I noticed my horse was not the most agile of all creatures but she knew what she was doing. She had some miles on those legs. The view on the beach and in the sand dunes were amazing and life changing. This whole trip was spectacular and I am not ready for it to be over. After we were done riding the horses for 3 hours, we had a cookout at the main house and everything was delicious from the pork, sausage, rice, and the potato salad. Now it is time for another meal, the last one we will all have together.

free morning and a bit of paintball

I think it is safe to say I caught up on all the sleep I have been missing these past two weeks. a few of us went ot bed at around three thirty in the morning and I woke up and strolled out of bed just after 11. So it was technically an actual real night of sleep. Even though it felt like I was asleep for twelve hours, I woke up and still wanted to sleep a little bit after I got out of bed. Aaron and I then left for the beach and met up with mostly everyone. We all just sat there with some stray dogs and watched the waves come in. At about 1 o clock, Aaron and I were determined to get some food so we went to the OK Market. And I know all of you guys enjoyed what we came back with. That Rotisserie Chicken was demolished in about 5 minutes. Aaron and my walk back to the hotel took a lot longer than we expected. It is safe to say we got just a little lost, but we eventually found our beloved Hotel America. We then left as a group to go paintballing. Aaron was our team captain, and we absolutely dominated the red team. We won both games but ended up being out of paintballs. Constanza was the MVP seeing as how she ended up capturing the flag every single game. Now it is time to get some dinner and relax before our second to last night here in Chile. People are telling me as we speak that there really isn't water pressure right now for the showers, and they are freezing cold, so that's something to look forward to.

double company visit day

You would think that waking up every morning at around 8 o clock would get you in a routine and you would be able to function. Well we are almost done our stay here in Chile and every morning is still a struggle. Thankfully we had a long bus ride to Hela where I ended up being able to lay down and use my backpack as a pillow. We got to Hela and it was a lot bigger than I expected. We were able to watch how each prodcut was made from the brochas to the raspadores. The machinery was very high-tech and very German as pointed out by Christian. We even got to wear these cool loocking protective glasses and ear buds to block out the noise. To be honest Stefan and I kept getting distracted by the ear buds and kept playing with them when we had free time. After we had to give the glasses back, we hopped back on the bus and headed to Centauro where we were able to taste test their canned peaches, canned pear shaped tomatos, tomato paste, and squash puree. All of it was surprisingly good and tasted delicious. They are going to be making fruit juices and some vegetable juices in the next year to try to expand their product list. I personally think they will succeed in their markets. After the company visits and some empanadas, we headed to the university for the last time for a new type of dance. It was called Cueca (again the spelling is probably not right). It took a while to getting used to but it seemed very fancy and we were told it is a very old dance specific to Chile, even more specifically an actual region. Now we are at the best hotel in the history of the world, we were actually given towels today, and it is time for a nap.

last day at the university

After a calm night at Hotel America, which may be the best hotel in the history of the world, we woke up bright and early to head back to the University for our final lectures and to present our powerpoint presentations. We as of right now have not gone to HELA so we still could not really know what to expect when we finally do go there tomorrow afternoon. We are trying to figure out how well their company is doing but I expect we are downplaying them a lot. After we did our presentations we went back to the hotel, where Aaron, Stefan and I were trying to find a lock for Stefan's suitcase. I don't know where we ended up but I almost got hit by five birds that kept flying at me. They must really not like me trying to find a lock for Stefan. After being unsuccesful with the lock we bought a couple souvenirs and headed back to the hotel. After an hour nap we headed to a turf soccer field with Camillo to play with some of Camillo's friends. They were absolutely filthy good. I have never seen some of the foot skills that they had, I ended up scoring a goal though (it was mostly the Chilean student passed it off my foot into the net) but it still deserved an excessive celebration. We celebrated our loss by going to the mall and having a late lunch then heading back to the hotel. It has been a long day and worthy of a nap.

Our day off, but we went surfing

A couple of us (Aaron, Nick, Nikkit, Allison and Stefan) all decided that we wanted to go surfing. We had Javier call the girl I met on Monday who is a surfing teacher. So she came to the hotel, we greeted her with a kiss (lucky me) and she brought us to her friend who was waitng in the car. We had to squish into the back of it and Aaron and Nick had to sit in the bed of the truck. They said they had a lot of fun in there because they got to pretty much fly around whenever there was a bump. So after a half hour drive we got out of the car and Carla told us that she had to leave because her friend was sick and needed her. She left us in teh hands of Pedro who did not even turn out to be our instructor. We had two female instructors who were very nice and eventually called me "super Mike" for some reason but I don't think that with a nickname like that it could be a bad thing. We all tried to fit into our body suits which was a struggle, but we all eventually did it and then it was on to the lesson. We had to lay on the sand and our boards and pretend to paddle, exactly what you see whenever you see surfing lessons on TV or in a movie. After about ten minutes it was time for the water. It was one of the coldest water iI have ever been in. The waves weren't that big but they were big enough for us. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life.Even just sitting on the board as the waves went by was so relaxing, but I haven't felt the way I did when I was riding the wave for my first time ever before. I am so glad that I got to come here to Chile where I reallly am having the time of my life and will remember this trip for as long as I live.

I don't think I can ever eat a mushroom again

Thursday started even earlier than Wednesday so we were all zombies after a night out with the Chilean students. Once we were at the University we had another interesting lecture about the cultural differences in Chilean life and business. I guess nobody in Chile trusts anyone because it just ends up biting them in the rear-end. We also learned about the Chilean music and the different regions that have different types of dancing, ranging from a hula dance from the Easter Island inhabitants to a cowboy like dance from northern Chile. We had lunch again at the University and found out that at the University, Chilean students often go up to the trays that people just used to see if people left any uneaten food and even asking complete strangers (once the stranger is done eating) if they could have what is left on their plate. I have never seen anything like it but that is just another difference between our culture and theirs. After our lunch we went to a mushroom selling company and saw the whole process of how they prep their fertilizer (made of straw) and combine it with a chicken manure compost then letting it ferment so no ammonia will be in the fertilizer. Then we got to see the actual growth rooms where there were crates on top of crates of mushrooms growing in the soil and it was actually very interesting to see the different growth stages and even leading up to the packaging process. They do everything in one location so they can minimize cost, having the making of the fertilizer to the end product all packaged and ready for sale. We then headed back to the University for our second

Lan industry day

On our first Wednesday we had to start bright and early, but at least we got some nice warm bread with some cheese and jam which is turning out to be a great midday snack (once) which I still don’t know why it is called that, it is not even 11 at night but for some reason it is called that, anyway we had to start pretty early is basically what I am trying to say. We were at the University by 9 and had a three hour lecture about the Chilean culture and a day in the life of a Chilean such as their literature and the effects of the natural disasters that occur there periodically. We then left for our company visit of Lan Commercial Airlines. We were able to all of their planes for both passenger and cargo planes, and their newer plane that is going to be in the air next year. It is completely made out of carbon fiber so it is more economical and efficient. Since the company was in Santiago it was an hour and a half drive back to the University (where we all slept again) to have our second Salsa lesson. I think the Chilean women will be very impressed with our dance moves, but probably not, it may end up with me embarrassing myself like I usually do. But hey I said it once and I will say it again, Y.O.C.O.  

spa day

The day started with waking up a little later which was good to have a little rest before a long day at the spa and going to Werner's house for a barbecue. We were told that the spa was not really a spa, but more of a hangout place with not much to do. But when were there it was gorgeous. It had lots of pools, a soccer field, hot tub, free food and drinks. After we were embarrassed by the Chilean students, we went to a buffet that was at the resort and all of the food was delicious. I had plates on plates on plates of delicious Chilean rice, meats, potatoes, fruits, and vegetables. We got to get to know Jorge and Sarah a little better during the lunch and some of the Chilean students. They even said that we were the best Plus 3 Chile group they have had so far. AFter a couple more hours at the spa, accompanied by a swim in the freezing cold pool and then went to shower in the indoor pool, but we were forced to buy a swim cap, we went to Werner's house with a couple of the students where he cooked little sausages for us and even shishkobobs. All the food was amazing and when we came back to the hotel I could only pass out in my bed because ofmy lack of energy and could not even go out. It was one of the longest days that we have had, but it was full of relaxation and full of bonding between the Chilean students. We are learning a lot about their culture and are even teaching them a thing or two about the good ol' U S of A.

A day with one javier...but no water

This day was by far the best day that we have had so far on our Chile trip. We all woke up to the hotel not having any running water. We could not use the showers or the sinks to do any of the usual things such as showering and washing our faces and shaving, but hey we all somehow managed to do the best we could and it certainly gave us all some stories to tell. We all then went on our tour bus  to Vina Indomita, which had all the vines of the grapes in the front of the building. Once we were in there we all got to see the tanks that they used to make the different wines, both red and white wines, but each had a seperate process. The whole place did smell of very rich wine which was a little overbearing at first but then we came accustomed to it. We then went to the cellar to see the barrels of wine they had aging. Depending on the wine and the type of wine they were makiing, each wine is set in the barrel for a certain amount of time, ranging from half a year to 2 years. After a few glasses of wine (which as Evan said was "Devine") we were all able to tell the differences between the wines and what is in the different types of wine. We then went on the bus to Pablo Neruda's house for a tour of and had lunch seaside. Everything there was absolutely delicious. We had mussels for an appetizer, some type of fish for our entree, and picocada (don't quote me on that one) and the whole lunch with the sound of the waves from the ocean topped off the day. We were even able to pet our first dog, since all of the other ones we have met ont eh trip were strays and it just wasn't a good idea. But this dog, we named him spike, was a black laborador that was rougly 2 years old. He loved running around us just so we would pet him. I don't think he was used to all the attention. Now we are heading back to the hotel and hopefully be able to nap and shower. 

Another Day with both of the Javiers...so lucky

Waking up early in the mornings are still not able to be done with ease, especially after a night out with the Chilean students. We started the day early with breakfast with some fresh bread that was literally right out of the oven, I am going to be taking advantage of the delicious bread from here on out. We then had a 2 hour voyage to the city of Santiago in which I think everyone on the bus decided it was a good idea to get some rest, immediately once the bus pulled away from the hotel. Once we were there, we walked down their version of New York, it had a bunch of banks, similiar to a mini version of Wall Street, so it was a plus that we were all dressed up. We were informed of the basic structure of their stock exchange during a presentation, talking about how the private companies are available to the public for investments with a broker as the mediator. We did not really ask many questions because most of us didn't know much about the stock exchange and for those of us that did, could not really find much to ask about. After the stock exchange we went to the cathedral and the Natural History Museum, both of which were extraordinary and a complete culture shock. After a nice large lunch at Agusto and having the best salmon of my life, we went on the incline and saw the Virgin Mary statue. I will never forget standing at the top of the mountain with the statue behind us, I wish my camera did not run out of battery.

a day and night with javier

Today was one of the longest days of my life...but it also ended up as one of the craziest and most fun that I have had with everybody here on the Chile trip. We all spent the day together in lecture that lasted quite a long time but it also was very informative. We all (including Javier) were waiting for a break so we could stretch our legs and eventually get back to the lecture (our first of many). This day was very exhausting but we were all looking forward to the tour and eventually the night out with the Chilean students and the locals that were very nice. We all fell asleep on the bus during the tour of Valpairiso. We did though pay a lot of attention whenever we were outside of the bus, especially our long walk up the stairs, which seemed like a marathon to us, and even the chilean students. The city of Valapariso was extraoridnary. The mix of different architeture that were right next to another was very different from the United States. The city had a lot to offer all of us, we even met a guy that was running for 35 days straight and even took a picture with him, he was from Australia. In total, it was a very interesting day to say the least, even though we were hit by a car during our tour. YOCO (You Only Chile Once).

Day one

Well the first day in Chile was quite interesting. it started witg me being woken up by the flight attendants kicking my foot so they can maneuver their cart, then asking if I would like some breakfast. I have never been on a plane that large before in my life nor being served an actual meal. I didn't take the offer of the breakfast because at that moment in time sleep was a little more important, so I just hit my mental snooze button so I could sleep for maybe another hour. Once we were off the plane ride, we had to go through the customs and pay our entrance fees, it was like a zoo in the airport trying to figure where we needed to be and in the correct order. Once we figured that out we were met by JOrge, our trip advisor and he showed us to a little machine that I thought would be easy to use because I have used them many times in the US, the ATM. Once I slid my card in, I was in for a rude awakening. It took me a ocuple of times and I still ended up taking out the wrong amount. With everything done at the airport we were on our way to the hotel (hotel america) which is a nice little quant place where there will be for sure some trip member bonding since we all have rooms near eachother and we will be seeing each and every one at all hours of the day. Once we were all settled we ate at Tiki Taco. I had a blast there, I got to eat what was called the Paila Brava and it was delicious. Also it was an experience to try to order something in Spanish for the first time and it was a real culture shock because for the first time I was the one out of my element and at the discretion of the natives, but everyone I met today greeted me with a lot of respect and made it a very comfortable first few hours. Once we all finished our ginormous meals, we were escorted by one of the Chilean students, Javier, to a soccer match. Now this soccer (futbol) match was one of the craziest and most interesting soccer game I have ever witnessed. The home team (Everton) won the match 3-2, coming back from a 2-0 deficit late in the first half. At the end of the game there were a total of 4 red cards, 5 yellow cards, and the referees had to be escorted out by guards with riot schields. The crouwd was going insane and it was a great atmosphere to watch a game in and I even caught myself getting into the game, rooting for the home team, just as if I was another native that bled blue and gold (team colors). One of the most entertaining parts of the day though was being stalked by all of the stray dogs that lived around the city. I guess we decided as a group that every dog that we came across was going to be called Howard. By the end of the day I had probably became friends with 17 Howards.

Airport Living

Well it is Cinco de Mayo and what better way to spend it than sitting in the airport for a couple of hours waiting for a flight? Personally, I would prefer pretty much everything but might as well spend the time here in Pittsburgh Airport blogging and getting off to the right foot and just start blogging. I feel like other people are taking this blog to the extreme, such as Aaron being, and I quote "anticipated" for everything that is to come. The bus ride here was by far the funniest bus ride I have ever been on in my life. Evan was the star of the show, telling everyone on the bus his extreme hatred for turtles and birds, and how a lot of his friends end up having cats that only have one eye. I just cannot wait until our flight leaves Pitt to go to Miami, but then again we will have another two hour delay before we make our final voyage on to Chile. At least we will be getting both dinner and breakfast on the plane ride.

One Day Away

I am currently awaiting my flight from Boston to Pitt. I can't believe in less than 24 hours I will be on my way to Chile. As of right now I don't really know what to think. Packing for this trip and making sure I had all of the right documents was a hassle to say the least. It was both frustrating for me and my parents...they thought for sure I would screw something up, but to both my and their surprises haven't (at least not yet). I don't think it has hit me yet the culture shock that is going to happen once we arrive in Chile...nor the 15 hour plane ride from Miami to our final destination in Chile. I think today and this night will go by very slowly just because I will be just waiting for tomorrow to come and finally be in Chile, rather than just talking about it.