Chilean hospitality

Allow me to apologize for the delay in posting, as I realize that a day without an update on your friend Stefan is a day for naught, but since my arrival in Santiago only 4 days ago, I have been very busy.

Let me start by saying that I was very lucky to have met a really, really cool Chileno several weeks back when I was down south in Chile Chico. At the time, he offered me his phone number and a place to sleep when I came to Santiago, and I really lucked out. Derek has rolled out the red carpet for me, and I have felt incredibly welcome in his city. As a whole, Chilenos are very kind and eager to be friends, but Derek and his mom Amelia have literally dropped everything for the last couple of days to introduce me to family and friends, take me out to parties, give me the city tour, visit the surrounding country side, and in general treat me as a welcome guest. I have been blown away by their hospitality, and cannot thank them enough.

Derek and his mom, Amelia

After arriving to the bustling metropolis of Santiago last Thursday morning, I met up with Derek at the subway station after he had been waiting for me for over 2 hours (I misinterpreted my arrival time). He then took me out to his girlfriend´s mom´s restaurant where they provided me with a delicious lunch. After some beers and some laughs, we headed down to the Nacional Football Stadium for the (awed pause) Radiohead concert. As this was my 4th time seeing Radiohead, I was aware of their awesomeness. But, as I suspected, this show was unbelievable. Imagine 25,000 absolutely fanatic Chilenos screaming their heads off for a spectacular marathon 2 1/2 hour concert. I was blown away, and cannot describe it any further. Be jealous.

Radiohead, blowing it up in Santiago

Derek, girlfriend Valentina, her sisters and mom

The following day, Derek took me on a tour of the city of Santiago. A huge city of over 6 million people, Santiago is everything you would expect from a very lively South American capital, and a little you wouldn´t expect. Efficient transporation system, a skyline that spreads across the horizon, crazy people all over the place, tremendous skyscrapers and elegant mansions next door to dilapidated tenements, delicious food, music in the street... thank god I had a friend here! We checked out the national history and art museums, the city center, some parks, and, my favorite, the incredible central market. You can buy anything and everything there. It is essentially a city block sized warehouse with hundreds of vendors selling every type of fresh food you can imagine for absolutely the cheapest prices I have ever seen. This region of Chile is capable of growing an incredible array of food, and the market reflects the region. The best market I have ever been to, and a really cool experience. Later that night, there was a fiesta at a friend´s house, and we partied until 5 in the morning. ¡Yeah!

National Cathedral

Yesterday, we all went out to a couple of smaller towns around the city for a craft market, a wine festival, and a little bit of a traditional Chilean Rodeo. It was a very fun filled day, and I got to see quite alot. It was tremendous. Tonight, there is an a soccer game in between the national teams of Chile and Peru, so Derek is taking me to an asado (bbq) to watch the game. And I think tomorrow, I will head out of Santiago to visit Valpariaso (a nice little sea side village known for it´s prevalent counter culture) for a couple of days. In a nutshell, that is the low down.

Derek, Valentina, me, Bernardo, and sister Oriana at wine festival

Again, I have to use this opportunity to thank my host, Derek, for his above and beyond hospitality. It has been an absolutely unforgettable experience here in Santiago, all thanks to him. I have learned so much about the people of this country and the lifestyle in this city because Derek has offered his tremendous services, and it has meant alot to me. In all of my trip so far, I have not met anyone so nice and outgoing, and for somebody travelling in another country, it can really mean the world. I am now trying to get him to come visit my country so I can return the favor. Isn´t travel a grand idea?