Chile Plus 3

Our trip to Chile has without a doubt been a new and exciting experience. We've seen so many new and exciting things, tried new foods, and met some wonderful Chilean people.

Upon arriving the first thing I noticed was the language barrier. Even at customs, the officials made little attempt to communicate with me once they saw that I didn't speak English, but they seemed to have everything under control and we made it through alright.

I also noticed how different the environment is. Not only the physical environment outside is different, but in social situations, it tends to be slightly louder and I think that people interact a lot more. As far as physical environments are concerned there are no palm trees or deserts or oceans close to where I live so I was fairly surprised when I stepped off the plane

One of the many parts of Chile I've grown to embrace is the difference from American culture. On a large scale, the cities, at least Valparaiso and Santiago, are quite different from say New York or Pittsburgh. Looking past sheer size, the buildings and streets look older with Chile's ancient churches and public buildings.

Along with the cities, I've enjoyed the company of he students who have hosted us. They seem more hospitable than many American students and they seem to have enjoyed our company as well. I am envious of the campus of Santa Maria University. With the way its quad overlooks the Pacific I think I would have a difficult time studying.

I was quite surprised when I found that there isn´t a lot of authentic Chilean food. One of the most popular dishes though is the empanada. I quickly realized that like American food, there are good and not-so-good empanadas, and the good ones are absolutely delicious. Last Thursday we ate at a kind of cowboy ranch where I had a bowl holding chicken and mushrooms with cornbread baked over it. It was without a doubt a good authentic Chilean meal.

Throughout the trip we saw several locations including Viña del Mar, Valparaiso, and Santiago. All of these places were fascinating, however, I would say that my favorite was Viña. Even though it was strongly oriented toward tourists, which can be off-puting, Viña had many excellent restaurants including Diego's Pizza, Chucaro's, Margarita's, and Entradas (I think that's how it's spelled). Beyond the dining and retail, the view from the shore was quite spectacular. All along the coast you can see the houses that cover the side of the hill and at night everything is lit up.

As far as the company visits are concerned, they were all interesting in their own ways. I think the ones that are perhaps most memorable were Indomita and Centauro. Viña Indomita was amazing because I'm not sure I've ever seen the wine-making process before. The massive steel tanks in the back of the building and the kegs in the cellar were intriguing and I'm pretty sure I had never smelled anything like Indomita's aroma before. I thoroughly enjoyed Centauro because our tour was so personal. As the owner brought us through the factory he told us how his private company does business and showed us the ins and outs of packaging tomato products.

I'm grateful I was able to come to Chile. I'm sure I will remember this life changing experience forever and I hope I will be able to keep in contact with the awesome people I've met.