First Days in the Southern Hemisphere
Hola! Luckily I slept through about 75% of my 9 hour flight, waking for food and the occasional turbulence. During one of the shakier parts of the flight I woke to see something really magical outside the window. I have taken overnight flights before, but they were over an ocean, or it was to cloudy to see the earth or much of anything. But when I looked outside, the skies were clear of clouds and full of stars. As I looked down I could see that we were flying over southern Mexico, close to Cancun. I could see the small cities and towns lit, and it was beautiful. I looked out the window for a good 10 minutes enjoying the very. When flying it is very rare to have such a beautiful view.
I arrived in Chile at 10:00am completely exhausted despite my naps. Immigration was a breeze, and customs were just as easy. The airport seemed rather small to me for being international, but perhaps I am used to airports like Houston or LAX so airports that aren't huge seem small to me.
I was told by my professor that I should no get a SIM card at the airport because they are expensive and not worth the price. So I had to figure out a way to contact my AirBnB, find a way to get there safely, all on the funky airport wifi that kept going in and out of service, all while people scream "taxi" and other various Spanish words at me. Amongst the chaos I was able to send a message to my AirBnB host to let her know that I was going to make my way to her house. I decided to risk a rip off by taking a taxi to the house. Everyone looked friendly enough, but when someone wants my money they would have no reason to be mean. It all felt very sketchy as people pointed to various men and said "Uber", encouraging me to go with them. I picked one who had another women with him, apparently from Argentina, and we waited for an airport bus to take us to a parking lot. It was obvious to me that this was not an Uber, but I was so tired to put in the effort of re-downloding the app to care. After arriving at the parking lot he took us to his car, and drove me to the address of the AirBnB. When we arrived and I borrowed his phone to contact my host, she came out of her house looking rather angry at the man. When I entered the house she asked me why I let him rip me off. I need up paying 3 times as much for the taxi then was worth it. I suppose that is to be expected though when traveling to a new country. I hope he can make proper use of that $30, as I would have.
My host spoke english and was able to help me settle in, explain who the best cell phone provider is and that the best way to get around was by bus or Uber. The nice thing about Uber is that the rates are determined by the company and it will be the same rate regardless of which car you take. It is harder to be taken advantage of when using this company. After taking a shower, I had a well needed 4 hour nap. Waking up around 3:00, I did some more research with phone providers to find the best one. I then took an Uber to the nearest shopping mall to get some toiletries and the SIM card. After walking through the mall and getting myself familiarized with the space I was able to find a small kiosk with the carrier that I wanted. I started off the conversation by establishing that I knew little Spanish. The man behind the counter gave me a very hesitant look. I proceeded to tell him that I wanted a SIM card. He understood what I wanted, and slowly we stared to figure out how to communicate. I had forgotten how crippling it can be to not speak the same language as someone. Often a lot can be communicated with body language, but so much lost when asking for something like a SIM card.
I was told to then walk to the near by health mart in the mall to activate the SIM card. These pharmacies sell things like tooth paste, deodorant, medicine, sometimes make up, but I would never in my dreams think that they associate with cell phone providers. I tentatively walked in, asking the security guard who to go to activate my SIM in my very basic Spanish. He told me to take a number
and wait for it to be called. That is when I realized that in drug stores rather than waiting in line until the person in front of you has paid, your place in line is the number you take. I started to understand why that was when I saw how everyone crowded at the counter regardless of their number being called. I browsed through the store, grabbing some toothpaste while I waited for my number to be called.
After having successfully gotten my SIM card activated, I could feel my tummy begin to growl. At the food courts I found a taco place and after struggling to order my food I successfully finished my order.
Once back at the AirBnB I crashed. I fell asleep around 8:30pm, and it is still very light outside. It is difficult for my body to get used to the time change and daylight change.
Waking up at 9:00am, I got ready to meet part of my group at the airport, where together we would take a bus to Chillan. As I arrived at the airport my Uber told me not to tell anyone that he was an Uber, to say that he was a friend or a hotel taxi driver. I later found out that the taxi drivers that rip off tourists are often very mean to Uber drivers and don't want them to "steal" their potential customers. I successfully found my group, and we waited for everyone to show up. Florencia, one of the people who help to run the program who lives in Chile, was there to great us and by 12:00 we were on our way to Chillan. The 6 people I meet had come off of the plane that morning and were very tired. The 4 hour bus trip consisted of them sleeping while I watched the county side go by. Most houses in Chile have a 5-6 foot wall surrounding the house, with a locking gate or fence. This style reminded me a lot of Thailand in that sense.
When we arrived to Chillan I was greeted by my home stay, Andrea. on the car ride to her house we spoke, and I struggled to communicate. I met her 17 year old son, Fernando, at the house, and she showed me around. My room is on the top floor, facing west.
My family does not speak much English, so I will have lots of time to practice my Spanish and get better at it. They seem very kind, and they are very welcoming. Tomorrow my program is having an orientation with all of the families and I start classes on Monday. This is all very exciting, and I am enjoying the feeling of culture shock and confusion that I had when I first traveled to Thailand.
I arrived in Chile at 10:00am completely exhausted despite my naps. Immigration was a breeze, and customs were just as easy. The airport seemed rather small to me for being international, but perhaps I am used to airports like Houston or LAX so airports that aren't huge seem small to me.
I was told by my professor that I should no get a SIM card at the airport because they are expensive and not worth the price. So I had to figure out a way to contact my AirBnB, find a way to get there safely, all on the funky airport wifi that kept going in and out of service, all while people scream "taxi" and other various Spanish words at me. Amongst the chaos I was able to send a message to my AirBnB host to let her know that I was going to make my way to her house. I decided to risk a rip off by taking a taxi to the house. Everyone looked friendly enough, but when someone wants my money they would have no reason to be mean. It all felt very sketchy as people pointed to various men and said "Uber", encouraging me to go with them. I picked one who had another women with him, apparently from Argentina, and we waited for an airport bus to take us to a parking lot. It was obvious to me that this was not an Uber, but I was so tired to put in the effort of re-downloding the app to care. After arriving at the parking lot he took us to his car, and drove me to the address of the AirBnB. When we arrived and I borrowed his phone to contact my host, she came out of her house looking rather angry at the man. When I entered the house she asked me why I let him rip me off. I need up paying 3 times as much for the taxi then was worth it. I suppose that is to be expected though when traveling to a new country. I hope he can make proper use of that $30, as I would have.
My host spoke english and was able to help me settle in, explain who the best cell phone provider is and that the best way to get around was by bus or Uber. The nice thing about Uber is that the rates are determined by the company and it will be the same rate regardless of which car you take. It is harder to be taken advantage of when using this company. After taking a shower, I had a well needed 4 hour nap. Waking up around 3:00, I did some more research with phone providers to find the best one. I then took an Uber to the nearest shopping mall to get some toiletries and the SIM card. After walking through the mall and getting myself familiarized with the space I was able to find a small kiosk with the carrier that I wanted. I started off the conversation by establishing that I knew little Spanish. The man behind the counter gave me a very hesitant look. I proceeded to tell him that I wanted a SIM card. He understood what I wanted, and slowly we stared to figure out how to communicate. I had forgotten how crippling it can be to not speak the same language as someone. Often a lot can be communicated with body language, but so much lost when asking for something like a SIM card.
I was told to then walk to the near by health mart in the mall to activate the SIM card. These pharmacies sell things like tooth paste, deodorant, medicine, sometimes make up, but I would never in my dreams think that they associate with cell phone providers. I tentatively walked in, asking the security guard who to go to activate my SIM in my very basic Spanish. He told me to take a number
and wait for it to be called. That is when I realized that in drug stores rather than waiting in line until the person in front of you has paid, your place in line is the number you take. I started to understand why that was when I saw how everyone crowded at the counter regardless of their number being called. I browsed through the store, grabbing some toothpaste while I waited for my number to be called.
After having successfully gotten my SIM card activated, I could feel my tummy begin to growl. At the food courts I found a taco place and after struggling to order my food I successfully finished my order.
Once back at the AirBnB I crashed. I fell asleep around 8:30pm, and it is still very light outside. It is difficult for my body to get used to the time change and daylight change.
Waking up at 9:00am, I got ready to meet part of my group at the airport, where together we would take a bus to Chillan. As I arrived at the airport my Uber told me not to tell anyone that he was an Uber, to say that he was a friend or a hotel taxi driver. I later found out that the taxi drivers that rip off tourists are often very mean to Uber drivers and don't want them to "steal" their potential customers. I successfully found my group, and we waited for everyone to show up. Florencia, one of the people who help to run the program who lives in Chile, was there to great us and by 12:00 we were on our way to Chillan. The 6 people I meet had come off of the plane that morning and were very tired. The 4 hour bus trip consisted of them sleeping while I watched the county side go by. Most houses in Chile have a 5-6 foot wall surrounding the house, with a locking gate or fence. This style reminded me a lot of Thailand in that sense.
When we arrived to Chillan I was greeted by my home stay, Andrea. on the car ride to her house we spoke, and I struggled to communicate. I met her 17 year old son, Fernando, at the house, and she showed me around. My room is on the top floor, facing west.
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| Part of my room |
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| My bed |
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| The view outside my room |
My family does not speak much English, so I will have lots of time to practice my Spanish and get better at it. They seem very kind, and they are very welcoming. Tomorrow my program is having an orientation with all of the families and I start classes on Monday. This is all very exciting, and I am enjoying the feeling of culture shock and confusion that I had when I first traveled to Thailand.
Wishing for the best on your adventures,
Cienna
Go gettum Squid! Thank you for inviting us along on you journey. xoxo mom
ReplyDeleteSo happy to hear you arrived safely and II can hear the excitement in your voice as I read your blog...Looking forward to the next "episodes."...Love, Oma
ReplyDeleteThis is so great Cienna! You are so brave. Your adventures are reminding me of mine at the same age in Japan! You are going to learn so much - not only about another part of the world, humans in general - but also yourself. Go girl!
ReplyDelete