aventuras en santiago de chile

CAJÓN DEL MAIPO
We zoomed along well-kept roads running parallel to the contours of the mountains due east of Santiago until we came to the last empanada stand before the Argentine border. Here we stopped, where the road stops being paved, to climb on some rocks on the side of the clear blue mountain stream that eventually feeds Santiago´s comically smelly Río Mapocho.

¡TERREMOTOS!
The following day after hanging out in Marcy´s rooftop pool (did I mention how nice her apartment complex is?) we went out with friends Carlos, Asunción and Gabi to the perfect hangout for guachones and flaites alike, LA PIOJERA. This place had a duo playing cuenca duets on accordion and guitar for anyone with a gamba and a request. We had their specialty: the TERREMOTO (earthquake), a pint glass full of red wine and topped off with a huge scoop of pineapple ice cream. It´s like candy that makes you drunk. It was an 8 on the Richter scale. We ended up running around the Metro and somehow ended up hanging out in Bellavista before the night was over.

OTHER SIGHTS
The giant national cemetary in Santiago, the National Temple containing an interesting display on some kind of holy blanket (?), the Sunday markets out in the Maipú part of the city, subpar (but healthy) Chilean pizza, a huuuuuge mall in Santiago, my eyes bugging out at how expensive everything is there...

DREAM THEATER
I went to the espectáculo that is a Chilean metal concert. The whole crew of us arrived at noon to have a rock picnic and wait for the gates to the Arena de Santiago to open. I was transported to the 1980s, smushed in between thousands of Chilean Bills and Teds. It was an excellent adventure. Marcy fell in love with the drummer of Dream Theater, who was wearing a Chilean Selección Nacional jersey. I told her about the Wilco song describing such a love but she still has to hear it. The concert was amazing! They had a very huge and well-orchestrated stage show, complete with dualling keytar/guitar noodle solos, giant ants that came down from the ceiling, cartoons in the background that showed the band members killing dinosaurs and space aliens with their rock music... it was virtuosic cock rock at its best.

VALPO
We got out of the Dream Theater concert at about 11. It was Saturday night and Marci was NOT going to hear anyone say they´re tired. Her American brother was in town and damn it, we were going to have a dance party in Valparaíso. Carlos drove us out there in his pickup truck. We arrived at a club called HUEVOS or something at about 1:30 am. It was a pretty sweet multi-level overlooking the foggy city and the ocean. The music was eclectic: reggaeton here, English 80s music there, salsa here, electrónica there... We danced until about 5:30 am when it started closing, then went to a late-night eatery to get gigantic Completos (panchos con palta, mayonesa, tomates, cebollas... tu cachai po) and coffee. Then we all went to the Miradores overlooking the city and looked at the lights of housing outlining Valpo´s classic hills.

Sunday night I had my final Chilean once (this time with SOPAIPILLAS!!! AHHH!!! my trip was now complete) at Carlos´s house.

SWEET HOME BUENOS AIRES
I now have just arrived, stinky and sleepy, to Buenos Aires after riding for a little over 24 hours (there was a short delay in customs) in a sweet decked out ANDESMAR bus (servicio cama) from Santiago to Buenos Aires, con parada en Mendoza.

Quehaceres:
-find an apartment in La Plata
-meet with my referente
-get my visa de cortesía (and maybe work out that absentee ballot thing while I´m there)
-party with BA friends (first get cell phone charged up)