Villarrica and Pucon

Bailey and I are visiting Bryon who lives with his family in Villarrica.. Villarrica is near Pucon, which are both towns along Lake Villarrica and at the base of Volcan Villarrica. Pucon is famous for it's adventure sports, similar to Queenstown in New Zealand. In Pucon you can go whitewater rafting, canopying, kayaking, canyoning, climb to the summit of the volcano, and relax in the thermal springs.

Bryon's family is so nice and so welcoming! When we walked into their house, it smelled like freshly baked pastries and cakes. Bryon's mom and dad are both bakers! They were up at 6am making double layer cakes with homemade frosting, and their fridge is full of cartons of cream! Byron was the head chef at Cliffs when Bailey worked their, and he said he was inspired by his parents and their bakery business. Byron also has a brother who is studying kinesiology  in Temuco, and a sister who is studying to be a tour guide. Byron recently got back from a five month solo backpacking trip through South America, visiting Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina, and Peru. Bailey and I really enjoyed staying at Byron's house! It was so comfortable and relaxing, and you could even hear the horses walk by in the morning, their hooves click-clacking on the cobblestones as they carry buggies full of fruits and vegetables. I love it.

Our first night in Villarrica, Byron showed us around the town. We walked along the lake, saw Byron's church and school, and visited the artisans craft shops. Miguel (also a chef at Cliffs) came to visit. We had Mexican food for dinner (yay for corn tortillas!), and then we joined two of Byron's cousins at a bar for drinks. Mmmm tequila and piscolas. So Chilean!


The next day, Byron went with Bailey and I to Pucon. Pucon is a great town! It's very walkable, has lots of restaurants and cafes, and tons of outfitters and tour operators that provide a plethora of adventure activities. There are also a couple of lakes with views of Volcan Villarrica, as well as lots and lots of stray dogs (which is common in every city in Chile, except that these strays were huge dogs that chased cars for fun). We ate lunch (and dinner!) at an awesome restaurant in Pucon that Byron loves (and coming from a chef, that means it must be really good)! I had gorgonzola bean gnocchi for lunch and then a smoked salmon, avocado, and ricotta cheese sandwich for dinner. Yum! We got a hostel in Pucon for the night since there were quite a few activites we wanted to do. 


It was cold when we were in Pucon, but it didn't stop us! Bailey, Byron, and I went whitewater rafting on the Trancura River. There were five Class 4  rapids and one Class 5+ rapid that we walked (and then jumped from the rocks back into the river). This was the most intense rafting I had ever done (since before I'd only done Class 3's), and it was so intense. The rapids we did today weren't even rapids! They were waterfalls! It was insanely fun, but I was legit scared at times too. We had a great guide though, who gave commands in Spanish and in English, and he also explained the route/line through the rapid that we were going to take very well. 


The next day we went hiking in Huerquehue National Park, about an hour bus ride north of Pucon. The national park is home to beautiful green, tree-covered mountains, waterfalls, cascades, and several lakes formed by glaciers in the mountain valleys. We didn't have much time in the park since we wanted to get back to Villarrica in time for dinner, but we managed to hike for about five hours along the trail to Los Lagos. The portion of the trail that we hiked was through the mud along the calm, turquoise-colored Lake Trinquilco and then up one of the mountains to get a view of the lake from above. If we had had time to continue, we would have hiked down the other side of the mountain to see the other lakes. Even though we didn't spend a ton of time in the park, I was happy to be outside and hiking for the day.


When we returned to Villarrica, Byron made a version of pastel de choclo for dinner, which is a Chilean dish of corn and meat. After dinner we walked down to the lake- we finally had a clear sky with no rain clouds" so there was a magnificent view of Volcan Villarrica! As the sun was setting, the snow-covered volcano changed colors from white to orange, then to pink and to red. 

The next morning we slept in, and Byron made a brunch of scrambled eggs, avocado, and chicken, as well as yogurt, cereal, and fruit. We had beautiful weather today, so I did some souvenir shopping and went down to the lake for more pictures of Volcan Villarrica. The sky was perfectly blue with no clouds. You could see the steam coming out of the top of the volcano and how the wind blew it across the sky! It was incredibly beautiful! Byron's mom had a lunch of chicken, beef, rice, and peas for us before we got on the bus for Valdivia. Byron and his family are so amazing! His mom is absolutely adorable, and even called me "mi hija" when we said goodbye. So lovely! I just feel so rested and relaxed and happy :)

Adventure Sports!

Lucky day! Alberto happened upon a TV crew in the lodge from a Chilean show called Adventure Sports (Deportes Adventura, I think). Because Bailey and I are both gringas (white foreigners), the film crew asked if they could film us, which means that we got to go around with them and get filmed doing all of the activities at Huilo Huilo! For free! What good fortune!

So Bailey and I ran back to the staff housing to grab warm clothes and pack our bags because we are climbing the volcano! Snow-capped Volcan El Mocho! To summit the volcano, we needed lots of gear that I had never used before- cramp-ons, an ice axe, and lots of rope. Alberto was our guide during the trip, and he tied the three of us together in a line and taught us how to use the gear to climb.


I enjoyed learning the technique of using the ice axe, as well as learning how to walk and climb in cramp-ons. The cramp-ons were tricky at first, but we eventually got the hang of it. The ice axe was fun, and both Bailey and I had the chance to use it for real when we both slipped on separate occasions and started sliding down the face of the volcano. It was like we were in the movies when the actor is falling and drives the ice axe into the snow to stop. Crazy!


Unfortunately we did not end up summiting the volcano. The warm weather has been melting the glacier at the top and causing it to split apart, forming large and deep crevasses. We still got close to the crevasses though and got to lay on the snow and peer down inside them. The light blue ice was beautiful, but it was kind of scary looking into the crevasse and not being able to see the bottom because it was so deep!

We spent the rest of the afternoon trekking across the glacier in between both volcanos and climbing on some of the exposed rock. My favorite part was that the weather and the view were absolutely perfect! There was not a cloud in the sky, hardly any wind, and bright strong sun that kept us warm on the snow. And it was so quiet up on the glacier! In fact, it was so quiet that my ears hurt from straining to hear something! Because the sky was clear, we got to see the most incredible view of the Andes Mountains. You could literally see the folds and folds of earth that formed with the tectonic plates crashed into one another to formed the Andes Mountain Range. We could see clear across to Argentina, which is marked by several magnificent snow-capped volcanoes! Ah it was INCREDIBLE!


After spending six hours hiking along the volcano's glacier for the filming crew, we went on a night hike to the Huilo Huilo waterfall. We carried torches, I almost set the trees and then my hair on fire, drank Pisco Sours, and watched the waterfall lit up by lights. 

We were asked to spend the next day and a half with this film crew and do more activities. They want us to go mountain biking with them, horseback riding, and do the Canopy XL, the longest and highest canopy zip-line in Chile. Bailey and I were considering staying to do the activities with them, especially since they would all be free for us, but the weather is now awful and raining. Since the crew doesn't want to do the activities and get the cameras wet in the rain, Bailey and I will be leaving Huilo Huilo with Alberto and heading off to meet up with Byron in Villarrica. Adelante!

Huilo Huilo

The Mapuche Indians are the native people of Chile. Most of the names of places in this area come from their language, like Panguipulli, River Fuy, and Huilo Huilo, etc. In the Mapuche language, "huilo" means "crevasse", and saying it twice is to add extra emphasis. So the area of Huilo Huilo is named for a very deep crevasses in the mountains and carved by the rivers. 

Alberto used to work in Huilo Huilo as a guide, so we are joining him there as he visits his friends. Huilo Huilo is a hotel complex and adventure center located in temperate rainforest about 25 km from the Chilean-Argentinean border. The area is surrounded by ranges and ranges of the sharp Andes Mountains, and spotted with tall, snow-capped volcanoes. I'm hoping for good weather so we can see some of these volcanoes :)

And so begins the long day of transport to Huilo Huilo. We didn't think it would take very long... but it did.

Bailey and I jumped on the bus out of Cliffs after breakfast. We rode on the gravel road to the small town of Los Muermos, then got dropped off in Puerto Varas. We hopped on a minibus to the nearby Puerto Montt, where we then boarded a bus to Panguipulli. We were shocked to learn that this leg would take over six hours (and we almost missed the bus because it took forever to get our lunch at the Puerto Montt train station)! Haha it turns out that our sketchy bus likes to stop every hundred meters or so along the side of the highway to pick up hitchhikers. It also allows food vendors, bread makers, and guitar players onto the bus to sell/market their wears... Wow. So it was stop and go, stop and go, stop and go, back through Puerto Varas, to Valdivia where we connected on another bus, and finally to Panguipulli. We were happy to see Alberto waiting for us in Panguipulli where we boarded our final bus that took us (and hitchhikers) along the gravel road through the small town of Neltume and dropped us at the doorstep of Huilo Huilo's Baobab Hotel. By the time we arrived, it was nightfall. The best part of the day (besides the guitar player on the bus), was the sun setting behind a volcano over Lake Panguipulli during our final leg of the trip.

Bailey and I were quite cranky and extremely hungry when we arrived in Huilo Huilo. We followed Alberto in the dark to the staff housing area, which turned out to be a row of really nice log cabins. Sweet digs! We stayed with two of Alberto's friends, Gabriel and Raimundo, who work as chefs at the Huilo Huilo lodge. Alberto gave us a Snickers bar to split as Gabriel started a fire in the fire pit to cook some (a lot!) of meat. It was the best Snickers bar I had ever eaten. 


Well, it turns out that the firewood was wet, so there was too much smoke to cook the meat. So instead of removing the firewood and putting in charcoal, Gabriel spent TWO HOURS fanning the burning wood with a piece of cardboard to try to dry it. When the wood finally burned out (and I was so hungry I was about to eat my hand), Gabriel put in the charcoal, bag and all! So then while we waited for the charcoal bag to smoke and burn out, Bailey and I shared the best pack of M&M's I've ever had. Did I mention it was freezing outside during all of this? And I was choking due to smoke from the wood and the chain smokers sitting next to me. So... the meat eventually got cooked, and by 12:30am, I was eating the most delicious sausages and steaks ever! Wow Chileans sure know how to cook meat! (Even if it takes three hours).


During our first full day at Huilo Huilo, Alberto showed us around the main lodge. Built of wood and full trees, the lodge has a wilderness and outdoor feel. There are large windows, lots of natural ligut, and log cabin architecture and decor. It was so awesome! The details in the building's structure and decorations were fascinating. There was a mountain with a waterfall down the side that housed rooms for guests. There were many bars, a big restaurant, a spa, tons of sitting areas, an outdoor lounge with hot tubs, an outdoor and indoor pool, and a lookout at the top of a honeycomb of hotel rooms. From the lookout, we had a beautiful and clear view of the snow-capped volcano complex- Volcan El Mocho (dormant) and Volcan Choshuenco (active, last erupted about 100 years ago).


We hitchhiked to and from the closest town of Neltume for food for the next few days, and then used the rest of this beautiful sunny day to do some hikes in the cool temperate rainforest along the Fuy River. The river was so clear with bright blue water and a series of short waterfalls, two or so meters high. There were also lots of jumping fish, and I couldn't help but think how much fun Ben and Dad would have here doing some fly-fishing. The more interesting part was that the banks of the river is made up of cooled  lava flow from the volcanoes! The dark black lava made an awesome contrast with the bright blue-green water. In fact, the whole rainforest has grown on top of this cooled lava. Since the first thing to grow on lava flow is moss, can you imagine how many hundreds of years it took for an entire rainforest to grow on top of it?!

Patagonia!

Despite the cold and the rain, Cliffs is such a beautiful place, nestled in the heart of Patagonia. The resort literally sits atop cliffs that dive into the ocean. In 1960 there was an earthquake here, and the earth literally sank into the ocean, leaving only the strong rock behind of the cliffs and the rocks out in the ocean. The Cliffs Preserve consists 4000 heactares of forest, peninsulas, and three beaches of soft deep sand carved into the cliffs. The beaches are called Playa Uno (Beach 1), Playa Dos (Beach 2), and Playa Ortiga (nope, not Beach 3). There are several hikes along the peninsulas and throughout the forests down to the beaches. On a clear day, you can see straight down the coast of Chile, and each night the sun sets right over the ocean :) 


On our first full day at Cliffs, Bailey and I went with Alberto to do several of the hikes along the tops of the cliffs and peninsulas (the seagull trail, pudu trail, and altavista trail). Altavista means "high views", and a pudu is a little shy deer. We didn't get to see any pudu, but we did see pudu droppings, spotted dolphins playing down in the surf,and saw little birds on the trails. Because of the rain and clouds, we couldn't see very far out along the cliffs, but there were some huge waves crashing on the rocks that provided plenty of awe and entertainment. This area is rich and abundant in rare plant life, especially nalca which is literally a dinosaur bush. Nalca has a tall thick stem and huge leaves that can grow as big as a table! The leaves are coarse and spiny. We also saw many berries of deep purple and red. and nalca along the trail. 

After our wet morning hikes, we had fish and rice for lunch and visited the horse stables for a bit. There was even more rain in the afternoon, so we hung out in the casino watching soccer and chatting with Miguel. 

After dinner, Drake invited Bailey and I to the lodge to socialize with the guest that they had that night. He is a tour operator staying at the resort to write about the preserve and then hopefully recommend it to his clients.The lodge is beautiful and made of laurel wood and granite. There are lots of dolphin-themed furniture and furs on the chairs and couches too. There is a meeting room, a spa, a yoga room, an exercise room, and a lookout. The lodge is small and quaint, but very comfortable and cozy. As the sky cleared, we were treated to an amazingly vibrant sunset at the lodge- it looked like the sky was on fire!

 

Luis fixed the four of us some awesome drinks at the bar! I had my first Pisco Sour, a fantastic Chilean concoction, and one of Luis's creations of fresh arugula, pineapple, and vodka all blended together- it was delicious and tasted so fresh and like a garden! Mom, you would love it! We enjoyed some hazelnuts, almonds, dried apricots, sunflower seeds, and cheese with our drinks and talked about Bailey's internship at Cliffs, Bailey and my plans for the future (maybe we will start an outdoor recreation center!), and Drake's background and how he got connected with Cliffs (he grew up in Hawaii and knew since he was 13 that he wanted to go into hospitality, which he then studied at FSU). 

After returning from the lodge, Bailey and I hung out with Alberto and Roberto for a while. The sky was clear for the night, so a bunch of us went out to the beach to enjoy the stars, the moonlit surf, and some more drinks :) Of course, the Southern Cross grabbed my attention again, and the moon was so bright that none of us needed flashlights! I had a good time hanging out with Bailey, Felipe, Luis, Byron, Andrea, Miguel, Arturo, and Christian, but it was exhausting speaking so much Spanish. I'm frustrated at not being able to contribute to conversations and get to know Bailey's Chilean family on a deeper level. I just keep telling myself to work at it every day and to be patient.


The next day, Bailey and I hiked the Olivillo trail with Felipe and Allison. The trail takes you up through the forest and is supposed to dump out on Ortiga Beach, but unknown to us,  the trail had been destroyed by logging trucks. There is a company logging here in order to remove the non-native eucalyptus trees from the area. I have no idea why, but instead of targeting specific trees, they are clear-cutting entire sections of the forest. No one at Cliffs knew that their fallen trees had completely blocked and covered up the path, so we were glad that we didn't have guests with us on this hike (it wouldn't have appeared to be very eco-friendly as Cliffs promises). 


We didn't want to turn back, so we picked our way over the fallen trees and through the deep mud for an hour. It was a mess. There were times when you would misstep and fall down into the piles of trees, or the mud was caked so heavy on your boots it felt like you were carrying an extra five pounds on each foot. Luckily we hooked back up with the trail and made it down to the beach. By the time we got to the beach though, it was pouring rain and cold and very windy. We snapped a few photos and started walking along the beach back to the lodge. However, the tide was so high and the wind so strong that the waves were crashing right up against the cliffs. We hugged the cliffs and avoided the ocean water as much as we could. We timed the waves and ran through during the time when the waves pulled back to the ocean. I was most worried about us getting swept away and pulled into the ocean and pushed against the rocks, but luckily that didn't happen. We all got wet in the end though, as there were parts that we just had to run through the water. We stumbled along the rocks and stone beaches, passed by the lugeros collecting seaweed that they later dry and send to Japan, and finally made it back to the casino- wet, cold, tired, and just in time for a perfect lunch of soup, pork chops, and rice!

After lunch Bailey and I relaxed in La Ruca and attempted to dry off for about an hour, then headed to the stables to see the horses. We joined Marcos and Patricio on a ride up the gravel road to the organic gardens. They needed to cut wood in the nearby forest to make a fence. I rode a horse named Goliat (Goliath), and he was all black with bright blue eyes, which I had never seen in a horse before. The others horses were paints that were very pretty. 


The Chilean horses are short and small compared to the horses I learned to ride, and the Chilean saddles too are small and simple, just a tiny blanket and a wool mat with half-boots for stirrups. I'm glad we weren't riding long, because without all that cushion we would've been really sore. It was so fun to ride again, but I was initially a bit nervous and skittish around the horses. I was disappointed in how timid I was and in how much I had forgotten about horses (how to approach them put the halter on, lead them, and saddle them). I trained baby Arabian horses when I was 11 years old for goodness sake! However, by the end of the ride I was comfortable again, and I hope I don't go this long again without riding horses.

After a dinner of pasta and seafood sauce of clams and mussels, Bailey and I hung out with Negra, Roberto, Mike, and Zorron at the Wing while we did laundry, and then we headed to bed to prepare for a long day of travel to Huilo Huilo in the morning. 

La Familia de Cliffs

Bailey and I waited at the Cliffs office in Puerto Varas for a while. It was closed for the weekend, so we just sat outside with our bags. After about an hour and a half, Albert and Poncho arrived! Poncho is a driver for Cliffs who's job is to pick up the guests from the airport, as well as drive them around the resort when needed. Alberto is a guide for Cliffs and leads the guests on various activities like hiking and kayaking. 

Alberto was one of Bailey's closest friends during her internship. He taught her a lot about guiding, about the wildlife, and about Chilean Spanish. They call him "Mono" which means monkey because he's a tiny little super- athletic mountain climber, can swing through the trees like a monkey, and is also a monkey with computers haha! He's a pure outdoors guy and is afraid of cities and lots of people. He reminds me a lot of Steve, the guide that I met in Tasmania. Bailey and Alberto were so so happy to see each other. Big smiles, lots of hugging, lots of kisses on the cheeks. Actually, Alberto missed Bailey so much when she left after her internship that he started a little journal that he wrote to her and drew pictures to give to her the next time they saw each other, whether it was a year or ten years. This time, it was a year, and that makes me so happy :)

We arrived at Cliffs in time for dinner. I met Drake, the on-site General Manager of the resort who is just so awesome and accommodating. He had space for Bailey and I to stay in La Ruca which is a common room with eight individual rooms around it and community bathrooms. It was so nice! It was especially nice to unpack, have some private space, and plenty of Internet and places to charge our electronics (ah the little things in life).

We put our things in our rooms and met our roommates, those who occupy the other six rooms in La Ruca. Felipe is a guide for Cliffs, and Luis is the resort bartender. He is so hilarious and definitely one of my favorites! I got to know both Felipe and Luis better than the others that I met, mainly because they both spoke a bit of English. Don Jose is an electrician, handyman, and was very much a fatherly figure to Bailey when she worked there. He made us a warm fire in the common room stove and also helped me find an adapter to charge our electronics since mine wasn't working. Andrea is the receptionist at the lodge, and there was another lady who's name I didn't catch who works as the massage therapist in the spa at the lodge. Christian is the older man who cooks for the staff. He is a chef, but prefers to prepare meals for the workers rather than for the guests. It's quite a job for him, as he's awake earlier than everybody fixing breakfast, and stays after to clean all of the dishes (Bailey and I washed the dishes after many meals to spend time with him and as a way to earn our keep). 


We then headed to the casino for dinner. The casino has the staff kitchen and eating area, a TV and foosball table, and upstairs there are offices , a computer room, an exercise room, and a chapel. Bailey is so friendly and knows everybody! Everyone is so happy to see her, and she is so so so happy to be here! It's incredible! She really made an impression here with these people! Bailey's nickname while at Cliffs was "gringa loca" ("crazy foreign girl), so the casino was full, of shouts of "gringa loca!" and lots and lots of laughing and kisses. I was the faithful side-kick, "la amiga de Bailey".


Gosh I met so many people at Cliffs. They are such a big, loving family. Since all of the staff live together, eat together, and work together, it's hard not to  get pulled in to the friendly and warm atmosphere. Bailey and I spent the evening drinking piscolas in the Wing (another housing building) where Bailey caught up with her friends and I got to meet them all!


I met Roberto, another guide like Alberto who is really in to photography. He has some great pictures from Torres del Paine! I met Marcos, Freddy, and Patricio who all work at the stables with the horses. I told them that I would love to help them out during my time at Cliffs! I met Miguel,  Byron, and Negra who all work as chefs in the lodge. They sure can cook up some fancy food! Negra is also super animated and loud, she's one of those people who's personality fills the room :) There was also Arturo and Zorron who just started working at Cliffs in the kitchen at the lodge, and then Evelin who works in the organic gardens.

Bailey and I also got to meet Allison, who is the student from Tech who has Bailey's internship for this year. It was good to hang out with someone from Tech and speak some English, and Bailey gave her and I some great tips on using and speaking Spanish. Bailey said that she struggled at first, but it's important to try to speak and make errors, then to not speak at all. So that is my goal- to try to speak Spanish without hesitation and without being nervous, and to become more comfortable and fluid with the language. I also want to be able to hear Spanish and understand it without having to translate it in my head to English (this is how I am beginning to define fluency).

Right now I am struggling a lot with the language. I loved Spanish in High School,  I can read it well, and I am to the point now where I can follow conversations and understand most of what is being said. I'm just having so much trouble speaking it. It's like I have all of the words, but I can't put them together into a sentence. I am having the most trouble with the verbs and congugating them as I speak. I'm great at it on paper, but my spoken sentences are fragmented and have little meaning. I want to be able to contribute to conversations and connect with Bailey's friends, but all I am capable of giving right now are short answers or statements of agreement. I ask questions, but hardly understand their answers well enough to respond and keep the conversation going. So mostly I just end up sitting next to Bailey, smiling, and laughing when they laugh. By the end of the day I am just exhausted and frustrated with trying to keep up with the language. Bailey and her friends are extremely friendly, hospitable, and understanding, so it's a great environment to learn in, but I can't help but feel incompetent and unintelligent. 


Nevertheless, I have learned quite a bit at Cliffs about the hospitality business and running a resort, and I have gained some insight into business in Chile (which is mainly that the focus should be family-centered, and if a worker has a problem, they will most likely have another worker intercede for them to the boss on their behalf to try to address the issue and solve the problem). Cliffs is headquartered in North Carolina and market primarily to Americans. There is a Cliffs resort in the Blue Mountains in North Carolina, and this Cliffs is the "Cliffs at Patagonia, Chile". There is the main Chile office in Puerto Varas where the guests arrive by plane, and the resort staff lives onsite at Cliffs when they are working. The staff's schedules all rotate so they can spend time at home with their families as well. The staff includes chefs, waiters, a bartender, dish washers, activities guides, receptionists, cleaning and hospitality services, grounds keepers, gardeners, a wood shop carver, and horsemen. Bailey got work experience in all of these areas!


Some other business and operation strategies that Drake uses at Cliffs include all meals and housing provided, and there are all-staff meetings every morning at breakfast to go over the plan and activities for the day and to review the guests who are at the resort or scheduled to arrive that day. Guest preferences definitely come first, even all the way down to the type of pillow they want and what they prefer for breakfast (one guest wanted an egg omelet, but there was not a single egg in the kitchen or the storage or at the chicken coop, so the chef Negra used over 20 quail eggs to satisfy the guests requests!). Cliffs also has a community service aspect and supports an orphanage in Puerto Varas. The American couple David and Rebecca Hughes manage and run this orphanage for Cliffs, and they also visit the staff and deliver presentations about health and wellness. They were the ones who saw the construction and completion of the gym and chapel in the upstairs rooms of the casino.

Puerto Varas

Bailey and I arrived in Puerto Varas this morning around 10:30. It was nice to get off of the bus that we had been riding on for the last 13 and a half hours. 


Puerto Varas is a cute little town next to the large blue Lake Llanquihue (pronounced like "yankee way" haha). The lake is surrounded by the Andes Mountains, and directly across the lake are two huge volcanoes! These volcanoes are single-vent, cone shaped volcanoes and are nearly perfectly symmetrical. They both have snow on their tops year round. What a sight! I got to see the entire volcano during the bus ride into the town, but as soon as Bailey and I made it down to the lake in Puerto Varas, the tops of the volcanoes were covered in clouds.


It was still a nice sunshiny day in Puerto Varas though, and we walked along the lake front watching the sail boats and kayakers leave from the beach. I liked seeing the hotels along the waterfront that were made of wood and stone, reminding me of mountain cabins. In fact, the whole town has this outdoor, wilderness, log cabin feel. There are numerous outfitters and adventure tour offices in the center of the city, as well as outdoor apparel stores like Patagonia and Northface. I am in heaven!

Bailey and I stopped at a cafe to use some Internet and search for hostels in Puerto Varas for the night. We ended up giving the on-site manager at Cliffs a ring to let him know we were in Puerto Varas and to confirm our pick up tomorrow morning. Drake the manager said that he had someone making an airport drop off today and they could pick us up this afternoon! Hooray!! We're going to be at Cliffs tonight by dinnertime! Ah I can't wait! Ever since I saw Bailey's pictures of Cliffs from her internship last year I have wanted to go to Cliffs and to Patagonia, and now we are! Cheers!

Chilean Spanish

Chilean Spanish has quite a few differences from the spanish I learned in school, which was mainly Spanish from Spain or Mexico. 

First, Chileans use different words for common words that I had learned in spamish class. Here are some examples:

Beans are frijoles, but in Chile they are porotos.
A boyfriend is un novio, but in Chile he is un pololo.
Beer is cervesa, but in Chile it is chela.
Aburrido means bored, but in Chile they use the word fome.
A baby is a bebe, but in Chile a baby is a guagua (pronounced wawa).
Plata means money in Chile, rather than the word moneda.

Other words used in everyday Chilean Spanish:
Copete refers to all types of liquor.
Carete is to go out, go party and dance.
Chicitito is a cute little child.

Chileans say the word "po" to add emphasis after words. They say "No po" and "si po". Haha I say "What po?"

Chileans also drop the "s" on words, which us confusing at first. "Los leones" is pronounced "lo leone". And "sei" for "seis" and "gracia" for "gracias".

Bailey has a book that she was gifted when she worked at a cliffs last year. It's called How to Survive in the Chilean Jungle, and it includes hundreds of the slang phrases and common words that Chilean use, and there is a whole section on food! It has proven to be a very useful book and will continue to be just that!

Un Otro Dia en Santiago

Bailey and I spent another day in Santiago today. We had a lazy morning at Carlos's house, and then took the metro to Santa Lucia near La Plaza de Armas that we visited on our first day in Chile. We climbed the Cerro Santa Lucia, which is a big rock hill in the center of the city. The path and plazas on the hill had castle-like architecture, and we got an awesome 360 degree view of Santiago from the top! It was neat to see the Andes surrounding the city, dwarfing all of the buildings down below. We couldn't see all of the mountains though because of the smog. I did however love seeing the Andes in the way background with snow on them! Beautiful!


We grabbed lunch after our climb, and I had an empanada pino, which is the traditional kind of empanada with onion, egg, and olive wrapped in dough and either fried or baked in the oven. It was tasty! Bailey and I then walked along the street Miraflores to the Bellas Artes museum. Inside the art museum, we saw beautiful sculptures of angels and a few depictions of the Stations of the Cross, Jesus's final moments. 

My favorite exhibition was a photography collection from 2010. The photographer traveled to a small Chilean town that prides itself on being uniquely and completely Chilean. The pictures showed the very old and the very young selling their fruit and vegetables on the streets. There were pictures of the brightly colored homes with dirt up to the doorsteps and peeling paint, muddy street carts, and walls covered in bright and political graffiti. The pictures also showed that stray dogs were as much a part of the town as the Chilean townspeople. I must agree that these pictures very much represented Chilean lifestyle and culture. I wish I could have put all of these pictures into a book and taken them with me, because this is the Chile that I will see when I remember Santiago and Valparaiso.

After the art museum, Bailey and I headed back to Carlos's house. I tried to talk with his mom, but it was very difficult as she speaks quickly and runs all of hers words together. I asked her to speak slowly and explained to her that it's been four years since I've used my Spanish, but she seemed to just brush me off and dismiss me as incompetent. I am getting frustrated with this Spanish speaking thing... some days are better than others. Sometimes I understand quite a bit, and others I just can't seem to comprehend and decipher what people are saying. I hope that when Bailey and I return to Santiago I will be able to talk to Carlos's mom better.

Bailey and I grabbed all of our things and jumped on the metro to get to the bus station. The metro train took forever, and we made our bus by two minutes. Now we are sitting on a twelve-hour overnight bus to Puerto Varas in the southern region, also called Los Lagos (the lake region). We wil spend the next day and night in Puerto Varas, and then head to Cliffs the next morning. I am so excited, but a little nervous about this twelve-hour bus ride... right now they are showing the movie Perseus in Spanish with Spanish subtitles, so I am listening and reading and learning.

Words of the Day:
Colina rocosa - rocky hill
Palta - avocado
Acetuna - olive
Monja- nun
(there are probably more but it's hard to keep track of all of them)

Valparaiso

Today we took trip for the day to Valparaiso. Valparaiso is about an hour and a half bus ride west of Santiago. The city is situated in a nearly perfect semicircular bay of the Pacific Ocean. The main government buildings, naval offices, town squares, and churches are positioned close to the water on the flat land, and then the residences are built up in the hills surrounding the bay. These houses are gorgeous! They are all different shapes and sizes, and their bright colors of yellow, red, teal, and blue cover the mountain sides. The graffiti and murals on almost every inch of wall give Valparaiso a unique and artsy feel.


Valparaiso was the first port in Chile. Container ships are anchored in the harbor, and there are large container yards! Train tracks, and truck routes along the water. For this reason, there are no beaches in Valparaiso. It was not a problem though, as Bailey and I were plenty entertained with watching the container yard operate as the large cranes loaded the ships with the containers. It reminded me a lot of the huge container yard in Singapore where I was fascinated, and still am, by the logistics and algorithms behind the yards's operations.


Bailey and I spent the day wandering the streets and hillsides of Valparaiso, seeing the Naval Museum, dodging the stray dogs and cats, and hiking up to El Sebastian, the home of famous Chilean author and poet Pablo Neruda. There are cable cars (acensors) all over the hillsides, and we took one of the cable cars to get an awesome view of the bay. We then wandered the upper streets and stopped in a restaurant for lunch. We shared a chorrillana, which we were told is a popular dish in Valparaiso. Chorrillana is a bed if french fries, with a layer of onions and scrambled eggs, and a topped with beef. It was tasty, but not the healthiest thing I've ever eaten. It was really greasy, but it was my first experience with the Chilean diet of meat and starch.

Apparently there was an earthquake in Valparaiso when we were there today. It registered 5.1 on the Richter Scale and was 30 kilometers deep. The epicenter was 47 kilometers north of Valparaiso. Bailey and I did not feel it though, and we didn't find out about it until Carlos picked us up in the Santiago bus station tonight. Crazy! 

Santiago

The flight into Santiago goes right over the Andes mountains, and the plane descends right between them, so you can see the mountains out of both windows! Bailey and I arrived in Santiago at 9am, but it took us two hours to pay for our $140 visitor visa (yuck!), go through immigration, and then go through customs. We grabbed a van to Los Leones in the Providencia neighborhood, which is where we are to meet Carlos, one of Bailey's friends from her job at Cliffs. 

I like Santiago so far. Santiago is the largest city and the capital city of Chile. It is very spread out, like Atlanta, with several suburbs and neighborhoods. Santiago is a city in a basin that is surrounded by mountains. It is a beautiful set-up with the city built on perfectly flat land with the protective Andes 360 degrees around the city. It's very pretty, even with the mountains holding the smog in the basin. The weather is warm and dry, and the mountains are brown with short brush. There are several vineyards since the warmth and dry weather are perfect for growing grapes. Santiago is cold at night when the sun goes down since there is very little humidity. The temperature swing today was 9 degrees Celcius to 27 degrees Celcius!

Santiago is bustling! There are tons of people, restaurants, coffee shops, shopping centers, and fast food restaurants. There are even cute little flower booths and candy booths on the sidewalks, and there are red public phone booths everywhere. The metro is super easy to use and super cheap, with a one-way ticket costing 600 Chilean Pesos, which is about $1.50. That's really nice compared to Sydney's $15 one-way metro rides!

In fact, most everything in Chile so far is inexpensive. Dinner tonight was 2000 pesos ($4) and the bottle of Pisco liquor we bought for the night was 8000 pesos ($8). This is an extremely welcomed change from the overly expensive Australia! I spent about $20 today on mostly food and transportation. If I keep that up everyday, I'd only spend $600 during the whole trip! Haha I doubt that'll happen with the long distance bus rides and rafting that Bailey and I are planning on doing, but it's still uber cheap (except electronics, which are twice as expensive in Chile, especially Apple products... Let's just say I won't be whipping out my iPad in public).

Everyone speaks Spanish of course, but here's what I did not expect- no one speaks English. Even though I am una gringa (a foreigner) and clearly not from here, Chileans do not speak to me in English, even if I approach them speaking English. Even in Hungary and Czech Republic I could find people who spoke and understood English comfortably, but here that is definitely not the case. It's either Spanish or nothing. So, it's challenging, but Bailey is very good at Spanish and I just need to practice, so we are a good team.

Mostly everybody smokes in Chile. In the streets, indoors, in the cars... Which means I'm going to have to get used to my clothes and bags smelling like smoke. There is no avoiding it. In Santiago, mostly everybody wears long pants as well. Even when it's so hot outside, everyone is wearing long pants. Bailey and I did the first day, but by the second day we were in shorts. It was just too hot.

The Chileans in Santiago do not look quite like I expected either. I think i expected to see people who are more dark-skinned with dark brown hair, like in Mexico. However, the people here have a lighter complexion with varying dark to light hair color. Bailey says that this is really only the case in Santiago, and when we get outside of the city I will see that the more rural Chileans have darker complexion and darker hair. Also, in terms of size, compared to the women in Europe who are string beans, and the women in Australia who are tall and fit, the women here shorter and  larger, but a healthy larger, like from all of the amazing Chilean food :) 

Speaking of Chilean food, it probably deserves a post of its own, but I have not had much yet. However, I do know that Chileans do not eat what you would consider Mexican food, like tacos and burritos and enchiladas. Chileans eat a lot of meat (mostly beef), potatoes, beets, cabbage, and fried foods, like empanadas and sopapillas. I had a completo for dinner today, which is a hot dog topped with tomatoes, avocado, and mayo. It was interesting. Definitely good, but I'm not sure if I would have another one. 


So we met up with Carlos around 4pm after he got off of work. Carlos is a friend of Bailey's from Cliffs, and he works as a waiter and bellhop at an International Hotel in Santiago, the Santiago Park Plaza. Carlos is taller with longer dark hair, and is loud and spastic. So fun! He speaks English, so that makes it easier to get to know him too. Carlos and Bailey were so happy to see each other, which was exciting! Bailey says she feels as if she never left Chile and is picking up right where she left off :)


Bailey, Carlos, and I went to the Plaza de Armas, which is near the city center of Santiago. There is a fountain in the middle, as well as a cathedral and a museum. It's a popular place for pickpockets, so we had to stick together, especially because Bailey and I were carrying our big backpacks since we had come from the airport. The Catedral de Santiago was beautiful and big inside, with paintings on the ceilings that reminded me of the Vatican (though not quite as grand). The Museo Historical Nacional was very neat, only $1.50 to enter, and we got to see clothes and items from the native Chileans and the Spanish conquistadores.

So far I am really liking the culture in Chile! The family definitely comes first. Bailey and I stayed at Carlos's house tonight. At 27-years-old, Carlos lives at home with his 25-year-old brother Christopher, his mom and dad, and his two great aunts, who are adorable. I've enjoyed meeting his family and trying to talk to them in Spanish (as they do not understand English). They are so hospitable and friendly! When Bailey and I first arrived at the house, one of Carlos's great aunts starts saying "Milagro! Milagro!" haha it's a miracle!


Tonight, Bailey, Carlos, Christopher, and I drove up to the mountain side where you could overlook Santiago and see the city lights. We drank Piscola, which is the Chilean liquor Pisco mixed with Coke, it tasted sweet like maple syrup. The city lights were so pretty! I was shocked by just how flat it is. It was a wide expanse of city lights as far as the eye could see. There were not any tall buildings like you would see if you were looking out at Atlanta. I winder where all of Santiago's businesses are. Carlos said all we could really see were the residences and suburban neighborhoods of Santiago rather than the city center. Wow Santiago is huge if we couldn't see the city center in this ocean of lights. Oh and the night sky was clear too, so I got to see the Southern Cross again, as well as the inverted Orion! So happy!

Back to the Southern Hemisphere

I've decided I really like this part of the world. Reversed waterflow, summer during my known winter months, and inverted constellations, not to mention the Southern Cross. It's a dangerous part of the world though, especially in light of the recent cyclones and earthquakes. Nevertheless, after being home from Australia for 11 days, my journey now takes me to Chile! 

This will be my first time traveling to South America, and the sixth continent of seven that I have been to! I am so excited to travel around Chile and immerse myself in the Spanish language. It has been about three years since I have used my Spanish, and I am hoping to come back more conversationally fluent. However, I am a bit nervous... I think I will be able to understand what Chileans are saying, but I might not be able to express my thoughts well in the spoken language.

I am traveling to Chile for four weeks with my friend Bailey O'Sullivan. Bailey and I went to high school together at Blessed Trinity, and we also both went to Georgia Tech and are alumni of the Ramblin' Reck Club. Woooo! Bailey is outdoorsy and sporty, she's a phenomenal kayaker and is going to be leading tours down the Nantahalla when we return from Chile. We're both looking forward to doing quite a bit of hiking in Chile and spending time in the mountains and rivers. I am so excited!

Bailey also worked in Chile for five months at this time last year. She worked at Cliffs, a resort in Patagonia. Bailey and I plan to visit her friends that she made during her internship and stay at their houses! I'm really looking forward to it! Bailey also called up her boss at Cliffs who is allowing us to visit. Judging by Bailey's pictures from her internship, it is a gorgeous place!

So here we go! Hiking, rafting, scenery, Spanish, and meeting local Chileans! That's what I call adventure!

Australia and New Zealand Final Itinerary

As an attempt to organize these blog posts and to provide recommendations for travelers, the following is the finalized schedule that Brandon and I created as we explored Australia and New Zealand:

Jan 23
- Leave the Atlanta airport for Los Angeles
- Flight from LA to Sydney is full
- Layover in Los Angeles, exploration of Santa Monica

Jan 24
- Visit to Hollywood and the Walk of Stars
- Stay the night with GT grad Scott in Manhattan Beach

Jan 25
- Chill at Manhattan Beach
- Fly to Sydney, Australia!

Jan 26
- Australia Day! We're still up in the air.

Jan 27
- Arrival in Sydney, Australia in New South Wales! G'Day Mate!
- Check in to Base Sydney Hostel on Kent Street
- Wander down George Street
- Explore Circular Quay and the Sydney Opera House
- Wander through The Rocks
- Walk across the Harbor Bridge
- Visit the 2000 Sydney Olympic Pool
- See a show in the Sydney Opera House!
- See Sydney's Harbor at night time

Jan 28
- Take early morning ferry across the harbor to visit the Taronga Zoo in Sydney
- Play cricket and have a BBQ at Coogee Beach with other backpackers from Base Hostel
- Accidentally swim with the Bluebottle Jellyfish at Coogee Beach
- Take the Coastal Walk to Bondi Beach along the steep cliffs and meandering through several bays
- Eat dinner at Bondi Beach and watch the surfers

Jan 29
- Take a day tour to the Blue Mountains with OZ Experience
- Hike to Wentworth Falls
- Hike along the old coal mining trails through the temperate rain forest with views of The Three Sisters
- Ride the world's steepest passenger railway
- Eat kangaroo steak for dinner in Katoomba
- Explore the Vintage Car Show in Katoomba and make friends with fellow Ford Model A 1930 drivers
- Catch the sunset at Cahill's Lookout
- Stay the night at the YHA in Katoomba (the BEST, nicest, and cleanest hostel I've ever stayed at!)

Jan 30
- Canyoning and Abseiling day trip with High 'N Wild
- Abseil three dry mountain cliffs, slip and slide through the canyon river, abseil down the face of Empress Falls
- Enjoy a beer/lemonade with the abseiling crew
- Head off to the lookout of The Three Sisters
- Catch a train from Katoomba back to Sydney

Jan 31
- Fly from Sydney to Ayer's Rock in Australia's Red Center and Northern Territory
- Join three day tour with OutbackSafaris.com and Adventure Australia
- Walk through Kata Tjuta (The Ulgas)
- See Uluru (Ayer's Rock) for the first time and explore some sights along the base
- Watch the sunset at Uluru
- BBQ kangaroo and camel for dinner
- Sleep outside in a swag and gaze at the thick blanket of stars overhead
- Find the Southern Cross constellation that can only be seen in the Southern Hemisphere

Feb 1
- Watch the sunrise at Uluru
- Take an early morning base walk around Uluru
- Visit the Cultural Center to learn about the Aborigines
- Cook a pasta medley dinner with the tour group
- Watch a thunder and lightening storm in the Outback
- Sleep outside in swags, find three shooting stars, and admire Orion's Sword, which you can't see in Atlanta due to the city light

Feb 2
- Hike the King's Canyon Rim Walk
- Make the 5-hr, single-road drive to Alice Springs, the city in the middle of the Outback
- Spend a couple hours rebooking flights. Unable to fly to Cairns due to Cyclone Yasi. Book a flight to the beautiful land of New Zealand instead.
- Enjoy dinner in the city with the tour
- Experience Aboriginal hostility when returning to your hostel
- Stayed the night at Toddy's Hostel (NOT recommended), stay at Haven or the YHA instead

Feb 3
- Fly to Sydney, dash to the International Terminal, fly to Christchurch in New Zealand's South Island
- Arrival in Christchurch, New Zealand!
- Check into Base Christchurch hostel
- Attempt to get a rental van for the next two weeks. The better known companies were out of vans, so we rented with Road Runner Rentals who had one van remaining.

Feb 4
- Do laundry :)
- Explore Christchurch's main square
- Pick up the rental van
- Wander through Christchurch's botanical gardens
- Go grocery shopping for meals for the road
- Eat a big lamb shanks dinner before being subjected to camping stove cooking ;)
- Park van next to the Christchurch Cathedral for the night

Feb 5
- Drive from Christchurch to Mount Cook, New Zealand's highest peak
- Stop at Lake Tekapo and Mount John along the way
- Drive to the top of Mount John for a 360 degree view of the region and to check out the world's southern-most observatory
- Hike the 3-hr return Hooker Valley Track to get a view of Hooker Glacier
- Stay at the White Horse HIll camp site right by the Hooker Valley trailhead, don't forget to get a camping permit from the park office near the lodges

Feb 6
- Drive from Mount Cook to Queenstown
- Stop in the township of Twizel and brush up on some Lord of the Rings facts
- Drop by a vineyard in Cromwell to taste (and buy) some wine
- Drive along the Kuwaru River until reaching the Kuwaru River Bungy, the first bungy ever in the world and still the most popular
- Go for the 43-meter bungy into the river, or watch and take pictures :)
- Marvel at Lake Wakatipu, The Remarkables mountain range, and Mount Aspiring National Park on the way through Frankton and in to Queenstown
- Book some activities in Queenstown at the iSite (info center)
- Eat a giant hamburger at Fergburger with a plethora of fixin's!
- Camp at either of the Holiday Parks for the night

Feb 7
- From Queenstown, take a day trip to Milford Sound and backwith Eco-Tours
- Take a cruise through the Sound and admire the mountains, waterfalls, and wildlife
- Eat another Fergburger on the lake front while watching the sun set on the Remarkables

Feb 8
- Drive from Queenstown to Haast (one of the most beautiful drives in NZ!)
- Plan to do a half-day adventure activity, like the 134-meter Nevis Bungy or jetboating on the Shotover River with Skippers Canyon Jets
- If I go choose again, I'd choose para-gliding or zip-lining
- Drive from east to west across the Great Divide and read about the weather differences of the two coasts
- Arrive in Wanaka and get new tires put on the camper van
- Drive by the beautiful lakes of Hawea and Wanaka
- Drive through Mount Aspiring National Park and do a couple short hikes through the rainforest along the way (I recommend Fantail Falls and Victoria Falls)
- Arrive in Haast, park on the beach for the night, and dip your feet into the Tasman Sea. Watch out for the blood-drawing sand flies!

Feb 9
- Drive from Haast, through Glacier Country, to Greymouth
- Stop for a break at Lake Matheson near Fox Glacier
- Choose one of the several hikes in the Fox Glacier township (we chose the 3-hr return Fox Glacier Lookout due to time constraints)
- Drive to Franz Josef Glacier and choose another hike (I recommend the hike through the glacier valley to the mouth of the glacier)
- If you have extra time, consider booking a tour where you wear cramp-ons and pick axes to actually walk ON the glacier (It's less expensive to do this at Fox Glacier rather than at Franz Josef Glacier)
- Park in Greymouth for the night, there's a neat lookout over the town that is good for cooking dinner and watching the sun set over the ocean

Feb 10
- Drive to the east coast from Greymouth, through Marlborough wine country, to Picton
- Hop on the 3-hr Interislander Ferry, across the Cook Strait, to Wellington (I recommend buying ferry tickets in advance. Warning: it is expensive)
- Drive off of the ferry and meet up with GT professors and classmates at Victoria University in Wellington
- Do some more grocery shopping and explore a bit of Wellington

Feb 11
- Drive from Wellington to Waitomo (with big stops in between)
- Stop at Egmont National Park and choose a hike at the volcano called Mount Taranaki (we chose the hike to the Translator Tower, then traversed across the face of the volcano, and down the Razorback Trail)
- Refuel in New Plymouth (if time, visit the Sugar Loaf Islands that you can see from Mount Taranaki)
- Continue on to Waitomo, make sure to stop at the Black Sand Beach (not marked, but there's a gravel pull off) just beyond the town of Mokau for a brilliant sunset
- Finish the drive to Waitomo and park for the night

Feb 12
- Wake up bright and early for a caving adventure in Waitomo
- I highly recommend the Black Abyss tour with the Black Water Rafting Co. It includes abseiling, zip-lining, black water rafting, seeing glow worms, and climbing an underground waterfall to get out of the cave
- Drive to Tongariro National Park and stay at Discovery (highly highly recommended)
- Cook a big dinner and get plenty of rest for a big hike in the morning

Feb 13
- Take the 5:45am shuttle to the trailhead of the Tongariro Crossing
- Hike the Tongariro Crossing, one of the best day hikes in the world
- If there is good weather, I recommend doing a detour either to the summit of Mount Ngauruhoe or Mount Tongariro. We did Mount Ngauruhoe, it was fantastic!
- Celebrate a day full of hiking with a good dinner, drinks, and dessert :)

Feb 14
- Happy 80th Birthday Grandpa, and Happy Valentine's Day
Make the uneventful drive from Tongariro National Park to Wellington (if you have more time, visit Taupo and possibly go skydiving over Lake Taupo)
- Catch a ferry across the Cook Strait to Picton (again, book tickets in advance)
- Drive from Picton to Kaikoura and make sure to stop at the seal colony along the road right outside of Kaikoura
- Treat yourself, or a special somebody, to an awesome seafood dinner
- Park in Kaikoura for the night

Feb 15
- Swim with the dolphins off of the coast of Kaikoura with Dolphin Encounter (it is amazing!)
- Fix a hearty lunch and drive to Christchurch
- Return the van in Christchurch with 30 minutes to spare
- Celebrate with a big dinner at any Christchurch restaurant
- Spend the night at the airport

If I had more time in New Zealand, I'd hike the Queen Charlotte Track, explore Abel Tasman National Park, and hike around Arthur's Pass (all in the South Island). In the North Island, I would enjoy the thermal hot springs in Rotorua, visit Hobbiton and the Shire from LOTR, visit Auckland, and go to the northern-most point in New Zealand.

Feb 16
- Catch an early morning flight to Brisbane, Australia
- Check in to Base Central Hostel in Brisbane
- Catch a bus to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, hold a koala, and play with the kangaroos

Feb 17
- Happy birthday, Brandon!
- Take a half day to Gold Coast learn how to surf with Beach Bum Surfing
- Relax on the beach and watch the surfers at Surfer's Paradise
- Explore Chinatown in Brisbane, there's a very good BYOB Thai restaurant called Bow Thai :)

Feb 18
- Take a day trip to Moreton Island with Eco-Tours for some sandboarding and kayaking/snorkeling
- Tip: Don't go to Moreton Island unless you're sick of Brisbane, and if you go to Moreton Island, just book the currently cheapest tour, they're all the same. Instead, maybe plan to do an overnight trip to Fraser Island and/or the Whitsundays. Actually, an Aussie told me that Australia's best kept secret is Magnetic Island...
- Take a late night flight from Brisbane to Cairns
- Check in to Gilligan's Hostel in Cairns, especially if you are the party type as there's a club right next door

Feb 19
- Take a day trip to the Great Barrier Reef with Reef Quest
- Scuba dive, snorkel, or do introductory dives on the reef (I recommend doing three dives) and take in all of the brilliant colors. Bring an underwater camera or purchase one, it's worth it
- Eat a free spaghetti dinner at the Gilligan's club and hang out there for the night with the locals and backpackers

Feb 20
- Take a day trip to the Daintree Rainforest, the oldest rainforest in the world, with Tropics Explorer (for this tour choose the cheapest offered at the time, they're all the same)
- Visit Mossman Gorge, eat ice cream, hike among the mangroves
- Eat amazing seafood at Fetta's Greek restaurant that is near Gilligan's Hostel

Feb 21
- Fly from Cairns to Sydney
- Wander around Darling Harbor
- Meet up with friends from Uluru Tour

Feb 22
- There was an earthquake in Christchurch at noon today
- Relax on Manly Beach
- See an IMAX show

Feb 23
- Bid Brandon goodbye as he goes back to the US
- Fly to Hobart, Tasmania
- Wander around Hobart's wharfs and check into Montgomery's Hostel
- Eat fish and chips, yum!

Feb 24
- Join a five-day tour across Tasmania with the company Under Down Under
- Climb to the summit of Mt. Amos to get a great view of Wineglass Bay in Freycinet National Park
- Stay the night in Bicheno at Bicheno Backpackers
- Take the sunset tour to see the Little Penguins in the Bicheno rookeries

Feb 25
- Drive along the East Coast to the Bay of Fires
- Visit St. Columba Falls
- Hang out at Cataract Gorge in Launceston

Feb 26
- Drive to Cradle Mountain National Park
- Hike to Marion's Lookout
- Continue on to the base of the summit track and observe the weather
- Decide to climb to the summit of Cradle Mountain
- Eat a big bowl of pasta at the only Cradle Mountain restaurant, good but pricey
- Stay in the Cradle Mountain Park tonight

Feb 27
- Hike the Dove Lake Circuit in the morning
- Drive across Tassie to the west coast
- Along the way stop at the Henty Sand Dunes and climb to the top
- Stay in Strahan beside Macquarie Harbor for the night at the YHA
- Bake cookies

Feb 28
- Drive to Hobart today
- Make stops at Lake St. Clair for lunch and at the Land of Giants to walk among the tall gum trees and see Russell Falls
- Stay at Montgomery's again in Hobart
- Eat more fish and chips

Mar 1
- Fly from Tasmania to Sydney
- Hang out in the botanical gardens and in the shadow of the Sydney Opera House
- Meet up with friends from the Uluru tour again

Mar 2
- Fly from Sydney to Los Angeles today
- Dominate the duty free mall in the Sydney Airport
- Arrive in Los Angeles and fly to Atlanta!
- Eat sushi with mom!

If I had more time in Australia, I would go to Melbourne and drive the Great Ocean Road, then explore the West Coast and visit the cities of Darwin and Perth.

Time Travel

Right now I am on the 15 hour flight from Sydney to Los Angeles. I'm going back in time today! My flight left Sydney at 11:30am on March 2nd, and I arrive in L.A. at 6:00am on March 2nd! So exciting, I'm pumped cross back over the International Date Line and be a time traveler! 

I also love flying at night because there is a sky full of stars, since we're flying above the clouds and away from city lights. The Southern Cross is right outside my window! I'm so glad that I can see it on the way home :)

I am very very sad to be leaving Australia and New Zealand.  There are so many more places in both countries to explore... hikes to go on, waterfalls to visit, mountains to climb, people to meet. I feel like I have quite a bit of unfinished business with the wilderness in this part of the world, and I'm looking forward to the possibility of coming back. I would like to hike the 5 to 8 day Overland Track in Tasmania, go on an overnight horse trek through Victoria, drive on the Great Ocean Road, visit Australia's west coast, and explore Arthur's Pass and Abel Tasman in New Zealand. 

I spent my last day in Australia on the steps of the Opera House in Circular Quay, watching the tourists unload from the Aurora cruise ship at port and marveling at the beautiful Harbor Bridge. I then spent some time in the botanical gardens overlooking the Opera House to take in some final moments of Sydney and reflect on my last five weeks in Australia and New Zealand. 

One disappointment I have was that I did not get the chance to meet very many local Australians or New Zealanders like I had hoped and expected to. Since Kearse and I were moving through these two countries so quickly, we were always on the move, doing lots of activities, staying at backpacker hostels practically one night at a time, and joining some tours along the way. With this kind of schedule, almost all of the people we met were fellow backpackers (lots of Germans and English). Our guides were really the only local Aussies and Kiwis, and most of them were from other cities. So, even though I met some awesome travelers from other countries, I am bummed that I didn't get to meet many locals. This was something I didn't expect. I really want to come back to live and work in Sydney for a year to be able to connect with local Australians and dive deeper into their lifestyle and culture.

This trip seems to have gone so fast! I'm glad that I kept a thorough record through the blog and through pictures, and I cannot wait to share pictures with all of you when I get to the States! AUS and NZ are such magnificent places! This trip has strengthened my excitement and thrill for traveling, and it has rekindled my love of the out of doors and hiking and the wilderness. I had forgotten what it was like to be dirty and be a part of nature, and now I no longer desire to get dressed up, do my hair, and wear makeup. Gosh I think the last time I wore makeup was my first night in Sydney five weeks ago when Kearse and I went to a show at the Opera House. 

I am leaving Syndey with such a free feeling! I cannot wait for new adventures to come in Chile in a couple weeks!

Searching

I realize that I've forgotten to mention the guide on my five day tour of Tasmania. His name is Steve. He's a 47-year-old bald man from Launceston, Tasmania, and he's really in tune with nature and the wilderness. He loves all plant life, animal life, and fresh air. He's in good shape, eats pretty much only fruit, has been a vegetarian for over half of his life, and is a true mountain man. He likes to spend quiet time in nature creating his own hiking trails and paths. He has a lot of mountain experience and even spent a few months hiking in the Himalayas.

We had some pretty awesome conversations, Steve and I. It's interesting what people can discover about you after knowing you for only a few days (like how after only four days Nicole knows that I can never sit still, that I like to always on time, that I love food, and that I LOVE the mountains). Steve is also very observant and hit the nail on the head quite a few times in terms of my outlook on life and confusion/anxiety in moving forward.

Steve studied electrical engineering, and when he graduated from college, he said that he felt free. He had done what he was "supposed" to do (get a degree), and now he could do whatever he wanted. Well when I graduated from Tech, I felt like I had lost my freedom, those days were over. Now I am "supposed to" start a job (or at least, I feel obligated to start a job). I felt that in college I could choose my own path, but now I feel like everyday I am getting closer and closer to something I don't want to do...

Well maybe that's a little harsh... I'm pumped about consulting, really. It'll be exciting, busy, dynamic, and challenging, all things I enjoy and respond well to. I'm also really looking forward to working for my company and with my colleagues (that's one of the main reasons I chose the firm). However, I'm apprehensive and worried about the act of working- how will my mind respond? My body? My attitude? My personality?

One of my conversations with Steve started with a T-shirt I was wearing. It was one of my GT Swim and Dive shirts (surprise...), and on the back it says "One team, one goal". So Steve asked "What's your goal?", to which I responded "Good question." So that got me thinking... Here's my working conclusion: Explore the world and figure out who I am and where I belong and what makes me and those around me happy.

Steve's advice (which I believe I have known all along) is to be who you are, and then everyone around you will benefit. For example, if you are the dedicated and enthusiastic consultant who dominates the conference room with top notch analysis that requires 60 hours of work a week, and you are happy doing it, then that is what you should be doing. But if who you are is a nature fanatic and explorer at heart, then maybe you would be better off being outside in an active role.

So... this life break has become more of a time for figuring out who I am and exploring my options for my life (like career, relationships, hobbies). I'm pretty sure I've had this plan all along, that this has always been my purpose for my life break. Indeed, I find myself constantly observing and doing research while I am traveling- looking at lifestyles, job options, living locations, possible pro bono or externship projects, and exploring not only the world, but also my place in the world.

Steve thinks I will figure it out within a year; I think I will be 60 years old and still not know. Steve compared it to my summit of Cradle Mountain. He says that I saw I that could do it, prepared for it (researched, asked questions, studied maps, gathered the right gear), and did it. He predicts I'll do the same with life- find something I want to do, and do it. He says that I acknowledge that there is a structure and order to society and then go beyond it. I guess it makes sense- I walked on to a college swim team when my high school club coach thought I wasn't good enough, I joined a sorority and studied abroad when the college coach told me I wasn't allowed... Hmmm. Good times :)

Cradle Mountain Summit

"Nature is painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty" -John Ruskin

The morning of Day 3, we took a short morning walk along Cataract Gorge in Launceston, spotting some wild baby wallabies, before heading to Cradle Mountain and Lake St. Clair National Park (what a name!). On the way, we stopped at a cheese factory and did a bit of cheese tasting. I liked the Tasmanian wild wasabi cheese! Too bad I can't take cheese on the long flight home since it needs to be refrigerated.

We arrived at Cradle Mountain early compared to most tours. I had expressed to our guide a few days ago that I wanted to summit Cradle Mountain (which is a 6 to 8 hour hike, depending on weather and fitness), so he worked hard to get us to the National Park as early as possible. 

Today was a beautiful and relatively clear day compared to the usual rainy weather around Cradle Mountain, so our guide said that it was an good day to attempt the summit. He said that most people spend days at the park and never even see Cradle Mountain because of the constant clouds around it, so I already considered myself fortunate just to have a nice view of the mountain at Dove Lake at its base. 


So the plan is to hike from Dove Lake up to Marion's Lookout (900m), then across the plateau to the emergency shelter hut where the summit track begins. Once at the hut, this is the time to make the decision whether or not to attempt the summit (1545m). The weather changes very quickly here- it could be clear when you start the hike and then rainy at the summit a few hours later, or the other way around. So, the decision whether to push on toward the summit really needs to be made when you've completed the 2-hour ascent to the start of the summit track.

Since we arrived at the park at 1pm, and the last shuttle bus was at 8pm, we took the short cut up to Marion's lookout to save time (as recommended). This was a steep track with chains planted into the rock to help you climb. It was heaps of fun, and we got an awesome view of the crater lakes below and the surrounding mountains. I am glad that both Nicole and Chantal had the courage to attempt the summit with me. I would not have gone alone- gotta use the buddy system you know? Nicole didn't have the right shoes or confidence, and Chantal is afraid of heights, but I am so proud of them for coming along. They're both in good shape, so they did well during our faster-paced hike to the hut and the start of the summit track. 

When we reached the hut, the weather was still clear (but very chilly), and the three of us decided to go for it. There were other hikers on the trail too, so that made me feel better- safety in numbers. We made the initial ascent and then started climbing over boulder over boulder over boulder. This was similar to the Mount Doom summit, except that the dolorite rock here was a lot harder more more slick than Mt. Doom's lava rock. Kearse would have loved/hated it/me.


As you get closer to the top of Cradle Mountain, you have to get creative and do some more technical climbing. This involved finding handholds, having your feet hang off of the cliff face, and jumping between rocks with large deep gaps in between. I enjoyed the climb so much, even though it was tricky and scary at parts! It was challenging and thrilling, and that was definitely the best part about it (next to the views, which were beyond phenomenal). 


The track gets more and more difficult the closer you get to the top. The gaps get deeper and the climbs trickier. When we were only 15 minutes from reaching the summit, the clouds rolled in and it started to rain. At this point, I decided that we turn back. Nicole and Chantal were getting scared and refused to press on. They said they would start the descent and wait for me at the hut, but I chose to turn around as well. The rain was already making the rocks slippery, and it was getting worse the longer we waited. There wouldn't have been a view at the top anyway because of all of the clouds. 


So, we hiked down the mountain toward the hut in the spitting rain for about an hour. I am happy to report that my semi-rainproof hiking boots and camelback held up wonderfully! By the time we made it back to Dove Lake at the bottom at 6pm, the storms had passed and the sky cleared. There was literally blue sky over Cradle Mountain. 

It's disappointing to get to the bottom of the track and see blue sky, knowing that you could have been at the top. Had we just waited out the rain for one hour at the hut, we could have made it to the summit with an amazingly clear view. The thing is... you don't know that when your sitting 1500 meters high on the side of a cliff at the start of a storm. 

After expressing my disappointment to our tour guide the next morning, he confirmed that we made the right decision. You don't know what the weather is going to do, and he knows hikers who have tried to wait out the weather and ended up getting trapped in a snow storm in the middle lf the summer. Nevertheless, I'm still a bit disappointed that we were so close. If only we would have taken less time during our lunch break at Marion's Lookout, then we would've been at the top when the clouds rolled in, instead of 15 minutes away. But then again, I'm not sure if Nicole and Chantal would have gone that far anyway, they were already paralyzed with fear by the time we turned around.


Actually, our hike back down the mountain in the rain was quite beautiful. I commented on how pretty the landscape looked in the drizzle as the sun tried to poke through, and Chantal exclaimed "I LOVE you!", and Nicole said "You're crazy! This is your nature!" Ah that made me happy :)

The morning of Day 4 after our attempted summit, Chantal and I went on a chilly and misty two-hour morning walk through the temperate rainforest, quartzite beaches, and sub-alpine plant life around Dove Lake. We watched the sun rise behind Cradle Mountain, and the clouds flow over the summit, down into the valley, and over the lake.

Then we drove toward the west coast of Tasmania, taking a break for lunch in thensmall and lazy town of Rosebery, the second rainiest place in Australia. Fun fact: the weather in Tasmania comes al, the way from Argentina. The storm surges in South America, builds across the ocean, and smacks into Tassie's west coast. Because the storm builds all the way across the Pacific, the weather is quite dangerous here. 

In Rosebery, Chantal and Nicole wanted to see a picture of me with my hair down, so I showed them my Buzzcard, and Nicole's reaction was: "You're so American! This is so American!". Haha so funny! I guess it was my "American smile"! We then continued on to Strahan, the only town on Tasmania's west coast, and of course we made a stop at the beach to play in the Indian Ocean!

That night in Strahan, Cantal made us some awesome lemon cookies from scratch, filled with strawberry or lemon jam and drizzle or dipped in chocolate. Yum! Cookies made by a professional baker! Wooooo! Chantal was a pro with improvising with that hostel kitchen and small town supermarket.


On our fifth and final day together on the Tassie Tour (and my second to last day in Australia), we had a big drive from Strahan, across the island, and back to Hobart. Along the way we stopped at Nelson Falls, Lake St. Clair (Australia's deepest fresh water lake where I had a relaxing lunch on the crystal clear lake shore), Mt. Field National Park, the Land of Giants (towering gum trees over 100 meters high that reminded me of the sequoia trees in Yosemite), Russell Falls, and Derwent Valley (where hops are grown that are used in 85 percent of all Australian beer). 

We made it back to Hobart by dinnertime, enjoyed some fish and chips and farewell drinks, and then called it a night. The next morning I am headed to the Hobart airport to fly to Sydney. There I will meet up wit Hanna and Nina for my last day in Australia, and then head back home on March 2nd. I can't believe January and Fbruary have already come and gone. If it weren't for my awesome $10 digital watch from Wal-Mart, I would have no idea what day it is!