Ode to San Pedro de Atacama

During my last week of work and school, I was sad to say goodbye to friends and coworkers, but excited to start traveling. In the hospital I gave my final presentation on pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties of antibiotics used in chemotherapy treatment. I have learned so much working in Calvo Mackenna Hospital and have provided Dr. Morales with important work everyday, forming documents allowing him to monitor patient blood protein and drug levels during clinical rounds. This information is especially important for bone marrow transplant and oncology patients whom he sees everyday.

Over the past eight weeks I had gathered enough useful tips on where to go and what to see, which brought me to the dusty town in the north of Chile called San Pedro de Atacama. Fun Fact: Atacama is the driest desert in the world, with less than a millimeter of rain a year! I had no idea that I would find skiing, beaches, and desserts here, but Chile offers it all. My plan for once I arrived: to not have any plans. I started by getting tips from locals for a good hostal which brought me to La Casa del Sol Naciente (House of the Rising Sun). I've grown to enjoy the laid back atmosphere that one would find in just about any hostal and its always nice meeting groups of travelers everyday. Once I arrived I met other travelers and together we formed plans and the trip turned out great! Here is how I spent my days:

Days 1 & 2: Calbagata and Camping

My adventure got off to a fast start with a horseback-riding/camping trip my first day! We rode for five hours until reaching our camping grounds. The guides then took us to on a hike where we were able to find cave drawings over a thousand years old! If you squint you might be able to make out a lama and a cow in the photo above. That night we looked at the stars and were able to see into the Milky Way. I had never seen the stars like that before and it was amazing! The next day we went back to San Pedro. On the way we rode along the top of a plateau and had an incredible view of the valley below. We also cantored for a few sections of the trail and was quite fun! Calbagata was a great way to start off my trip!

Day 3: Rest and Relaxation

After spending two full days on horseback, I was quite ready to sit back and relax. I made it to the hostal and met other travelers from France and Canada and together we made plans together to bike the next day. 

Day 4: Mountain bike to Garganta del Diablo and Valle del Muerte

After about an hour of riding through Valle del Muerte we made it to the entrance of Garaganta del Diablo. At this point we navigated through with a field of boulders managing to make many technical maneuvers. Finally, we arrived to a peak where we had to get off our bikes for a few moments to hike up. The view from atop was unbelievable! It was a tiring ride, but well worth it!

Day 5: Sandboarding

(Photos coming soon!)

A friend whom I met and I made plans to go Sandboarding. We were too sore from biking the day before to bike there, so we went with a local tour company. It ended up being very helpful and the guides were very informative. It was not too hard to learn and I was able to make it all the way down the sand dune without falling! The only hard part was hiking back up the sand dune each time. We had a great time and afterwards we relaxed and enjoyed the great views from the sand dunes. 

Day 6: Mountain bike to Laguna Cejar

This part of the trip was by far the most physically demanding. I biked nearly 10 miles to get there, but was well worth it. The road was bumpy and long, but the views made up for it. The landscape there was incredible and I was able to go for a swim when I arrived. The salt concentration is so high in the lake that you can float, though the water was so cold!

Day 7: Geysers 

To end my journey in San Pedro, I visited one of its main attractions, the geysers. Even though I had to wake up at 4:30am and stand in the freezing cold, I had an incredible time! It was so cool seeing the geysers shoot water several feet into the air! And as a Chemistry major, I enjoyed knowing how the cold temperatures lowered the air pressure, allowing the geysers to shoot water further in the air. So standing in the cold was not so bad, since I knew it meant a better show. On the way back we drove through a town called Mapuchu, where we stopped for lunch and ate llama! This excursion concluded my stay in San Pedro and I flew back to Santiago that night. Next stop, Pucon!

Vina del Mar, Copa America, and More!

The past two weeks sure have been busy. I have managed to travel to Vina del Mar, Valparaiso and Isla Negra, watch Chile's national soccer team win the Copa America, and even present projects on research in the hospital!  

Two weekends ago I traveled to Valparaiso and Vina del Mar with classmates from ECELA. The two towns are very similar costal towns in Chile and are only a short metro ride apart. We enjoyed the views of the Pacific Ocean and eating some great seafood! 

 

The weekend that we came happened to be a religious holiday in Chile and we got to watch a parade in the streets of Valparaiso!

My new favorite seafood: Ceviche

 

Valparaiso and Vina del Mar were such interesting towns! Not only do they have great views but they also have a strong artistic influence. You would not be able to walk a block without seeing a display of public art. We saw streets filled with colorful murals, heard guitarist play and sing in the metro, and we even watched a hip hop artist film a music video!

Some of the local kids favorite activities is to slide down a steep ramp in the city! (I even joined in and was quite fun!)

Our trip to Isla Negra was just as incredible. We walked along the beaches, ate fried empanadas, and toured through the house of Pable Neruda, a famous Chilean poet! 

A few of us were brave enough to go for a swim!

After watching Chile win the Copa America, I tried giving soccer a chance and played with a group of locals and some of my classmates! (Though I don't think I'll be playing for Chile anytime soon...)

I have continued to build my Spanish skills in class and in the hospital. Classroom conversations are so engaging and I continue to meet people from all around the world including: England, Japan, Australia, and Germany just to name a few. I also had the opportunity to research and present on scientific literature in the hospital. I presented on the subject of hepatotoxicity of oncology drugs and interactions between Voriconazole and Cyclosporin. These projects were challenging as I had present to my supervisor in Spanish, but enjoyed learning about its application to Clinical Pharmacology!

Adventures in the City

After spending nearly three weeks in Santiago, Chile, I finally had the opportunity to visit one of the Santiago's most coveted sights, Cerro San Cristóbal! Luckily, the trail starts only a mile from my homestay and the hike is not too bad. It was amazing seeing the city from this perspective and it gave me a much better sense of the layout of Santiago! I highly recommend making the trip if unfamiliar with the city.

The statue of the Virgin Mary at the top of Cerro San Cristóbal

At the top of Cerro San Cristóbal they serve delicious drinks called Mote con huesillos. It is made with wheat, dried peaches, and cinnamon. It's served cold and is quite a treat for making the hike!

Not too far away lies another great attraction of Santiago, Cerro San Maria. While its not as hard of a hike as Cerro San Cristóbal, it also gives a great view of the city!

After adjusting my sights from the top of Cerro San Maria, I planned my hike towards the Mercado Central and Plaza de Armas. These places were so interesting and had great history behind them!

Fish vendors in the Mercado Central

A view of the historic Plaza de Armas!

Each one of these places were filled with great sites, great food, and great people. I really have enjoyed getting to talk with many of the locals and all have been so nice. For example, one day last week, I left my homestay to meet friends from school. Once I left, I immediately realized that I left my keys inside and found myself locked out of the house. What bad luck! While waiting for the homestay mother to return, I saw an elderly couple leave their apartment next door. They saw me locked out and invited me in to wait for someone to let me in. To my surprise, these once complete strangers offered me coffee and a meal and we sat in their living room for almost two hours conversing. I learned that they lived in the United States for over twenty years and we bonded over how difficult it can be trying to learn a new language while in a foreign country. We told stories of awkward and uncomfortable communication breakdowns while abroad and it was such a great experience getting to know them!

In other news, the Chilean soccer team has been playing well in the Copa America! I enjoy watching the games with friends from school and they can be quite exciting when Chile wins!

First Week In Santiago

I just finished up my first week of classes and work in Santigo, Chile! It was sad saying my goodbyes to my parents and sister, but I was excited to get started. I'll admit, the first few days were tough and it was hard understanding my home stay family and my coworkers in Calvo Mackenna Children's Hospital. The first thing my professor told me at ECELA Language School was "the people here don't speak Spanish...they speak Chilean." But, so far, every day has been much easier than the previous and I have had the pleasure of conversing with and getting to know my home stay family and my coworkers.

My work in the Hospital has been very rewarding and I have been working alongside Dr. Jorge Morales.  I already learned much about renal and hepatic laboratory exams and I had the privilege to attend grand rounds each day this week.

I have loved my Spanish classes so far and we focused on topics concerning grammar, vocabulary, conversational skills, and even some Chilean slang. My classmates are all very nice and I met students from all around the world, including Switzerland, Brazil, and South Africa! This weekend a few of us planned a trip to go trekking to El Morado, a section of the Andes mountain range, and it was absolutely beautiful! We all packed a lunch and a winter coat and set off Saturday morning at 7am to catch our bus to the mountain range.

               

Setting off!

We met a friend along the way!

       

Almost there...

Watch your step!

Ran into some neature (neat-nature)!

It was a little windy!
(Selfie Stick would have been useful here)

Left to Right: Me, Alex (Tampa, FL), Jasmin (Switzerland), Carlos (Brazil)

MADE IT TO THE GLACIER!

It was an amazing trip with some beautiful sights! My legs were definitely sore, but well worth it. Here's some advice for trekking in the Andes: bring warm gloves, a jacket, and don't step in the water! I can't wait for my next adventure!