Namaste Series: Om is the same in all languages

The other day I realized it had been nearly 3 weeks since I had practiced yoga and it surprised me, why had I not experienced my usual craving for the practice. When living in New York, I often found I would experience a craving, almost like a human need, that I had to get to a class...why not here, not now? I took some time to think about this and realized that the driving force behind my feelings of need to practice yoga primarily came from the fact that going to a yoga class was like therapy for me; a mental break from the day, a time to focus on myself, relax, unwind, perhaps bring up any feelings that might be bothering or affecting me in that moment. Since I´ve started my journey abroad, I think that this whole experience is similar in many ways to the mental side of my yoga practice. Selfishly, I am devoting a lot of time to myself right now, I´ve been able to relax, unwind, open my mind to new experiences and relationships and I have the luxury of time each day to reflect on all of it. Whatever is going on with my head though, my body definitely missed it, so I decided I would need to find some alternative intentions for my practice and seek out a studio before I left Santiago. Luckily for me, there happens to be a yoga school within walking distance from my house which is great since it offers many classes per day and is super cheap!

Academia Chilena de Yoga

The school follows a Hatha yoga style of practice, and although I prefer more of a vinyasa style, it was great to get in a studio and stretch it out...not to mention doing the whole thing in Spanish of course!  I definitely took for granted how much I rely on the guidance from the instructor. Although I could understand body parts and simple directions in Spanish, and I had experience in all the poses before, I really missed hearing the thoughts and wise words that I´m sure the teacher was sharing. It wasn´t the most difficult class physically, but it certainly was probably one of the most mentally challenging classes I´ve had in a while as I was completely alone with my thoughts and had to rely soley on myself to stay present. One thing I did love was that the class ended in, what felt like, a 20 minute shavasana which we did in a restorative pose with lots of props. It was super comfortable and relaxing and I definitely left the studio feeling clearer and more refreshed. Namaste.

Where I rest my head: Valparaiso, Chile

Ever since I caught a glimpse of Valparaiso during my trip to Viña del Mar a couple of weeks ago, I knew I had to return to explore more of what the beautiful coastal city had to offer. A friend at school, Anna, said she´d be up for joining me so we set out after classes on Friday for the 90 minute bus ride towards the ocean. Upon arrival we managed to navigate the public bus system and Ascensor up to the neighborhood of Cerro Concepcion where our hostal was located. Alas, the real adventure started when we tried to check in and there was no record of our reservation. When I pulled it up on my email, I realized I had actually booked us for Monday-Wednesday of the following week, perhaps it had been a late night before....regardless, they had space for us for the night in a mixed dorm room, which we happily took. My friend Will, who had previously lived in Valpo for a few years, had given me another recommendation for a hostal in the area, so we set out to find that one and ensure we had a place to stay on Saturday. Lucky for us, Will´s recommendation turned out to be this fantastic little place made up of all private rooms with balconies overlooking the harbor, we were ecstatic to have an awesome bed booked for the following night.

Where I rest my head:
Location: Hostal Casa Valparaiso, Valparaiso, Chile. This was a very adequate hostal in a perfect location on Cerro Concepcion. The staff is super friendly and helpful and we met up with a lot of like-minded travelers who wanted to explore the city and the nightlife together. The free breakfast int he morning is the best I´ve seen at any hostal, including scrambled eggs and juice!
Length of Stay: 1 night

Outside of view of Hostal Casa Valparaiso

Dorm room in Hostal Casa Valparaiso

Location: La Maison du Filou, Valparaiso, Chile. A very quaint and comfortable hostal with just 5 guestrooms also located on Cerro Concepcion, this was the perfect place to get a little more quiet and a really nice room while still on a budget. The manager was a bit odd at times, but super friendly and helpful all the same. It wasn´t social at all though, so we were happy to have made some friends the first night that we could hang with for the remainder of the weekend.
Length of Stay: 1 night

La Maison du Filou room with a view!

Aside from our hostal mishap, the rest of our trip continued perfectly. The weather was perfection and we spent both Friday afternoon and Saturday day walking though the city, exploring the amazing winding roads and spectacular street art, taking in the impressive views at the top of the Cerro´s and even setting out on a short boat ride around the harbor with some of our new hostal friends. We also had the pleasure of visiting one of Pablo Nerudo´s houses up in the hills of Valpo which they´ve turned into a bit of a museum complete with audio walking tour. Of course being next to the ocean ensures some delicious and fresh seafood meals. On Friday night, we treated ourselves to an awesome fish dinner and a bottle of wine at a restaurant we had read about in Lonely Planet, Caruso. The staff was friendly and the fish, baked in foil with tomatoes and onions was muy rico! On Saturday afternoon, we stopped for, yet, some more fish for lunch at a recommendation in one of the plaza´s near the Port. Saturday night, we really wanted to try to eat at this super trendy spot, Pasta e Vino, but being a budget traveler, and the fact that it is super popular and had no available reservations, ensured we didn´t blow our whole weekend´s $$ on the meal. Instead, we asked if we could sit at the bar for a glass of wine and entrada, which was perfect since we were able to chat with the bartender, take in the ambience and have more than enough to eat on a budget! Following dinner, we met back up with some new friends from our first hostal for a night on the town, which was a blast and I ended up being the only American in the group which was certainly a first, it was like the United Nations with friends from Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Chile all together... and like Santiago going out in Valpo means dancing until well past 4am....it was wonderful to have a lazy day Sunday to rest and enjoy some sunshine before heading back to Santiago for my final week....I can´t believe it, I´m so sad to leave but I know there are some amazing adventures upcoming!

winding streets filled with graffiti art

a fun boat ride around the harbor

out on the town!

Week 2: living, eating and breathing Chile

I can´t believe that two weeks in Santiago have flown by so fast. On the one hand I hate that my time here is moving so fast, on the other, it feels as if I have been settled here for quite some time so I can´t really complain that I am truly enjoying life right now and am so thankful for this opportunity I have created. This past week was filled with so many great experiences and excursions that continue to make me feel as if I truly am getting a taste for living in Chile. I am learning my way around, the people are nice and welcoming and the city is muy bonita! One thing I am absolutely in love with is the whole experience of trying to learn a new language. It´s frustrating and challenging for the most part, but the feeling of understanding someone in Spanish or, even better, being able to respond is pretty exhilarating. I nearly forgot the feeling of my brain feeling tired from studying or concentrating on something so seriously, but at the end of the day, when I go to purchase a bus ticket or ask for directions and not only does the person understand me, but I understand their response, it makes it all worth it. I still have a long way to go, but I notice an improvement every day and I have to say the best practice tends to be at a bar or nightclub at night, so really going out is just an excuse to improve my Spanish skills.....

As my language skills grow, I find myself being able to engage more deeply in conversation with my host family, which I really enjoy. In Chile, I have noticed, they don´t shy away from topics that we might consider inappropriate to discuss with strangers in America. For example, politics, religion, money...all fair game and people are truly interested in your opinions. I´ve been having conversations with my host parents ranging from my job and family to political views including abortion laws, my thoughts on 9/11, the war in Iraq and literally everything in between. It´s engaging and not only a chance to learn a lot more vocabulary in Spanish, but also provides a really interesting perspective on how foreigners view the States, our government, our culture....really, all very fascinating. Through these discussions with my host family, and even my teachers, I´ve also been learning about Chilean life and culture and the many differences between us.

The past week (give or take a few days) I´ve had the opportunity to explore a multitude of sites in and around the city. I´ve climbed up Santa Lucia (a beautiful park/hill in the center of the city), visited an artisan market, cheered on U de Chile at a futbol game, tasted Chilean wine at a local vineyard, ventured outside the city to Cajun del Maipo for rafting and went on a walking tour of the entire city centro.

Santa Lucia

Toasting at Undarraga Vineyards

Futbol

getting our gear on for rafting

One of my favorite excursions of the week, and certainly one where I felt least like a tourist, was going out to a local Cumbia club in the heart of Bellavista (a popular nightlife spot I would equate to the East Village of NYC). Cumbia is a style of music, originally brought over from Africa during Spanish colonial times, which spread throughout South America (specifically the Andean region). The live band we danced to at the club included several percussion instruments, saxophones, singing....the club was crowded, sweaty, loud...all in all, an incredibly awesome night! Big shout out to Dave and Zach, some new friends who introduced us to this. I was fortunate enough to share the fun night with my friend Leah (also a NY girl who is taking classes at the school) and  my friend, Lori, who met up with me in Viña del Mar. Lori came through Santiago for a quick view of the city and we had a great time. She even accompanied me to a vegetarian restaurant I was dying to try as eating here has probably been the hardest thing for me outside of learning a foreign language. Vegetarian doesn´t necessarily mean you don´t eat chicken, etc... so being specific is key and people don´t understand why in the world you wouldn´t eat meat...that has also led to some interesting discussions I may or may not have understood in Spanish. Regardless, most of what I eat on a normal basis includes bread, eggs, avocado, cheese...certainly not winning any nutritional awards, so seeing tofu for the first time in a while was pretty special.

OMG, tofu!

So between the eating, walking, touring, wine-tasting, rafting, dancing (and even a little sleeping) I´m feeling good about making the most out of my short time here. Next weekend, I´ll be traveling back to the coast for some additional time in Valparaiso and then only one week left in Chile!!! (for now). I´ve been researching some volunteer opportunties to potentially return towards the end of my adventure....
More to come soon, Chao!

Where I Rest My Head: Viña del Mar, Chile

To escape the often brutal summer heat in Santiago, me and a group of new friends decided to venture towards the coast for an ocean breeze in Viña del Mar, a beach town about 90 minutes west of Santiago on the Pacific. The weekend was filled with relaxing days at the beach, beautiful sites and of course some fresh fish. Luckily, because the sun sets no earlier than 9pm, we still had time to hit the beach when we arrived Friday afternoon. This beach, La Playa del Sur, was packed with families and young people on their summer vacations. In general, Viña is comparable to a smaller, Chilean version of Miami Beach crossed with Atlantic City. Many wealthier Chileans have condos here that they use on the weekends and in the summer and the city itself is very commercialized. Nevertheless, it was amazing to get a break from the city and dip our toes in the Pacific. I say dip with complete literal meaning as the water was freezing, more so than I´ve ever felt the ocean in California, or even Lake Michigan. My teacher told me that it is due to the glaciers in Antarctica moving up through the ocean, or something similar to that effect, who knows.. I might have gotten things really confused in the translation...

Playa del Sol 

Looks like Miami Beach, no?

The rest of our weekend was filled with nights on the town, a trip to Renaca, a different beach about 15 minutes by bus (which was beautiful!) and even a trip to the sand dunes, which was my favorite part! Of course my camera died at that point, so I´ll post pics later of me sandboarding down, it was a blast. In Viña, we stayed at a hostel where we had a chance to meet other young travelers from Israel, Chile, Brazil, Australia and more....This is "where I rest my head":

 

Location: Viña del Mar, Chile
Accomodation: Kalagen Hostel, a clean and comfortable hostel located on busy Valparaiso street, this was an ideal location to call home for the trip. The staff was friendly and helpful, there were other like-minded travelers also staying there and "breakfast" was included. Our group all took spots in one of the 8-room mixed dorms and because there were 5 of us, we nearly filled it entirely. It was an excellent and affordable accomodation for the weekend and I would recommend it to other budget travelers looking to stay in Viña.
Length of Stay: 2 nights

Me and Lori

It was also a treat in Viña to meet up with a new friend I had recently met in New York before I left, Lori. She is traveling around South America for 2 months on a career break as well and it was so fun to cross paths for the weekend. I´m sure she was even more excited to see me since I ended up accompanying her on a quick trip to the local hospital clinic due to a reaction she had to some medicine given to her in Argentina. It was certainly an adventure and luckily she felt better later on to enjoy the rest of our weekend!

On our last day in Viña, we took a day trip over to Valparaiso, a neighboring city, which I would love to go back and spend more time at. It is a really vibrant city filled with so much character and incredible street art. We didn´t have too much time, but we were able to ride up one of the ascensor´s that takes you up into the hills where you experience a great view of the city. We also had lunch at this amazing little spot, thank you Lonely Planet, where I had fresh fish and salad for about $5 US, can´t beat that! 

Riding up the ascensor

Spectacular street art

At the top, a view of the city

This week, I´ll be practicing my Español, touring other neighborhoods in and around Santiago and visiting a winery outside the city. I think I´ll be staying in town for the weekend as well, more updates soon!
Besos xx

Sunset in Viña del Mar

Habla mas despacio por favor

After almost one week in Santiago, this is a phrase near and dear to my heart: please speak more slowly.....It´s difficult to learn a new language and the fact that Chileans speak about 1,000 words a minute makes it even more challenging. That all aside, I am having a great time and am really enjoying discovering all about this new city and culture. My Spanish classes are M-Fri, 2pm-6pm and are divided into 2 sections, grammar/vocab lessons and conversation. My teachers, Franco and Ximena, are fabulous though and make the class engaging, interactive and actually really fun. To my surprise the school is a lot bigger than I thought, offering both morning and afternoon classes based on level with students from literally all over the world. The students in the class can change week to week as some people are here for months, while others maybe just come for a week to get some language basics en route to more travels. My class this week included a nice mixed group of Americans and Brits. Katie is also a 20-something from Chicago and is here as part of her job (a nurse at UIC hospital) to gain more Spanish fluency to take back to working with her Spanish-speaking patients. Ed is a 60+ retiree who is looking to move to Latin America and is checking out Chile and improving his language skills. Ollie and Kate are cousins from England who have just arrived in Latin America from other travels around the world, they are headed up to Peru and then through Central America so wanted to get some vocab basics. All in all, a great group, all at beginner level and all having a lot of fun here. My Spanish is improving daily, but it´s hard. I can understand a lot, especially when people speak slowly, but I am not at the point where I can really speak back or engage in conversation. I think after another week or so I should be a bit more comfortable. When originally thinking about and planning this trip, I kind of forgot how difficult many things would be. Not speaking the native language really creates a feeling of helplessness, which I hate, but I think it is giving me much more self-reliance and initiative. I have to be the one to practice and study, go out and talk with people, make new friends (while speaking different languages), navigate my way around a foreign city...essentially create a life in a sometimes uncomfortable and certainly unfamiliar environment. But we all know, I am up for any challenge!

My School, Ecela

Aside from school, I am obviously working to improve my social life while I´m here as well. The other students I have met are so much fun and really great people. There is a student group house very close to where Mariana and I live and we often do things with a group, similar to how it was when I was on my study abroad program. There are students from America, England, Canada, Brazil, Norway, Germany and Austria...and that is just this week!  One of my favorite part of my travels so far has definitely been meeting interesting people from all different backgrounds and from all over the world, hearing their stories and their future plans. Luckily, everyone loves a good fiesta and there have already been a few nights where dancing at the clubs starts running into the wee hours of the morning. To be fair, it is helping me get a taste for the young adult culture here, right?

some new friends 

at the club

Me and my roomate, Mariana

But it isn´t all baile and cervezas...I´ve been taking advantage of the amazing summer weather and walking all around the city during the day before my classes. Santiago is very much like New York in that you can easily walk from neighborhood to neighborhood. It is unique in that it is a large metropolitan city, but in a valley so there are mountains surrounding us which makes for some excellent hiking and gorgeous background scenery. My next goal is to start connecting with some local Chileans...stay tuned.

In Providencia, view of Cerro San Cristobal in the distance

This weekend, I´m off to Viña del Mar and Valparaiso with some new friends to enjoy the beach and get a little break from the city, as well as see some new towns I´ve been reading a lot about. I´ll post pictures and thoughts on that trip next week. Chao!

Where I Rest My Head: Santiago, Chile

My apartment building

After about 15 hours and 3 airports later, I´ve arrived in Chile. In a semi-delirious state I managed to find my ride from the airport and make my way to my homestay in Providencia, a fairly residential, upper middle-class neighborhood (Barrio) in Santiago. My host family, Zaida and Rodriguo, in their mid-30´s, and their 6- year old son, Noel, own a few apartments in the building so the feeling is more of a guest house environment with many students staying throughout at any time. The family speaks next to no English, so as a very beginner Spanish student, this is quite challenging, but they are patient with me and I hope I´ll be feeling more comfortable after one week of classes.

Currently, the main apt where I live is also shared by a student from Brazil, Mariana, who is very nice and has been introducing me to the other students on the program that she is friends with. My first night here we walked over to the student group house that is a few blocks away and went to grab some drinks with a small group (Brazilians, Canadians, Norwegian) It is a great mix of people from all over the world. The common language among everyone is really Spanish, although many speak at least some English, so I can imagine how funny it must have sounded, a big table of random English, Spanish and Portugese all mixed together. I am able to understand more things in Spanish that I can speak of course, it´s definitely challenging but everyone is very nice so I don´t feel totally overwhelmed. Saturday night drinks turned into dancing in the clubs until nearly 4am. I honestly don´t think I´ve really slept much since I arrived, yet somehow, I´m not completely exhausted, must be the adrenaline....Yesterday was a breath of fresh air as I was able to meet a friend from high school, Stacy, see her new baby and catch up (in English!). It is so nice to have an American friend who is familiar with the city and has a lot of great advice for things to do and see. My classes start today so I´m eager to get my Spanish going and maybe do a little celebrating for mi cumpleaños.

Location: Providencia, Santiago, Chile
Accomodation: Private bedroom in 3-bedroom apartment
Length of Stay: one month

 Dormitorio

Cocina

Sala de estar

Chiao!

Nicaragua, land of Tranquilo

Upon first arriving in Nicaragua and picking up a fresh coconut water on the side of the road while driving from the airport, I knew I was going to enjoy my stay here. Our destination, San Juan del Sur, was about a 2 hour drive southwest from Managua international airport. The city of SJDS is a thriving small town community offering a mecca to surfers, backpackers and casual tourists alike. Although tourism is certainly the top grossing industry, agriculture would appear to be a close second as evidenced by the daily fresh and local produce, meat, fish and dairy that filled the markets and supplied the daily menu at every restaurant in town. My 5 day stay in SJDS was filled with active adventures such as taking surf lessons at nearby playa madera and hiking up Mt Christo as well as relaxing and unwinding at the local yoga studio and watching the sunset from our hotel balcony. All in all contributing to a peaceful, invigorating and restorative trip. Although SJDS is a small beach town, the cuisine could rival any metropolitan city. Delectable meals we sampled included wood-fired pizza with locally grown arugala (Mauricio's), grilled seafood caught steps away that morning (Bambu Beach) and mediterranean-inspired dishes with a local flavor (El Calibre). Even local breakfasts in the market consisting of fresh fruit and gaillopinto or eggs were local and fresh. True farm to table cuisine. Besides the local food, the local community brings together their own flavor to create a relaxed and friendly energy. I was fascinated by the amount of gringos, mostly American ex-pats, who came down at some point or another and decided to call this home. Singles, couples, even families who are building businesses for both themselves and the community to prosper. From the coffee shop to the real estate office to the yoga studio it definitely made me think about my own future and the endless possibilities of building a life in a non-traditional setting. The week concluded in typical Caulkins' form with a live blues jam session at one of the beach-side bars, courtesy.of the super-talented "Canadian James" and crew on my last night. A perfect way to seal the laid-back vibe. Although I probably consider this leg of my adventure mostly a vacation, thanks Dad, I was certainly able to practice my beginner Spanish skills in preparation for more to come ahead. Below are some snaps of highlights from my trip, enjoy!

View of the beach and town from the balcony of our hotel

Coconut water from the coconut...on the side of the road, literally

The local pool hall

Extra long board for the beginner...I did actually stand up though!

My expert coach for the day, Anna, from Holland, who happens to be the girlfriend of Rex Calderon, top-ranked pro-surfer in Nicaragua.

Mt. Christo, Dad and I hiked to the top 

Chabad House, yes in Nicaragua, just opened 2 weeks ago!

You can take the girl out of NYC, but you can still find a bagel.....well anywhere it seems

One of my favorite spots in town, the local coffee house, El Gato Negro

I´ve landed in Santiago, more to come on that soon!

Namaste Series: Zen Yoga, Nica Yoga

During my stay in Nicaragua, I had the pleasure of practicing at two different, but equally special, spaces. Zen Yoga is located in the center of town in San Juan Del Sur. They offer daily classes, multiple times a day very similar to an American style studio. The space is peaceful and calm and is run by ex-pats so most students seem to be travelers or local "gringos." The first class I took here was a fairly standard vinyasa flow led by Kristin, an American originally from Philly who has lived here permanently for about a month. She led the class of 8 students (a mix of Australian, American and British men and women) through an hour of challenging poses and flows. Kristin spoke about the Sanskrit terms which translate to Strength and Surrender and how it´s important to find the balance between these two forces both in our practice and in our everyday life. I really connected with these thoughts as I view part of my journey as the discovery of how I can better let go and accept what is around me, while still pushing forward, showing strength and taking a clear direction. The yoga palapa was open on 3 sides lending itself to a gentle breeze in the afternoon heat as well as a view of the rooftops of town and the mountains beyond. If I lived here, I would probably practice at Zen Yoga daily.

The second space I took a class at was a retreat center just out of town called Nica Yoga. Nica Yoga is a yoga resort and studio with a wonderful yoga palapa overlooking the residences on the property and the beautiful saline pool. This class was also led by Kristin, the teachers in town tend to bounce from one studio to another. Since it was a morning class, she slowed things down a bit which was perfect for waking the body up. These past few days have been perfectly hot and sunny, but there is definitely a strong breeze which was blowing mats and items around quite a bit. I can´t complain though as the wind felt amazing! The best part of the class was probably when the roosters started squawking at the end of our shavasana, it was like as if they knew they were supposed to wake us up..only in Nicaragua.

 Namaste.

Where I Rest My Head: San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua

Hola from Nicaragua!

One of my wise, well-spoken and well-traveled friends, Tina, gave me some inspiring words before I left on my journey. She told me, "take pictures of all your homes and doorways, everytime they change, you´ll have a diverse montage of where you laid your head to rest and have documentation of where your dreams started to be in Spanglish." With these wise words, thank you Tina, I´ve decided to dedicate a brief entry to each new place I find myself sleeping at night, the places where my dreams stay open and within reach....

Location: San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua
Accomodation: Park Avenue Villas, private guestroom with bath. This quaint and comfortable hotel is run by a husband and wife team from Texas. Their hospitality transcends among all the guests and staff. When guests aren´t out on an adventure, walking through town or enjoying a nice meal on the beach, they can often be found chatting or enjoying a beverage and the spectacular panaromic view on the communal balcony (see sunset image above). Although geared to anolder adult tourist (most of the young surfers snd travelers are found in hostels around the town center or on the beach) this was a great place to stay and conveniently located in town and blocks from the beach. It´s no wonder my dad continues to call this hotel his home away from home each year.
Length of Stay: 5 relaxing nights