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

A beauty girls guide to packing part 2

So now with the makeup out of the way, it's on to the big picture of packing and the looming decisions of t-shirts, bathing suits and sundresses that will compactly fit in my REI backpack. Yes, that's right, I'll be traveling via backpack for the next few months so making key packing choices is imperative. Luckily, I've been researching on some amazing travel blogs/sites (many linked to the side of this one) and have an expert backpack traveller friend, Mary, who has given me invaluable advice along the way of this process.  As a follow-up to my previous post on cosmetics, and to inform my family and friends who have seen the likes of my medicine cabinet so know what I'm working with, here is what I managed to whittle down to in terms of personal care items, not bad right?

Better yet, it all managed to fit nicely packed into this rather compact toiletry bag. I was really proud of this situation.

Next came the real stuff, i.e. clothes and basic necessities. I won't bore you with every detail of what I'm bringing, feel free to message me if you are interested, but here's the general list of what made the cut:
- Hiking Shoes
- Running Shoes
- Chaco Sandals
- Flat gold sandals (these are going out shoes)
- Bras, Sport Bras, Underwear (these are life-changing)
- 4 cotton tshirts
- 4 cotton tanks
- 2 nicer tanks
- swimsuit, 1-piece and 2
- 2 long dresses
- 1 short black cotton dress
- Jeans and Jean shorts
- Leggings and workout pants
- Nike dry fit shorts
- yoga mat and towel (also to be used as a bath/beach towel)
- Sleep sack
- Alarm clock
- Lock for backpack
- Scarf
- first-aid kit and pills
- Carry-on day pack with travel pillow, travel docs, flip flops, books, travel journal, kindle, iphone, etc…

Before...

And it all fit in here!

I also wanted to share some tentative Central/South America itinerary details in preparation for my departure:

January 29-February 3: Nicaragua

February: Based in Santiago

March: Based in Buenos Aires

End of March/Beginning of April: Peru, Macchu Pichu

Mid-April: Brazil

End of April/Early May: Tentative- Columbia, Ecuador, Bolivia…any other suggestions?

Plane takes off in 2 days…Hasta Pronto!