Up to Northern Chile and Back!

In the last 2 weeks I had an extremely successful first solo travel. After much planning, I traveled all the way up to the II Region of Chile making stops at interesting places and cities along the way. I could talk about each place in depth but I do not want to do that to you. I will try to summarize it all and maybe the next blog can have pictures of these incredible places.

Starting in the center of the country in Santiago, my first stop was in the town of La Serena, a port city (like most cities up north) that oozes the feel of beach town. Ton of Chilean tourists were there for a trip to ocean during their summer vacations. I used La Serena as a point to drive inland to Vicuña and Pisco Elqui, 2 towns in the heart of the vally where the grapes for Chile´s national drink Pisco are grown. After a tour of a pisco distillery, I headed back to the coast to continue north to the town of Copiapo. Copiapo is the city that the miners who were trapped below ground for months are from. This is the first place that felt like I was in the desert; on the bus trip there we drove over large sandy hills that stretched in all directions. I got to spend the day with some of my campers from the 1st session of Camp Colhue. We toured around the city and then they took me to the gorgeous beaches of Caldera & Bahia Inglesa. Of course, right as we arrive, the gray clouds rolled in but I was still able to appreciate the beauty of the place. After an overnight bus to Antofagasta, I enjoyed my time in the bustling city on the ocean. At the Fish Market out on a pier, there was a large family of seals hanging around waiting for the fish that didn´t sell to fall into the cold waters. I had never seen them outside of a zoo which was a nice change. From Antofagasta, I went to my last stop north at San Pedro de Atacama. San Pedro has a very rich cultural heritage and many unique environmental features surrounding it. A times I genuinely felt like I was on a different planet! I spent 3 days here exploring what it had to offer. I went sandboarding, watched the sunset from Moon Valley, entered a crystal cave, traveled to the Altiplano Lagunas abuot 4500 meters and ate a llama kabob, visited the Salt Flats that are home to many flamingos, and swam at the Geysers of Tatio. My days were filled to the brim with things to do. Unfortunately I could not stay longer so I took a 25hr bus ride back to Santiago to continue on with my adventure.

I was a little apprehensive beforehand about what it would be like and what, if any, problems I would run into while traveling solo. Luckily, I had none. I think it was mainly because I had worked so diligently beforehand making reservations and coming up with a really solid plan. That way when I was in the midst of things, I just had to execute it and enjoy! Also, it was really nice to be back into the hostel lifestyle. You are surrounded by cool people from around the globe with some similiar interests as you. There is no other way that I could get to know people like this!

The hardest part was having to pick & choose what to do in my short time to see the whole northern half of Chile. The other challenge was spending so much time in buses; my butt is definitely not a fan!

Overall, it was a huge success and has just made me more excited for my next chunk of time to explore. But first, my dad is flying down to see me. It is his birthday this month and is celebrating by taking me for some crazy intense white water rafting in Futaleufu. I really hope that I survive. Eeek!

Camp Colhue, Session 2

The second session of Camp Colhue was incredible! I really felt like an instructor this time and I was able to do much more for the kids. Since I had been at the camp for the 1st session, I had a much better understanding of ´flow´ of camp; the schedule, activities, customs, songs, etc. Immediately I was able to step up into a bigger leadership position than before and take on more serious responsibilties. It felt really good inside to see my improvement so rapidly and so clearly.This time we also had twice as many kids and more instructors! Although it was more challenging to get to know each child individually, more people meant more laughs, more friends, and much more goodnight hugs & kisses.
Highlights from second session inlcude:
-My birthday! My day was filled with constant ¨Happy Birthday¨ songs in about 5 different languages. My girls in the cabin planned a surprise party for me with tons of candy and at night we had a massive bonfire with jokes, music, dancing all under a big full moon. It was magical.
- I learned how to lasso horses and sheep with Pipe, a fellow instructor and a role model to me
- Won Camp Olympics again (Go Green Bees!) & the Female Soccer Tournament (Awesome Azul!)
- The area around the camp caught fire during our camping expedition so we returned to helicopters, firemen, and sadly a charred landscape. (No one was injured and we were never in any danger, don´t worry Mom)
- Zorro! One camp tradition is that every night some counselors sneak into the rooms and draw Zs on the faces of the campers. If the campers get evidence of who it was that night, the counselor is sent to ¨Al Pilon!¨ aka they are thrown in the horses´ water troth. I am sad to announce that I was caught! :(
-On the final night, the campers gave me the special Colhue Spirit award. I was touched that they felt that I, Gringa Loca, carried the spirit of camp in my heart.

My hardest moment so far in this venture happened the final day of camp. While the campers and instructors packed up to go home and see their families, I was packing up to leave my family. I really bonded to the camp & staff and it was hard to say goodbye. In front of me I have 2 weeks of solo travel to explore the northern half of Chile. For the first time in my life, I am going to be on my own. No safety net, no one there it help me if I make a mistake. As I said goodbye to the family of camp that had taken me in, I will admit that some doubts floated through my head. Why I am putting myself through this again? I could be sitting in a small dorm room with a group of friends at college but instead I am throwing myself out into the world without a lifeline. But in reality, I am extemely enjoying what I am doing with my time right now. Although it is difficult, the many rewards and experiences make it all worth it.

Leaving Colhue also made me think about my family and friends back home. I hope that all of you know how important your love and support has been to me. The relationships that I have with people at home are so valuable and important to me. To feel that there are people who care for you even if they are not nearby, is unexplainable and goes a long way on this journey. I cannot thank you enough.

!!Camping!!

Camp Olympic Winners...Again!

Relaxing by the beach

A Home Away From Home

This place is special.

I cannot put my finger on it. It is more than just the beautiful scenery, or the fun activities. It is more than the never-ending love of the campers or the energy and passion of the staff. But after working at Camp Colhue for only a session, I feel a strong connection to it.

Olympic teams

The second half of camp was incredibly rewarding for me. I am really starting to see my progress here. My relationships with campers really grew and I have started to gain a much better understanding of the ins and outs about how this camp works. Some highlights from this last week include winning Camp Olympics. As a proud member of the Blue Team, we milked cows the fastest and roped the most sheep. Along with more traditional competitions like a mini triathalon and tug-o-war, we mixed in Colhue tests like the cow pie toss or horse slolem. The other memorable moment was when I along with all the new campers were officially welcomed into the camp family during a baptizing ceremony. Many kind words were shared around the fire and we all received a small gift. I´ll admit it. I cried a bit. I really felt part of the community here.

I do not think that I really realized how much of an impact I was having with the kids until we started to say goodbye. Until that point, I felt more like a camper rather than an instructor. Yet the things they said to me as we parted helped me see that they really looked up to me. It was hard to see them drive off into the night suddenly realizing how close I had grown to the campers. Today is a new day and a fresh, larger group of campers are coming. With my new insight, I hope to be an even better counselor for the 2nd session.

A national park is not where I have ended up for my free days between sessions. Instead I am using my time to go to Concepcion, epicenter of the 2010 earthquake, on the coast. One of my fellow counselors, Jaico, and his family has so kindly taken me in for my time here. Unfortunately I only have a day here so Jaico´s mother and aunt gave me a tour of the city. It was jarring to see buildings that were damaged in the earthquake still scattered throughout the city. They are kind of like shadows looming overhead as a reminder of the catastrophe that impacted everyone here. Jaico and his family just moved into this house 3 weeks after they lost everything over 10 monthes ago.

Tomorrow I am heading south a bit to a town called Lota. The small coastal town use to be a major mining hub. One of the old mines is now a museum that takes people in the mines that lie deep beneath the sea. I am excited! I can not imagine what it will be like.

I heard about the ridiculous amount of snow that continues to fall up north. I hope that the skiing and snowboarding has been terrific for everyone and that you are enjoying the winter wonderland.
Charlotte

Camp Colhue

Hey,
I hope that the weather hasn´t been too cold for everyone up north. The days here are scorching and the nights are chilly but with my new campers around it has been great! At the moment, I am out in the forest at Camp Colhue; a wilderness camp for kids to have a blast in the woods without iPods or cellphones. Mealtimes are filled with chanting and mailtime. The morning activities range from rockclimbing and mountain biking to horseback riding. Every afternoon we all hike to the river where there is a high ´diving platform´ and tunnels to float through. Our days end by playing games under the massive starry sky. I am in a cabin with 2 other counselors for 12 girls. The cabin is completely wooden and past campers names are scribbled all over the wall is colorful paint.The place is an absolute gem!

Kicking back in the cabin

It was really challenging in the beginning though! I was dropped right into the mix without really a clue of what was going on or the flow of how camp worked. The other counselors were friendly but were a little hesitant to speak to me becuase it is obvious my Spanish is not incredibly strong. As time went on though, we have started to bond. The language is stilla bit of the barrier but a smile goes a long way! The kids have been extemely patient with me, thank goodness, and some have started to practice their English with me which has been adorable.

Mis chicas

I am looking forward to the 3 more weeks I have at this camp. The number of campers will jump from 30 this session to about 55. Between the 2 sessions I am trying to plan a mini excursion to some nearby national parks. The next time you hear from me will be then!
Hope all has been well on the homefront.
Charlotte

www.summercolhue.cl/

55 Hours Later...

Hello from Santiago!
After a long, ardous journey, I am glad to say that I have finally reached Chile. My trip started in JFK Airport early Tuesday morning, my flight to San Salvador with TACA Airlines was scheduled to leave at around 9:30. The snow from the previous weekend created many delays inlcuding our flight. It was pushed back to 2 PM, which meant that there was no way that I would make my 2 connecting flights. It didn´t take long to realize that this was not going to go exactly as planned.
When the plane landed in San Salvador, TACA had about 20 passengers that were going to be stranded there for the night. They so generously transported us to the beautiful InterContinental Hotel in the heart of the city. They payed for our plush rooms, a fabulous dinner, and breakfast. Everyone was in good spritis.
At this point some of us had gotten to know eachother a bit so we sat down for dinner together. It ended up evolving into a 4 hour long discussion about everything taboo: politics, religion, war, and soccer. We had myself, the sole woman, a Peruvian telenovela star, a Canadian lawyer, a Marine, and a Brazilian profesor. Although I was exhausted, it was so interesting to hear the different opinions that my new companions had based on their past experiences and background. After a few hours, we unanimously decided to return to our rooms to sleep. My bed was about 6ft wide!!! I could lay completely across and have my head and feet still on the mattress.
6 AM the next morning some of us were back to the airport for our next flight to Lima, Peru. It was a bit odd to me when one if the gentlemen wanted a group picture considering we had known eachother for only 1 night but it just goes to show how quickly people can bond. We arrived safely there at about 1 in the afternoon when myself and another college student from Colby were informed that we would have another long wait until our final flight which now left at 10 PM. Yay!
My flight arrived in this mornig at about 3:30 AM. I had an oportunity to stretch out and get some shut-eye until the pubic bus arrived at 7. I came straight to the hostel, La Casa Roja, and crawled into a dorm bed. After a total of 55 hours of traveling, it was the best feeling to have officially reached me final destinatin.
I have a couple of things to do around Santiago as well as explore the city and celebrate New Years. Then I am off to the City of Los Angeles to Camp Colhue.
Enjoy the snow and fireworks!
Charlotte

Me relaxing at my first hostel