El País de los Poetas is a traditional nickname given to Chile as a result of its many famous poets (such as Pablo Neruda).
Having been dropped off by my dad at the airport, I met everyone from the group for the first time. Initially, we got on really well, and the banter was already flowing even before getting on the plane. I didn’t sleep much on the flight, and before long, we were soaring over the rugged and impossibly gigantic Andes Mountains.
My initial impressions of Santiago were reminiscent of Otago or Queenstown, reflected in its arid landscape and rocky mountains. Huge, privately constructed highways took us into the city, and the first thing I noticed was the abundance of street art on almost every building. While some graffiti was present, murals were everywhere, many of them political. We passed through vibrant markets and were informed by Pilar, our guide, that they were “informal” and operated without a permit.
Finally, we reached Santiago exchange, a student hostel which was to be our place of residence. We met Emily, a fellow Kiwi doing a similar program, and Aidan, an Australian in the last two weeks of his exchange in Santiago. We took a quick trip to the supermarket, Jumbo, which was enormous, with a wide selection of household items and an impressive bread selection (apparently, Chileans are the world’s second-largest consumers of bread). Interestingly, all the milk was lactose-free (apparently lactose intolerance is widespread here).
Our first full day in Santiago began for me with an early morning run as I couldn’t sleep. I was filled with awe at the early morning sunrise over the Andes, the colourful streets lined with cacti plants and old cars, and extensive park networks. Later in the day, we went to Catholic Mass at the Cathedral in the Plaza de Armas (Santiago’s central square), which was an amazing experience and packed with people. We met two girls who were also students, and they took it upon themselves to get us sorted with some Chilean delights. They took us to have Mote con Huesillo (a peach juice drink with wheat kernels inside it), and renowned Chilean hot dogs, called Completos (with half a jar of mayonnaise and massive slatherings of guacamole, or Palto). The mayonnaise was surprisingly light, and apparently, Chileans had invented the dish upon their dissatisfaction with the “boring” American hot dog. Later in the day, Sean, Emily, and I took the metro to Las Condes, a wealthy neighbourhood to the East of where we were staying (in Providencia). We met Emily’s friend, who was a local, in the park for a picnic, and saw some amazing BMX tricks being performed on a purpose-made ramp. Our first day was surreal; we’d already met so many people, and many members of the group I had only known for hours.
Our first day of classes was intellectually stimulating to say the least. We metro’ed to the Universidad Católica de Chile, at the San Joaquin Campus. The campus had been purpose-built and was grid-like with cutting-edge architecture, and was full of students about to embark on volunteering missions in other parts of the continent. It felt like a small village. Over the next few days and throughout our classes, we began to gain an understanding of Chile’s culture and economic climate. Despite having a relatively tumultuous past, including a ruthless military dictatorship from the 70s to 1990, Chile is now an economic frontrunner in Latin America. This, it appears, is attributable to the strength of Chile’s institutions and was also helped by the privatisation of public assets. However, it has come with drawbacks, such as foreign ownership, as reported by a Neurosurgeon living in the same building as us. Our Spanish classes have been great too. It also seems as though there is some commonality between Latin American nations, such as their connection to the Andes, the presence of diverse indigenous populations, and also historical Spanish colonisation. Despite having experience with Spanish, I’m still learning a lot, and we often discuss cultural differences between Chile, New Zealand, and Korea, as there are two Korean girls in our course as well. There are also other courses that are somewhat intertwined with ours, which include people from the USA, Korea, Slovakia, Ukraine and Chile itself. I have realised that intercultural interactions are more nuanced than simply instantly hitting it off with others. It is essential to actively listen to people and seek common points of interest, while also celebrating differences.
Joseph, Sean, and I went on what was perhaps the most spectacular hike of my life up Cerro Carbón, or Coal Mountain, with views so breathtaking that they almost left me speechless with awe. It was possible to see endless urban sprawl and clusters of skyscrapers and apartments as far as the eye could see. Of course, the famous spire of the Costanera building was also visible, which is the tallest building in Latin America. We saw two condors flying together and doing a sort of dance in unison while up on the mountain. These birds are massive and are Chile’s national animal. I was also given a comic about a cartoon condor, Condorito, by a man who is staying with us. He’s part of a group of Chileans from diverse parts of the country, all of whom are undergoing teacher training. They might be the most welcoming people I’ve met, and love a good chat and a laugh on the patio of the hostel.
Everyone here greets each other with a “buenas”, and people are eager to share their culture, food, and identity, while also being interested in New Zealand culture. I almost feel as though there is some deep-rooted uniqueness about Chilean culture; it’s almost similar to the “down-to-earth” nature of Kiwis. I’ve never experienced anything like it outside of New Zealand until now!
Other experiences we’ve had include visiting the rather sobering but immensely important Human Rights Museum (which memorialises victims of the historical dictatorship), as well as the Baha’i Temple of South America (an absolute marvel of a building situated in the mountains, with an atmosphere of utmost calm). So far, we’ve also had two asados (or three if you count the meat given to us by the group of trainee teachers). Aidan, the Australian exchange student who just left us today, cooked both. They included Chorípan (chorizo sausages in bread with chimichurri sauce), and massive slabs of steak (mouth-watering). These occasions were great fun, as we waited for the meat to cook on an open fire and reflected on our experiences to date, and practised Spanish (all while listening to Chilean music, of course). It was really sad saying goodbye to Aidan yesterday, and he gave us some parting gifts.
Finally, today we visited the New Zealand embassy, which was a hugely inspiring experience. We were able to learn about the varied and busy schedule of a diplomat and the strengthening ties between New Zealand and Chile. The embassy is closely tied to UC Chile, where we are studying, and many internships and scholarships are available, which I plan to follow up on!
So far, our time in Chile has passed in an instant. It’s really opened my mind. I think I’m finally starting to get a hold of the Chilean accent, which has a lot of slang words (such as “guagua” for baby), many of which have indigenous roots. The main indigenous group in this region is the Mapuche, and many Chileans claim Mapuche ancestry. I’m so excited to learn more!