Gonzalo!

How do you wrap up such a great, yet short trip to Chile?  I really don't know.  I had a lot of fun and can't wait to head back in a few months.  Well, here goes!

Waiting.  Just Waiting.  We all know this feeling on the last day of any trip when you have an evening flight.  You find yourself sitting in your hotel room staring at walls not knowing what to do with yourself.  I railed against this an decided to sit in the bar.  hmmm.  Not really much better, but there was diet soda there, so.....face it...boring.  UNTIL!  My phone rings at about 1200 and it's Gonzalo.  You remember Gonzalo from the empenada place!  He wants to go to lunch and show me around since I'm leaving.  I pay the check and out the door I go to wait for him.  He pulls up a few minutes later and off we go to lunch.  I'm thinking we're going to another uniquely Chilean place of course.  Wonder what new or exciting things I'll try.  We end up at Dino's Pizza.  Well, I think, food is food.  Walking in though, it occurs to me that there is nothing even remotely Italian about this place or the menu.  YES!  Chilean Pizza!  What a great concept.  I ordered a Calabresa Jamon.  This thing was so good it should be illegal.  Seriously good and seriously bad for you and definitely worth eating.  It is this light thin pizza crust with what I think was tomato paste spread on it.  Then is a layer of chorizo that is crushed and spread , then ham slices, then cheese.  You can see it below, it is nothing nice to look at, but let me tell you, for a last meal in Chile and knowing that I wasn't getting anything but airplane food for the next 24 hours or so; this was heaven.

After filling up on this pizza, Gonzalo takes me for a drive.  I can't really explain how pretty this small town is.  You have to be there, standing where I stood, and know that this is the southern tip of Chile and that there really isn't anything else around, but this town, for a long long way.  I have pictures below.  On the panoramic, the ocean to the left is the Atlantic and to the right is the Pacific.  They meet right here.  This place is wonderful and extraordinary in a very special way.  If you ever make it to Chile, take a couple days, deal with the crap flights for four hours south of Santiago and see this place.  Thank you, Gonzalo and thank you, Chile!!!  :)

Dino's Pizza!

This really isn't anything to look at, but it was YUM!

Simple but perfect to end my trip with!

click - click - click!!!!

 

Calafate who?

My last day in Chile.  As I sit here in my hotel room waiting for my ride to the airport, I've been reflecting over the last few days and last night.  Before I get into last night, I must tell you about my money woes here in Chile.  I rarely carry cash, but in countries where cash is still preferred over credit cards, it is a must.  Chile is one of these countries, particularly in the remote areas.  The problem is that not a single ATM in this city will take my bank ATM card.  My bank is also confused since the requisite symbols are on the ATM's.  Fortunately, I've been able to buy peso's at a horrible rate with the American currency I'm carrying.  Note to self, exchange currency before heading back down here.

Yes, this little drink made of jet fuel and
the Clafate berry is extraordinary!

So dinner!  Five of us went to La Marmita; which mean The Pot or Saucepan or Stewpot, you get the idea.  This is an incredibly brightly colored building and the inside is just as colorful.  The restaurant was empty since we were eating dinner so early at 2030 (8:30 PM).  Seriously, this is early here, most restaurants don't even open until 2000.  This place didn't stay filling until almost 2200 (10PM).  What a great place though.  The staff are exceptional, prices great, and they have this frozen drink that uses the Calafate berry and alcohol that I think is derived from jet fuel.  It was spectacular!  The Calafate berry is a tundra berry indigenous to southern Argentina and Chile.  After consuming this wonderful concoction, I ordered my dinner and a Coke Light since I probably had enough alcohol in my system now to last a day or two.  Dinner itself was very good.  I ordered "Pork" for my main, not knowing what was actually going to come out.  The dish that came out was beautiful.  Looked almost like a German creation with the purple kraut and sausage.  It was very good and tender.  All the meals looked incredible and instantly put this place on my "must return to" list.

After dinner was a short walk home, did I mention before that it's windy here?  Seriously, this place makes the winds in Chicago feel like a gentle breeze.  Between the wind and cold and snow moving sideways, it is extraordinary that people can even walk around here.  One of the people with me told me that on some streets that actually put up rope to help people stay upright.  Folks, when it's that windy, stay inside!!  But it is too beautiful here to do that.  Next time I'm here I hope to be able to take in more scenery.  That will be at the end of November just before I get on a boat heading toward Palmer Station, Antarctica.  I'll be on the other side of the continent first though, so we'll see what that holds for me in a few weeks!

WAIT!!  Did I mention the bathrooms?!?!?!  I know, what could be so exciting about the bano's?  Well, nothing except how they show the difference between Men and Women.  I found this so funny that I had to share.  ;)

 

 

Men

 

Women

It really looks German or maybe even Ukrainian. 

I know there is a huge Croatian influence here, so perhaps that.

Why yes, Chile is chilly! ;)

I know, another corny title.  You try and make the titles sound interesting, I dare you...because it isn't that easy.  :)  Okay, enough of my dribble, on to Punta Arenas!  So Punta Arenas (yes, it's fun to say) is a tiny little city on the southern most tip of Chile.  It takes forever to get here, but is beautiful.  I won't get an opportunity to see the glacier national park this trip, but will on my next I hope!  So I'm here to work, but all work and no play....yeah, you get the idea. 

Punta Arenas - this isn't the party town that Santiago is and doesn't have the great coffee shops either, but it is very unique.  The people here are incredibly nice even though I butcher their language and make weird attempts to mime what I need or want.  Seriously I look like a mime with tourrets, but they just smile and somehow get that I want a cappuccino or glass of wine.

One of these nice people is my local contact, Gonzalo.  Gonzalo is from Punta Arenas (I'm telling you, you'll find yourself saying it for no reason) and knows everyone from what I can tell.  We met up this morning at my warehouse here at the docks.  The NBP (Nathaniel B. Palmer Antarctic vessel) is in dock so lots of work was happening.  I kept my tour brief to not interfere, but still accomplish my goals.  After, Gonzalo said the magic words - Do you want to go grab some empanadas?  So, how many people out there the proverbial "hole in the wall" restaurant?  Well, me!  This place was clean'ish and the people were wonderful.  Gonzalo knows that family who owns and runs this place so they let me back in the kitchen while they were cooking our empanadas and soup.  He did his best to translate my conversation with the two wonderful cooks.  The pictures are below, this is a true South American old-world style kitchen.  Lunch was, well, amazing.  The empanadas were light and flaky and stuffed with meat and a light spicy sauce; the soup was a cross between soup and stew with potato, corn, and meat; and the wine was perfect.  Four of us enjoyed a long lunch and I learned about the issues the program is facing down here.  Such a great way to get work done on a Saturday.

Tonight we're going to another local restaurant.  This one might even look like a restaurant from the outside I'm told, but no worries!  I'll have pictures and a story later!  :)

I did say "hole in the wall"  This is the front entrance.

The inside....a little blurry. :( 

Somehow my picture of the Empanada didn't save!  I will go back and get one on my next visit ;)

Old kitchen stove.  Made for coal and wood.  Still uses wood to this day!

The work area

 

Where the magic happens!  The flaky texture was amazing!

 

Australia

Hmmm..I was in Australia about a week ago.  So why am i writing about it now?  Glad you asked.  Basically because I've been lazy and I'm now in Chile with some good stories and don't feel right not at least commenting on a wonderful trip to the land Down Under!  :)

Sydney was spectacular as always.  Is there a town I'd rather move to other than Sydney, no I don't think so right now.  I know some of you love other parts of the world, or maybe even where you're at, but Sydney is just fantastic.  The rhythm of the town coupled with some of the best food in the world makes it just perfect for me right now.  I stayed at a Holiday Inn right next to the harbour (if this works, there will be a picture from the rooftop below somewhere) and enjoyed walking around the city.  It was immensely beautiful int he Royal Garden (park for Americans) and the taxis and water taxis are easy to access and all take credit cards.  Ask Melissa about our trip to New Orleans, taxis taking a credit card is a must!  So other than work what did I do...well, I walked all over the city and enjoyed some great food.  After meeting with the Airport Staff at SYD, Mike drove Leighton and I to Harry's Cafe De Wheels.  This is THE place to get a meat pie in Sydney.  If you watch No Reservations, you've seen it, if you look at my pictures below, you'll see it again, but unless you've tasted it; you have no idea!!!  Curry Beef, Potato Mash, Mash Peas, and dark gravy.  Heaven.  My trainer at Fitness First might disagree, but ehh, it was truly amazing.  Keep in mind that this followed a long boring meeting (all meetings are long and boring by the way, doesn't matter the real amount of time spent) and I was hungry.  The night before Mike, Leighton, and I ate at a local pub/restaurant that was also quite good, but nothing beats street food.

After our glorious time enjoying meat pie's Leighton and I took a taxi to the local Casino.  Now, for those of you who know me, you know that I don't gamble.  I really think you stand a better chance at seeing a return on your money if you just throw it on the street rather than on a table or in a machine.  But! I have a person at work who collects casino chips so every place I'm at I get a few chips for him.  Seems to make him happy and gives me a chance to see another casino that looks like every other casino worldwide.  After getting my chips, Leighton and I decided to head back to the hotel, but since we were now at Darling Harbour, we took a water taxi back to the main Circular Quay Harbour.  These taxis are entirely too cool.  A boat riding through Sydney harbour.  What a great way to end a work day, really. 

The next day was Melbourne.  I have mixed feelings about this city.  One one hand, I had lunch at a small dirty little place down an alley in Chinatown called Sichuan House.  The food is authentic and wonderful, service outstanding, no English  and yes, sadly that actually makes me happy.  It was just fantastic.  Food you can't get anywhere in the states for some reason, only really can get it in the Sichuan Provence in China, unless you're in Melbourne.  Then you are set.  Other than that, Melbourne is a pretty plain city.  I walked the streets and enjoyed watching people but it isn't Sydney.  I will say that if you love tennis, the Australian Open is there I think in February, so it could be fun.  Me, I can't wait to head back to Sydney!

Me!

 

Aussie Water Taxi Dude

Sichuan House in Melbourne!  Yum

 

Leighton on the Water Taxi

 

YUM! Meat Pie!

Harry's!  A must try if ever visiting or returning to Sydney!

 

Adolpho???

So I'm off again.  Back to Australia because there are "issues" to be sorted and I'm apparently the person who needs to sort them.  I do tire of fixing problems other people create, but at the same time, I'm earning a whole lot of frequent flyer miles to take my love wherever her heart desires, so I really can't complain.  Also, let's face it; there are a lot of worse places I could be going on my trips, many of which I've been to sadly.  Happy to be going somewhere that they love to live!  But I'm not "there" yet!  Nope, still at LAX (Los Angeles) waiting another five hours for my Qantas flight to leave.  Yay for losing a day again!  Although the double Friday, I must protest, is still cruel; but at least I get to skip Monday this time! 

So this title "Adolpho???" that I used.  I seem to meet interesting people on my travels.  Maybe it's because I talk to everyone and always try to smile even when they're grumpy.  This guy, Adolpho, was definitely not grumpy.  He moved to LA about three or four years ago from Guatemala and started working at the airport shortly after.  He's been a baggage handler, janitor, food handler, groundsman (no idea what that is), and now drives a shuttle bus between terminals.  We talked the whole way between terminals, which at LAX is about five or ten minutes since I think they make you circle the airport a few times.  Adolpho moved here to find a better job.  He was in construction in Guatemala and has family here, so moving made sense.  It was genuinely nice to see someone who enjoys what they do and the benefits he gets for a hard days work.  Face it, this guy works harder than most people who'll read this blog.  But he had a smile and greeted me as if I was an old friend when I boarded the shuttle bus.  So I was the only person on the bus, which made our conversation even better.  I was snapping photos of the airport and aircraft the whole time.  When he saw me try to get a shot of the really big planes he stopped the bus since my first attempt was right as we hit a very large bump; actually it felt like we hit a mountain and bounced me around a bit.  A true YouTube moment in fact.  So I got the photo, and I still feel like a kid looking at these monsters-of-the-sky!  So why all the question marks, you know that part is bothering you right about now!  Well, I never knew Adolpho was a Guatemalan name.  I guess I don't know what I expected, but Adolpho...hmmm...nope.

So now I'm in the Qantas lounge drinking wine and eating snacks and did I mention drinking wine!?  Once I recover from the 16-hour flight and get some real sleep I'll update again! 

Oh, and Melissa - I love you!

:)