Author: Megan Pettner

“What was your favorite part of Chile?”

Home sweet home!  We have made it back to Columbus safely.  It has been a little over 24 hours since we landed in Columbus.  While I was excited to see my friends and am excited to see my family next weekend, I can’t help but miss Chile a little bit.  When we got off the plane in Columbus and I looked out the window, all I could see were gray skies and brown, leafless trees, the total opposite of the lush, green parks of Santiago that I loved.  I have to say that this has been the best trip I have ever been on, and Chile is now my favorite place.

I have spent the last 24 hours trying to get back into my normal routine.  I unpacked, did laundry, cleaned a little, and went to class today.  Going to class was good because I got to see all of my friends and we got to share our spring break stories.  Just about every person asked me “What was your favorite part of Chile?” and every time I have to pause because it is such a hard question.  So many answers immediately come to mind- the food, the weather, the mountains, the views, the parks, Valparaíso.  There are so many things I loved about Santiago that I can’t decide.  I was excited for the trip, but this trip greatly exceeded all and any expectations I had for it.

The food I found to be incredible.  I loved the idea of fried eggs on everything and I also loved the fresh fruit.  It was some of the best fruit I have ever had.  I also really enjoyed the empanadas, tres leches, and charquicán (Chilean stew).

The weather was incredible, and stepping off the plane into 30 degree weather was probably the saddest part of being home.  No more sunny, blue skies, flowers, or green trees.  Everything thing here looks dead and sad.  Hopefully spring gets here fast because I miss the warm weather (Today was the first day of Spring, but it wasn’t very promising).

I still can’t get over the views.  Just about everywhere we went had amazing views.  Cerro San Cristobal, Cerro Santa Lucía, Costanera Center, Universidad Adolfo Ibanez, the Benedictine Monastery, Innovation Center, and Cousiño Macul Winery just to name a few.  I miss the mountains.  Ohio is so flat.

The parks in Santiago were amazing.  I can’t get over how many trees they had in their city.  Whether they were just lining a street or scattered throughout a park, there was a ton of greenery.  I loved it.  I often felt as though I wasn’t in the middle of a huge city, but rather a forest or just out in the country.  In Columbus, our parks have trees, but usually you can still see from one end of the park to the other through the trees.  The trees in Santiago parks were so dense that this would never happen.  I wish Columbus had more parks like this.

Valparaíso was like nothing I have ever seen before.  I loved all of the colors and how the houses covered all of the hills facing the ocean.  The street art was amazing as well.  It was a very cool city to see, and was very fun to jump over to Viña del Mar and sit at the beach for a little while.  We even saw seals!  We just have traditional suburbs and the Olentangy and Scioto.  Nothing compared to Valparaíso’s neighborhoods and body of water.

Chile is a place I definitely want to visit again.  Maybe next time I will explore the natural aspects more like the mountains, desert, Patagonia, and Easter Island.  I keep joking that if I could speak Spanish I would move there.  I mean, the Adolfo Ibañez Graduate School was really cool, who knows?  Until next time Chile, adiós!

Go Bucks! (Sunset from the Costanera Center)

We’re not going hungry in Chile

Food may not be the first thing you think about when traveling to another country, but it actually plays a big part in the trip. I was a little nervous about the food in Chile, but it turned out to be better than I ever expected. Honestly the food is one of the things I will miss most about chile.

Fresh fruit and eggs with hotdogs

I’ll start with breakfast. Everyday for breakfast they offered lunch meat and cheeses, fresh fruit, scrambled eggs with hot dogs, toast, cake, and cereal. I usually had fresh fruit and cake—I know, cake??? I will for sure miss being able to have cake for breakfast everyday without being judged. The fruit was some of the best fruit I have ever had—strawberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, honey dew, and grapes—all of them were very good.

Cake for breakfast!

My lunches and dinners usually consisted of dishes containing empanadas, fried eggs, and mayonnaise. Empanadas are a baked, or sometimes fried dough with filling inside. They’re kind of like big raviolis made out of dough instead of noodles, and there are so many different varieties. I had cheese, beef, shrimp, spinach, and veggie filled ones. All were equally as good. I definitely want to learn how to make empanadas at home because they were just so good. I’m pretty sure I had them with most of my meals.

Cheese and beef filled empanadas

I was surprised by the amount of fried eggs the Chileans eat. I’m not a huge fan of eggs, but I actually loved having a fried egg on top of normal dishes that we already have in America. My very first meal in Santiago was a sandwich with sliced beef, cheese, and a fried egg, and it was so good. The egg really made the sandwich. We also hade fries one night with chopped beef and a fried egg on top. It was equally as good!

Fries with beef chunks and a fried egg

A weirder trend in Chile is the use of mayonnaise, on EVERYTHING. Sometimes mayo would be on things like burgers and chicken sandwiches, like in the U.S., but the Chileans take it one step further and put mayo on pretty much every sandwich.

A very popular dish in Chile is actually called an Italiano. This is a hot dog with mayonnaise, avocado, and tomatoes. The colors of these toppings are the same as the Italian flag, hence the name Italiano (that one took us some time to figure out). This did not sound very appetizing to me, but we are here to experience the culture, so Lisa, Anthony, and I tried it one day for lunch. This was probably the only thing I didn’t like in Chile. Lisa didn’t care for it either, but Anthony enjoyed it. The combination of mayo and avocado was weird to me. The Chileans really love hot dogs, though. One day we went in their local grocery store, and in the freezers that are in the middle of the isle that we normally fill with turkeys near Thanksgiving, were filled with hot dogs. I have never seen so many hot dogs in my life.
I have noticed that the Chileans eat a lot of meat in their meals, especially beef. I already talked about the shredded beef sandwiches and the fries, but I also had many more great dishes with beef. At Mestizo, I had a beef ragout, which was shredded beef over gnocchi with a white sauce. It was amazing and one of the best meals on the trip.

Meal at Mestizo

I also had a burger for lunch one day. At first I was unsure about ordering a burger because we have burgers at home, but I’m glad I got to try it because the Chileans do theirs a little differently. Everything was the same—burger, cheese, lettuce, tomato—but they also put fried shredded potatoes on top. I really enjoyed this on my burger because it added an extra crunch. They were very similar to the potato sticks snack you can buy at home.

Chilean burger

Probably my absolute favorite meal of the trip was a traditional Chilean dish called charquican. The stew consisted of potato, carrots, peas, pumpkin, and onion, with a piece of braised beef laid on top. I can’t even describe how good it was. I am definitely going to figure out how to make this at home.

Chilean stew was my favorite meal!

I also tried a few desserts while in Chile, my favorite being the tres leche cake from Mestizo. It was layered cake with milk and whipped cream. It was very moist. Dulche de leche, which is pretty much caramel, is also a very popular treat in Chile. I tried dulche de leche fudge and it actually tasted a lot like the caramels with the cream centers. I also had dulche de leche gelato. It was pretty good, too, but I don’t think dulche de leche is my favorite flavor.

Tres leches

Overall, I loved all of my meals with the exclusion of the Italiano hot dog. I was really surprised by this and kept waiting every time I ate for the food to be sub-par, but it was very excellent every time. I don’t understand how all of the Chileans are so fit with such good food. I’m hoping to learn to make some Chilean dishes so I can have my favorites again.

No hablo español

Probably my most used phrase—”no hablo español.” When applying for the Santiago trip, my biggest concern was the language barrier. I can count to ten in Spanish, say hola and por favor, but that’s pretty much it. In high school I took Latin classes, which sometimes helps with root words, but other than that is almost no help. Thankfully, I am usually with Lisa during the trip, who knows enough Spanish to get us by.
This entire trip has been a learning experience. Slowly I am building my vocabulary word by word, just through interactions with the locals. Here are the most important things I have learned so far:

“I’m sorry” – “Lo siento”

“Excuse me” – “permiso”

“How much?” – “quantos”

“Can I have the check please?” – “la cuenta por favor”

When talking about the price of things, it is the number followed by “mil”

“bathroom” – “baño”

The Baquedano Market—where I got to practice my Spanish

Relative to the language barrier comes the term “gringos,” meaning a white, English speaking person.  “Gringos” is considered a derogatory term, and I have encountered it a couple of times.  The first time it was really directed at me was when a few of us went to this bar to just check it out and see if it would be a good place to go another night.  Upon entering, we were greeted by a waiter who only spoke Spanish, who yelled down to the 4 women in the basement, the only other people in the place.  He told them we spoke English not Spanish.  The women replied with something in Spanish but we caught the word “gringos” among the words.  Immediately after that interaction, the waiter turned towards us and said drinks were 10,000 pesos, which is similar to $15 in the United States.  Obviously he tried to take advantage of us and we left.

Today, we visited Quinta Normal Park and the Museum of Memory.  During our free time we went to lunch at a small, cheap restaurant near the museum.  Half-way through our meal, a man across the streets yelled to the ladies at the table next to us in Spanish: “Oh I see you’re sitting by the Gringos.”  I thought this was a really weird thing to say.  In America, this would never happen.  It doesn’t matter who you sit by, we consider ourselves equal.  This man did not just say that, but he yelled it across the street.  I did not get offended because I know it is something that their culture does and has been doing for years.  It just made me think about how diverse and integrated the United States is compared to Chile, which was something I have never thought about before and was very interesting to think about.

 

 

The sun sets on another day in Santiago

Beginning to watch the sun set

Currently I am on the 62nd floor, open roof, observatory deck of the Costanera Tower. After a long exhausting day of exploring all over Santiago, it is nice to finally sit and just observe. Our day started with a drive to the Benedictine Monastery, which was incredible and had amazing views.

Sketch of Benedictine Monastery

Benedictine Monastery in relation to landscape

Then we travelled to Universidad Adolfo Ibañez, which was equally amazing. I think I enjoyed the graduate school more, but both were incredible buildings with incredible views (although it was scary climbing the mountain in our huge coach bus).

Universidad Adolfo Ibañez

We rested with a huge and delicious lunch at Mestizo. I had Meat Ragout over gnocchi and tres leches cake for dessert. It was probably one of the best meals I have ever eaten. I was so full I don’t know how I ate it all.

Beef Ragout over gnocchi

Tres Leches was FANTASTIC

Then directly following the meal, we walked through Bicentenario Park, which was super lush and green. Santiago is a very Catholic country, and within the park we found a small chapel. I had no idea it was a chapel from the outside, but it was so peaceful inside. The tree really surprised me. Then we met the group and walked another 15 minutes to the Costanera Tower.

The landscape at Bicentenario Park was beautiful

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So, here I am, reflecting on my day as the sun goes down behind the mountains. I can’t believe we fit all of these things into this one day because it feels like that trip to the Monastery was forever ago. I still can’t believe I am in Chile, even South America. I honestly never thought I’d have the chance to come here and I am so happy to have this opportunity. The city is amazing, the weather is fantastic, the food and drinks are awesome, and the people are so friendly. I am loving Santiago.

After an hour and a half of waiting, the sun finally set, and it was so worth the wait.

The Cerros are Alive with the Sound of Chile

View from Cerro San Cristobal

From the few moments on the plane before we landed to exploring the downtown area, the hills and mountains surrounding Santiago have had a constant presence on my trip so far.  Walking around in the city, I sometimes forget of the mountains that are so close by.  Even the Cerros seem like mountains compared to what we have at home.  On the first day we went to the top of Cerro San Cristobal by cable car.  This was the first big thing I got to experience in Santiago, and I did not know what to expect.  As the ride started, I was instantly blown away by the view.  The snow-capped mountains towering over the never-ending city left me speechless.  I didn’t realize how wide the city spanned—it was huge!  We got to explore the top of the hill and see the statue of the Virgin Mary.  It was a very surreal space.  We got to experience the hill in a new way when we left by taking a funicular.  I think I prefer the cable car.

View from Cerro Santa Lucia

Today we got the chance to explore another Cerro in the city, Cerro Santa Lucia.  There was no easy way to the top of this hill like Cerro San Cristobal, but at least it was slightly shorter (even though it didn’t feel that way).  We were hot, exhausted, and dehydrated, but a little shop halfway up the hill gave us motivation with cold water and ice cream.  It was a long climb with scary steps, but it was so worth it.  There was an old fort on top of the hill and so many cool spaces along the way.  At the top was a small space, and the people were packed in.  There was a man playing a guitar and a 360 degree view of the city.  I don’t think my time there could have gotten any better.  On the way down we saw more beautiful buildings painted yellow with fountains.  Cerro Santa Lucia was beautiful and I wish we had more time to explore.  There were so many winding paths and the atmosphere was incredibly relaxing.

My first two days have been great here, and I am excited to keep exploring and see what else this city has to offer.

 

Pre-Departure Megan

This week has been incredibly busy, and now as I sit in the Columbus airport, waiting for our flight to depart to Texas, I can finally be excited.  As excited as I am though, I am exhausted.  This is the first time I have been able to sit down and relax all week.  After all the stress of two reviews, a history exam, and the anxiety of checking in at the airport and going through security (I don’t fly often), I can finally think about Chile!

Since I don’t fly often, I am slightly nervous about the flight from Dallas to Santiago, but since it will be overnight, I think it will be better.  I’m hoping I can use that time to finally catch up on all my missed sleep.

I am pumped to finally be in Chile, especially with the warm weather.  Today my mom sent me a picture of the 4 inches of snow we got at home in Pennsylvania.  I’m sorry Mom, but I’m glad I’m not coming home to that.  Instead I am looking forward to the 80 degree weather and hoping I don’t get burnt.

I am so excited to see the city, the mountains, and the sea.  I can’t wait to see where this journey takes me and all of the amazing experiences I will have.

Megan’s Bio

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Hi, my name is Megan Pettner, and I am a sophomore in the architecture program, minoring in city and regional planning.  I am from Darlington, PA, which is a small town about 40 minute outside of Pittsburgh, and 10 minutes from the Ohio border.  At home I have one sister, who is younger, 3 cats, and a dog.  In my free time I enjoy baking, drawing, and running.  If I could drop everything and have my dream job, I would open my own cupcake shop because I love decorating cakes and cupcakes.

I have only travelled outside the country once before.  This was on Aimee’s London trip last year, and I loved it.  I enjoy traveling in the states when I can.  Most recently I went to Baltimore to visit my roommate over New Years.  I love being outside and trying new things.  This summer I joined my uncle on the last two days of his bicycling trip from Washington D.C. to Pittsburgh, and rode 60 miles on my bike over the two days.  I definitely would like to try the entire trip with him in the future.  I am excited to see what adventurous things Santiago and the surrounding area has to offer.