Day 14: Leaving Too Soon (17 May 2013)

Today was our final day in Chile. I cannot believe that it has already been two weeks since we embarked on this incredible journey. Just 14 days ago I barely had any idea who the 18 other students on this trip were, and in a very short time we have grown very close. It also seems unreal that we have to leave our Chilean friends behind, possibly forever. I hope that they can travel to Pittsburgh sometime and we can have a Plus3 reunion!

Anyway, this morning we decided to go souvenir shopping at the vendors along the beach. Brendan, Kelsey, Josh, Alana, and several more of us walked down there at about 10 only to find that most do not set up shop until around 1 pm. We had forgotten that we were on Chilean time and that 10 am must seem ungodly early to them whereas in the United States most things would be open by then. Undeterred, we raided the few shops that were open and most of us walked away satisfied.

Then we walked to the empanada shop that we visited on the second day and I ordered what must have been my fifth empanada there. They are so good! Afterwards we visited the bakery next door as I always seem to. It was a wonderful last Chilean meal, though Alana and the waitress were still experiencing a little language barrier.

We walked back to the hotel and quickly shoved all of our stuff into our suitcases. Luckily, everything fit and I did not even exceed the 50 pound limit. After some heartfelt goodbyes to our Chilean friends, we boarded the bus and rode to the Santiago airport. We arrived around 4, though by the time we were through checking our bags and security it was probably about 5:30. Our flight didn't board until 8, so we had a final meal and did some more souvenir shopping in the (expensive) gift shop there. Right before we boarded, we took a group picture in our matching sweatshirts.

As I boarded the plane, I took a good last look at Chile. These have been two of the best weeks of my life and I would really love to come back and visit sometime, but I think in my heart I know that I will never return. However, this experience has given me some amazing memories and some amazing friends, and has definitely sparked my interest in studying abroad other places (or at least simply travelling). I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for my passport and I.

Day 13: Horseback Riding (15 May 2013)

Today's activity was easily the best of the trip. We got to go horseback riding on a beach, through a forest, and on top of sand dunes! To top it all off, we were treated to another delicious barbecue at the instructor's ranch.

Now, my prior experience with horseback riding is very limited. I once went to a dude ranch with my girl scout troop when I was 12, but the fastest the horses went was a walk. Today we were told that we could go at whatever speed we were comfortable with, or even walk the whole time. I was given a horse that I was told was tranquil. Both of these things were LIES.

My horse would barely listen to me and had to be at the front of the pack at all times. In addition, the instructors often rallied the horses to gallop using a whistle from the back! And yes, I mean gallop. We did trot for a while, then we transitioned right into a full-on sprint. I WAS TERRIFIED. I felt as though I would fall off of my horse at any moment and I spent much of my time screaming nonsensically.

Nevertheless, I had a blast. Looking back, the experience was exhilarating. The scenery we rode through was gorgeous and I took a million pictures of the coastline and sand dunes (while travelling at a safe speed, that is). And when we got back to the ranch there were sausages, potato salad, rice, chicken wings, steak, pork, wine, and pisco sours waiting for us. We even roasted marshmallows! Honestly, the steak that this man grilled for us easily surpassed that of the expensive steakhouse we went to on Sunday.

After returning to the hotel smelly, sweaty, and tired, went out for a final dinner (pizza!) with all of the Chilean students who helped us out on this trip. This was a special dinner because it was full of goodbyes. We gave the students some Pitt apparel to remember us by and they reciprocated by giving us the coolest hoodies ever that had both USM (Universidad de Santa Maria) and Pitt logos on them. We are all going to wear them to the airport tomorrow so we can match when we return home!

Everyone agreed that this was their favorite day; it was definitely a great way to end the trip. I am not looking forward to tomorrow when we have to leave, especially since I will probably be extremely sore from the horses today.

Day 12: Relaxation Part 3 (15 May 2013)

Today was the most relaxing day of all: we visited a spa! This is what we were initially told, anyway. The place we ended up spending most of the day was, in my opinion, more of a country club. Nevertheless, we spent all morning lounging by the pool, playing soccer, and eating some more traditional Chilean foods. As if this wasn't relaxing enough, we walked a few blocks down the road around 5 or 6 pm to the beautiful country home of one of the professors from the university, where he treated us to a barbecue! The food was absolutely delicious. He even had a vine-covered patio that we were able to eat grapes directly off of!

It makes me sad to think that I will soon have to leave Chile behind. I have had so many amazing experiences in the two short weeks that I have been here and I am so glad that I decided to study abroad. As my first taste of a foreign culture, I would say that Plus3 greatly exceeded my expectations. It is so refreshing to be thrown outside of your comfort zone, and this program definitely has done that for me. I had to learn to navigate a new city and communicate with people who spoke an entirely different language from me, but I loved it. The hospitality that all of the students and professors and companies have shown us is unbelievable. It will certainly be difficult to say goodbye in just two days.

Day 11: Companies Galore (14 May 2013)

Today was our last day of real work, and it was very full. We visited the final three companies: Hela, Centauro, and Bosque del Mauco. First up was Hela, a company that manufactures different types of tools, with a focus on brushes. We toured the factory floor and learned how they make their industrial scrubbing brushes as well as traditional paint brushes. Most of the machinery was imported from Germany, a fact that really exemplifies Chile's lack of domestic technological innovation. I was very surprised by how much of the work was done by hand (almost all of it) because it seems like it would be much faster and more efficient to use a completely automated assembly line. However, it is important to provide jobs in the local Chilean economy, and these types of manufacturing jobs are probably what helped Chile dodge the worst of the unemployment caused by the global economic crisis in 2009.

Next we visited Conservas Centauro, a canned goods company that specializes in making tomato paste. This is also the company that I researched before arriving in Chile. Since Chile is entering the winter months and fruit and vegetables are not plentiful, there was no actual production happening today. We did get to see all of the machinery used for the processing of the different fruits, however. We also saw some of the packaging process and got to try the tomato paste. I learned that Centauro does indeed produce goods for other companies; they are the store brand of a large Chilean supermarket known as Jumbo. Marketing for other companies does sacrifice recognition of the Centauro brand, but in the long run I think it is smart because many people will still buy their product if it is sold as the Jumbo store brand. 

After a very late lunch (consisting of empanadas--what else?), we finally reached the Bosque del Mauco mushroom farm. The smell was very overwhelming at first: chicken manure and hot, wet straw do not produce a very pleasing aroma when mixed together. We got to see the piles of chicken manure and straw that they use to create the compost that the mushrooms grow on. We also saw the mushrooms themselves growing in large trays stacked high inside of a warehouse. I thought it was strange that the man giving us the tour kept indicating that Bosque del Mauco's processes were somewhat subpar to other factories that he had worked in. He kept telling us about the super-efficient practices on a mushroom farm in Maryland, and the comparison seemed stark. It seems as though this difference has to do with the culture and attitude of the workers in each country. 

By the end of the day, we were all exhausted. I think I learned a lot about manufacturing in Chile today. I was surprised by how important industrial engineering is to all types of companies, as it was the only engineering discipline that seemed relevant at all five visits. Considering how few of my peers are specializing in this field, this seems like a very lucrative field and I am now even considering minoring in it! 

Day 10: The Final Lecture and Soccer (13 May 2013)

Today was our last lecture at the university. We spent most of the class doing our company presentations for Jaime, who provided us with additional feedback and possible questions that we might ask our tour guides tomorrow. Luckily we did not have to eat lunch at the cafeteria. We quickly stopped back at the hotel to change into athletic apparel for our soccer game with some of the Chilean students.

We then stopped by the mall to grab lunch at the food court. I thought it was interesting how they have a lot of the same types of fast food as we do in the United States: I saw a McDonald's, a Burger King, a KFC, and a Subway. Additionally, most of the other places offered burgers, fries, sandwiches, and pizza, just like a mall food court might back home.

After a nutritious meal of a burgers and fries, we headed up to a nearby turf field. Since it was so small, we had to split up into four teams of seven people in order to play. I was very excited to play soccer with the students because soccer is my favorite sport and I wanted to see how my skills compared to those of the students who have grown up in a soccer-dominated culture. My team was absolutely stacked and we won most of the games that we played. I had a great time and though the Chileans were very talented, I think I held my own (except when I played goalie...). It makes me so happy that soccer is such a beloved sport here, and it makes me wish that people back home were equally as passionate about it. I would much rather go to a soccer match than an American football game, but that is just a cultural difference between the United States and the rest of the world I suppose.

Day 9: Relaxation Part 2 (12 May 2013)

On our second free day, I again caught up on some much needed sleep. I spent the first half of the day lounging around and catching up on my blog as well as working on my group PowerPoint presentation about the company Conservas Centauro since we need to present it on Monday. 

Then I went to the mall with one of the Chilean students and several of my peers for some frozen yogurt. It was very good, though some of the topping choices were foreign to me. 

Once we returned to the hotel, it was time for our one fancy dinner of the trip. Brice and Jorge took us out to a restaurant right on the beach, and the view was phenomenal. But the scenery was nothing compared to the food; I daresay those were the best mashed potatoes I have ever had. I also willed myself to try some foods I have never eaten before, like crab (don't judge me) and octopus (it actually tasted like tuna). 

It was interesting to observe how differently Chileans act when they are out to dinner. When we are with our friends in the United States, we seem to get very loud and boisterous because we are having such a good time. In contrast, Chileans seem to remain quieter and more respectful of other patrons in the restaurant. Tonight our table got progressively louder (especially with the wine flowing relatively freely) while the other guests downstairs were more controlled. I have noticed this a few times when we are out eating as a large group, and I wonder how the Chileans around us must feel about such an unruly group of foreigners. 

Day 8: Relaxation (11 May 2013)

Today was the first of our free days. I was glad to be able to sleep in, but I did still have to get up around 10 because some of us were going on a highly anticipated bakery tour of Viña del Mar! Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately for our waistlines) we only actually made it to two bakeries. At the first, I tried a flaky pinwheel shaped pastry that was filled with something creamy that was delicious. At the second, we got to sit down and I shared a dulce de leche cake with Brendan. Between the two of us, we could barely finish half of it! It was very tasty but it was also extremely rich and it seemed as though we were biting into a solid block of caramel. We stayed in this cafe for a while and talked with the man and woman behind the counter. They said that they often host students who are studying abroad in the United States, and the woman was very helpful when we were ordering. We tried to go into another bakery, but we couldn't handle the sweet smell because we were all so full and we walked right back out of it. 

Later, most of us decided that we wanted to go out to lunch so we wandered along the main road looking for somewhere to eat. Once we finally settled on a place, I essentially ordered blindly because I could not really understand what many of the ingredients of the dishes were. Kelsey and I shared a surprisingly delicious plate of pork, chicken, and potatoes. Because it is customary for lunch to be the large meal of the day here in Chile, we did not finish until about 4:30. Personally, I like that everything seems a little more relaxed here and that we were able to sit down to a meal for about two hours. Sometimes the United States seems so rushed. 

When we got home, most of us crashed and I took a wonderful and much needed nap for several hours. I am very thankful for this weekend because without the extra sleep it has afforded me, I think I might have gone crazy!