JANUARY 8TH
K and I are still a mess. Today we took a two hour boat ride around the Valparaiso bay. It cost 3 dollars… it was worth 3 dollars.
I ate a very, very questionable empanada that I bought from a lady on the pier—she pulled it out of a wooden tub and I paid a dollar for it.
What did I expect? Not fish oyster poop. I tried to eat it—and we were on the boat—swaying not gently in the breeze…
I’m understanding more Chilean Spanish now and I wish I didn’t because this man next to me who was talking to another man, was not very nice about the US or Argentina for that fact.
And that empanada had red stuff in it—blood I’m thinking—it just tasted so very wrong… but my stomach is pretty hard core now. I drink the tap water everywhere we go and Valparaiso has the dirtiest water but I would have to say but I’m okay. I eat pretty much whatever I can find.
Cleanliness is not a must anymore.
On that note, I’ve noticed since the trip to the South and maybe the South inspired it from lack of certain essentials but I don’t shower as much once every 3 or 4 days. I run almost every day but yet… I don’t think I smell but really does it matter?
My clothes are washed in a sink with cheap detergent and cold water and hung out to dry. The wind whips through Valpo picking up all the garbage that is scattered everywhere by the dogs. That dirty wind is exactly what dries my wet clothes after a washing.
I’m not worried about this though. I think it’s a damn good thing. I showered too much in the states. It was like religion for me. Before work, after work and a bath for relaxation. What a waste! And my skin looks better though my hair is a mess but there is no water softener so it takes a beating.
I don’t wash my clothes that much anymore because it just ruins them… I mean, I leave in 3 weeks—I can last just fine. And the clothes that I wear constantly should just be burned anyway. By the time I make it back, I should probably be burned too.
Oh and food is meant to be prepared! Or at least I take the time to do it—probably because food needs to be cooked here. We have no microwave or stove. So we eat Lentils. They take freaking hours! And pasta. But mostly lentils. They give us our nutrition and they are cheap—which is number one right now considering my money crunch.
The boat tour ended—THANK GOD and we decided we needed a movie. A movie from the states that was totally a Chick Flick. We stopped and bought toffee, dark chocolate, a large bottle of Coke, and some other candy I can’t remember. We stuffed it in my purse and snuck it in to the movie theater.
But, we did buy popcorn—oh yes and it’s not like the popcorn in the states! No this shit is the bomb! Like crack! Popcorn crack! I ate over half the bag it was sooooo goooood! I would’ve eaten it all but K was fighting me for it too! Damn her!
I tried to offer her toffee to keep her away but no! I am not always the beacon of hope when it comes to sharing. Back off. It was great popcorn.
But alas the movie, the junk food, soda, tons of tea and coffee, boat ride, empanada and so forth did not make us feel better about what happened the day before.
I kept imagining that penis—and not in a good way. I still feel dirty and angry… and it doesn’t help that while we walk around the hoots and hollers, cat calls, whistles and stares continue. I feel uneasy.
*K told me that “Apparently the boat tour was only 20 minutes but it felt like longer because it was soooo booooorrrrinnnng.” Geez.
K and I are still a mess. Today we took a two hour boat ride around the Valparaiso bay. It cost 3 dollars… it was worth 3 dollars.
I ate a very, very questionable empanada that I bought from a lady on the pier—she pulled it out of a wooden tub and I paid a dollar for it.
What did I expect? Not fish oyster poop. I tried to eat it—and we were on the boat—swaying not gently in the breeze…
I’m understanding more Chilean Spanish now and I wish I didn’t because this man next to me who was talking to another man, was not very nice about the US or Argentina for that fact.
And that empanada had red stuff in it—blood I’m thinking—it just tasted so very wrong… but my stomach is pretty hard core now. I drink the tap water everywhere we go and Valparaiso has the dirtiest water but I would have to say but I’m okay. I eat pretty much whatever I can find.
Cleanliness is not a must anymore.
On that note, I’ve noticed since the trip to the South and maybe the South inspired it from lack of certain essentials but I don’t shower as much once every 3 or 4 days. I run almost every day but yet… I don’t think I smell but really does it matter?
My clothes are washed in a sink with cheap detergent and cold water and hung out to dry. The wind whips through Valpo picking up all the garbage that is scattered everywhere by the dogs. That dirty wind is exactly what dries my wet clothes after a washing.
I’m not worried about this though. I think it’s a damn good thing. I showered too much in the states. It was like religion for me. Before work, after work and a bath for relaxation. What a waste! And my skin looks better though my hair is a mess but there is no water softener so it takes a beating.
I don’t wash my clothes that much anymore because it just ruins them… I mean, I leave in 3 weeks—I can last just fine. And the clothes that I wear constantly should just be burned anyway. By the time I make it back, I should probably be burned too.
Oh and food is meant to be prepared! Or at least I take the time to do it—probably because food needs to be cooked here. We have no microwave or stove. So we eat Lentils. They take freaking hours! And pasta. But mostly lentils. They give us our nutrition and they are cheap—which is number one right now considering my money crunch.
The boat tour ended—THANK GOD and we decided we needed a movie. A movie from the states that was totally a Chick Flick. We stopped and bought toffee, dark chocolate, a large bottle of Coke, and some other candy I can’t remember. We stuffed it in my purse and snuck it in to the movie theater.
But, we did buy popcorn—oh yes and it’s not like the popcorn in the states! No this shit is the bomb! Like crack! Popcorn crack! I ate over half the bag it was sooooo goooood! I would’ve eaten it all but K was fighting me for it too! Damn her!
I tried to offer her toffee to keep her away but no! I am not always the beacon of hope when it comes to sharing. Back off. It was great popcorn.
But alas the movie, the junk food, soda, tons of tea and coffee, boat ride, empanada and so forth did not make us feel better about what happened the day before.
I kept imagining that penis—and not in a good way. I still feel dirty and angry… and it doesn’t help that while we walk around the hoots and hollers, cat calls, whistles and stares continue. I feel uneasy.
*K told me that “Apparently the boat tour was only 20 minutes but it felt like longer because it was soooo booooorrrrinnnng.” Geez.
The water in Santiago is potable, but it has so much chlorine in it that it bothers my stomach. So I resort to buying and lugging bottled water. As for street food, I've never had any problem with anything.
ReplyDeleteI've never been to a "real" movie theatre here, only the art house type and they don't sell popcorn. After your description, I'm gonna have to hit the movies. BTW, admission is about $6.00 here as compared to $13.00 in New York!