In another thread I posted that: I was born south of the border but I am not Latina, at least no genetically, as I was born from emigrant/refugee parents. Yet, growing up in South America I could not help but be imbued by the Latin culture, of which I am pretty proud. So, I guess I can consider myself a Gringa-Latina. I have live in several South American Countries, and also in a couple of European ones, though the majority of my adult life I have spent it in the good old USA.
I thought it may be fun to tell you about some of the places I lived, and hopefully you all will also share some of your places and stories.
"So I flew into Santiago de Chile, my third trip to that Country, to get to my first post graduate training. I had been accepted at the prestigious Universidad Austral de Chile to do an internship.
La Universidad Austral de Chile is way down in the city of Valdivia, but before heading to Valdivia I spent a few days with some dear friends, and ex girlfriend who now was 3 months pregnant, and some uncles. Santiago is a very vibrant and exciting city, with many things to do, especially when you a few native guides who ferry you candy ass around the city entertaining you, and showing you around. Ah, the good old days.
So, anyway, one late afternoon I climbed onto an old bus, and down the Pan-American highway I went. It was six in the morning by the time we arrive in Valdivia, and OMG it was dark and cold. You see, where I grew up there is no season, but this further down I was experiencing my first winter. How uncivilized, who lives in places with this of kind weather? How I was supposed to know that many years later I will live through some really bad ass winter by the shores of lake Erie.
So, back to Valdivia, so, in addition to the cold and darkness, the second thing that got my attention was that almost everybody around me where tall, blond, and blue-eyed people (Paradise for me since I like danish cookies"). For a moment I thought that an UFO had transported me to Aarhus, or that I was hallucinating: but no, this was real, I was surrender by Vikings. But while the locals looked like Vikings, their Spanish accent was undeniable Chilean, you know kind of honky, LOL. And more shocking, you will hear German spoken everywhere.
So it turns out that the south part of Chile was severely underdeveloped, and there were fear that the Argentinians will settle there and claim the land and resources. So President Rosales in the mid 1800s encourage the migration of Germans and other northern Europeans to the south part of Chile.
So, I spent my winter in Chile learning some protein chemistry at the University Austral, and in the weekend I travel to Puerto Mont, Chiloe, and made all the way to Punta Arenas. The vistas and paisajes were breath taken, like feeling G-d was with you showing her creation.
Now, Chile is well known for its wines, but talking about good German beer, hum. I was also introduced to "curanto." Curanto is traditionally prepared in a hole, about a meter and a half (approx. one and a half yards) deep, which is dug in the beach. The bottom is covered with stones, heated in a bonfire until red. Then you place layers of shellfish, meat, potatoes, milcaos (a kind of potato bread), fish, and vegetables. Each layer of ingredients is covered with nalca (Chilean rhubarb) leaves, or in their absence, with fig leaves or white cabbage leaves. All this is covered with wet sacks, and then with dirt and pine trees needles, creating the effect of a giant pressure cooker in which the food cooks for approximately one hour. Yummy, OMG with some beer and wine, and a bon fire by a sunset...
Unfortunate, like always, my river yank me out and took me elsewhere. The warmth, love, and friendship that the Chilean people pour over me was such that a part of my hart never left Chile. So I am a Gringa-Chilean.....
....next: The Upper Amazon: living with the Auca.
