A month in Valparaiso, Chile.
I spent a month in Valparaiso, Chile. I did a work exchange at a hostel. I worked in exchange for a bed and some food. It was actually a lot easier than I thought, despite everything being in Spanish. It is said that Chilean Spanish is difficult to understand because they talk to fast and they have different slang. I got along fine though. Before Chile I spent the prior month backpacking through Peru. It was too fast for me, a week here and a week there. I found this gig through, Workaway, check it out. I have another gig in August in Scotland. It was great to relax and not have to worry about traveling.
Valparaiso is the cultural capital of Chile. There are 42 hills, cerros, in the city. There are many incredible murals all over the city. It has one of the three homes of famous Chilean Poet, Pablo Neruda. It used to be one of the premier ports in the 1800s. With the creation of the Panama Canal. Its stopped receiving as many visitors. I saw a video that showed the city and immediately I wanted to visit the city.
Red Bull Valparaiso Abajo
Who I met. The first people I met were my co-workers, Hernan. He was the manager of the hostel. He was very friendly and welcoming. I learned a lot about Chilean culture from him. Lucas, a young Brazilian kid, who is from Sao Paulo. He is traveling all over South America. He will be in Chile until July. Pierre, a French traveler, who is from Marseilles. He has a travel visa for a year. He left to travel south after a week I arrived.
What I got from the experience. Traveling slow is a much more enjoyable experience. I was able to spend more time to meet people and learn about their culture and country. One of the traditions at the hostel was to have lunch together with all the workers. It will be something that I’m going to miss. I believe breaking bread with strangers is one of the best ways to get to know people. The last lunch I had with Hernan and Lucas, I made Filipino chicken adobo. I believe knowing how to cook is an essential adult skill. I’m thankful for living on my own, it helped with my knowledge around the kitchen.
I had a lot of down time to train Jiu Jitsu, read, cook, walk around the city, enjoy a wine tour and take in the Chilean culture. I will miss the weather, empanadas, murals, food, wine, and speaking spanish but not the terremotos. I will go to South Korea for a week.
Travel slow.
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