Month: December 2022

I’m proven time and time again that things will work out while traveling. Arriving to Mendoza, I had little planned out aside from arriving at hostel campo base for my next Workaway. On the bus, I met this Argentinian woman who kind of took me under her wing and explained the process when crossing the border and got us a taxi cab when there were none in sight. It was quite easy to take the bus over to Argentina from Chile but I’m thankful for her kindness upon arriving in Mendoza. 

I walked in the hostel to emptiness aside from 3 people in the middle of a long hallway with a fan blowing on them and a tv in front of them. They welcomed me briefly but told me to throw my bags down and have a seat, I can get a tour later. Then I realized. I arrived in the middle one of the semi final game for the World Cup. That explains why there were no taxis in sight! Argentina ended up winning that day and the following week I got to experience the game in the middle of a passionate crowd on the streets with a jumbo screen. I’m not really a fan of watching professional sports but this was an amazing experience. I went with some guests from the hostel and we learned some Argentinian soccer chants, drank beer, got sprayed with beer, and cheered with the rest of the crowd! 

Mendoza is a party. I can’t believe I’ve been here for two weeks — it’s crazy how fast time goes by when you don’t sleep! The days are hot and long so lots of them are spent in another hostel’s pool, eating Panchos (hot dogs), and dancing to Latino music. The dancing here has been one of my favorite things. I’m happy that I can keep up with my Latino friends in the clubs and I’m learning more amazing music. 

I finally went on a hike with my two Brazilian friends who are volunteers as well. We spent all day in the mountains hiking, laughing, dancing, picnicking, and taking goofy photos. Mendoza is surrounded by beautiful mountains and I hope to explore more of them while I’m here. 

This hostel has been an adjustment from La casa azul but I’m learning to adapt (especially to the 12am-8am shift)! I’ve really gotten use to the volunteer group dynamics but I’m sad because most of the volunteers I’ve gotten to know are leaving in the next few days. But this is a similar feeling as the one I had in Valparaiso. I’ve especially bonded with Ari and Michelle from Brazil and hope to visit them one day I their home provinces! They speak a mixture of Spanish and Portuguese and I swear I’m beginning to have a Portuguese accent from how much we talk. 

There’s been a lot of people passing through the hostel that I met in Valparaiso too which has been fun, it’s always nice to see a familiar face. 

I’m really in awe by the generosity of Mila, my new hostel boss. He rented a car to drive Michelle, Ari, Lou, and I to San Rafael which was so beautiful. We blasted music during the 3 hour car ride and passed around a joint up until the border check, hah! It’s always a good time with Mila —he’s consistently checking on people and offering things, especially food…so much food…! This man knows how to cook an Asado! 

It’s crazy to think that I spent Christmas here dancing to cumbia and eating asado with all of the other travelers in Mendoza! New Year is sure to be a party as well…

At the end of the day, I’m just thankful to be surrounded by kind people, a safe place to sleep, food on the table, new surroundings, and the sound of Spanish.

It’s been just about a month since my last blog post. The beauty of this last month is that when I look back on it, people and moments stick out. I did a few more touristy things and went to a few more destinations but the bulk of this last month was spent at La casa azul conversing, cooking, laughing, and being with other people. My daily routine often includes an hour of yoga on the grass outside of the hostel, time spent basking in the sun, doing a 5 hour shift, meeting new guests, and walking to the climbing gym or beach with other volunteers. 

I’ve continued meeting amazing human beings on their journey in Latin America, discovering new Latino music, and conquering the stairs that make up this city. My hearts been touched by the familiarity I’m gaining in Valparaiso. By the owner of the small mini market above the hostel that we buy bread from. By the guy selling cheese at the market that remembered me only after buying cheese once from him. By the employee at the climbing gym who doesn’t need to ask my name anymore for my reservation when I show up. 

I suppose the event that stands out most in November is Thanksgiving. I was sitting on the sofa in the main entrance of the hostel when I smelled the familiar smell of stuffing cooking in the kitchen. It was a moment of nostalgia for me. One that I really appreciated because of the happy memories I have with my family during the holidays and for the new memories I’m making here. Kendall and I prepped 7 different dishes for our hostel friends. While I was sad to not be with my family, I was rejoiced to be with kind people and to share some of our culture with them. Kendall and I had a blast buying groceries and cooking all day — we are basically pros at shopping at the large outdoor markets! 

Once we had the table all set and everyone was there, Kendall had everyone go around the table and say what they were thankful for. With sun beaming down on my face, surrounded by kind souls, with ample food in front of us, I had more than enough to be thankful for. 

It was quite difficult to explain the thanksgiving dishes to everyone but they loved our food. Explaining how to make stuffing seemed to be the hardest one, hah!

One of the things that I’ve grown to appreciate most this month is the culture around food here. People are extremely generous and more than once, I have been offered food and when I say thank you, they respond with something along the lines of “the only thing I like more than eating is seeing other people eat.” The culture in general is very generous and community based, it warms my heart. 

I leave for Mendoza in 5 days and I think a little part of my heart will break when I have to say goodbye to this city and its people, but that just shows how beautiful of a place Valparaíso is.