First Graduate

This post is part of an ongoing series of blog entries by Anjie D (FG3), a Junior at Barnard College writing about her experiences studying abroad in Chile. Here's an excerpt of her latest musings.

Possibly the best thing about studying abroad in the southern hemisphere in the fall is getting a Spring Break in September of all things. I say this because a week off from classes is exactly what allowed me to have the time of my life traveling through two different South American countries.

The General Itinerary

A bus from Vina del Mar (where I live with my host family) to Santiago. A sleepless night in a noisy party hostel that offers free dinner, wine, and club entrance every Wednesday. A plane to Lima, Peru, and another plane to Cusco, Peru. Three amazing days of breathing in little oxygen (the city is so high up it practically touches the clouds) but lots of culture. Our tour guide’s car to Ollantaytambo (Sacred Valley), a night there, a train to Aguas Calientes/Pueblo de Machu Picchu, a night without electricity in torrential mountain rain, a day exploring Machu Picchu, another night with faulty electricity, a return train and return planes, and a restless night trying to sleep on flights and in airports. Then, another plane–this time to Antofagasta. A meeting with a Chilean friend who went to middle school with me in the U.S. who I had not seen in at least 4 years, a bus to San Pedro de Atacama, two days and three nights in the driest and most spectacular desert in the world, a broken bus and a subsequent transfer to a working bus, an earlier flight than planned to Santiago, another bus, and a few long blocks to my comfy, familiar bed.

I’m Definitely Not in Chile Anymore

The first thing you notice when leaving Chile after a little over two months of deciphering Chilensis is the clarity of everyone else’s Spanish. Peruvians are no exception. No longer does “maomeo” stand in for “mas o menos.” No longer must you answer questions like “Cachai?” (more or less like “Comprendes?”) or “Donde tai?” (“Donde estas?”). Nope: in Peru, the Spanish is almost as clear as the Sacred River that runs through the Peruvian Andes.

The second thing you notice is that the Incas (well, originally the pre-Incan civilizations of which I do not remember the names) were onto something when they built their cities and monuments in the mountains: it is breathtakingly beautiful up there. There is a magic in that (thin) mountain air that you cannot find near sea level.

To read the full post, please visit please visit Anjie's blog on IFSA-Butler site.