Chile Forum

Hi;

Well, it says here to introduce yourself, so here goes.

I'm Patrick, AKA themodernnomad, and I'm from Houston, Texas. After spending about a year hitchhiking around other countries in Latin America, I arrived to Chile. Needless to say, I loved it! and proceeded to spend several more years hitchhiking around the nation, entering and leaving the country many times vía various border crossings around Chile in order to renew my 90-day tourist visa (and get to know Chile's neighbours a little better, of course!).

I now live in Punta Arenas; I first discovered this forum when I was looking for some up-to-date information about the NO ALZA DEL GAS issue that was going on here in January. Many thanks to patagoniax for posting religiously on here about that. It was in interesting experience to be sure, and I'm glad they basically got what they wanted (with a little sign-waving help from yours truly, of course! If you can't beat 'em, join 'em ). Thankfully, they ended their protests (mostly) peacefully, and I was able to return to my job as a guide to Torres del Paine.

After the winter moved in and no tourists wanted to go freeze their fannys off with me at a windy lookout for los Cuernos, I found a new job and now work as an English teacher at the Tronwell Institute (gotta love those PowerPoints). I've gone legit, and have gotten a two-year residency in Chile and plan on utilizing it to the fullest! In November I'm heading out in my sea kayak to the Strait of Magellan, on a mission to paddle the entire coastline of Chile to from Punta Arenas to Arica. You can read more about that on my blog: www.hitchtheworld.com/kayak-the-americas .

As for what Chile means to me, it's easily my favourite country I've visited in Latin America so far (that's out of fourteen countries, so Chile has earned it!). The unparalelled kindless and hospitality that the Chilean people have shown me during my travels has yet to be equaled. They've accepted this skinny gringo from Texas as one of their own, and proceeded to teach him all of their garrabatas, ¿cachai? Pucha, weón, ¡ahora tenemos un gringo medio chileno po! In short, I couldn't have picked a better place to settle for the year 2011. Chile and it's people will forever hold a special place in this vagrant wanderer's heart!

Right, I suppose that about covers it! Have a great day, everybody!

-MN

themodernnomad wrote:....the NO ALZA DEL GAS issue that was going on here in January. ....and I'm glad they basically got what they wanted

You may want to get out of town, or out of region, before the next one. I predict things will explode in October and that the law of internal security will bring about the equivalent of martial law if the new madness lasts more than 5 days. The asamblea has already been misbehaving badly in preliminary meetings with the government and I doubt that the "forces of order" will be caught off guard again if the asamblea goes for another paro regional. It could be bloodier next time. Quite frankly, some local people do need their heads knocked about, and that includes the rebels who set the fire at the Austral brewery. That should be viewed as a capital crime. No civilised nation allows its breweries to burn.

themodernnomad wrote: sea kayak to the Strait of Magellan, on a mission to paddle the entire coastline of Chile to from Punta Arenas to Arica. You can read more about that on my blog: http://www.hitchtheworld.com/kayak-the-americas

Speaking of sea kayaking, you may already know one of the local sea kayakers, Juan Luis Mattassi, the owner of Mapas JLM. He is also building a replica of Magellan's ship, the Victoria, down near the sewage treatment plant near Río Bitsch, near Tres Puentes, near the ferry terminal.

patagoniax wrote:You may want to get out of town, or out of region, before the next one. I predict things will explode in October and that the law of internal security will bring about the equivalent of martial law if the new madness lasts more than 5 days. The asamblea has already been misbehaving badly in preliminary meetings with the government and I doubt that the "forces of order" will be caught off guard again if the asamblea goes for another paro regional. It could be bloodier next time.

Yeah, well I'll be leaving in November, but it'll be vía the Strait of Magellan in a kayak, and even the most determined Chilean roadblockers can't block that off

Yeah, I agree it's only temporary, Piñera has just bought himself another 10 months to let it fester and come to a head. I saw those guys pelting the pacos with rocks and broken glass, there really is quite a sizable population of flaites in Punta Arenas.

patagoniax wrote:Quite frankly, some local people do need their heads knocked about, and that includes the rebels who set the fire at the Austral brewery. That should be viewed as a capital crime. No civilised nation allows its breweries to burn.

Ha! Yeah, fortunately it didn't affect the steady flow of Calafate ale to my local Unimarc. Though I did try to take a tour of the brewry the other day, but it was still closed down. When I asked the lady inside when they'd be open again, she just said, "Not now." Typical.

Still, I have to admit that burning things along Calle 18 was pretty fun. Some of those loons went a little too far, though, they were stealing lumber from people's yards and tires off of people's cars. And one fire almost lit up a nearby house, too.

And of course there was that buisness with the two girls and the baby. I was just a block away when it happened. Tragic.

patagoniax wrote:Speaking of sea kayaking, you may already know one of the local sea kayakers, Juan Luis Mattassi, the owner of Mapas JLM. He is also building a replica of Magellan's ship, the Victoria, down near the sewage treatment plant near Río Bitsch, near Tres Puentes, near the ferry terminal.

Yeah, I met him right after I first came to Punta Arenas back in December. I was going to buy a kayak from him, but I didn't like the Magellan models he had (too short, not enough cargo capacity. Also I hate yellow.). So I bought mine from a dealer in Valdivia. Totally worth the 80 luca shipping charge.

Yeah, it's quite an impressive boat he's building, I must say. It's a joy to be up in as well. Looking forward to seeing it all spruced up for the museam.

-MN

themodernnomad wrote:........ . I saw those guys pelting the pacos with rocks and broken glass, there really is quite a sizable population of flaites in Punta Arenas.

About 154,000 - at last count.



the second image appeared on the page for the Juventudes Comunistas UPLA. They were soooo very proud of their handiwork.


Welcome to Chile: Here, have a rock, and a gas-mask.