HAPPY OCTOBER

Hello all!!!

Thanks for all the great questions. I feel like I am getting to know you all better through the questions you ask me. Hope you’ve been enjoying learning about South America and find it as interesting as I do.

Ok so to answer your questions:

Tyler wonders about religion in Chile. Do people go to church? How often? What kind of religion is prevalent there?

Chile is a deeply religious, Catholic country. Although not everyone goes to church (or mass) on Sunday, nearly everyone will identify themselves as Catholics. About half of the schools in Chile are Catholic schools, perhaps the best University here is La Catolica, the Catholic University in Santiago, Chile celebrates Catholic holidays like certain Saints Days, and the government is still quite influenced by the Catholic Church.

Michael is wondering about the fuel for cars and other vehicles. What kind of fuel do folks use, mostly, and how expensive is it?


They use gasoline and go to the gas station just like we do, but a cheaper option is to use natural gas to fuel cars. The latter is more common in Argentina as natural gas is cheap and abundant and the cars are made for it. In Chile, it is less common to see cars that run on natural gas, but they exist. For the most part, however, they drive cars that run on gasoline just like we do, and it is about the same price as the US.

What are some of the places you have visited outside the city since you have been there? Can you send pictures?


Here are some pictures from Chiloe, an island full of farms and fishing villages in the south of Chile.

These are pictures from Valparaiso, a port city just an hour and a half west of Santiago.

This is a picture of Bariloche, which is a city just over the border in Argentina where I went skiing the other weekend.

What kinds of homes are there in Santiago and in the rest of Chile? Do they have single-family homes or mostly apartments? What are homes built of?


In Santiago you will find a little bit of everything – from shacks on the outskirts of town, to gorgeous old mansions. The majority of people live in single family homes (almost all made of wood and cement, you hardly ever see brick here) or apartment buildings which they are constructed left and right all over the city. I live in an apartment building on the fourth floor and I have a nice view of the street below and the rest of my neighborhood.

Do folks there use ATV's for getting around?
For fun?

That is a good question. I don’t really know because I haven’t spent much time in the country outside of the city. I haven’t seen any ATVs but that doesn’t mean they don’t have them!

Isaac wants to know if cowboy boots are worn there? By the Chilean cowboys?


Hi Isaac. Yes, absolutely. Not so much in the city, but outside of the city you certainly see men wearing cowboy boots. The Chilean “cowboys” are called “wuasos”

We liked hearing about Fiestas Patrias. Do they have any other holidays we might like to know about, to help us understand Chilean culture?


This answer definitely goes along with the question about religion. Many holidays in Chile are similar to holidays in the US – Christmas, their Independence Day, etc. – but the main difference is the Catholic Holidays. For example, we had Saint Peter’s Day last semester, and this semester, coming up in October I believe there is another one. It shows how the Catholic faith is deeply rooted in this culture.

If you have visited any national parks, could you send us pictures?


Here are some pictures from Torres del Paine National Park – probably the most spectacular place in all of Patagonia. I went last March and camped and hiked and fished in the park for 8 days.

Do you ever see any wild animals? What kind are there, and can you send pictures?


I did see some interesting animals in the south of Chile in Torres del Paine National Park. For the most part, the animals I saw aren’t all that exotic – some interesting birds, for example, but I did see guanacos, which are like small llamas (see picture). In Torres del Paine, there are mountain lions, but they try to avoid humans, thank goodness! I’ve also attached a picture of the huemul, which looks like a small deer and is in an important, symbolic animal here in Chile that is very rare these days. I have not seen one in person.

What kinds of homes are there in Santiago and in the rest of Chile? Do they have single-family homes or mostly apartments? What are homes built of?


In Santiago you will find a little bit of everything – from shacks on the outskirts of town, to gorgeous old mansions. The majority of people live in single family homes (almost all made of wood and cement, you hardly ever see brick here) or apartment buildings which they are constructed left and right all over the city. I live in an apartment building on the fourth floor and I have a nice view of the street below and the rest of my neighborhood.

Do folks there use ATV's for getting around?
For fun?

That is a good question. I don’t really know because I haven’t spent much time in the country outside of the city. I haven’t seen any ATVs but that doesn’t mean they don’t have them!

Isaac wants to know if cowboy boots are worn there? By the Chilean cowboys?


Hi Isaac. Yes, absolutely. Not so much in the city, but outside of the city you certainly see men wearing cowboy boots. The Chilean “cowboys” are called “wuasos”

We liked hearing about Fiestas Patrias. Do they have any other holidays we might like to know about, to help us understand Chilean culture?


This answer definitely goes along with the question about religion. Many holidays in Chile are similar to holidays in the US – Christmas, their Independence Day, etc. – but the main difference is the Catholic Holidays. For example, we had Saint Peter’s Day last semester, and this semester, coming up in October I believe there is another one. It shows how the Catholic faith is deeply rooted in this culture.

If you have visited any national parks, could you send us pictures?


Here are some pictures from Torres del Paine National Park – probably the most spectacular place in all of Patagonia. I went last March and camped and hiked and fished in the park for 8 days.

Have you been able to see any snow up close? Do they have like feet and feet of it during winter?


Except for when I went skiing the other weekend, I haven’t seen much snow this winter. In Santiago, I never went up to the mountains. I see the snow-covered mountains from the city every day, but there is no snow down here in the valley, unfortunately. Up in the mountains, they do indeed get feet and feet of snow!

Can you tell us about the types of music that are most popular there?

They love really bad popular American music, haha. They like music that was popular on the radio in the US about 10 or 20 years ago that never really made it into the “classics” category. Don’t ask me why.

As for Latin pop, the main two categories of music are “cumbia” and “reggaeton.” Yall should go look it up on YouTube. They both have very basic rhythms that are just repeated over and over again. And while at first it sounded sort of strange, it is really growing on me – especially reggaeton! Daddy Yankee is by far the most famous Reggaeton artist.

How deep does the snow generally get in the mountains?


In the Andes, the snow definitely is feet deep in some places! There are certain parts where the snow remains all year round.

If you had to choose a country to live in besides the United States, would you choose to live in Chile? Why/Why not?


I think I could definitely live in Chile if not the United States. There are certain aspects of the culture that are frustrating, for example I think gender roles are still far too separate and unequal, kids stay at home and live with their parents until they are married which delays personal maturation and prohibits personal independence in a lot of ways, and there is very little environmental consciousness among the population in general. However, as far as Latin American countries go, the institutions and government of Chile are well-run, there is much to appreciate in the efficiency of Santiago, the natural beauty of this country is unbeatable, and the people are wonderful and friendly. I could certainly find my niche and live here for an extended period of time. Everything one could want in the States, you can find here (except for good Mexican food – I am REALLY missing that!).

Do folks there drink lots of soft drinks, tea, water? What is a favorite drink?


All of the above. They are big tea drinkers, definitely more so than coffee. And they have all the typical soft drinks we have, Coke, Sprite, Fanta, Ginger Ale - Coke definitely being the favorite. When it comes to products like soft drinks, Chileans are very “Americanized.” In Peru, for example, you’ll find they have their own brands of soft drinks, like IncaCola, which is fruity and sweet. Chile lacks those sorts of unique cultural quirks.

Matt asks, "Do you join in with any of the soccer or other sports activities?"


Hi Matt! I have not played much soccer here. I know some girls play, but it is not that common. In general, girls only play sports in school for fun and rarely play on competitive teams like the boys do. That is unfortunate in my opinion, and I wish I had more opportunities to play sports because I am very athletic and enjoy soccer and basketball and tennis. Now that it’s finally spring here, I’m hopefully going to start playing some more tennis soon!

Joe wonders..."What are some things you enjoy doing in your spare time?"

In my spare time, I take salsa classes, which is a really fun way to meet people and integrate myself in the culture. I also take yoga class a couple times a week. When it’s nice out, I love to take long walks and go exploring. Big cities are so cool because they are full of surprises. Every time I go on a walk, I discover a new street market selling vegetables, or a little shop selling interesting old books, or I’ll find a nice quiet place to sit under a tree and read, or I’ll end up bumping into a classmate on the street. It’s fun to just go out and see where the day takes you! Unfortunately, I haven’t had much time to just wander lately as school is getting really busy. I have a big quiz next week… wish me luck!

Until the next post, take care and have a great weekend.

Shepard