I enlisted the help of no less than 12 eager, friendly Chileans to get me to Pichilemu, an international surfing destination that's off the beaten tourist path (you won't find it in any guidebooks), although only about 3 hours south of Santiago. I started at 10:30 pm on a bus from Puerto Varas and was dropped by the side of the highway outside of San Fernando at 8:45 am. I'm getting more and more brave, especially after I've seen how hospitable and safe Chile is. When I ask people for directions or advice, they usually drop what they're doing and personally escort me to what I want or someone else who can help me.
I took a colectivo into San Fernando, wandered around until I found another man from Concepcion also trying to locate the bus station, then we found it together, where he insisted on translating for me at the ticket booth and transferring me to the bus driver, who carried my bag to the bus and ushered me to my seat.
In Pichilemu 4 hours later, the TI office was closed because the tourist season was over. Hmmm...has a familiar ring to it, doesn't it? A woman happened to be walking by who works for the Municipal de Pichilemu. She told me her friend works for an agency that helps place people in hostels, walked me across town, waited while I explained exactly how much I wanted to spend and what type of place I wanted, then walked with me to the vegetable stand next door and helped me ring up my purchases while her friend notified the cabaña owner and called a taxi. Not bad!
After the friend (Monica) made sure the taxi wouldn't overcharge me, he delivered me to a lovely set of cabañas in the woods above the sea. I had my own cabin, with queen-size bed, kitchen, bathroom, and patio, for just $20,000 pesos (about $32 USD) per night. I realized it had been since November that I had my own space with a kitchen and everything I need, and I went crazy at the grocery store stocking up.
Cabañas Lugano
My very own kitchen, at last!
Pasta, ensalada y vino (on the same dishes that my roommate Kala has - crazy!)
The owner of the cabañas was Eduardo - a large, gregarious, athletic man who apparently was the reigning Chilean motocross champion from 1982-1994 (and proud of it). He was learning English and very eager to practice with me. He said he was going for a bike ride early the next morning and insisted that I join him. (Unfortunately, he didn't inform me that Chile was switching from daylight savings time in the middle of the night, so I got up, gobbled breakfast, and knocked on his door an hour early!! Bummer.)
Eduardo - owner of Cabañas Lugano and long-time Chilean motocross champion
We had a great ride - my first "real" mountain biking experience that involved riding up and down all sorts of rocky, root and branch-covered dirt paths. I learned more adventure sport Spanish:
Pichilemu coastline
Punto de Lobos (Wolves Point)
Ola (wave) y surfistas
A tour bus pulled up and everyone got off to watch the action.
I managed to avoid getting in the water (because it's intensely cold) for three days, and finally signed up for a beginner surfing lesson the fourth day - St. Patrick's Day!
I decided that trying surfing for the first time in Chile is kind of like trying sushi for the first time in Mexico. Unexpected - but a great experience in the end!! As I made breakfast in my cute little cabaña, I listened to Reggae music to get pumped up (this may be an oxymoron).
Escuela de Surf
Classic!
When I put on the wet suit and started walking down the beach with the massive "tabla" (board), I felt like I was getting ready for a photo shoot or Halloween - like a total poser! After a quick how-to-stand-up-on-your-board tutorial in the sand, our guide, Alejandro, led us straight out into the wide, open ocean. As I paddled like mad to follow him through the freezing surf, swallowing saltwater and losing all sight of the world beyond the next enormous swell, it occurred to me that I hadn't signed a waiver or even been asked if I knew how to swim!
Alejandro taught us very little surfing vocab: only "¡Ola, ola, ola!" when a wave was coming. He would give us a shove and watch as we fell off the board time and time again. I probably could have stood on the first few waves (which turned out to be the best), but I was afraid until I fell off one time and was knocked in the head with my board. Once I knew that it wasn't that bad, I was a little more brave.
The wet suit protected me totally from the cold, but my hands were exposed and nearly numb! The cold was exhilirating, though, as we rode over waves, got splashed in the face and paddled until our arms fell off. In the end I got up only as far as my knees. The hardest part was carrying my gynormous board back to the escuela de surf (we had traveled a long way in the water!). I can see that surfers must be in incredible shape. I road my bike back up the hill to my cabin for a 45-minute break, then returned for more practice in the afternoon.
My board (on the left) was so huge I couldn't get my arm around it! At the end of the lesson, the instructor had to help me carry it back.
Jonathan, a UW student born and raised in Seattle, shared my beginning surfer lesson. While we were getting ready, we discovered that his uncle was my orthodontist in Yakima when I was 12 yrs old. And here we are, surfing in Chile together!
I survived! And I loved it.
Punto de Lobos at sunset - the best time to watch the surfers
Sighhhh...
I took a colectivo into San Fernando, wandered around until I found another man from Concepcion also trying to locate the bus station, then we found it together, where he insisted on translating for me at the ticket booth and transferring me to the bus driver, who carried my bag to the bus and ushered me to my seat.
In Pichilemu 4 hours later, the TI office was closed because the tourist season was over. Hmmm...has a familiar ring to it, doesn't it? A woman happened to be walking by who works for the Municipal de Pichilemu. She told me her friend works for an agency that helps place people in hostels, walked me across town, waited while I explained exactly how much I wanted to spend and what type of place I wanted, then walked with me to the vegetable stand next door and helped me ring up my purchases while her friend notified the cabaña owner and called a taxi. Not bad!
After the friend (Monica) made sure the taxi wouldn't overcharge me, he delivered me to a lovely set of cabañas in the woods above the sea. I had my own cabin, with queen-size bed, kitchen, bathroom, and patio, for just $20,000 pesos (about $32 USD) per night. I realized it had been since November that I had my own space with a kitchen and everything I need, and I went crazy at the grocery store stocking up.
Cabañas Lugano
My very own kitchen, at last!
Pasta, ensalada y vino (on the same dishes that my roommate Kala has - crazy!)
The owner of the cabañas was Eduardo - a large, gregarious, athletic man who apparently was the reigning Chilean motocross champion from 1982-1994 (and proud of it). He was learning English and very eager to practice with me. He said he was going for a bike ride early the next morning and insisted that I join him. (Unfortunately, he didn't inform me that Chile was switching from daylight savings time in the middle of the night, so I got up, gobbled breakfast, and knocked on his door an hour early!! Bummer.)
Eduardo - owner of Cabañas Lugano and long-time Chilean motocross champion
We had a great ride - my first "real" mountain biking experience that involved riding up and down all sorts of rocky, root and branch-covered dirt paths. I learned more adventure sport Spanish:
- "Subida" - steep uphill
- "Bajada" - steep downhill
- "Subiremos, subiremos, subiremos" - We will climb, and climb, and climb
Pichilemu coastline
Punto de Lobos (Wolves Point)
Ola (wave) y surfistas
A tour bus pulled up and everyone got off to watch the action.
I managed to avoid getting in the water (because it's intensely cold) for three days, and finally signed up for a beginner surfing lesson the fourth day - St. Patrick's Day!
I decided that trying surfing for the first time in Chile is kind of like trying sushi for the first time in Mexico. Unexpected - but a great experience in the end!! As I made breakfast in my cute little cabaña, I listened to Reggae music to get pumped up (this may be an oxymoron).
Escuela de Surf
Classic!
When I put on the wet suit and started walking down the beach with the massive "tabla" (board), I felt like I was getting ready for a photo shoot or Halloween - like a total poser! After a quick how-to-stand-up-on-your-board tutorial in the sand, our guide, Alejandro, led us straight out into the wide, open ocean. As I paddled like mad to follow him through the freezing surf, swallowing saltwater and losing all sight of the world beyond the next enormous swell, it occurred to me that I hadn't signed a waiver or even been asked if I knew how to swim!
Alejandro taught us very little surfing vocab: only "¡Ola, ola, ola!" when a wave was coming. He would give us a shove and watch as we fell off the board time and time again. I probably could have stood on the first few waves (which turned out to be the best), but I was afraid until I fell off one time and was knocked in the head with my board. Once I knew that it wasn't that bad, I was a little more brave.
The wet suit protected me totally from the cold, but my hands were exposed and nearly numb! The cold was exhilirating, though, as we rode over waves, got splashed in the face and paddled until our arms fell off. In the end I got up only as far as my knees. The hardest part was carrying my gynormous board back to the escuela de surf (we had traveled a long way in the water!). I can see that surfers must be in incredible shape. I road my bike back up the hill to my cabin for a 45-minute break, then returned for more practice in the afternoon.
My board (on the left) was so huge I couldn't get my arm around it! At the end of the lesson, the instructor had to help me carry it back.
Jonathan, a UW student born and raised in Seattle, shared my beginning surfer lesson. While we were getting ready, we discovered that his uncle was my orthodontist in Yakima when I was 12 yrs old. And here we are, surfing in Chile together!
I survived! And I loved it.
Punto de Lobos at sunset - the best time to watch the surfers
Sighhhh...
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