Feeling Sick

Being sick is no fun. Being sick, alone, and in a foreign country is even worse. I'm fine now, but after a miserable night if stomach pain, headaches, and basically no sleep, I called my Dad on Skype... these images soon showed up in my inbox from him and my brother, Eric. Love!

Six Days Canoeing - Puerto Aysén

Less than a week after I arrived in Coyhaique, I was already leaving. This area is saturated with lakes, rivers, glaciers, fjords, and creeks. Basically, there is a lot of water, and a lot of water means a lot of opportunity to go out and play in it!

From March 12th to the 17th I went out with Pancho, the director of the Escuela de Guías, and 8 students for the Modulo Conoas. The Escuela de Guías, one of my affiliations, is a non-profit school that trains people from all over the Aysén region to be guides. Not only do the students learn technical skills such as mountaineering, horse packing, and canoeing, but also included in the curriculum is leadership, LNT, business strategy, and ways to approach tourism.

During the 6 days we were out we paddled in Lago Riesco, Rio Condor, Laguna Los Palos, Rio Blanco, Lago Portales, and Lago Zenteno. It was rainy or cloudy pretty much the whole time. This area is known for being incredibly wet which makes for really dense and green vegetation. It also means that chances are around every bend you’ll see a waterfall or rainbow. We went over paddling techniques, reading water, river safety, and each day learned 5 “words of the day” for paddling in English.

Besides getting a chance to learn more about how the guide school operates, get out into the field and paddle, this trip was a an immersion into Patagonian culture. In addition to the things I’m accustomed to while in the backcountry, like whisper-lite stoves, dry bags, and synthetic base-layers I learned that paddling breaks include heating up water for mate, that the Spanish here is almost like a whole new language, and that campsites are on someone’s private property, but they are usually more than happy to have us pitch our tents next to their cows.

At the end of each day I was not only physically exhausted but mentally as well. It was a great trip. I was on sensory overload. I can’t wait to become more comfortable with the area and culture and get out again.

Santiago

After a seemingly endless process of applying, waiting for a decision, preparing, and packing, I finally made it to Chile. I arrived in Santiago on February 28th, 2011. I was greeted by hot sunny weather and an incredibly patient driver at the airport. Packing clothes and gear for a year was no small task. I got quite a few perplexed looks as I toted my heap of luggage, including skis, from baggage claim to the taxi in the middle of the Chile's summer.

Santiago is a bustling city of 6 million surrounded by mountains and with no shortage of places to find good wine. I gave myself a weeklong layover here to explore. Armed with my guidebook and camera, I took to the streets. Being over 6 feet tall with blonde hair and blue eyes, it is obvious that I’m not Chilean; add the guidebook, big camera, and frequent need to stop and consult a map, I was basically a walking target, or so I thought, for the very pickpockets my Lonely Planet was warning me about. The number of people on the streets, at corner stores, and in shops who politely reminded me to keep my camera safe was far greater than the number of times I ever felt unsafe or targeted. This was a wonderful welcome to Chile, and a nice change from the seemingly continuous catcalls received in Cuba.

I was able to pack in a lot in Santiago. Highlights included:

Fine dining (not for the faint of heart or those that don’t like seafood) at Infante 51 with a newfound friend from Boston. Atop the Cerro San Cristóbal I saw a guy by himself with the same guidebook I have and also carrying a big camera. At the very least I knew he spoke English so I just went up and introduced myself. It was nice to have a travel buddy, even if it was just for the evening as we each had plans to go our separate ways the next day.

Centro Cultral Palacio de la Moneda is an underground cultural center. It is huge! Think of an airport hanger underground. It had some small gift shops and such, but the best part was an exhibit on American Art. It was broken down into two parts, El Suelo and El Viaje. It featured art from every corner of the Americas… it even had a Warhol, which instantly brought a smile to my face. Yay Pittsburgh!

Barrio Bellavista or the Bellavista Neighborhood of Santiago is really cool. It’s the hip, artsy, area of the city that is a little rough around the edges. The streets are lined with boutiques, brightly colored buildings, art galleries, and cafes. It is also home to La Chascona. Named for his third wife La Chascona is one of Pablo Neruda’s three homes in Chile. The house itself is really interesting, modeled after a boat, but the history is even more incredible. While in Neruda was in exile and right after the military coup of Pinochet, the entire house was looted and destroyed. One of a kind books were thrown into the landscaped pools and caused the place to flood. Today the house contains, among the many other great things Neruda had collected over his lifetime, a portrait of Neruda and his wife by Diego Rivera and his Nobel Prize. My favorite fact, however, was that each of his homes has more bars than bedrooms, and his homes have a lot of bedrooms. My favorite was the bright yellow bar overlooking the city… I wouldn’t mind sipping a Pisco Sour there! I have not read much of his writing nor do I know much about his life, but this was a great introduction. I admire people who have a gift and are able to share that with the world, but don’t take themselves too seriously. I would love to visit his other two homes.

Other sites I went to see:

Delicious Chilean food at Bar Liguria, Plaza de Armas, Catedral Metropolitana, Correo Central and Museo Postal, Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino, Palacio de la Moneda, Barrio París-Londres, Biblioteca Nacional, Iglesia, Convento y Museo de San Francisco, Cerro Santa Lucía, Museo de Artes Visuales, Parque Forestal, Estación Mapocho, Mercado Central, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Cerro San Cristóbal, Virgen de la Inmaculada Concepción, Funicular, and Museo Anthropología

Besides having a chance to get to know the city, I was in Santiago for my Fulbright Orientation. Before scattering to different cities and towns throughout Chile all of the grantees got together for two days. In addition to logistics and guest speakers, each person gave a presentation. Every project described was unique, well developed and super interesting. I am in great company, and truly honored to be part of the Fulbright Chile program.

Orientation wasn’t all meetings and presentations. On our second day we took a tour of the Concha y Toro winery. Yum.

Santiago was great. If given the chance, you should go. But then again, I would probably say that about any new place I get the chance to explore. I love being open to new things. After a week of the city life I was more than ready to fly even further south to Coyhaique and (warning: this next part is cheesy) fulfill a lifelong goal of experiencing Patagonia. I will gladly trade the metro for hitchhiking, the skyscrapers for mountains topped with glaciers, and street shoes for hiking boots… now the real adventure begins!!!

The Basics

I am in Chile for the year on a Fulbright US Student Grant.
http://us.fulbrightonline.org/
http://web.fulbright.cl/

With the wonderful support of family, faculty, and friends, I developed a successful proposal to work to combine science and outdoor recreation to promote conservation. Thanks to all who helped me draft my application!

My two official affiliations are:
Centro de Investigacion en Ecosistemas de la Patagonia, http://www.ciep.cl/
Escuela de Guías de la Patagonia, http://www.escueladeguias.cl/

There are a bunch of other organizations and people that I will also inevitably work with. Here in Coyhaique, it is a small community, and you soon realize almost everyone is connected in some way through jobs, family, or friends.

I may be in Patagonia, thousands of miles from the US, but it is still pretty easy to get in touch with me. Regrettably, I wont be off in the mountains or on the rivers ALL the time. Email (empierson11@gmail.com), Skype (Emily.m.pierson), and calling (011-56-9-5735443) are all good ways to get in touch. It is always nice to hear from home!

If you want to send me anything (letters are also always appreciated!) then the address to use is below. Be sure to include a return address so I can write back.
Emily Pierson
Casilla 73
Coyhaique, CHILE

I will be posting a few pictures directly to this blog, but for a more complete set you should go to my Flickr Account:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/emilyinpatagonia/sets/

Lastly, I am going to do my best to post updates regularly. BUT, I am in Patagonia… It’s hard to spend too much time inside on a computer when right outside my window, literally, are glacier topped mountains, rolling green hills, and rapid filled rivers. If you don’t believe me, come visit and see for yourself, I would love to share what I am learning about this incredible area with anyone willing to make the trip south!