My first day in Chile

After flying through the night I arrived in Santiago, where I was immediately cheated out of four dollars by a porter who insisted that he carry my bags out to the curb. I thought he was doing me a favor but then he stood around leering at me until I gave him the smallest amount of pesos that I could. I guess he either thought I was incapable of carrying my two enourmous bags, or that the ultra smooth sport coat I was wearing indicated that I had many extra dineros.

Luckily my jounrey into the city from the airport was made easy as my friend Nate met me at the airport and guided us to my new home in Las Condes, a suburb of Santiago, where people believe everyone is trying to rob them and therefore feel the need to erect stone walls and gates around their houses.

The family I am stying with is very friendly. There is a mother Janet, sister Ali (picture of nate and Alijandra) and brother Alfredo living in the house and I am sleeping in one of their spare rooms which has interent access. Our house is overlooked by snow covered chilean mountains, which can be seen in the back of the photo of Nate and Ali.

Since I have been here I have dined at two of the best rated resaturants santiago has to offer. The first was paid for by the exchange program nate just finished. At this meal waiters poured flaming syrup from one dish to anther, heating it up only to then pour over ice cream covered crepes. The second was to celebrate Nate´s 22nd birthday (see pictures in restaurant and with cake which Janet made out of delicious layered soft graham cracker.) The restaurant was on the top floor of a tall building and the dining room floor revolved slowly, revealing the entire Santiagan landscape through giant windows and making me a little sea sick. Both of these big meals lasted for over three hours, as is the custom when dining out here -slow and relaxed.

I have been enjoying myself, drinking great, cheap Chilean wine and hanging out with Nates classmates, and eating four meals a day, many of which are prepared by my host mother. I even bumped into my old baseball teamate Ben Shapiro, who was in nates program (see pic).

This weekend I am travling to the beach, where my family has a house, and after the weekend Nate and I are hitting the road.