Went to Concepción last weekend with my friend Dermot. For those of you who don't know Concepcion was the center of where the Earthquake hit last February. Before going I tried to look up in my travel guide about hostals and other cool stuff there but there was not one word about the city, and also online it said the city had no hostals. A little strange since we were going to the place with the most earthquakes. But it ended up being awesome. We got to the bus station and found that we weren't actually in the city, but just outside so after some crazy machine gun spanish we figured out what other bus we needed to take to the center. Concepcion is gorgeous there are tons of markets and tons of pedestrian streets and a great plaza. The first night we also found an awesome strip of about 15 bars and discos. And after a little walking and talking we found a great small hotel a block from the plaza, Dermot worked his magic and we payed a good deal less and got breakfast in the mornings too, only thing was we got no receipt so we were a little nervous they were going to steal all our stuff but the didn't so it was cool. Went out hard the first night, our usual buy a bottle of pisco, drink in the plaza, try and talk to girls, freeze our butts off, have deep conversations, figure we are to drunk and need to dance. Oh we also found a sick bar that has the best 80's classic rock cover bands, I was rocking out hard to Van Halen, Guns and Roses, Foreigner, was a dream come true. Went back there the second night too. Walked around all day saturday, bought a pair of awesome shades for 2mil on the street, walked to the ghetto of Concepcion which really put things into perspective, was like an entirely different city. Watched some kids play futbol on pretty much a sand field, or "the worst pitch I've ever seen" says dermot. Ate mounds of meat and fries, and this dish called a Pinchanga which would kill in the states, im bringing it back, its fries, avocados, olives, onion, meat, hot dogs chops, tomato, and everything else you want. At dinner we felt a tremor and felt the trip complete. The messed up thing was the city seems so fine and nice, almost like white plains or a small boston, but then you go down a block and a building would be destroyed glass everywhere on the street, caution tape, and you can't even imagine if and when people were in there. The streets and gravel are also sometimes out of place, they say that when the quake it you could see the ground move like waves on a beach, messed up. Overall was a good trip. Also met a guy from Chicago playing pro basketball in Chile, went to Indiana for Bball, forgot his name but I'll keep a look out for him in a few years in the NBA, Darius, or Darien something.
So Fiestas Patrias is September 18th. It is the Independence Day of Chile and this year happens to be the bicentennial. So the last week and this week has been crazy and people have been partying and dancing the national dance called La Cueca. It is a dance that most people know but if your good you look like an absolute player. I've been telling my host dad how much I want to learn so last week I got my first lesson in Cueca from friends of my host dad and they were sure to explain everything real easily for me, NOT, I got the hang out it after about an hour. It is a really awesome dance thats sexy and stomping and foot shoving, and the real Huasos have spurs and sick outfits. So anyways last night was like a big show from my school for the Holiday and my principal and host dad had been saying for weeks how I need to dress up like a Huaso for the show. So I said hell yeah I'll look like a cowboy, so they went through with it and I found myself walking down the street to the gymnasium in inch high boots, high jacket, sombrero, and a Manta(Pancho). And I felt very over dressed lets just say cause none of the other students were dressed up and only a few of the teachers. But I just told myself I am part of the show and hey, im in friggin Chile what the hell. Thinking I was going to be dancing Cueca all night, I had another professor I work with give me another lesson of Cueca that day, I was rocking, and even learning some of the harder stomp steps, player. We get to the after party drink some pisco sours and wine, turned the Cueca music on and then the party really started. As I was bombarded by all the women professors to dance with me I quickly began to think, shit I'm the dumb gringo that thinks he knows how to dance. Whatever whipped out my hanker-chief, wooed my partner and got dancing. Was awesome, ended up dancing with jsut about every teacher there even the principal. Whenever I would mess up they would just call out the next step for me, was hilarious, Vuelta! Vuelta! They finally called me Chileano, el Gringo Chileano, I felt like I fit in....tear. Anyways was a lot of fun and I can't wait to see whats in store for this weekend. I hear wine, empanadas, wine, and cueca, sounds promising.
you have power in your silence
Ignacio
No comments:
Post a Comment