My birthday and more in La Serena
Trip Start
Sep 05, 2007
1
22
26
Trip End
Jul 04, 2008
La Serena, Chile
Monday, February 18, 2008
La Serena is a very laid back, friendly beach town where there's party all year long - if it's not for the beach visitors over summer time, it's the students, but La Serena is also a university city. It is also where a lot of my Chilean friends live.
I rented a room for $100 USD a month with a private bathroom and cable TV, in the best part of town, close to my friends, close to the mall and close to the city center. I had another room earlier on, even closer to the center but I had to run away from there as it was infested with fleas and I was getting bitten to pieces.
I stayed in La Serena for two months, over the peak high season during South American summer.
The Christmas Holidays
As I arrived there in late December, I was going to spend Christmas and New Years there. I really hate it every time when I'm travelling and have to pass the holidays abroad - I wanted to be with my family. I had already spent the holidays two times abroad, one time was just plain miserable in Lívingston, Guatemala and another time was better, with my ex-family in law in Quilpué, Chile. I was a bit worried about how it would turn out this year, because I really hated the idea to spend it all by myself. That's just as sad as it gets.
But I was lucky, as my friend Claudio and his family invited me to spend Christmas with them - it was certainly different to what I was used to - cold shellfish buffet - while in Iceland we eat smoked pork filet. It's not something typical in Chile, though - most eat turkey or something like that, but it is very varied. The last time I had Christmas dinner in Chile, we had also a sort of a cold buffet and then turkey for new years, because they swapped it.
In Chile there's always done some serious partying during Christmas and there was no change from that tradition this year.
Then the day before new years, my friend Rodrigo called me and asked if I didn't wanna come over and see him and his friends who are in a rock band practise in his basement. Rodrigo plays the drums and they were practising for a concert. So we had some drinks, the guys were playing for a while and then we went to eat at around 22:00 and then we all went to this guy's house, which was more drunk than any drunk person I had ever seen - he fell asleep on his couch. Haha. I did meet him later on, though, in a much better state and is a funny guy :-) But as he slept, everybody just kept on having fun, at his house, sitting outside in the garden, chatting, smoking, drinking and I brought up my stories from Morocco which I think hit quite a solid ground... oh, how we laughed!
Then came new years and I went to my friend Claudio's to eat. We had some white wine with dinner and then I had to go home and get changed before heading with the guys to the KAMIKAZE disco at the beach, to where I had already bought a very expensive entrance. I just had to take a quick nap first because the tasting of white wine made me a bit sleepy. But I never woke up, and when Claudio called me later in the night, I was so shattered and my eyes sealed back, I told him I'd just stay in. Oh, so dumb of me!! I should have just started on my rum and drunk it like a mad person! But oh well. What a night I missed. Buhhh! The partying the night before had just been too much - heavy partying for two full days is a bit too much.
Iceland in South America
In those months I've been in South America, I have totally noticed how Iceland is taking over the world, little by little. LOL. While I was in Iquique, there wasn't a Santa parade there near Christmas - but Lazy Town! The characters from Lazy Town giving gifts and on these big cars in a parade all over the city! Then I also went to a book store to look for something to read, where I came across heaps of actual books, comic books and coloring books all about Lazy Town for kids in all ages! Also there's not a single person in Chile who hasn't heard about the Icelandic children's program, but it's shown on the cable here, on some big, fancy important channel, which I came across quite often!
Then I went to the blockbuster video store in La Serena where I saw an Icelandic movie, which I didn't even know had gone international! Called "Nói Albino" - in Icelandic with Spanish subtitles! Then I went to the mall, where they were playing Björk. And in my hostel in Lima, Peru they were playing Sigurrós at the bar. I am also constantly coming across the music status messages from my South American friends on MSN Messenger, and they're often playing songs from bands like Quarashi, Sigurrós, Emiliana Torrini, Björk, Mugison, Múm and Gus Gus! And this isn't even music I've been introducing to people, because none of those bands are my cup of tea except Quarashi and now lately Emiliana Torrini with her new CD "Me and Armani".
I have been doing some serious thinking, about investing in land in La Serena. As much as I love the place, I really think it would be a good idea and land isn't expensive in the surrounding areas and there are buses passing through. I would probably not do anything with the land for a while, but just to own it, know it's yours and when I'd have the time and money, I'd do something with it. It might also be worth much more by then, as the city is always stretching further and further south, north and east - the sea is in west. But I didn't buy land this time, because I didn't find the perfect one for sale and I was lacking time. But I know I will, at some point! My dream is to have a summerhouse in La Serena.
My birthday
I spent my birthday in La Serena, too. It was awesome! I have never had such a great birthday celebration, EVER!!! Me and a friend, Carolina, have the same birthday. The birthday was celebrated early, on a Saturday so that those who can't drink on weekends or don't live in La Serena and only come over weekends could also be there. The party was beyond awesome! It was held at my friend Tere's place and my friend Chino showed his amazing BBQ talents making a plate called "Disco" which is a big, black, rough metallic deep dish over a flame, in which is placed whole bunch of meat, seafood, whitewine and lemon juice - it was just YUMMIE! Then after the food and drinking we all headed down to the beach to check if something was going on but most places had closed already so we went back to Tere's place talking and taking it easy.
On Monday, when my actual birthday was, we hadn't really got any plans for any sort of celebration. But the guys still thought we should go out and have some fun. And even though some had to go to work the next day, everybody was up for having some fun! My friend Chino found out about this party at this guy's place who also had his birthday, so we crashed the party and celebrated a double birthday! It was still sorta funny, that the birthday song was only sung for me, hehe. And everybody from the birthday boy's party wanted to have their picture taken with me, the foreigner. They had never seen me before as most of them were from a totally different friend group than me. So I had to pose like 20 times, for 20 differet people!
Then the birthday scene was over. After searching for a while, I finally found a store selling Thai food! And it was not far from where I was living, on the street of Balmaceda. There I bought fish sauce, oister sauce, kaffir lime leaves, galangal ginger, lemon grass, coconut milk, noodles, curry paste and more! Then with some of that, I cooked some dishes for some friends here in La Serena, who had never tried Thai food. I don't think they'll try it again, either, because I was wanting to do so many different plates, and with the stress of it, it didn't really go quite as well as I had hoped. Buh!! :-(
There was SO MUCH partying going on in La Serena - I had been going to the gym to try to lose weight but all I ever did was just to slightly maintain my weight because of the excessive calories in the alcohol. Ugh.
Playa Lagunillas
There was this weekend, where we partied so hard. After crawling out of Noler's car and into my room at 8 in the morning, I went to bed. As per usualy, after drinking too much, I can't sleep for long so I woke up about 3 hours later, with a pounding headache, terrible stomach ache - just a miserable hangover and couldn't sleep. Then Noler calls me at 13:00 and tells me we're gonna go to the beach, like "right now! Wanna come?" and I was like.. ehm... NO! I was feeling as shit as one can be. But he was persistent, said, we were just gonna have a couple of beers - the fresh air and sun would do me good. And I didn't even have to drink if I didn't want to, just come along. After discussing it for a while, I finally gave in and got ready. Shortly after he picked me up and we went to the beach of Lagunillas, south of La Serena. We were lots of people! I of course, gave in and had a beer - oh my oh my. They are so right when they say the best remedy for a hangover is to have a drink! I was feeling better instantly!
We were there, taking in the sun, some of the guys playing in the water, others sunbathing, others drinking and talking... it was lovely! One more example of the relaxed and lovely lifestyle in La Serena. Once we had had enough, we went to Noler's jeep on a little trip around the surrounding hills - some very challenging and we had a bit of a hassle getting up and through the sand at times. Then we stopped the car at one of the higher parts of the area and sat down to drink some beers and watch the sunset, and take lots of photos! It was incredible.
Of course we were quite boozie, after the whole day at the beach drinking, so once the sun had set, we changed clothes and went to this guy's house where we drank some more and listened to music, until we went to the beach again, but this time the Penuelas sector in La Serena, which is where Cuatro Esquinas and Avenida del Mar meet - it's where all the discos are and the casino. So we did some club hopping - Kamanga and Kamikaze which are the favourites - which then closed, so we went to another person's house, to keep on drinking... another day drinking until late morning. Oh my.
Touristy Stuff
But it wasn't ALL drinking there. Although a lot of the time it was! I did some touristy stuff as well, which I hadn't done before. I went to Isla Damas, which is a part of the Parque Nacional Pinguino de Humboldt. It's a pretty amazing place, sort of what I can imagine the Galapagos to be like, only I think the Galapagos are more tropical. This place is lots of rough rocks and lovely white beaches, with heaps beyond heaps of of marine wildlife, such as dolphins, sea lions, penguins and all sorts of birds. We were surrounded by dolphins most of our way, spashing, swimming next to us. It was really something! And it's so easy to see the wildlife! They are in abundance! The guide explained to us the different species, sailed through a natural rock tunnel and then ended our journey at the beach, which is probably Chile's most beautiful beach! Photos attached to prove a point!
I also went to the Mamalluca Observatory in the Elqui Valley. I had quite often considered going, but never gone. So I thought I'd take the opportunity this time, as I had plenty of time on my hands, and go check it out. It was rather disapointing, actually - or maybe my eye sight is just so poor. Because seeing the stars from the observatory's telescope was pretty much the same as seeing them when I was in Antuco National Park in the south of Chile in 2001, which is at high altitudes - in anything, Antuco was more impressive. We did see Saturnus though, but I had also seen that before, just as clearly, with a small-ish telescope in the center of Vina del Mar in 2001!
A Good Idea from Chile
In Chile there isn't a supermarket where you're not offered to add a few extra pesos to have your bill in an even number - like, if your bill is 1.240 pesos, you pay 1.300 pesos - and those extra 60 pesos, which is just nothing for the client ($0.10 USD) is given to charity. And there are lots and lots and LOTS of clients, so those are quite big numbers in the end of the day, every single day of the week. A lot of money has been given to charity, without big costs to the clients. I think every supermarket in the world should do something like that, I think it's a brilliant idea!
In Iceland, I'm sure about 50.000 people go to the supermarket every single day, and as the prices there are a bit higher, say it's like $0.50 USD they give away of the change on average - that's $25.000 USD a day!! Now, that can sure come a long way! And I personally like it - giving away a few cents and skipping the small, useless coins in my pocket. Of course not everybody does give their money away, at least not in Chile, but I know in Iceland nobody would mind - who cares about $0.50 USD ? It's just weight in one's pocket. And it's going for a good cause!
Going "Home"
I spent the whole summer in La Serena - that's from December to end of February. I had some seriously great times and I would like nothing more than to be able to live there permanently. People are so incredibly friendly and easy going, accepted me for all my nuttiness (and there's plenty!), life is laid back and the weather is good all year round - never freezing cold or roasting hot and it barely ever rains, right at the beach with fertile valleys in the interior. It's also got great touristic potentials. But it was now time to go "home" - my new home - as I was moving to Villa Unión in La Rioja province, northwest Argentina, where I had been accepted in the university to study Ecotourism. I had spoken to my good friend Noler, who has a pickup truck, whether he could maybe drive me over the mountains - it's just over 400 km crossing the Andes, as Villa Union is just on the other side, in an almost horizontal line from La Serena on a map. I'd pay the petrol and they'd stay at my place there, but I already had a house I was renting there. So me, Noler, his girlfriend Paula, and my friends Chino and Gulo left La Serena Friday 29th February and headed for the mountains. That's the next story.
