South America has been one of the places on the top of my list for as long as I can remember, exploring the ancient wonders of Machu Picchu and the hidden depths of the Amazon right at the top, however Chile never really registered on that list apart from a starting place and the Atacama Desert, because really who doesn’t want to go to the driest place on earth. What I found out though is that I was missing out on an incredible country. The people are so welcoming and some of the nicest I have met, the food was mind blowing, the wine was diverse and delicious and the landscape was just as beautiful as home. And I just scratched the surface with a 9 day whirlwind trip. Hitting Santiago, Huilo Huilo biological reserve on the edge of the Patagonian forest and then taking it to the other extreme and visiting the driest place on earth the Atacama Desert. I pushed myself outside of my comfort zone and tested fears, meet some amazing people along the way and had my preconceived notions thrown right out the window. South America is still right up there at the top of my list, but because of Chile there are so many more reason as to why! Until I can tell you all the gritty details of this incredible place here are some photos to tide you over!
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Santiago is not one of the prettiest cities I have been too that is for sure. It is like a mix between utilitarian, old, new and falling apart. It is a bit like a treasure hunt to find the beauty within the ugly. But the landscape of the city is not what draws you to a place like Santiago. It’s the Food, Wine and Atmosphere. This city is a foodies dream! With empanada’s galore from chicken and corn to wild boar, mouth-watering ceviche and so many variations of Pisco Sour to please even the most fussy of people. You could spend days trying all of the local delicacies and authentic Chilean cuisine. Add the Chilean wine to the mix and you have a dream couple of days in my opinion. One of the places that really stood out for me was the Bellavista neighbourhood. The street art was incredible, the atmosphere was buzzing with all the salsa bars and nightclubs and the restaurants in the area were excellent not only in the quality of food but also value for money. I would have loved to have checked out a salsa bar and danced the night away but that is going to be for next time. If you are going to South America then Santiago is the perfect stopover destination to ease you into the vibrancy and diversity of this amazing content. I am one of the first ones to admit that I am basically a child. I love doing silly things and I am really not afraid of making a fool out of myself. My friends know this, they mostly encourage it. Let’s just say they have gotten some very interesting stories out of it.
So when I head out overseas it is normally with a list of dares tucked into my passport. This could be as simple as photo bomb strangers to sing twinkle twinkle little star on a crowed train. I have had some pretty good ones over my travels, some I refused to do, and some I can’t believe I actually pulled off. Here are a few of my favourites: While in St Louis ask someone where the Empire State Building is saying you are very lost. I have actually lived in St Louis so this was pretty fun, the guy I asked straight out said “oh hunny, you are really lost if you are looking for that!” So I replied “I am in New York right?” Both himself and his friend just looked at me like I was crazy and I couldn’t help it I cracked up laughing and told them it was a dare from a friend while I was travelling. We ended up have a drink at a local bar and chatting turned out they were in from Boston visiting family. I have meet some really interesting people while doing these dares. Another really good one was to convince someone that I was half Elf, half Hobbit. I did this on a flight from Calgary to Chicago. I can’t believe how easy this one was. I am kinda hoping that the guy went along with it as a joke because otherwise I am a little bit worried about their education. How it all started is I struck up a conversation with the guy sitting next to me on the plane, yes I am one of those annoying people, in my defense there was no entertainment on the flight and I get bored very easily. Anyway we were having a good convo I told him I was from New Zealand blah blah blah, then the guy on the end of the row, obviously eves dropping, commented oh the land of Hobbits, now I have had this a lot before we are either known for the fact we have a lot of sheep or Lord of the Rings. So being the proud Kiwi I am I replied yeah Lord of the Rings was filmed in New Zealand and it really is as beautiful as it looks, tick for selling New Zealand! What I did not expect was this to come out of his mouth, “I heard you guys hunt Orc’s for sport?” no I am not kidding that is what he said, I looked at the guy I had been chatting to with a bewildered look on my face, like is this guy for real? So I decided to have some fun, now don’t think any less of me guys, it was all fun and games and I was never mean but come on how could I pass up an opportunity like this one, It was handed to me on a silver platter! So I replied “Actually yes we do, the season follows right after Duck shooting season. I personally haven’t done it, a bit too dangerous for me.” After saying this I thought that I had lost him and pushed to far as it was very sarcastic, however he had a lot of follow up questions. All up I think it took about 30 minutes to convince him that my father was a Hobbit and that my mother was an Elf. It was very entertaining for me and I really hope he got off that plane and called someone being like “you will never believe what just happened!” One of the dare's I had on my latest trip was to get as many selfies with strangers as I could in a 10 minute time period. So I saved this one for Prater Park in Vienna knowing that it would be busy and I would get more people then just doing it on the street. I have to admit this one I kinda cheated on and stopped at five minutes because one, It was SUPER Awkward and two I can only embarrass myself up to a point. I have some pretty fun photos to show for it and I am sure it was interesting watching a random girl running around asking strangers for selfies. I am sure on my up coming trip I will have plenty more to carry out. But I cant be the only one that does this with there friends! What have you done? And if you haven't ... Go on I Dare You! You never know, it might just be fun! Vienna you started off rocky but ended on an amazing note. Note to self, freezing cold pouring rain and a 2 hour walking tour do not mix! I learnt nothing and it was completely miserable for the two hours of walking around Vienna. I am sure the guide was very knowledgeable however over the cold, rain and chattering of teeth there was no way he was going to hold my attention longer than 10 minutes. The saving grace of the evening was having an amazing dinner of traditional wiener schnitzel and beer in a warm and charming pub that if you asked me to find again I would say it is impossible. Getting lost on the way back to the hostel was just icing on the cake! Saying this though Vienna was not all rain and teeth chattering. I ended up having an amazing time, it ended up being one of the more relaxing and least stressful parts of my trip. After the rain cleared up on the first day myself and a few of the amazing people that I had meet on the bus decided to take our own walking tour of the city. Vienna is a very easy city to navigate and walk around. It is so compact and the architecture is just so beautiful. If you are going then in my humble opinion you must check out St Stephens Cathedral, the tiling on the roof alone is worth the visit. The stain glass inside is stunning and while I was having a wander around the choir was singing and I can truly say it was magical. I have always enjoyed visiting cathedrals, I am not religious however I always find a sense of calm and inner peace when I step through the cathedral doors. Something about the grandeur, beauty and stillness speaks to me. Anyway moving right along and onto other things, one of the big reason I wanted to visit Vienna was so that I could visit Prater Park. If you have not heard of it you are missing out, if you have been you know how awesome it is. Prater Park is what I would call a Fair/amusement park. I had read a lot about it before heading over to Europe. I love theme parks and roller-coaster so it just seemed like an awesome way to spend an evening to me. A group of us went up in the early evening so we could do one of the rides at sunset looking out over Vienna. It is great as well because it is free to enter and you pay for the rides you want to do. It works really well if you have someone that wants to join the group but doesn’t want to do all the rides. I have to say though that the cherry on top of my Vienna trip was being able to catch up with one of the friends I made when I was an Au Pair is the USA. We were both in St Louis at the same time and it is the first time I have seen her in 7 years! It was so amazing catching up with her and having a local show me around and take me out to some local spots. Again don’t ask me where we went as I cannot remember. Though if you find an underground restaurant with interconnecting cellars you will most likely be in the right spot. All up Vienna was an awesome spot and one I would recommend anyone to visit. It has something for everyone, culture, fun, food and beauty! A must visit for sure! So as soon as I saw this week in the challenge I thought of books. I love reading, I am a real nerd when it comes to reading and I love a book that can transport me into another world so completely that coming back to the real world is like stepping through a sheet of ice cold water. So what better way to interpret fantasy than to try and show how I feel the pages suck you in. Drag you mind, body and soul into another place or time, and transport your imagination to places you never dreamed of.
So my take on fantasy week. I hope this transports you to somewhere unexpected. This week I really wanted to do something with someone covered in paint or something colorful and vibrant but it is winter now in New Zealand and I had no people willing to get cold and messy so a sunset shot of the wind in my hair it is going to have to be.
I like the way the sunset catches the color of my hair and texture of it in this photo. I am so behind on my project at the moment, I have hit a motivation slump so need to jump back on the creative band wagon and get moving. It is amazing how hard it is to find a reflective surface when you need one!!
I had a bit a trouble with this week, hense again being late! Whoops but Lake Pupuke delivered the goods! Auckland from the water is such a beautiful city. I am so lucky to live where I do. So really this weeks challenge was only hard in which photo do I choose as my one shot.
This is taken while on the ferry heading out to Rangitoto Island. I decided to make it black and white to give it a little bit or drama and to take away the blue of the water. Again it is amazing how hard it is to find an interesting subject when you are looking for it. I really wanted something that was rusty and old. This is part of an old gate leading into Sylvan Park on the North Shore of Auckland.
It is not quite what I was looking for but I do really like the colors and the textures of the wood and the metal together. |
AuthorI am a clutz that reads far too much, laughs alot and loves to travel to new and exciting places!! coffee addict and 100% awesome. Archives
November 2016
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