Getting Acquainted

Fifty percent of the reason I’m here is to meet people with whom I can practice speaking Spanish. And I have! And I’ve met interesting and charming English speakers as well.

It takes a lot of effort. And often I’m astounded it works. Hanging out at a bar. Going on a guided day trip. Going to a yoga class. I have met complete strangers that I now count as acquaintances. And I’m acquainted with some of the sights and sounds of Puerto Varas as well. Here are a few of my companions over these past weeks:

El Volcán Osorno

I wonder if a person can become habituated to the presence of this spectacular volcano. I haven’t yet. In fact, I think I love it more each day. If I don’t see it for a whole day — either from clouds and weather or from not making a daily trip to the lakeshore — I feel I’ve wasted a day here. The perfect cone shape, the year-round snow cap, and the way it seems perfectly centered opposite the lake all strike me as mini marvels.

(left) My only souvenirs so far are in honor of the volcanos. (right) This is NOT Osorno, the perfect cone, but I happened to catch Calbuco in the glow of the sunset.

Mi profesora de español

I have worked with a Chilean tutor for almost a year now, online. When I learned she was from this far south, I figured we would never cross paths because I was focused on visiting, and possibly living in, Santiago.

But then I got it in my head that I wanted to return to the Lake District. I had come here in 1990 during my first trip to Chile, through my university. I studied for a month in Santiago, but I stayed on for two more weeks of travel. For one week, a group of us came to the Lake District, and the image of this volcano has stayed with me ever since.

With my new plan to visit the Lake District after (hopefully) the worst of the rainy season, my tutor and I talked about meeting in person.

If you’ve worked with someone on-screen, for months or even years, and then finally met in person, then you already know this, but there are definitely worries about whether your friendship or colleague-ship will be the same in person. And you may also realize that you don’t know if they are short or tall, fat or thin, a stylish dresser or a slob. In this case, my tutor did have a secret I couldn’t have known by seeing her on screen from the neck up. She’s 8 months pregnant. I had no idea!

We have been able to meet up a couple times before her due date. It was such a privilege to meet her in person, as well as members of her family. As I discovered a few years ago when meeting online colleagues in person for the first time, it is awkward for only about 30 seconds. Then the dynamic becomes exactly as it is online. And she continues to correct my Spanish 🙂

A lovely day at the beach along the lake with Antonia and her family.

Hablantes de Inglés

Even after 4 weeks, and as the number of tourists increases here in the Lake District, I have not met many native English speakers. I’ve overheard some Brits at restaurants or other locations. I spoke at length only with a Brit and a Canadian that I met on a couple tours. I had some quite enjoyable conversations with the Brit. The Canadian was cold and off-putting, which I thought was impossible because all Canadians are nice. Aren’t they? Ohhhh, you mean not all stereotypes are correct?

Some locals do speak English very well, but fewer than I anticipated. Or maybe, just maybe, the ratio of my Spanish ability and their English ability is enough in my favor that we don’t switch to English? Definitely some have learned English for the tourist industry. Some have learned it in school. Some tell me they are self-taught. One store owner told me his wife is Australian, which explained his odd accent in English. I have been so grateful for those who spoke English when I was in need, as well as for those who continued in Spanish even when I’m sure I was mutilating the language.

Los animales

I did not get as closely acquainted as I would have liked with a colony of penguins. Two breeds of penguin migrate to an island just south of here during this time of year: the Humboldt and Magellanic. Our tour group boarded small boats in a most tourist-friendly way (see video below) so that we could get closer to their nesting sites on small rock outcroppings away from the main island. I spent most of the time enjoying the much better view my binoculars gave me, but I took a few pathetic photos and videos – see below.

Other animals now part of my daily routine are local dogs who have chosen 8:00 pm to have long, loud conversations with each other. My first week here, I was not teaching so I was out and about in the evening more often. But since then, I have been more likely to hang at the apartment after the workday. So I have been home at 8:00 to hear this eruption of barking. It lasts for probably an hour and then goes away. There are definitely stray dogs around Puerto Varas as well as pet dogs that my neighbors take for walks, but I can’t completely pinpoint where the cacophony is coming from. But I could set my watch by it!

There are also distinctive birds here, especially the seagulls who make the lake their home (I think they are these?). They look very different from the seagulls I know in the Northern Hemisphere! I also encountered some very colorful and interesting birds in the nearby town of Frutillar, which I think are the black-faced ibis. Then I discovered that the most distinctive thing about them was not their color but their LOUD squawking. They became much less interesting after that.

I’ve considered taking a bird-watching tour, but so far, I’ve only taken the one to see the penguins. On that trip we also saw black-necked swans and red-legged cormorants. A phone camera is useless for capturing these natural wonders, but I had my binoculars!

My own mental judge

Sometimes, my closest companion is the voice in my head telling me I’m not doing enough while I’m here: that I should be out exploring when all I feel like doing is resting and enjoying my comfortable apartment. The voice and I have had some heated conversations. I’ve told her that even if I never do a single thing more over the rest of my stay, I’ve already gotten out of the trip everything I had hoped for. I know I can’t manufacture experiences. I must just be present for when one comes along. Being rested, grounded, and centered helps with that.

And now, a few more photos (click to enlarge) and a very short video from my day on Chiloé Island.

(left) A gathering of Humboldt and Magellanic penguins on Chiloé Island. (middle) What I think is a black-faced ibis. (right) What I think is a Franklin Gull, one of the most common birds around Llanquihue Lake.

How to get tourists from beach to boat, and back, with no dock. Plus: a penguin trying to decide about diving in.

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