Actually before I left Austria for my adventure, I was pretty much in a hurry so I did not check stuff like weather forecasts or currency exchange rates for Chile. Well..I should have. I basically assumed that – even though I knew it is winter in Chile when we have summer in Vienna – the temperature is still gonna be super-hot. So there I am with a total amount of three long shirts and two pullovers – freezing. I sleep under 3 blankets, wearing a jacket and a hat – and NO I am not overstating. As for the weather in Chile, there are like super many different climate types. The seasons nonetheless are the same in every part of Chile: summer takes place from December to February and winter from June to August. So arriving at the beginning of September I kinda started my time here in the Chilean ice age. But how cold is ‘cold’? So in general the temperatures range between 10° and 20° at this time of the year. I have to admit if you combine those temperatures with the fact that sometimes hot water just does not function in Chile, it can be a real challenge to get up in the morning and wrap yourself out of your blankets.
It’s also pretty cool to know that Chile actually has regions of desert (in the North), alpine tundra and glaciers (East and Southeast) and humid subtropical climate in Easter Island. It’s amazing how Chile keeps surprising me with its variety and the fact that you suddenly find yourself in the middle of a breathtaking landscape just by taking the bus for an hour. So considering this fact, freezing is totally worth it.
Suddenly you find yourself in the middle of a breathtaking landscape. Freezing is totally worth it.
Interview: Of how Whatchado makes two crazy people find each other.
The day I first arrived in Santiago was pretty much of a culture shock for me..everything looked different, the city was freaking busy and – when you are used to European cities – quite messy. So there I was with my 20 kilo backpack at the airport of Santiago (I simply couldn’t decide what to take with me), struggling to even carry it to my taxi. When the taxi driver tried to drop me off at my new home and I could not tell him how the street exactly looks like, he commented my struggles with ‘No sabes nada’ (You don’t know anyting), which was actually a pretty suitable description. But why am I telling you this? So the reason why is that the first person that I interviewed was also the person who changed the fact that I knew nothing about Santiago. Gary – my flatmate – was kinda my Santiago guru. He gave me insights on where to go and what to do and how to behave. That led to the fact that I found him pretty cool and decided to interview him. As it was my first interview in Chile, I was super-motivated and could not wait to record THE perfect interview. So my plan was: We needed the skyline of Santiago as a background. No sooner said than done, off we went to Santiago’s cerro (kinda like the definition for something smaller than a mountain but bigger than a hill). What I did not expect was that it took hours to climb it and even more hours to find a suitable background with the right light effects. But the whatchaMOMENT I had during this search for a perfect place: We talked, a lot. I got to know a man who is a crazy musician, even though he’s holding a ‘normal’ computer networks job; a man who is the best city guide ever and a man who has super-amazing plans of emigrating to Australia and founding his own business there. The time we spent doing the first interview was actually the time that helped me to have my first and a very dear friend here in Santiago.
Gotta love what we do!
More stories and videos of Daniela’s experiences in South America will follow soon! Stay up to date and don’t miss what’s coming next!