Patagonia sin Represas protests

Plaza de las armas

Yesterday 1.9.2011 - I appeared close to moneda , as I went to see how does it work free theatre workshop,where they at the entrance tried to ask me for 50 000 pesos. As I directly smiled and took my things and went. Being soooo tired of everytbody triing to charge for anything,like really anything in the world u can imagine. All wrong,all bad. So I was roaming around teh center,the streets which are just for pedestrians. I have seen some people marching with transparents and as its quite usual over here I just didnt pay almost any attention to them. Passed Plaza de Armas where were some religious fricks telling the word of god in the megaphone for loads of people,people playing chess (this one I like - I used to join the chess players on  copacabana,especially the favela once as I was always invited to take

at least one or two rounds),people sitting eating,nice and calm more or less. I was roaming around the center more than one hour,taking pictures,as I finally have my cam,but its absolutely messed up - as they broke my zoom,flash etc in the service here in Santiago and havent solved anything with video. Oh yeah,welcome to south america! Thats what I was affraid with my technical stuff.
Anyway,as I was approaching down to main street called alameda,I have just noticed that more and more places are closed,even though they have written that they are closing at 10,so I asked the guard,behind a thinck cage,looking at me,whats happening here. U know,its because of the protests ...

La Moneda - Chilian Parliament

The protests when I have seen them last time were really calm. People shouting and marching :"Chile is not for Sale!" He didnt respond ... So I took it like well,they are affraid.The specialty of Chile is that they have closed
streets - like some neighbourhood says,that they would feel safer and for night they have gate at the
entrance of the street and at the end and just the person who has the key,can get in. I live in such street on 10 de julio (was really wierd to see it for the first time).
Anyway ... going down to Alameda and Universidad de Chile,as I am living close,was quite interesting for me.
No cars,buses,Alameda was in this point emtry. Just people on far marching - close to moneda and behind my back. So I started to investigate ...

As u can see from the video,in one moment the situation started to be interesting and I was trying to catch the police cars and panciert cars splashing the water to the demonstrants who havent been agresive,ride here and there,throwing bombs of gass. I got accidently in between runig crowd,but the police was throwing gass bombs everywhere to people who were just marching,they havent been throwing anything,not even doing mess,just marching with words: "Patagonia sin represas".
We got to street which is not for cars running being followed by one police pancierd car,who agresively followed the demonstrants in the streets throwing the gass bombs everywhere,the huge water spashing cars coundnt get in.
Later on at night I was talking to someone who was staying at Plaza de Italia and described the situation as the police gone crazy with the bombs. I am stil caughting and feeling sick,having bit troubles to breathe as they threw one just on front of us and had to pass it to get to some safer place. All night was possible to hear helicopters. I wouldnt like to know how many people ended up in hospital last night.
I was talking to people in the house and got afirmative that this behaviour of Chilian police is quite normal and its not good to mess up with them at the end.

Why to dont trust any promises of chilians aka how I never got my phone back

Well the begining of the story u know already. I tried many times as my phone stayed swithced on to reach it and I was lucky. Everytime I got different answer of perso who took it,to bring me it back to Santiago and when I told him I could already had it back,if I would go south,he started to behave very stupid and bubelling.
Anyway,the last promise was on this friday and when I called to mark the meeting with the person,guess what:) He didnt picked up the phone,then when he picked up,behaved like he was stupid or deaf and then again put down the call. Then I asked some other people to call,as soon as they told my name,click. Bum... Goodbye my phone call list,my only funccional camera - as the bastards from to service even broke more the one I brought there. At least they didnt charge me anything,as I did their analyses,what they sent me before I came there and I told them right to the face that I dont want any tricks and messing up. Well this is one case.
Another thing is,when u are in Chile,most of the people lie. Naturaly... Promising the things that are not truth,telling or claiming the location to be better,metro to be closer etc,well bussiness its a bussiness,so u have to control them in anything. They are generaly very nice and great to have around on parties,but dont wait that this will be just like that. U are some value and the lucro is everywhere. In society,where they have been milked on absolute capitalism and the notion of social thinking has almost no base,there is no wonder.
So ayway,being in Chile,pay a lot of attention - robberies here has the size of real south american robberies with knives and guns and they wont be worry if u are native or foreigner. The main point is to take and whatever,eve if they would take a jacket or shoes. U will find lots of people who will try to guard u,treat u right,but still. Somehow there is something behind and be aware of that.

How my phone decided to travel without me to Puerto Montt

I have already mentioned that I have lost my phone in a traffic.
As I am almost always carring it in my back pocket of my trousers,this time I did the same as well.
I was comming from African dinner at Nousses place back to my official home in Santiago with the night bus from Providencia to Center(where I live now) and was listening to the music as well.
In that moment,as usual someone started to talk to me in the bus.
Chilians like to talk to foreigners on the bus and I always hand away my number in case that someone would like
some english,portuguese or frech or german classes. I started to talk to someone as I wasnt sure where to get out off the bus and somehow and I believe that how it happened,my phone stayed on the seat and I jumped out.
As the person stepped out with me talking talking talking,heading more or less partly my direction I kept being bussy finding out,what I dont really remeber what was it.
When I got home,I wanted to upload some video I made the other day and maybe put on some photos finally - as its very long time that I published something,as I was warn and some people got really worried. Where am I and what I am doing :) What a sweet thing of them :)
Anyway,I got home and someone who I used to be in contact trough net when before in argentina had in my mind that I would like to look for a job in Chile started to write. As I found out that I dont have my phone,I asked him to try to call the number... The phone was ringing,ringing,ringing ...
And finally someone picked it up,all sleepy,saying that its in San Pablo (end of the red line) and works somewhere else. And that he would like to give back the phone. And in that moment my battery over there on the other end of the line died (as I use my phone as well as mp3 player - in that momet I was bumping my head against the wall for doing that). Silence,my phone is dead,in San Pablo and my friend told me that the person is bit slow in thiking,yeah... well when u wake up someone at 2 am that could happen.
Waiting. Insecurity. Do I have to buy new number. In that day I have put some advertisements and some people already called me that they would like classes! And I have lost them :( What to do? Will he call tomorrow? Will he charge the phone? Is he really willing to give it back or just making fun of me?
This happened on tuesday night. The day after I had planned one Slovak travel charity dinner in my new place and many people were invited. Damn! Waited,but preparing what I meant to prepare.
Nothing,but as I was busy preparing,hosting and orgaizing the event,I just somehow didnt suffer with the lack of my phone. The next day still left a lot of ingredients and one friend suggested me to make continue - second day. So I kept my mind busy. On the second Slovak dinner party called Bramborak came the friend who I knew just from internet,who talked to the guy with my phone and told me the news!
My phone was charged! Thats the GOOD NEWS!
And my phone is in Puerto Montt! Opa,thinking why he didnt took me with silently in my head (alreayd planning,yeah yeah I wanna go to fetch it! Get out on the road,my brain screaming on one side,and on the other,shit shit shit,cold cold cold,Patagonia again nooooooooo way).
The event ended  at 7 am (but thats another story) and I kept my brain busy with the question. Should I stay or should I go ... Should I stay or should I go? There is a long weekend,othing planned to do and I wouldnt be able to get a new number till monday. Puerto Montt from Santiago is about1100km.
Pure highway down. But as its feriado,no trucks,just smooth cars,going fast to meet their beloved once.
I could leave after classes on saturday and will be around Puerto Varas around midnight,sleep somewhere over there and get the phone next day,do some documentation fo Puerto varas and get back on Monday!
And distract my head a bit from this rushy metropole...
Temptation temptation ... Uuuuu... I got to Idea,that I will try to call myself.
Trying the phone at house,which I got to know that is blocked for calls on mobiles! Smart  pull,Alex :)
In that moment the silent shouts of Alex,Suzann take this one,just made me believe once again that I have chosen quite an interesting place to stay. (Will write about it later).
I pushed rapidly the number and kept it ringing ... Ringing... ringing. Nothing,voice mail.
Again,ringing,riging and the slow tired voice with wierd accent replayed. Happyness,which was changed later to the anger and disappointment. The guys was really slow in answering and specifying where he exactly is and how all the thing happened and if I would be able to come to take the phone.
In the middle of conversation I ran out of credit and had to charge it again in the nearest gass station. Called again,got to know that my phone is probably in Fresia and that there is almost no buses going around (what the person didnt get that I am wouldnt be comming with bus). When I tried to ask for contact,other than my phone he just told me that he doesnt have one as they stole his phone. In that point I got into panic.
I always like to believe that the people are good,but somehow ... in some point,there is this small me saying be carefull,very very carefull. As he didnt wanted much that if I would come to pick it up that he would give it back.  At the end of the conversation before the Alex's phone credits died again I just got an agreement that when someone would call for classes,he would just call to my home phone (question how he would do that if he doesnt have any other phone,is still eating my brain till now) and that he will come back to santiago till the end of the month,means some day next week as he is a buyer and seller of some things.
I am still in panic and nervosity.
Will I ever get my phone back? - all the contacts which I dont have syncronized,only working camera at this moment and not telling that I somehow have emotional attachment to my things :(
Waiting continues ... And story as well! Wish me luck guys!

Santiago my dear Santiago - or how I spent first few days running around

As I came to Santiago,I had to take some decisions.
And one of the dicisions which I was pushed to,was to try to settle down for a while.
Not that I would be that tired of traveling,but somehow my budget got dry and I didnt got much choices than use
somehow the rest of what have left and try to somehow multiply it.
I started to look for a room and look for a job.
I have made my profile on http://www.compartodepto.com/ what is the page where u can find a people who are offering the rooms and u can write something abot yourself as well.
Between getting to know the people I was getting to know the surrounding.
I couchsurfed at the begining and I wanted to write about these interesting people before.
My first cser in Santiago was Nouss. I dont know why,but Nouss from the first look I knew that we will indersteand. The young lady from Cote d' Ivore who at that moment as I was staying at her place,had a bit more serious problem and she almost never show it. At that moments I was at her place, the french army started to bombard the presidential palace in the biggest city of Cote d'Ivore Abijan where is Nouss originaly come from and her dad is still there. Messages like rebbels are running all around the city and they got forbidden to leave the house after midday,seeing forums where people were on twitter or facebook sending the messages where is it dangerous to walk and where not,were kind of normal. In between of all of that,Nouss was trying to help me to look for a job. As here in Chile u have to really walk with your CV prented out in your hand and try to hold it out to every boss of the Bar or whereever u would like to work. I didnt do it till now. As I am really worried about misusig so much paper. And I was told million times in the district of Bellavista,that they are not accepting more foreigners (too many illegals i could be very dangerous bussiness,as chile works in many ways quite alike europe). And furthermore I got to know yesteday that every bussiness should have some 85 percent of employees chilians. Damn!
And yeah,when I got printed out most of the things I have lost my phone in the traffic. But thats another story.

Hitchhiking from Valdivia to Santiago de Chile

I woke up pretty late that day as in the house wasnt any heating and down in the part of Chile is quite cold already during the night. The house I was staying was very pictoresque and as well the inhabitants of it,which actually is called Hostel Latino in Valdivia. The girl did CS and somehow even though she looked like a nice person to meet up,we didnt match very well.And kind of absence of CS spirit was touchable in the air and I felt over there like an intruder. Though and though I got up at 10 and managed to leave about 12. I tried to buy
some enthel card - the recommended phone operator by all chilians like the best (in coverage and services) and cheapest on in Chile,but wasnt successful.
As I found out yesterday,really everything is very comercial here in Chile and the prizes of different things and products from the same company could highly diverse even inside of the company and I bought the same type of card for 3500 pesos,when in Valdivia they offered me it for 5000 and in Punta Arenas for 7000. Sometimes my brain really stops how this could be possible.
Then I tried to change money,and as my strategy which I learnt in Puerto Natales is never go to Casa del Cambio or they will try to pull down the skin from u claiming whatsoever and even getting angry that u dont want to accpet their rate. I went to bank,where I have waited more than hour to get a little bit more (as I got tricked by not much educated guardian,who doesnt really understeand the charts written on a wall,but well,what happened happened). And I walked out of the city,well tried to do my best walking out and hitchhiking at the same time.

857km

When I got to some crossroads where one part of the cars were going north and other continued south I have just sit down tired (there was no place for cars to stop) and tried to lift my thumb. And u know what? In about 3 minutes one small van stopped and two guys jumped out with a huge smile if they can take me somewhere. So we went. Here in Chile I especially get a question,why I am traveling alone and how comes that the girl is travelling alone. Why I am not going with some other girl? Though I dont know any other girl who would be willing to do the same as me and even havent heared about any. Anyway,if u would know about some,let me know! :)
Anyway - I started about 3 pm from Valdivia and had more than 800 km ahead of me to the north... But as the road had to be just on highway,I just put the ticket on my fortune,that I will make it   somehow...

Got out of the car full of funny guys at Loncoche with invitation to go to visit a family of one of them ,though then they had to go to Temuco and be there at maximaly 5 o clock.
I was quite aware of a time so,I just bet that I would be lucky and somehow I was and wasnt. Even on a exit to the Lancoche I lifted up my thumb walking toward main highway and the truck going on a main road stoped - first car. This easy it havent even been in England :)

Later on when the  truck driver just had to go somewhere close to Chillan even loosing too much time,moving myself very slow being already 8 o clock and dark I stil had a hope and was runnign around one gasstation where they tried to charge me for going to check my sore eye in a mirror of bathroom. Leaving the place with words u had to tell it before me entering inside,slammed the door.
Anyway,people in these areas are very nice,and whoever I asked except of some guys who looked that they are too important to talk to me,everyone even in passing cars was really really nice. I got offers from different trucks,but none was going to santiago. In 10 minutes I took one of the offers and jumped in.
I really had a good time calking to this driver as he was originaly kind of emergency/ambulance driver,but he changed the job one month ago for driveing a truck. Money is money...
Well,but I have learnet how to labor a child in emergency ;)) As he was giving as well the courses of first aid in different situations. Good soul and family person with a lot of hope and the heart from gold :)
It got too dark and too late and I still had it 300 km when we stopped,almost midnight and I knew I would come about 3 am,not good for Nouss (my CS lady from Ivory Coast who speaks as well brazilain Portuguese :) who was waiting for me in Santiago. I managed to send a message and accpeted to spent the night in a truck on a lower bunk. Yeah,u would say,this is very dangerous situation,never stay down,but this person was really good guy and only reason why I couldnt sleep was,that he was snoring a  lot.
I felt asleep one hour before we sterted to move on again and then when we stopped at 10 I had it like 80 km on to santiago,still with idea that I would have to wait till 7 till Nouss will get home from work.
Got offer to go to descarga and then can continue to Santiago,but u never know how long it takes to descargar something from a truck and I just jumped out with a wish of good day and good journey and crowled around gasstation where I found written on a door - Wifi :)
Ok,get in,ordered something to eat from the menu and opened my laptop. Did some stuff for a while almost sleeping,packed the things again and ran around the gasstation. It was absolutely empty and the cars were even comming different direction to the petrol stands. There had to be some way out on oposite direction. So I standed again on highway - hitchhiking on highways in Chile is absolutely normal and its not forbidden - obviously (I have seen many people hitchhiking especially on highway from all age cathegories in Chile).

Was nice sunny and warm day and everything around started to look like south of france of mid teritory of Spain. I have managed to stop a  truck in half an hour. And the driver with question,do u know Santiago?
And me,so I look like I am Chilian? got really disappointed as he picked me up thinking of getting in some expert for Metropole of Santiago. As well fresher in truck driving especially to the huge city.
He spent quite a long time explaining me why Chilian man prefer or like chubby girls but well...
Everybody to his own taste,isnt that truth!
And we arrived. At about midday I found the metro station on some subburbs and got to the centre to try to do some things I had to do for a long time.

Notice that the highway looks like in Spain,is beacuse the spanish built this
chilian highway :) Even the marking is the same like in Spain! :)