My first Curranto

After my trip to Bariloche I managed to catch a mean case of Bronchitis. So this past week I have been indoors and resting (two things I am admittedly not a fan of). During my wait to get back to running and my usual workouts my family obliged me with a curranto...

Unfortunately my 8 or so months as a vegetarian had to come to an end with my arrival to Chile. Simply put, the people of Chiloé do not believe in fruits and vegetables and therefore it is almost impossible to get enough protein without consuming meat once in a while. On the upside, the meat in Chiloé is one of a kind. The livestock and poultry are treated to a standard that is a hundred times higher than the best organic farm in the United States and you can taste the difference in quality. Happy cows = healthy meat. However, I am looking forward to returning to my vegetarian diet when I head back to the US!

As of right now it has rained for 2 months straight on the island of Chiloé, with glimpses of the occasional sunlight. I am not a fan of the constant rain and have already reached the conclusion that I could never live in a place that has continuous rain after this stint at volunteering. I respect the rain and the water for all it provides, but I don't like it constantly pounding my house and not being able to see the bright smile of the sun when I wake!

For curranto education...see below

Bienvenido a Bariloche!

This past week was spent in the snow-caped mountains of Bariloche, Argentina. A city known for its beautiful scenery and tasty chocolate. The drive in on the bus was a once in a lifetime experience, with each winding turn emerged a new lake surrounded by beautiful mountains filled with lush green canopies.

I ran up one of the local peaks (Cerro Otto) twice during my stay and had a very lengthy run along the lake as well. Running up Cerro Otto was a beautiful experience. The mountain was covered in snow and the trail loosely defined in the winter, which gave me the opportunity to make my own way up the local slant. The runs were followed by a trip to the local chocolate factories and then a visit to a local brewery for some great brew.

Bariloche is an amazing place to live if you are an outdoor enthusiast. With tons of routes to climb, mountains to run, lakes to kayak and trails to hike...mountaineers can't go wrong with this Patagonian gem. It reminds me of Flagstaff, Arizona or a slightly smaller Boulder, Colorado.

Snowboarding on the top of Cerro Catedral

Rule number one of chocolate making...you need a good mustache

Bariloche has some amazing graffiti and street art

As well as some amazing local brew at Cerveceria Manush!

One of the many amazing views from the top of Cerro Otto

Chiloté food is one of kind! Hasta Siempre!

Today I am in Osorno and will shortly be on my way to Bariloche, Argentina for some snowboarding and chocolate! I'm planning on doing some running in the midst of the Andes this week, as winter break just started and the real running is about to begin! I wanted to post a couple more photos of my new home (Dalcahue, Chiloé). One thing the entire island of Chiloé surely does not fall short of is amazing food! Between Pichanga, Curranto, Milcáo, and home made empanadas, you are bound to find yourself in a food coma after a visit to the local market!

With my host pops Richard, who happens to be one of the best chefs on the island!

Besides the amazing food, Chiloé is also known for its colorful and warm wool clothing. 

Fuego Fuego Frutillar!

Its been awhile, I have been doing tons of writing and unfortunately very little blogging! Things have been moving rapidly as I have been settling into my Dalcahue niche and finding my stride with teaching at my new school. Last weekend I was able to travel to Puerto Montt and Frutillar, where I did my fair share of running.

My morning run on a country side road in Frutillar bajo. On a clear day you can see the volcán Osorno across the Llanquihue lake. 

The sunset that we witnessed on our last night in Frutillar was absolutely amazing. I'll let the photos speak for themselves!

Perhaps the craziest night I've experienced yet in Chile took place in Frutillar. After a celebratory asado went horribly wrong, the house next door to ours (literally 40-50 feet) caught fire! We awoke to shouts and sirens outside our window as local firefighters (all volunteers) rushed to the near by lake to connect their hoses. The entire town of Frutillar bajo was standing outside within 30 mins, as the spectacle of something exciting usually doesn't arrive until the city hosts its world renowned music festival in the summer. A routine nights sleep turned into an all night wide-eyed escaped as we watched the power of this massive fire slowly grow and consume one of the most historical houses in Frutillar. There was something strangely magical happening here, as the contrast of the full moon outlined the silhouette of the monstrous blaze.