Desierto de Atacama: Day 2

April 22, 2015 in personal, travel

Chaxa Lagoon with its three types of flamingos and the Salar de Atacama, the salt flats of Atacama

Road to Chaxa Lagoon and Salar de Atacama // 17 abril 2015

Chaxa Lagoon with flamingos // 17 abril 2015

Little lizard friend, shot without a zoom lens (oh well) // 17 april 2015

It's hard to describe the energy here...but the salt gave off its own vibes // 17 april 2015

Ride back to San Pedro de Atacama...it was beautiful to see the colors changing as the sun went down // 17 april 2015

A dog sleeping outside a business in San Pedro // 17 april 2015

Wasn't having my luck infinity focusing to capture the stars, but it was incredible to see the stars so vividly even within the city limits...the Atacama desert really is the best place to see the stars // 17 april 2015

Desierto de Atacama: Day 1

April 20, 2015 in travel, personal

Study abroad CIEE excursion to the Atacama Desert and San Pedro de Atacama

Iquique, Chile

April 19, 2015 in personal, travel

Desert, desolation, pure hot sand as far as you can see...and then you pop over a sand dune and see ocean! That's what it's like to be travel from Bolivia through the Atacama Desert, to Iquique, a medium-sized port city in northern Chile. This time I arrived via airplane from Santiago and spent Easter weekend in Iquique.

Film Roll: Valparaiso & Viña del Mar

April 03, 2015 in personal, travel

Valpo and Viña, sister towns on the coast near Santiago de Chile, were two great towns to explore. For less than a $5 bus ticket I got to the beach and out of the big city. I know where I'll be most weekends from now on...

Viña // the town's dogs loved sleeping on the beach

Viña // pure happiness, eating a fresh-out-of-the-fryer empanada and watching the sunset

one of a billion sunset photos, but this one's mine

An ode to the ocean and my film camera that makes me so happy.

Santiago de Chile

April 01, 2015 in personal, travel

As beautiful of a city it is and as much as I love speaking Spanish, the transition to living in Santiago de Chile has been rough for me. I went from volunteering on a farm in rural Bolivia - to living and navigating a city of 7 million people in Chile, a country with an average income triple that of Bolivia. Taking the Metro, navigating the bus system, and just being immersed in the energy of 7 million human beings has been like constantly leaning on the accelerator pedal: feeling constantly drained. After a month it's definitely getting better, thanks to wonderful friends, host family, and my parents taking my calls with their never-ending patience and love. Here's to becoming a big city fish sooner than later...

film. taken from Santa Lucia hill in the middle of the city.  beautiful. — film. taken from Santa Lucia hill in the middle of the city. beautiful.

I live with my chilean host family in one of many apartment buildings with a large central park area where families and groups of school kids gather to talk

Skyline of Santiago's business district, affectionately known as "Sanhatten"

Flowers Outside the Bellas Artes metro stop // nature and concrete

Gustock music festival raising money for the public park // good music and even better veggie pesto ravioli

Camila Moreno performs at Gustock music festival // love the sparkly blue dress

"Bienvenidos! El museo ahora es gratis" (Welcome! The museum is now free) did not apply to the dog who followed us in. He was not welcomed by the museum staff :(

NuNu's derp face // no animals were harmed in the taking of this photo

Fruit from the Vega market, known for its cheap, fresh produce. I bought a kilo of strawberries for less than 2 dollars and a small box of huge juicy blackberries for the same amount // nomnom

Shadow of a palm tree on the concrete in Parque Uruguay

Buildings in the older sector of Santiago

More photos to come...semester ends in July.

From high vantage points it's apparent that the city goes on and on, in layers of buildings and cranes that get blurrier as the distance increases, due to the smog.

Bolivia, Part 4: Carnaval in Oruro

March 29, 2015 in travel, personal

People from all over the world come to Oruro, Bolivia, to watch and take part in Carnaval: a multi-day parade with thousands of dancers and musicians.

Bolivia, Part 3: Vinto

March 28, 2015 in travel, personal

I spent two weeks at a HelpX farm called Vinto Lindo, located just outside Cochabamba. It was nice to be out of the hustle-and-bustle of the city and work with my body in the garden, pulling weeds, getting calluses digging post holes, planting fruit trees, harvesting corn by hand, and sharing hour-long lunches with the other volunteers and our host.

Two teams being led by local farmers in the corn field

building with the volunteer kitchen and tool shed

Main garden with lettuce, pole beans, onions, potatoes, strawberries, and squash

I met some people that were very genuine souls: a Tim from France who made a killer Bechamel sauce (used in vegetable lasagna..nom nom), Caitlin from England who had been travelling South America for the past few months, and Anneliese from Canada who did advanced-level woodworking and knew a lot about permaculture from WWOOFing in New Zealand.

famous vegetable lasagna with Bechamel sauce, my first meal at the farm

Caitlin bonded with this little creature who followed us home

Cactus and its fruit, tuna — Cactus and its fruit, *tuna*

The stars at night were gorgeous, a glimpse into the southern hemisphere's night sky

All in all a satisfying, rewarding, and challenging stay. To have a look at my first HelpX experience in Costa Rica, click here. To read Part 4: Carnaval in Oruro, click here.

Bolivia, Part 2: Cochabamba

March 16, 2015 in travel, personal

I travelled to Cochabamba after landing in La Paz. It's a beauuutiful city. I saw the Cristo via Cochabamba's own cable car, saw the movie Paddington dubbed in Spanish in theaters, ate ice-cream in the plaza 14 de septiembre, bought flowers in a market in Quillacollo, and waded through crowds in La Cancha - a huge market known for its pickpockets.

here's where I was:

The less glamorous side of travel isn't as fun to talk about, but here it is... I walked on packed sidewalks with a broken backpack, sweaty and tired, arrived at 1am on a bus with no air conditioning, and received my share of stares as a mochillera (a backpacker).

panorama of cochabamba after a rain - with a cloud settled into the hills

intersection of Av. Aroma and San Martín, deceivingly empty on a holiday

Cristo de la Concordia in the distance, a statue of Christ 40m tall on el cerro de San Pedro — Cristo de la Concordia in the distance, a statue of Christ 40m tall on el *cerro de San Pedro*

35mm film. taken in Sacaba, a suburb of Cochabamba.

35mm film. taken in the Botanical Gardens of Cochabamba

I like to stay in one place for a long time as opposed to bouncing around day after day. It's more relaxing that way, and I get a deeper understanding of that place rather than the flash highlights from a guidebook. Staying longer means experience more of everything, the good, the bad, the awkward, and the amazing. And now I know how to use the Bolivian trufi (8-person vans) system...mostly.

continue reading:

Bolivia, Part 3: Vinto here
Bolivia, Part 4: Carnaval in Oruro here

AltBreak

November 11, 2014 in personal

During fall-break I participated in an alternative break (AltBreak) trip to an animal sanctuary in Manchester, Michigan. SASHA is a pretty cool place that takes care of over 300 animals, including two cows with special needs, an emu, rescued battery cage chickens and roosters from cock fights, goats, turkeys, and pot-bellied pigs. Our group of ten volunteers spent five days shoveling manure, cleaning out stalls, and feeding and watering the animals, and when I wasn't working I was taking photos. *click photos to enlarge*

Beautiful fall morning as we walk to the farm from the volunteer house

Pot-belly pig all grown up (the cute tea-cup pigs you see on Pinterest don't stay tiny forever).

There was lots of poop scoopin'...or manure re-distribution, whichever is more glamorous

“Animals are, like us, endangered species on an endangered planet, and we are the ones who are endangering them, it, and ourselves. We owe them, at the very least, to refrain from harming them further. If no more, we could leave them be.”

— Jeffery Masson, author of When Elephants Weep

The fellow on the left was rescued from a cock fighting ring, and was successfully re-integrated with the flock

Group bonding time making caramel pecan chocolate turtles after dinner!

One of three miniature ponies on the farm on the field glittering with frost

Turkey feeding time.  They're pretty voracious eaters, and super curious (aka will try to eat anything they can peck at). — Turkey feeding time. They're pretty voracious eaters, and super curious (aka will try to eat anything they can peck at).

The emu was very affectionate...she had lost her mate and had become depressed but is now returning to her lively self

Helen, one of the cow with special needs, got lots of love

This fellow was particularly dubious about my camera

The pigs really liked the organic fruit donated by Whole Foods.  With humans they were the gentlest creatures (with each other it was a different story). — The pigs really liked the organic fruit donated by Whole Foods. With humans they were the gentlest creatures (with each other it was a different story).

Glamour shot.  She really knew how to work the camera — Glamour shot. She really knew how to work the camera

Alex had a lot of followers when she was holding the fruit bucket

Clamouring for scrambled eggs.  All volunteers on the farm eat a plant-based diet (including everyone in our group for the time we were there), and so the chickens get the nutrients in the eggs they lay fed back to them. — Clamouring for scrambled eggs. All volunteers on the farm eat a plant-based diet (including everyone in our group for the time we were there), and so the chickens get the nutrients in the eggs they lay fed back to them.

Maurice, the newest chicken to the farm, was in quarantine until she could be integrated with the rest of the roost (fun fact: I helped name her)

Human feeding time: roasted sweet potatoes with herbs, thanks to Alex.  Nom nom. — Human feeding time: roasted sweet potatoes with herbs, thanks to Alex. Nom nom.

(Vegan) Banana split cake.  Kinda crazy looking, very yummy tasting. — (Vegan) Banana split cake. Kinda crazy looking, very yummy tasting.

Fearless, the rescued Doberman, was quite the sweetheart

This photo could not get any more Midwest: tractor, red barn, farm dog, work gloves, and muck boots

Candid dog kiss.  Fearless had to get a cyst removed (hence the stitches), so he got extra love — Candid dog kiss. Fearless had to get a cyst removed (hence the stitches), so he got extra love

Do you have food? // SASHA is a bit unusual in that they have 30 rescued cattle, which involves a lot of work (also, lots of hay is involved).  A $5 donation can buy a 50lb (22kg) bag of food, or almost two bales of hay.  Donations (link h… — Do you have food? // SASHA is a bit unusual in that they have 30 rescued cattle, which involves a lot of work (also, *lots* of hay is involved). A $5 donation can buy a 50lb (22kg) bag of food, or almost two bales of hay. Donations (link **here**) go directly to SASHA.

Filling the manure spreader, to be taken and spread out over a field

We stopped in Chicago to switch trains, and had time to eat pizza (vegan) at the Blaze.  Om nom nom pesto. — We stopped in Chicago to switch trains, and had time to eat pizza (vegan) at the Blaze. Om nom nom pesto.

Chicago street scene during our layover.  If I liked big cities I would like Chicago...and Seattle.  See the photos from Seattle here. — Chicago street scene during our layover. If I liked big cities I would like Chicago...and Seattle. See the photos from Seattle **here.**

A video documenting our trip, including (most notably) footage of the emu, chickens eating scrambled eggs, and a poop time lapse that I'm very proud of. Make sure to click 'HD' to see it in all it's glory.

Overall it was a full week spent working, making new friends, and having really good discussions. Thanks to SASHA for having us and for Grinnell College AltBreak for sponsoring the trip!

Film Roll

November 07, 2014 in personal

This is my third roll of color film, shot mostly from fall break, and it's my favorite yet. So excited for how these turned out (because let's be honest, it's still a crap-shoot for me shooting film as a mostly-digital shooter). Shout out to anyone who exclusively used film (thanks, Mom, for all the great baby photos of me shot using film!). P.S. - none of these were enhanced after they were processed (the luscious color is all due to the film/beautiful fall colors of Michigan).

Gored my hand with a spiky plant to get this shot.  Worth it. — Gored my hand with a spiky plant to get this shot. Worth it.

I travelled to Manchester, Michigan, to volunteer as part of an alternative break (AltBreak) with SASHA, an animal sanctuary (which is why there is a pig and donkeys in this post). These beings were really cool to get to know. I hope they thought the same of me (but they probably wondered why I had a movable, large third eye that clicked at them). A post with digital shots of the trip is coming soon.