Two men recently “free-climbed” a 3000 foot (915 meter) granite wall known as El Capitan. This was an outstanding feat by anyone’s standards and many considered it impossible.
Discerning folly from fortitude is not always feasible.
Giving our lives meaning, fulfillment and joy often involves taking risks, but the limits we impose are set at different measures. Comparing ourselves to others need not serve any purpose, except to inspire us and contest our restrictions.
My father had a knack for speaking with people-anyone, anywhere. Probably as a result, I too engage freely with strangers. These conversations enrich my travel experiences immeasurably and the multitudes of enthusiastic responses to my queries and greetings continue to inspire me.
Recently a security guard, watching over Pablo Neruda’s living room, was delighted to be noticed as visitors traipsed through. I had asked him a question and his vast knowledge and enthusiasm was evident in his lengthy response. It far exceeded the scope and details offered by the audio guide I was given at the entrance to the home.
And of course, conversations with both locals and fellow travelers can provide me with travel tales and tips, companionship and an opportunity to practice a foreign language.
Think twice about being shy.
Thank you subscribers and readers for taking the time to visit my blog!!
If this is the first time you are visiting the site, welcome to the tales of a woman solo traveler and thoughts to make today the start of something new.
Although I take a break during the weekends, I’ll be back on Monday and would be delighted, in the meantime, if you would look through my previous posts. Perhaps you missed a few or will reread one with a new perspective.There is a list of all the previous posts by title and date.
Since the configuration of the site may differ on your browser, perhaps you have not noticed the tabs which offer some additional information:Why this blog?, Images, How I Began, etc.
You can search certain posts by category: Practical Advice, Thoughts on Oneself, Snapshots, etc.
All of these may be at the very bottom of the posts.
While traveling I may not be posting each day. To be notified when I have written a new post please subscribe-of course its free.
I would be delighted if you would sign up.
Thank you for taking the time to read my post! Welcome to the tales of a woman solo traveler and thoughts to make today the start of something new. I hope you find information and inspiration in the text and images and join me in my quest for growth, wonderment and self-improvement.
Here’s to new discoveries near and far!
Enjoy the day.
Thank you subscribers and readers for taking the time to visit my blog!!
If this is the first time you are visiting the site, welcome to the tales of a woman solo traveler and thoughts to make today the start of something new.
Although I take a break during the weekends, I’ll be back on Monday and would be delighted, in the meantime, if you would look through my previous posts. Perhaps you missed a few or will reread one with a new perspective.There is a list of all the previous posts by title and date.
Since the configuration of the site may differ on your browser, perhaps you have not noticed the tabs which offer some additional information:Why this blog?, Images, How I Began, etc.
You can search certain posts by category: Practical Advice, Thoughts on Oneself, Snapshots, etc.
All of these may be at the very bottom of the posts.
While traveling I may not be posting each day. To be notified when I have written a new post please subscribe-of course its free.
I would be delighted if you would sign up.
Thank you for taking the time to read my post! Welcome to the tales of a woman solo traveler and thoughts to make today the start of something new. I hope you find information and inspiration in the text and images and join me in my quest for growth, wonderment and self-improvement.
Here’s to new discoveries near and far!
Enjoy the days.
Conveying my experiences as a woman solo traveler is a primary goal of this blog but not the only one. However, since my last trip to Chile is only days and weeks in the past I am tempted to draw upon my time and experiences there.
The countries may differ, but the reactions to my traveling alone rarely do. Many people I meet say I am brave, for some, I suspect this is a euphemism for crazy. Others will speak of similar desires-I wish them well. Traveling alone is simply a choice and not much more. I am often reading about people undertaking far more adventurous and dangerous exploits; in comparison my travels are rather ordinary.
Choosing to travel solo is prompted by various desires; freedom is most likely at the top of the list-it is for me. Seeking lessons in self-reliance, self-confidence and getting to know oneself likely follow close behind.
I met, by chance, a number of people traveling alone for the first time. They spoke of their initial fear (that doesn’t necessarily go away) and their joy. Perhaps the greatest revelation of traveling alone is that you are rarely by yourself, unless you wish to be.
I left for Chile almost two months ago. Returning home means seeing loved ones and taking care of everyday things. Images of Chile fleet through my mind or I indulge in recalling places and moments with as many details as I can muster. It already seems far away but the conjuring of these images brings the past near.
It has been an extraordinary trip and adventure .
Perspective and time will undoubtedly alter my memories but I look forward to revisiting and recounting the days spent beneath a different sky.
Jan3-5 DAYS 46-49
My return to Santiago after almost two months, was familiar and welcoming except for the excessive heat. I ate divine ceviche and drank perfectly paired wine. I wandered through one more of Pablo Neruda’s magical homes and met a photographer who had just shown in New York and drove me around her town. These were my last days in Chile before heading home. It was a time to pack up one last time. It was time to say farewell to a land with exquisite beauty and its people who welcomed me with an abundance of warmth and kindness.
Dec 29-Jan3
DAYS 40-46
Valparaiso is justifiably a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The multi-colored dwellings perched on steep hills, the century old funiculars, maze-like streets, passageways and parks with magnificent overlooks, fine dining, abundant art and graffiti covered walls all add to its charm. People flock to the town by the thousands to see the dazzling display of fireworks which begin, annually, at the new year. Accommodations rise to exorbitant prices, the locals mostly leave to more peaceful environs, and the riff-raff come out in droves to prey on the tourists. The town was an exciting place to bring in 2015 although I will opt for a different season the next time around.
For my dearest family, friends, and readers, I wish you a year of health, fulfilled dreams, peace, inspiration and joy.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
As my last days in Chile come to a near, I’ll be taking a break from my writing until I return to New York. Thank you for sharing your time with me. I look forward to posting again in the new year.
Until then…
Dec 26-29 DAYS 37-40
I enjoyed walking around the streets of the small towns, some lie along the shore, chatting with the locals and absorbing daily life. People were invariably open to discussion and despite my lack of fluency in Spanish, made every effort to understand what I was saying. My inquiries were sometimes rewarded with entirely new experiences. Once, my curiosity yielded a tasty sea creature picked from a black barbarous casing by the very hands who plucked the red mollusk out of the sea. (I was told eating it with lemon would be better-I agree.) Overall,fresh seafood was abundant and the primary means for creating a meal.
This part of Chile is the home to the Mapuche. The Mapuches are an indigenous people of Chile representing the vast majority of original dwellers living today. Their reputation as fierce defenders of their lands has not abated. Although many have adopted modern ways, I was hoping to meet those who still retained some of their traditions.
While visiting the Mapuche Museum of Cañete, I caught a video of an old woman weaving, coloring, preparing wool for her looms. Her techniques and tools were the same as her ancestors and I was enthralled. I hurried to the information desk inquiring as to her whereabouts. A phone call, bus ride, walk and a short hop on a motorcycle brought me to her home about 20kms away. Senora Amalia, 83, lives on her people’s land and still uses a ruka, a thatched dwelling for ceremonies and festivities.
For the next two hours she graciously shared tales with me of her life. Raising eight children with barely enough to feed them was painfully tough, but she and her family survived. Her life today seems comfortable and she showed off her great grandchildren with pride. 