Where I belong...

Where I belong...


Memories are bitter sweet
They make you smile they make you weep
So lost I walk in yesterday's years
Looking for some answers.


I wish I could go back and change
Yet this book has long been written
Now I take this road alone
And wonder where is the next station


So clueless, so unsure
I put my glass up for some more pour
And I lift it up for a toast
For the many unsettled scores


I've become, I've been gone...
I've arrived, a lot undone...
Too many lessons learnt
Am I wiser or just burnt?


So take me wherever you go
So make me whatever you want
I still be who I am,
And where I belong...

Travelogue: Chile and Uruguay: The LatAm Experience

Before we go on the flashback of the amazing experience I had in Latin America, let me give you a background of this Travelogue. Working in the ever growing IT industry and I like to believe that I am contributing in the growth of the business of the company I work for :). The perks that come with the hard work are the Onsites. The most sought after Onsite being the US. Well, for my first Onsite assignment, I get to go a little further south, the Exotic Latin America. Now Latin America consists of everything from and south of Mexico. Now, even though this part of the world is bit infamous for drugs, mafia, crime, well… I'd like to break the myth, I travelled alone each time and I am here writing this travelogue with really fond memories from the trips. So one just need to avoid the troublesome areas and stay alert while travelling. Due to the heavy influence of Spanish culture, the countries (except Brazil which was a Portuguese colony) give you a very culturally rich feel, Spanish cuisine with local flavors, wonderful music and all things Spanish. Having said that, each country has their unique blend of their own native culture. So let’s dive into their world through my journeys which I hold so close to my heart.

 

Chapter 1: 1st Assignment-Chile                                                                               

In the month of January 2013, this travel is finalized and I am the first one from the team going from India to Santiago, Chile. So, having the visa formalities and tickets done, I am ready to fly. On a personal front, it was a big deal for me for multiple reasons. Firstly, it was my first ever overseas travel(which will always remain special); secondly, I was the first one going to a country where none of the people I know have ever been to; thirdly, I was travelling alone on a  trip where one way, I have to take 3 different flights, journey hours totaling to over 2 days; fourthly, because I didn’t know Spanish; and lastly, I booked my own accommodation at one service apartment(in a safe area near my office) and the online receipt was the only string holding me on in a land of unknown. And another sigh of relief was, I had my onsite manager's phone number who would be in Santiago when I reach and told him that he might get a panic call any time! :D Well, well, well! I prayed to God and hoped to be back safe and sound.

 

My trip was via Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai-Schipol Airport, Amsterdam-Lima Airport, Peru on KLM and the from Lima to Santiago, Chile via a  LATAM local flight. And the return being the same. Phew! So, I just followed protocol and kept hopping airports, clicking pictures while my body clock got royally confused and trying to connect home from wherever possible. Lima  had paid WIFI and I didn’t know how to go about it(lesson learnt on return trip and then it was cakewalk) so for almost 1.5 days India time, I was off the grid and thankfully everyone was a little prepared, so no one back home freaked out( at least I was told that by my Mom :) ). So, after the really, really long journey, I reached Santiago at around 4 am. And it was pitch dark…Day break happens around 7.30 am. So, I just followed protocol again and got some local currency, Chilean Peso for the USDs I had received from our FOREX and booked a cab from the airport to the address I had. The cab ride felt pretty safe and in about 20 mins I saw the service apartment which I recognized from the photo I had seen online and I can't begin to tell you how relieved I was. No glitch. And I took my luggage of 3 weeks and got in. I saw the reception guy half asleep and I woke him up and said booking by my name. He looked at me confused and reluctant. I thought, I am screwed now. And then I kept repeating, said about the online portal, and finally, he said "OH!", (spelt my name in a  weird way) and handed me an envelope. I saw my name written there and opened it to find the key to my room and some paper with numbers to contact to.

 

So, once in the apartment which was just perfect with nice furnishing, a fully equipped kitchen, living room with a small balcony, one bedroom and an attached washroom, I was happy and relieved. And, it became my home for the next 3 weeks. I slept for some time and woke up around 9 and reached office which was not very far around 10. I met everyone there, my manager, the client-side team and everyone asked about the long trip and the day went on pretty busy. Here, I'd like to mention, I didn’t feel any jet lag, may be because, I gained time when I flew west and didn’t get a lag. So, I was fresh and got to work right away. And gradually the rest of the team started pouring in with a gap of 3-4 days. I heard Chilean Espanol all around me, tried to make sense of it and gradually started learning by ear and some help from Google Translate :). During lunch break I used to follow my other colleagues, 3 from Mexico and 1 Brazilian to the restaurants around our office. So, I ate my first raw salmon sandwich there and I was too naïve and my taste buds were still very Indian to appreciate the sweet and slightly salty salmon taste by itself so I asked for all kinds of ketchups and Tabasco Chili Sauce became my best friend  from then on. I began to appreciate their local cuisine, also enjoyed some delicious Sushi for the first time there (apparently Japanese cuisine is pretty IN there) and a very sumptuous place called the WOK where they would toss a range of elements together as per your choice. The weather was excellent, it was beginning of Autumn in February, since its Southern hemisphere. Lovely breeze, a cozily warm sun, lots of greenery around. And the gorgeous Andes were visible from the driveway up our office, a sight to behold. The Chileans are very beautiful and friendly people, always greeting with a smile, two kisses and a hug :)( when you are friends/colleagues), always eager to help out even though we didn't speak their language. We resorted to sign language many a  times :) and then a smile will convey a lot more than our broken Espanol of Hola, como estas, uno, dos, tres, beunos dias, beunos noches, Mucha Gracias! :)

 

 

So, in matter of days, I started feeling at home because of my excellent colleagues who were always there to help out, especially with the menu ;), the neighborhood store guy, who was learning English and we became quite good friends :) and overall feel of the city. Very warm and welcoming. There was a supermarket nearby as well where I would get my groceries. And then the first weekend when we all were there, we went to this wonderful UNESCO Heritege city called Val Paraiso and lovely beach town called Vina del Mar(where Shakira was spotted at a talent show and her career began there). This was a day long trip where we first went to Val Paraiso, which is a port and was where the Spanish first stepped foot in Chile. The guide was saying that there's a saying that the women from Val Paraiso have the most beautiful and slender legs. Why? Because the city is on a steep hill facing the Pacific and in earlier days they would have to walk up and down the hill to get around. Quite some price to have slender legs! Anyways, they later got an almost vertical tram-cum-ropeway kind of system to commute. It is now only for tourists to have a little ride and feel the olden days. As the whole city is conserved under UNESCO, the preservation of the old is pretty good. All in all, a very quaint city which looks like it is still in the bygone era and that gives it a special charm. Also, this city had survived huge earthquakes and we saw one Red building which went untarnished after a huge earthquake when many other buildings collapsed. This is the oldest building there. So, after walking through the town and getting quite some exercise of the legs, it was almost afternoon and we proceeded to Vina del Mar on the bus. The travel agency had booked us for this nice restaurant with an open seating facing the blue ocean. The sight was breath-taking. We ordered the choices from the special menu that they had, and there was one item called the Ceviche. The waitress recommended it. I was game for trying all I could being a hard-core non vegetarian with a very inquisitive and experimental set of taste buds, so I was eagerly waiting. My fellow colleague who is more conservative gastronomically, ordered but said will have only the vegetarian portions. And to go with the menu, I ordered for a nice Chilean red wine. When I tasted the Ceviche, I just fell in love with it. I had already began to appreciate raw salmon and now this one had raw yummy salmon, shrimps and some more sea food. The lemon based marinate that they make it with was also very delicious, and there I had the best Ceviche of my life yet (though I had eaten only at may be 3 more places :D)! There were salads, salami, breads and I tasted a bit of beef too, nicely roasted. It was a beautiful time, with the sun moving west giving a golden haze to everything, me sipping on excellent Chilean red vino with bites of the Ceviche looking out at an old couple selling some bonsai plants, another couple just enjoying the afternoon at the beach, a kid playing; it was indeed a feel-good sublime feeling as if am there on a holiday and not on work…

 

 

 

 

To be continued...