![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
Farewell to Chile
Wow, haven't used my phone to blog in a while. On the plane in La Serena, by 18:22 for a 18:40 flight. Didn't leave the house until 17:50. They're close to the airport, which is small and casual. Didn't have to take my laptop out or empty my water bottle. Probably will in Santiago, as well as getting my checked luggage so I can check in again; LAN and Air Canada don't seem to talk to each other.
The attentive to detail will note that this post is not in the "Escape from" series.
We got in two more games of Catan, and I'm 0 for the past 8. G ran away with the first one, where I might have been tied for 2nd, and the second game was really close. I ran away at first, but then I got hammered by the robber a lot, losing income and stolen cards.
It's been a fun time, and I'm grateful to G&S for letting me stay so long. Of course they got an extra game partner and kid-responsible adult and occasional bag carrier, cook, and dishwasher out of it. :) Never did get out or study that much, just relaxed and played. I did go for a downtown walk yesterday, seeing stuff I recognized. Various buildings, a park with fountain, the Infernet across from the library. A street market had lots of polished rocks for sale, mineral rich country. Finally had some more local seafood last night: we went to their favorite pizza place, getting the kids excited, but the adults had fried congrio, eggplant terrine with shrimp, some odd kind of whitefish, and salmon with sauteed potatoes (me). Congrio is some kind of eel-like fish, I was told.
An odd regret is that I kept thinking of trying to run a 2-player one-shot RPG, to dip my toes into GMing and put all those RPG thoughts to some use besides my own distraction, but didn't. But G was suggesting Catan over Skype, and RPG would be even more appropriate.
Flight
Short flight, 40 minutes, but drinks and snacks anyway. Very sugary: snack box had ham flavored crackers, chocolate covered cookies, and a white chocolate cookie. I had orange juice, which I think had added-sugar sweetness, though it could have been from-concentrate flatness. But I know from the stores that Chile has a definition of "100% juice" which accomodates an arbitrary amount of sugar.
I have an address to stay at, and I hope my out of country host can figure out how to get me a key. The downside of Airbnb vs. a hotel, especially when flying into winter.
I've got Boston train routes and passes scoped out. $1.50 bus, $2 subway if paying cash, subtract 30 cents if using a Charliecard. Charlie... there's a Scheme version that jokes about this, I think. Something about mta/mbta and trampolines. $15 for a 7 day pass, $59 for a monthly one, though the week covers some boats or something. There are a lot of tiers, but I think subway and local bus is enough for me. Most expensive, short of distant commuter rail, is under $200, with ferries and express buses and some commuter rail. $2400 a year seems comparable to maintaining a car, plus not having to drive or park, minus being able to haul stuff or people.
Santiago airport. Got bag, went to Air Canada, stood in line for the 2 checkoout machines, further delayed by people being slow or complicated; one woman eventually printed her pass, then logged n again, then stood there after that finished, talking on her cell.
After all that, I tried emptying my water bottle before security, thinking the restaurant right there would be faster than finding a bathroom, but it look a long time even after I hauled out my dictionary. "Vacio! Vaciar por favor!" Once again I froze in the clinch, forgetting "Puede usted vaciar".
Exit-papers and security took 20 minutes. I wasn't even sure if it was no-liquid, but it turned out to be shoes-off, so probably. Oh, and I need to get my checked bag in Toronto, for US customs, I'm told I'll get to miss customs in Boston, which would nice if true, and I do have a 3 houe layover, but still, I'd rather have the bag passed through to Boston.
Dunkin Donuts was out of pastrami (had pastrami on the menu, wtf!) But I got a ham and cheese omelette wrap for 2 mil. I kind of left around dinner time without having dinner. I have cashews and dried fruiit, and had those cookies on the first flight (ugh, too much sugar) but something like real food is nice. Plane meal probably won't be for another two hours.
Both bathrooms I used in Santiago had two hot air hand dryers, the upper one of which didn't work.
The gate display had ads next to the flight information. The seat display on the plane showed a couple of ads too, one of which had cabin audio as well.
I turn my screen and the one next to me off, but they won't stay off.
Commiseration de naranja
Mealtime! Beef and mashed potatoes or chicken and rice. I didn't like the beef last time and rice seems more reliable than paste. I belatedly remember that I'd wanted to bring some red pepper, to spice up the crap. But the chicken was pretty well seasoned as it was, nout counting the packets of salt and black pepper I dumped in. Free wine again but I skipped it in favor of something I'd enjoy, like tomato juice.
As she was pouring orange juice for the row in front of me, I heard the flight attendant mutter "is this really orange juice?" From the look of it, and the knowledge that they restock locally, I guessed not. And when she put the box down I was able to read the ingredients: agua, azucar, jugo de naranja, vitamin A... So, as I told her, no. "They do love their sugar here," she said. Yep.
Local restocking: the milk on the cart was one of the ultra-pasteurized, no refrigeration needed till opened, liter bottles I know from my hosts' cereal process.
6:24 am. I may have gotten some sleep, though certainly not enough. Breakfast happened. "Omelette or tortilla?" "What's in the tortilla?" "I have no idea." It turned out to be rather like an omelette itself, and I recall seeming to learn that the default meaning of tortilla is omelette, the American tortilla being tortilla de maiz. So the proper question might have been "scrambled eggs or Spanish omelette?"
Ironically, the strawberry jam ingredients were frutilla, azucar, sorbato. For the one thing meant to be largely sugar Chileans manage to put the fruit first.
For my drink I was going to go with water, rejecting tomato juice as too salty after a night in which my water bottle ran low, but then I noticed Minute Maid jus d'orange on the cart, which I figured should at least be unadulterated. Thought the box said from concentrate, but now almost think it said pas de concentrate, which would be the opposite. Would be odd for Minute Maid though, and it sure didn't taste high quality. Still, more vitamin C and potassium should be good.
I wonder if my rowmate has flown before. He's a Spanish speaker, and has been taking photos of the cabin, and of the meal trays. You know, like me in my first first class trip.
Boston prospects
I counted up and realized I have about a dozen possible social contacts in Boston, easily comparable to the Bay Area. Of course, none of them are close friends of the degree that I have out west.
Hmm. I'd read the Boston metro area was 4.5 million people, which sounded promising. OTOH, the T map seems to be "Boston plus various spurs north of the Charles river", which probably doesn't serve more than 1.5 million people, if that, as Boston itself has fewer people than San Francisco.
Out of plane by 6:15. They had two exits going, which is good. 65 row plane, 9 people rows where I was. Even with first class, seems we're probably talking a 500 personmplane. I didn't know they got that high. 777-300.
Chile's prepaid Entel can roam in Canada. US sucks. Pretty expensive roaming, mind. $3.40/minute.
The attentive to detail will note that this post is not in the "Escape from" series.
We got in two more games of Catan, and I'm 0 for the past 8. G ran away with the first one, where I might have been tied for 2nd, and the second game was really close. I ran away at first, but then I got hammered by the robber a lot, losing income and stolen cards.
It's been a fun time, and I'm grateful to G&S for letting me stay so long. Of course they got an extra game partner and kid-responsible adult and occasional bag carrier, cook, and dishwasher out of it. :) Never did get out or study that much, just relaxed and played. I did go for a downtown walk yesterday, seeing stuff I recognized. Various buildings, a park with fountain, the Infernet across from the library. A street market had lots of polished rocks for sale, mineral rich country. Finally had some more local seafood last night: we went to their favorite pizza place, getting the kids excited, but the adults had fried congrio, eggplant terrine with shrimp, some odd kind of whitefish, and salmon with sauteed potatoes (me). Congrio is some kind of eel-like fish, I was told.
An odd regret is that I kept thinking of trying to run a 2-player one-shot RPG, to dip my toes into GMing and put all those RPG thoughts to some use besides my own distraction, but didn't. But G was suggesting Catan over Skype, and RPG would be even more appropriate.
Flight
Short flight, 40 minutes, but drinks and snacks anyway. Very sugary: snack box had ham flavored crackers, chocolate covered cookies, and a white chocolate cookie. I had orange juice, which I think had added-sugar sweetness, though it could have been from-concentrate flatness. But I know from the stores that Chile has a definition of "100% juice" which accomodates an arbitrary amount of sugar.
I have an address to stay at, and I hope my out of country host can figure out how to get me a key. The downside of Airbnb vs. a hotel, especially when flying into winter.
I've got Boston train routes and passes scoped out. $1.50 bus, $2 subway if paying cash, subtract 30 cents if using a Charliecard. Charlie... there's a Scheme version that jokes about this, I think. Something about mta/mbta and trampolines. $15 for a 7 day pass, $59 for a monthly one, though the week covers some boats or something. There are a lot of tiers, but I think subway and local bus is enough for me. Most expensive, short of distant commuter rail, is under $200, with ferries and express buses and some commuter rail. $2400 a year seems comparable to maintaining a car, plus not having to drive or park, minus being able to haul stuff or people.
Santiago airport. Got bag, went to Air Canada, stood in line for the 2 checkoout machines, further delayed by people being slow or complicated; one woman eventually printed her pass, then logged n again, then stood there after that finished, talking on her cell.
After all that, I tried emptying my water bottle before security, thinking the restaurant right there would be faster than finding a bathroom, but it look a long time even after I hauled out my dictionary. "Vacio! Vaciar por favor!" Once again I froze in the clinch, forgetting "Puede usted vaciar".
Exit-papers and security took 20 minutes. I wasn't even sure if it was no-liquid, but it turned out to be shoes-off, so probably. Oh, and I need to get my checked bag in Toronto, for US customs, I'm told I'll get to miss customs in Boston, which would nice if true, and I do have a 3 houe layover, but still, I'd rather have the bag passed through to Boston.
Dunkin Donuts was out of pastrami (had pastrami on the menu, wtf!) But I got a ham and cheese omelette wrap for 2 mil. I kind of left around dinner time without having dinner. I have cashews and dried fruiit, and had those cookies on the first flight (ugh, too much sugar) but something like real food is nice. Plane meal probably won't be for another two hours.
Both bathrooms I used in Santiago had two hot air hand dryers, the upper one of which didn't work.
The gate display had ads next to the flight information. The seat display on the plane showed a couple of ads too, one of which had cabin audio as well.
I turn my screen and the one next to me off, but they won't stay off.
Commiseration de naranja
Mealtime! Beef and mashed potatoes or chicken and rice. I didn't like the beef last time and rice seems more reliable than paste. I belatedly remember that I'd wanted to bring some red pepper, to spice up the crap. But the chicken was pretty well seasoned as it was, nout counting the packets of salt and black pepper I dumped in. Free wine again but I skipped it in favor of something I'd enjoy, like tomato juice.
As she was pouring orange juice for the row in front of me, I heard the flight attendant mutter "is this really orange juice?" From the look of it, and the knowledge that they restock locally, I guessed not. And when she put the box down I was able to read the ingredients: agua, azucar, jugo de naranja, vitamin A... So, as I told her, no. "They do love their sugar here," she said. Yep.
Local restocking: the milk on the cart was one of the ultra-pasteurized, no refrigeration needed till opened, liter bottles I know from my hosts' cereal process.
6:24 am. I may have gotten some sleep, though certainly not enough. Breakfast happened. "Omelette or tortilla?" "What's in the tortilla?" "I have no idea." It turned out to be rather like an omelette itself, and I recall seeming to learn that the default meaning of tortilla is omelette, the American tortilla being tortilla de maiz. So the proper question might have been "scrambled eggs or Spanish omelette?"
Ironically, the strawberry jam ingredients were frutilla, azucar, sorbato. For the one thing meant to be largely sugar Chileans manage to put the fruit first.
For my drink I was going to go with water, rejecting tomato juice as too salty after a night in which my water bottle ran low, but then I noticed Minute Maid jus d'orange on the cart, which I figured should at least be unadulterated. Thought the box said from concentrate, but now almost think it said pas de concentrate, which would be the opposite. Would be odd for Minute Maid though, and it sure didn't taste high quality. Still, more vitamin C and potassium should be good.
I wonder if my rowmate has flown before. He's a Spanish speaker, and has been taking photos of the cabin, and of the meal trays. You know, like me in my first first class trip.
Boston prospects
I counted up and realized I have about a dozen possible social contacts in Boston, easily comparable to the Bay Area. Of course, none of them are close friends of the degree that I have out west.
Hmm. I'd read the Boston metro area was 4.5 million people, which sounded promising. OTOH, the T map seems to be "Boston plus various spurs north of the Charles river", which probably doesn't serve more than 1.5 million people, if that, as Boston itself has fewer people than San Francisco.
Out of plane by 6:15. They had two exits going, which is good. 65 row plane, 9 people rows where I was. Even with first class, seems we're probably talking a 500 personmplane. I didn't know they got that high. 777-300.
Chile's prepaid Entel can roam in Canada. US sucks. Pretty expensive roaming, mind. $3.40/minute.