Mueso de Artes Visuales and Bellas Artes

While on the topic of museums, I was reminded of a day I spent in Barrio Lastarria while back in Santiago last month. In the morning, I went to Museo de Artes Visuales (MAVI) and Museo de Bellas Artes, which were both very interesting.


My favorite exhibit featured artifacts from indigenous Chilean populations at the MAVI. Some pieces were over 3,500 years old, which was pretty fascinating. The other floors of the MAVI contained works from more contemporary artists. The contrast between these bright, playful pieces in comparison with the older artifacts was striking as well.


Later in the day, I caught up with a friend at Emporio La Rosa, a well known ice-cream shop, famous for its unusual flavors, including Basil Chocolate, Toasted Wheat, and Ginger Orange. Check out their site at: http://www.emporiolarosa.com/sitio/.


I finally wrapped up the day at Museo de Bellas Artes. Although it is one of the more popular art museums in Santiago, I found the selection a bit limited. There were 3 main exhibits open that day which contained a variety of prints, paintings, and sculptures.


MAVI: http://www.mavi.cl/


Museo de Bellas Artes: http://www.dibam.cl/bellas_artes/pre_home.htm

Indigenous Artifact Collection at the MAVI

Contemporary Art at the MAVI

Barrio Lastarria

Inside Mueso de Bellas Artes

Sculptures in the Lobby

Museo Regional de La Araucania

On another excursion into Temuco, I visited el Museo Regional de La Araucania, which is government-run. Araucania refers to the 9^th region of Chile, which includes Labranza. The first floor of the museum was filled with a comprehensive collection of newspaper clippings dating back to the early 1900’s, and the bottom floor exhibit contained a large collection of Mapuche artifacts. I particularly enjoyed watching a documentary they had put together on contemporary Mapuche culture as well.

The museum store is run by the Chol-Chol Foundation, a 40 year old organization that is a leader in South American fair trade and serves over 300 local Mapuche weavers. My work with Voz stems from an intern's work at the Chol-Chol Foundation so we are still closely related, and it was nice to see their products in the public market.

Museum website: http://www.dibam.cl/sdm_mr_araucania/

Chol-Chol Foundation website: http://www.cholchol.org/en_artesania.php

The Muesum Store

La Feria de Temuco

Temuco is the most commercial city close to Labranza, and at 20 cents a bus-ride with gorgeous views of farmland along the way, I can’t complain about the 30-minute trip.

Some of the more popular destinations in Temuco include, Jumbo (the Chilean equivalent of Wal-Mart), Sodimac Homecenter (think Home Depot), and a Portal Temuco, a large shopping mall with most everything you need.

While I end up frequenting these large chains about twice a week to run errands, my favorite part of Temuco is la Feria, another open-air market. See for yourself below.

Wooden Crates

(note that they're strapped onto a bike)

Algae

Although these carts strike me as quite exotic every time I see them, they can be found all over. Still haven't tasted it yet- waiting for a Chilean friend to teach me how to cook with it.

Fried Merluza

a local classic

Chorrillana

another local favorite- French fries, steak, fried egg, and onions

Carahue

In attempt to become more familiar with the surrounding region, I have been taking time to visit the other cities around Labranza. That said, I spent a day exploring both Imperial and Carahue not too long ago.

Whether conversing with street vendors, browsing consignment stores, or simply walking around, I enjoyed getting to know some locals and taking in the new sights and sounds. For lunch, I bought a home-made humita, and I also brought some home-made jam back to the house to share. One produce vendor who I ended up chatting with for quite a while also gave me some “membrillos,” a sour Chilean fruit to try for myself.

Since I did not have many plans when visiting, I ended up stopping by a “mirador,” or lookout, in Carahue that was recommended by a local. Enjoy the view!

...got a bit darker a couple minutes later

Vehicles of Labranza

While scanning through my pictures, I realized it was worth sharing this eclectic group.

Horses

Wood

Public Transport

Buses 2 & 5 run between Temuco and Labranza, conveniently past our house. (note el Supermercado Trebol, or Clover, in the background)

This collection is still missing a few classics: namely bicyclists carrying cartons of food and oxen that transport algae. The handful of times I’ve seen them, I’ve been caught off-guard without my camera, but I’ll try to snap a pic next time.

Moving Into Casa Voz

The purpose of moving to Labranza was to start full-time work with Voz, the indigenous Mapuche textile start-up I interned for last quarter. That said, I am currently renting a house with the Voz founder as well as another friend involved in the industry.

The house still needs a bit of work, but we're getting settled in. When I first visited in January, the house did not have much furniture. Now, however, my roommates have had more time to dress it up and the house is starting to look more lived in.

Washing clothes takes a bit of planning...dryers are extremely rare in Chile because they're so expensive so we stick to air-drying our clothes on a rack, which takes about 2-3 days in the house. (since it rains a lot here, leaving them outside is pretty risky) Earlier this year, there was no hot water either- that was fixed just before I moved down, although the heating system is still a bit more foreign to me. We have a gas tank outside that we can either attach to the gas-stove or the hot water heater, so we can't shower and cook at the same time. (maybe it's time to invest in another gas tank)

As reflected by my sudden stop in blogging over the past few weeks, the house still does not have Internet either. To get access, I have been frequenting a local Internet Cafe a 2-minute walk away that charges the standard rate in the area, $1 an hour. Considering the fact that most of the other customers are on Facebook or playing online games, the owners chuckle at how often I end up stopping by to get some real work done for my Voz internship.

Last week, I tried to get wifi in the house, but it turned out to be a wild goose chase. Since I'm not a Chilean citizen and do not have a working Visa, I do not have a RUT and therefore cannot take out an Internet plan. (Don't worry- I'm not illegal, technically I'm classified as an "Estudiante de Gira" or foreign student.) After visiting about 6 different places, the best plan I could come up with was $80/month for a low-quality, USB modem. Plan B is to get the owner of the house we're renting to take out a plan for us, but it's going to take some time.

Anyway, that's life in Labranza. Although moving in has been a bit of work, I like the area- my daily routine is a lot slower and much more grounded. Here are some pics from move-in day.

Home

The View from my Window

My Room

...just kidding, the picture above is just about as tidy as it will ever get. Here's a more realistic image.

...and my roomates

Labranza...Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Santiago anymore.

Just under 2 weeks ago, I took the 9-hour bus ride down from Santiago to Labranza, my new home in Southern, Chile. Even though it is surrounded by campo, or farmland, the town itself is filled with an idiosyncratic mix of quaint wooden homes and identical suburbian developments. (I’m lucky enough to be living in the former.)

Likewise, other traits of Labranza reflect the region’s historical roots alongside more modern the influences. Take the subject of marketplaces for example. On one hand, the outdoor “feria” is beloved for its diverse range of fresh produce and local delights, such as harina tostada and hand-made empanadas. In stark contrast, el Supermercado Trebol sits directly across the street in a bright yellow building that can be spotted blocks away. Akin to Safeway, this popular chain offers a wider variety more contemporary commodities.

Labranza is also bordered by a meandering river and dirt path, perfect for afternoon walks. Close-by, lies the one main road running through the center of town. Going about 30-minutes East, it leads directly into Temcuo, the closest major city. Towards the west lies more campo, marked by major towns including Imperial, Carahue, and finally Puerto Saavedra on the Pacific Coast about 90 minutes away.

There’s a lot more I could write about Labranza now, but I’ll save the details for later blog entries- right now the plan is to stay here until school starts up again in September, leaving me with plenty of time.

Housing Developments

they continue on like this for block after block...

Crazy Weather

Much like Patagonia, the weather here changes incredibly fast. Yesterday, for example, I decided to go for a walk since it was sunny out, but by the time I made it out the door it was hailing! The following 3 pictures were taken within 30 minutes from by bedroom window.

My Neighborhood