Mitos del síndrome de Down
A lovely column in today's Mercurio (Santiago, Chile's newspaper) about people with Down syndrome.
the article invites us to put in front of statements that may describe an individual with Down syndrome (or any intellectual disability) the phrase: "Like all people...." to recognize that we are no different than each other whether we have a disability or not.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Canyoning in Puerto Varas
At Puerto Varas we heard one of the most exciting adventures was canyoning down Rio Blanca. I wasn't too sure about this part of our vacation.
This is what is was suppose to look like: (wait for the commercial to pass)
See ABC article: Extreme Tourists Canyoning in Chile
Jorge, Kristina, Ian, and Andy were ready to be among the extremists. Me... I wasn't so sure. I was like the young lady who really had no idea what she was getting herself into.
We left our hotel overlooking Lake Llanquihue with the volcano, Osorno in the cloudy distance for a van ride to Rio Blanco. After getting sized for our gear and gathering up our wetsuits we were off to the jungles.
To access the river we would need to walk up a mountainside through a protected ecostudy center. The sign at the entrance of the center tells us there are bathrooms there.
Well yes... There are bathrooms but they are locked. Point to keep in mind- be careful of the large utilitarian sized leaved plant--they aren't Charmin' that's for sure with their thorns on the underside!
When we decided we'd attempt this adventure it had been raining incessantly and there had been previous trips canceled due to the rapidly running waters that had risen to a dangerous level. We crossed our fingers and decided to suit up anyway and give it a go just on the chance that the water levels had dropped a little. Getting into a wetsuit is like squeezing into a full body girdle. Amazingly Andy was up for the adventure with the promise that he would "ride the waterfall." He has always had a fascination with waterfalls and rocks splashing in the water. This was HIS adventure!!
So with great enthusiasm we suited up:
After we all were suited up the next phase was to climb the mountain. The first part of the trail was lovely and full of flowers. As the incline steepened the rains began again. Kristina and Ian along with a British tourist walked on ahead with one of our guides while Jorge, Andy and I slowly took the hike. Andy keep on moving with the prospect of running the rapids. But about midway the rains began harder and colder. The mud became slicker and the incline steeper. He had been hiking up the mud-slicked hill in a tight wetsuit for nearly 1/2 hour. At one point he stopped and said his legs could not move any more. With frequent rests and Jorge patiently encouraging him along the way Andy, Jorge and I made it to the top to find the guide, Brit, his sister and Ian waiting for us.
Kristina and Ian greeted us with exhilaration while the Brit had a look of deep seated fear and panic. Kristina and Ian were allowed to "test" the waters and had no problems. The Brit however, nearly drowned causing the guide to think twice and decide that the waters were too dangerous for untrained tourists, especially one with intellectual disabilities and little swimming ability.
There would be NO leaving after the trek that Andy endured before he had a chance to see the rushing waters and throw rocks into .... even if he couldn't through HIMSELF into it.
The climb back down was just as arduous and long. But we made it and had just as much fun getting OUT of the wetsuits as we had getting ourselves into them.
This is what is was suppose to look like: (wait for the commercial to pass)
See ABC article: Extreme Tourists Canyoning in Chile
Jorge, Kristina, Ian, and Andy were ready to be among the extremists. Me... I wasn't so sure. I was like the young lady who really had no idea what she was getting herself into.
We left our hotel overlooking Lake Llanquihue with the volcano, Osorno in the cloudy distance for a van ride to Rio Blanco. After getting sized for our gear and gathering up our wetsuits we were off to the jungles.
To access the river we would need to walk up a mountainside through a protected ecostudy center. The sign at the entrance of the center tells us there are bathrooms there.
Well yes... There are bathrooms but they are locked. Point to keep in mind- be careful of the large utilitarian sized leaved plant--they aren't Charmin' that's for sure with their thorns on the underside!
When we decided we'd attempt this adventure it had been raining incessantly and there had been previous trips canceled due to the rapidly running waters that had risen to a dangerous level. We crossed our fingers and decided to suit up anyway and give it a go just on the chance that the water levels had dropped a little. Getting into a wetsuit is like squeezing into a full body girdle. Amazingly Andy was up for the adventure with the promise that he would "ride the waterfall." He has always had a fascination with waterfalls and rocks splashing in the water. This was HIS adventure!!
So with great enthusiasm we suited up:
After we all were suited up the next phase was to climb the mountain. The first part of the trail was lovely and full of flowers. As the incline steepened the rains began again. Kristina and Ian along with a British tourist walked on ahead with one of our guides while Jorge, Andy and I slowly took the hike. Andy keep on moving with the prospect of running the rapids. But about midway the rains began harder and colder. The mud became slicker and the incline steeper. He had been hiking up the mud-slicked hill in a tight wetsuit for nearly 1/2 hour. At one point he stopped and said his legs could not move any more. With frequent rests and Jorge patiently encouraging him along the way Andy, Jorge and I made it to the top to find the guide, Brit, his sister and Ian waiting for us.
Kristina and Ian greeted us with exhilaration while the Brit had a look of deep seated fear and panic. Kristina and Ian were allowed to "test" the waters and had no problems. The Brit however, nearly drowned causing the guide to think twice and decide that the waters were too dangerous for untrained tourists, especially one with intellectual disabilities and little swimming ability.
There would be NO leaving after the trek that Andy endured before he had a chance to see the rushing waters and throw rocks into .... even if he couldn't through HIMSELF into it.
The climb back down was just as arduous and long. But we made it and had just as much fun getting OUT of the wetsuits as we had getting ourselves into them.
Picture Taking and Horseback Riding in Torres del Paine
We went out one more time to capture the "money shot" of the mountains while the sun peaked out. Then went horse back riding. Unlike trail riding in the states we were allowed to just take off and enjoy the surroundings. The vaqueros did not keep a tight reign on us and for those who needed the extra guidance were there to help. As you can see the views were magnificent! While riding we experienced sunshine, rain, hail, wind-- but no snow.
Punta Arenas-Casco de la Fragata Inglesa Lord Lonsdale
To the south of the town just outside the cruise ship ports and the Navy station the skeleton of the English Frigate, Lord Lonsdale, serves as a tribute to the sailors who sailed the Magagallan Sea and helped colonize this region. The houses that flank the rusted frame are as weathered as the shadow looming up from the beach.
Graffiti provides a colorful counter point to the early morning gray and shadows reminding us that:
Graffiti provides a colorful counter point to the early morning gray and shadows reminding us that:
Human rights are your rights.
Take it. Understand them.
Promote them. Defend them.
They are the best of us.
Give them life
Punta Arenas - Hotel and Palacio Sara Braun
The second leg of our trip was a stay at Puerto Varas that required we take an early morning flight in oredr to get there. We drove our car to Punta Arenas to stay for one night and took in some of the sites. Punta Arenas is also a cruise ship docking point and that night we had two ships in port. We stayed at Hotel Cabo de Hornos. Though beautiful, the modern hotel looked out of place situated in the old town plaza. Neighboring buildings that surrounded the plaza hearkened to a time nearly a century past.
We stayed in a Matrimonial room (King size bed, corner room with views of plaza and side street, the website photo has not been updated- plasma tv now sits on the modern furniture). The lobby seemed very dark and oppressive in its modern styling. The open design of the hotel lead to what looked like a men's smoking/reading room with a hunter's trophey wall filled with a dozen or more small huemul deer horns. Opposite the trophey room was a black silhouette of the beachedfrigate Casco de la Fragata Inglesa Lord Lonsdale giving the restaurant an eerie and ghostly appearance.
The view from our window taken at 9PM:
As described by Fodor:
This resplendent 1895 mansion, a national landmark and architectural showpiece of southern Patagonia, was designed by French architect Numa Meyer at the behest of Sara Braun (the wealthy widow of wool baron José Nogueira). Materials and craftsmen were imported from Europe during the home's four years of construction. The city's central plaza and surrounding buildings soon followed, ushering in the region's golden era. The Club de la Unión, a social organization that now owns the building, opens its doors to nonmembers for tours of some of the rooms and salons, which have magnificent parquet floors, marble fireplaces, and hand-painted ceilings. After touring the rooms, head to the cellar tavern for a drink or snack.
What impressed me the most were the high decorated ceilings--absolutely breath-taking!
We stayed in a Matrimonial room (King size bed, corner room with views of plaza and side street, the website photo has not been updated- plasma tv now sits on the modern furniture). The lobby seemed very dark and oppressive in its modern styling. The open design of the hotel lead to what looked like a men's smoking/reading room with a hunter's trophey wall filled with a dozen or more small huemul deer horns. Opposite the trophey room was a black silhouette of the beachedfrigate Casco de la Fragata Inglesa Lord Lonsdale giving the restaurant an eerie and ghostly appearance.
The view from our window taken at 9PM:
The plaza and city out into the distance
The church opposite the plaza
Outlining street of the plaza-
The corner house to the right is the Palacio Sara Braun
Jorge and I toured the town a little on our own. We stopped to look at the Palacio Sara Braun, but appeared to be closed. However, I saw people inside and what looked like a tour going on. Not to be daunted I went up to the door and knocked. I asked the doorman if there was a tour going on and he said yes and invited us in. But it turns out the tour was ONLY for the passengers of the cruise ships that had come to port that morning. The doorman suspecting we were late tourists ushered us in quickly so as to join up with "our group." A tavern was available for snacks and drinks but seemed like something out of an Argentine film noir with clouds of smoke encircling the lustful clients. We had hoped to eat in the garden room restaurant, but that was closed.
As described by Fodor:
This resplendent 1895 mansion, a national landmark and architectural showpiece of southern Patagonia, was designed by French architect Numa Meyer at the behest of Sara Braun (the wealthy widow of wool baron José Nogueira). Materials and craftsmen were imported from Europe during the home's four years of construction. The city's central plaza and surrounding buildings soon followed, ushering in the region's golden era. The Club de la Unión, a social organization that now owns the building, opens its doors to nonmembers for tours of some of the rooms and salons, which have magnificent parquet floors, marble fireplaces, and hand-painted ceilings. After touring the rooms, head to the cellar tavern for a drink or snack.
What impressed me the most were the high decorated ceilings--absolutely breath-taking!
Where we really wanted to have dinner that night.
Now there's a pool table for Jorge!
Christmas at Hotel Las Torres- a review and snapshots
Hotel Las Torres was a wonderful location to stay while taking in the sites and scenery of Parque Las Torres. The hotel has wonderful amenities and activities to keep everyone happy and pampered pre- and post-trekking, including a spa, internet services, and laundry services. The staff was always very accommodating and spoke English.
With the hotel located inside the park at the foot of Las Torres the grandeur and immense size of the mountain is impressive. However, we were happy that we had our first night outside of the park so we could take in the full picture of the mountains. As we looked upon the mountains at the lodge it was similar to sitting in the bottom, front row of an IMAX theater - trying to take in the whole picture.
Outside the hotel is a small kiosk that sells provisions to any who wish to take on the mountains but may be camping or taking refuge at neighboring hosterias. The items are pricey (think monopoly in a the middle of nowhere) but were handy for when we ran out of needed supplies.
Dining at the Hotel was buffet service and costly for the quality we received (nearly $200 US for the 5 of us). Often it depended upon when we arrived to be served as to the quality of the plates served. The beef brisket on one of our days was just this side of tartar (raw) and it did not matter whether we arrived early or late somehow that roast just never got cooked. The down side of staying here was there was NO where else easy to go for meals. While we were there during the summer solstice a trip to the other hosterias could have been done, but it would quite a trek to do so and nearly impossible for a round trip if you did not rent a car as we did. Their wine selection however was wonderful!
The views throughout the hosteria (the lodge, the restaurant, the rooms) were all spectacular. And though the mountain backdrop remained the same it was clothed in new light and cloud shading with each passing moment.
Here is a promotional film for the hotel:
On Christmas morning we shared our breakfast with the "domesticated" fox. The restaurant staff have befriended a fox and her family by offering her a plate from the breakfast menu. We were told there is a mountain lion that comes down at times as well.
With the hotel located inside the park at the foot of Las Torres the grandeur and immense size of the mountain is impressive. However, we were happy that we had our first night outside of the park so we could take in the full picture of the mountains. As we looked upon the mountains at the lodge it was similar to sitting in the bottom, front row of an IMAX theater - trying to take in the whole picture.
Outside the hotel is a small kiosk that sells provisions to any who wish to take on the mountains but may be camping or taking refuge at neighboring hosterias. The items are pricey (think monopoly in a the middle of nowhere) but were handy for when we ran out of needed supplies.
Dining at the Hotel was buffet service and costly for the quality we received (nearly $200 US for the 5 of us). Often it depended upon when we arrived to be served as to the quality of the plates served. The beef brisket on one of our days was just this side of tartar (raw) and it did not matter whether we arrived early or late somehow that roast just never got cooked. The down side of staying here was there was NO where else easy to go for meals. While we were there during the summer solstice a trip to the other hosterias could have been done, but it would quite a trek to do so and nearly impossible for a round trip if you did not rent a car as we did. Their wine selection however was wonderful!
The views throughout the hosteria (the lodge, the restaurant, the rooms) were all spectacular. And though the mountain backdrop remained the same it was clothed in new light and cloud shading with each passing moment.
Here is a promotional film for the hotel:
On Christmas morning we shared our breakfast with the "domesticated" fox. The restaurant staff have befriended a fox and her family by offering her a plate from the breakfast menu. We were told there is a mountain lion that comes down at times as well.
Looking for food at her table
Waiter calling fox in for her close-up
Smile for the tourist
Andy returning to his room while the fox takes in the morning sun on a full tummy
Global Voices Online » Chile: Modern Day Human Rights for the Mapuche
Global Voices Online » Chile: Modern Day Human Rights for the Mapuche
An interesting article regarding the issues of human rights in Chile. Chile is unique in its honoring of those who faced injustices in the past under the dictatorship of Pinochet with the recently inaugurated Museum of Memory and Human Rights in Santiago, Chile. However, the article makes the point human rights is not a time limited activity to be housed in a museum. Chile and its global neighbors are challenged to be mindful that human rights actions must be ongoing for all peoples including indigenous peoples and those marginalized by class structure currently facing injustices and denial of their human rights.
An interesting article regarding the issues of human rights in Chile. Chile is unique in its honoring of those who faced injustices in the past under the dictatorship of Pinochet with the recently inaugurated Museum of Memory and Human Rights in Santiago, Chile. However, the article makes the point human rights is not a time limited activity to be housed in a museum. Chile and its global neighbors are challenged to be mindful that human rights actions must be ongoing for all peoples including indigenous peoples and those marginalized by class structure currently facing injustices and denial of their human rights.
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