Chile Culture

Beef Empanadas- These are the most common dish in Chile. It is composed of a seasoned mixture of ground beef, onions, raisins, black olives, and hard boiled eggs.The way the beef tastes best if it is prepared the day before and eaten and the the next day put into the empanadas.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of oil 
• 2 lb of chopped beef (top sirloin is a good choice) 
• 1/2 teaspoon of paprika 
• 1/2 teaspoon of dry oregano 
• 1 teaspoon of salt 
• Pepper to taste 
• 1/2 teaspoon of cumin 
• 1/2 cup of water 
• 1 large onion chopped into small cubes 
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 
• 1/2 cup of milk 
• 1/2 cup of warm water 
• 2 teaspoons of table salt 
• 1 lb all-purpose flour 
• 2 egg yolks 
• 3 oz of melted butter 
• 20 black olives 
• 40 raisins 
• 2 hard-boiled eggs 
• 1 egg, beaten (to brush on empanadas)

Porotos con Riendas- A soup that is made in Chile. It is filled with warm broth and mixed with spaghetti and beans. It is great tasting and good for a nice cold day down in the southern Chile.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of beans (soaked overnight in a liter of water) 
• 1/4 peeled and bucking kg.zapallo 
• 1/4 onion finely chopped 
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 
• 1 tablespoon oil 
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano and ground cumin 
• 2 beef bouillon cubes 
• 1/3 cup chopped noodles 

Corn Humitas- Prepared with fresh corn, onion, basil, and butter. Then a corn husk is wrapped around them while they are prepared for cooking. They are boiled or steamed.

Ingredients

• 12 large ears of corn 
• 2 tablespoons shortening or vegetable oil 
• 1 whole onion, diced 
• 1 teaspoon ground paprika or merquén (Chilean smoked chili pepper) 
• 3-4 tablespoons cornmeal 
• 3 leaves of sweet basil

Art:

Roberto Matta
A painter that was born in Santiago, Argentina. He graduated college in 1935. After college he didn’t start being an artist until 1938. His art started to become well known in 1960 and then he became a nationally recognized artist.

http://rogallery.com/matta_roberto/matta-portal-gallery.html

Claudio Bravo
A Chilean hyperrealist painter, he was known mainly for his paintings of still lifes, portraits and packages, but he had also done drawings, lithographs, engraving and figural bronze sculptures.

http://www.marlboroughgallery.com/galleries/chelsea/artists/claudio-bravo/graphics

Marta Colvin
She studied at the School of Art. She went on to live in France for more than thirty years. She was known worldwide and awarded the National Art Prize in 1970 in recognition of her works.

Events:

Semana Santa (Easter week)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaP4vnTuxWw
Chile is a catholic nation and celebrates the Easter week with a great deal of hoopla. Hoopla is a great deal of excitement and celebration. Starting with Good Friday, every town in the country holds religious ceremonies, parades and events.

Fiesta de San Pedro
Fishermen all along the coast of Chile celebrate this day in the hope of good fortune. Also to get good weather and fish for the year. They decorate their boats with candles and then float along the coast. The best town to visit for this event is Valparaiso.

Independence Day
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esfsc9D5T-4
Chile celebrates its independence from Spain with a day off work and partying hard. It is followed the next day by Armed Forces Day, which brings another round of partying.
Independence Day: 18 September

https://www.google.com/maps/@-33.1818474,-54.121078,3420877m/data=!3m1!1e3

Top Ten Places to Visit in Argentina

#10 Mar del Plata- The largest beach resort city in Argentina, millions of tourists come to Mar de Plata every year. Even though it can get a little chaotic in the summer, don’t let that stop you from visiting this beautiful city. There are many interesting festivals for tourists and locals alike, such as the Mar del Plata International Film Festival, the only internationally recognized competitive film festival in Latin America. And if festivals aren’t your thing, there are also a variety of casinos and other things for people who live the night life.

#9 Córdoba, Argentina- Córdoba, at the geographical center of Argentina, is best known for its many historical buildings and lively culture. It is the capital of the Córdoba Province, and the second largest city in Argentina, after Buenos Aires. There are many historical buildings, churches, and monuments, most of them Spaniard. There are also mountains nearby for those of you that enjoy mountain biking or hiking. All around Córdoba is a good place to drop by before leaving Argentina.

#8 Puerto Madryn- Puerto Madryn is a city in the province of Chubut. It is the Capital of the Biedma Department. It is an important tourist center for visiting the coast and the Peninsula Valdes. It has a large and new shopping mall, and a lot of scenic views. Puerto Madryn is a must see destination in Argentina.

#7 Bariloche- This city is on the foothills of the Andes mountains, and on the shores of Nahuel Huapi Lake. This tourist destination emerged in the 1930’s. It is mainly visited because of skiing, trekking, and mountaineering. The city has a population of 108,205. This is a must see destination in Argentina.

        

#6 Ushuaia- Ushuaia is the capital of Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur Province, Argentina. The city is widely recognized as the southernmost city in the world. Ushuaia is home to a beautiful boat port, and breath taking beaches. One of the most visited tourist attractions is Tierra del Fuego National Park.

#5 Mendoza- Mendoza is the capital of the Mendoza Province in Argentina. Mendoza is best known for its wine, and many people travel there solely for a wine-tasting retreat. There is also beautiful climbing, water, skiing, hiking and rafting, for the more adventurous people.

#4 El Calafate- El Calafate is a city in Patagonia, Argentina. Many tourist stay here so they can visit Los Glacieres, which is very close to this town.  There are many hotels, and anyone can stay at El Calafate. The hotels range from one to five stars. In the summer, camping is very popular as well.

#3 Los Glaciares- Los Glaciares is the second largest national park in Argentina. It is located in the area known as Austral Andes in Argentina, which is on the border between Santa Cruz and Chile. Los Glaciares is so beautiful it was declared  "World Heritage" by UNESCO in 1981. It is a wonderful place to visit and look at the amazing things it has to offer.

#2 Buenos Aires- Buenos Aires is the capital of Argentina. Many people go to the lively city to get lost in the rich culture. With great food and amazing festivals with dancing and singing, there is no reason not to go. You can witness the coming of Christ where Jesus rises out of the ground every half hour. Buenos Aires is also a great place to leave from because you can go any where in Argentina from here and continue your adventure.

When Guevara comes here in the book he stays at someones house and gets food. His tire pops so he stays an extra day and the takes off to continue his adventure.

#1 Iguazu Falls- Iguazu falls are the waterfalls of the Iguazu River in Argentina. The falls separate the upper part of the river from the lower part. This is the top spot to visit for tourists and locals.The falls are right near the border of Brazil and Argentina so most tourists fly into Brazil first, then go to the falls.

180° South: An Unexpected Adventure (Film Review)

In the movie, 180° South, the film follows Jeff Johnson as he retraces the epic 1968 journey of his heroes Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins to Patagonia. He takes a boat all the way down to Rapa Nui. It was a three month trip down to there. The reason they stopped there was because one night a storm snapped their mass so they only had enough fuel to motor to Rapa Nui. They stayed there and were taken in like family. They stayed there for months and Jeff met this woman who was the first woman to surf there. She wanted to come on the trip to Patagonia. Once they arrive in Patagonia they see all the production and harmful plants that are being built. He hears about how there is this group of people who ride horses through the capitol to protest. There is a plan to put up 5 Hydro dams in Chile. Jeff realizes how easy it is to be greedy when you don't see the consequences. After he spends time admiring the land he and friends went to spend time climbing up an unclimbed, unnamed peak that is part of a two-million acre preserve. They ended up climbing that and the movie ended with them at the top.

The themes of 180° South are adventure and inner peace. One line in the movie Jeff says, "It's not and adventure until something goes wrong." This is a theme for the rest of the movie because they have an adventure. When they have to go to Rapa Nui to fix their boat they meet a woman who ends up coming along with them. They have no boundaries of what they are going to do and that's what makes the trip one they will never forget. Inner peace is found along the trip in little pieces, but at the end of the trip it is full inside them. When Jeff was on the boat for 3 months, he said, "Every day you forget a little bit more about your old routine, and start to appreciate the things around you more.". Throughout the movie they gain little pieces like when they pick up the girl or when Keith Malloy found his peace at the sick surf spot where he rode the biggest wave of his life.

This documentary was a really inspirational film that conveys a strong message. It really does a great job at conveying all the adventure on this six month journey. From start to finish it is an exciting adventure for the viewer as well as the main characters. I really like how the movie is about more than just the adventure of climbing mountains and surfing, it ties them together with the problems that face modern day Patagonia. Also while the movie ties those two things together, it shows great character development. In my opinion, the best line of the movie is “The greatest trips are the ones that give you answers to questions you never thought of asking.” This line just really foreshadowed that the trip was more than an everyday vacation, but it was a life changing experience and gave the movie a lot of depth. I also enjoyed that they met local people of the country and gave them an opportunity to make their voices heard about the problems facing Patagonia's people and land. I think that is great because everyone that watches this documentary will be more aware of the issues and willing to support them. That said you should go watch this thrilling movie

.

The different character's ideas and perspectives are very important throughout the movie. One of the main characters, Yvon Chouinard, is a surfer, a rock climber, and an environmental businessman. He was also one of the first people to climb Yosemite without ropes or harnesses. The other main character in this movie is named Doug Tompkins. Doug is very enthusiastic about the outdoors, and loves everything about it. He is a rock climber, environmentalist, and co-founder of the company "The North Face". The different views of the different characters are a great example of what makes it interesting. Each and every one of the characters in this film have their own unique talents from climbing, to surfing, to sailing, and many others. It is very interesting to learn about the different characters and their own inner journey as they travel through South America.