Keeping it Real in the North of Chile

I just got back from San Pedro de Atacama, a beautiful desert region in the north of Chile, and had an absolute amazing time. I traveled with some wonderful people (Cassie and Tessa), and could not have asked for a better trip. Here are some of the highlights:

-Sandboarding (like snowboarding, but without me spraining my wrist this time) in la Valle de la Muerte.
-Freezing my ass off in -12.5 degree celsius weather, at 6:30 AM in the morning, to see some cool glaciers. In related news, getting picked up in what was so eloquently described by someone on the trip as what looked like "the rape van" at 4:30 AM in the morning.
-Showing some random Atacama residents that, yes, girls CAN play soccer. Aka at least dribble a ball.
-Watching beef unfold between Tessa and this random cuica bitch that was on the geyser daytrip with us. This needs context, so keep reading: Tessa gets motion sickness, so a couple of hours into the trip, she asks the lady who was sitting in the front if she could switch seats with her and sit there. The lady says no because "Yo viajo sola, y me va a complicar mucho" (I`m traveling alone, and it`s really going to complicate things for me"). What the fuck kind of legit point she was trying to convey, I have no idea, but basically, it was the lamest excuse ever. So I go up and talk to this spoiled brat, and she finally, reluctantly agrees to let the pobrecita Tessa sit up front. A couple of hours later, the woman tells Tessa that she wants to sit in the front now so she can take pictures from the van. Why she can`t take pictures from another seat (as long as you have a window seat you are good to go) is also beside me. So Tessa is in the second row, and the cuica bitch is in the front. When that happens, Cassie yells from the back of the van, "Make sure to aim {aka throw up} in the right direction, Tessa." Tessa turns around, without hesitation, and with so much agency, conviction, anger, and fierceness, loudly says to Cassie, "I`m going to kick her ass!!" Right in front of this lady, the tour guide, and all of the other people in the van. Now mind you, everyone in the van with us was either Brazilian or Chilean, but some of them must have known English (the cuica had to know, I wouldn`t be surprised if she went to an English-speaking colegio), and even if they didn`t, they knew what was up. The couple behind me and Cass were laughing, and me and Cass were cracking up so much tears were coming to our eyes. It truly was a classic moment.
-Playing with the cats and kittens (4 weeks old!) at our hostel. Wanting to steal said cats and kittens.
-Negotiating (ok, Tessa negotiating) with the sandboarding agency, and getting the legit, non-dumb tourists/non-gringo deal. Realizing that the annoying Australian who was on the sandboarding trip with us who would not stop stop talking, nor giving us shit about random things (She didn`t like the phrase "fo sho"....now who doesn`t like that phrase?) got completely ripped off.
-Chilling and having fun with our sandboarding guide. Him immediately asking us - right after finding out we were from California - "Do you like marijuana?"
-Being anti-social from all of the annoying hostel-goers at our place. Expect a blog post about the typical hostel-goers later.
-Meeting an emo study abroad student at our hostel, who said she hasn`t liked studying abroad in Santiago and has been wanting to go home for at least 3 months now because she is "Missing the Brewers baseball season." Rediccccc.
-Keeping it real with our spaghetti dinners and pan with marmalada breakfasts.
-Valles de la Luna. Cassie and Tess, you know what`s up.

-ANTM-inspired mini-photoshoots with Tessa and Cass in caves, salt fields, you name it. 
-Staying at a sketch residencial in Calama on Sunday night.

-Translating the lyrics of "Gangsta's Paradise" for our geyser tour guide

-Floating with Tessa in the salt lake in tank tops and a sweatpants because we failed to bring swimsuits up north. Trying not to flash all the other people at the lake when we changed into other clothes.
-Fulfilling stereotypes and being the loud, obnoxious gringas by always talking and laughing. Which reminds me of a little complaint I have about Chile. Chileans have no problem with couples making out all over the streets, parks, restaurants, metros, breathing spaces, etc, of Santiago, but if I talk on the phone in a public space for 2 minutes, I immediately get 10 death glares going my direction. But that`s another topic for another time.
-Getting hyphy with Cassie on the Tur-Bus to Calama. Getting hyphy with her again on the plane ride back to Santiago (We owned HSM songs, Tell Me When to Go, SexyBack, Stop and Stare, Hanging by a Moment, Too Little Too Late, etc like no other).

Will think of more as they come to me....