More lasting impressions from "Rivers of Chile 2011"

In Chile we felt more welcome than we would in any other country. Their hospitality and kindness was better than any other. Sean and Kristen had talked about the friends that they had made down there. At first I just thought it was people that they had met but I soon learned otherwise. My favorite memory of the trip was pulling up to Augustine's house at 11 at night and everyone was happy and ready to meet us. We stayed up that night eating delicious food, telling stories, talking and singing. There liveliness and hospitality made the night so great. That is the main thing that Chile has left with me. They treated us so well, and I am very grateful to every one there.

-Hines Liles

Students' Lasting Impressions of Chile

As the end of the trip neared, my sadness for leaving Chile grew more and more. It seemed like I was just getting comfortable with trying to speak the language on a more regular basis. I would say that the most memorable moment of the trip was last night's asado. When we arrived at the home of Agustin it felt like we had known his family for years. At that moment I completely understood why Sean and Kristen were addicted to visiting this country. Not only are the rivers of Chile amazing but the people are also incredible. I look forward to coming back in the near future.

-Robert Lapeyre


As of right now, I'm sitting at the airport in Santiago, Chile. I'm about an hour away from leaving a place that has quickly became very special to me and that is because of my great experience with the Alzar School. The Alzar School has introduced me to a whole new part of the world which led to new friends, and overall a new, amazing culture. I was also introduced to many new, awesome rivers which I will never forget paddling. I definitely look forward to returning to this wonderful country to visit my new friends, and to relive the amazing culture.

-Adam Ellender


Very seldom do adults connect to teens on the personal level and understanding as I have seen on this trip. They have been superiorly helpful on the water as well as teaching in camp and even now in airport. I share many of the same ideas and personal philosphies they show in their daily lives. This has helped me understand their logical trains of thought and reasoning, especially about noise levels....... I am very glad these instructors were chosen to direct us.

-Joe Lovelace


My trip to Chile was one of the most amazing things I have ever done. The things that I learned in Chile are things that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Not only has the culture left a great lasting impact on me, but so has the many different leadership skills I have learned with the Alzar School. Chile's great sense of hospitality from everyone was very welcoming and makes me feel completely fine going to any part of Chile. Chile's food has also left a lasting impression on me and is something I will always want and never forget. My leadership skills were greatly improved during this trip, and I learned the importance of staying on time and having good communication skills.

-Woody Liles

Going on this trip was by far the best decision of my life. I have made life long friends, learned new outdoors skills, and learned about a very unique culture. The food I have eaten on my trip was all delicious and unlike anything you would be able to find in the US. I have become more confident in traveling in foreign countries alone and with groups. One of the things that amazed me the most was the beauty of Chile, mostly because there is so little development and the features of the land like the mountains and rivers.

-Caroline Kerr

Chilean Inspired Haiku by Robert

Robert is studying poetry in his English class back in New Orleans and was assigned to write seven haiku. While writing, the infamous Chilean colihuacho was giving him trouble. Here are a few of his poems we found entertaining:

Gliding through air
Search for their prey
Seem immortal

Waiting to explode
Holding back their fury
Sit beautifully

The colihuachos
Do not serve any purpose
But to disturb

Volcan Planchon by Adam

A couple of days ago we travelled through the Andes Mountains to the Argentina-Chile border to spend the night. We spent the night on an awesome plateau surrounded by HUGE, god-like mountains. That night before we went to bed I saw something I had never seen in my life. It was the stars in the southern hemisphere. My Dad has always exaggerated how amazing they were, and now I know why hey exaggerated so much: the stars were simply amazing. I had never seen so many stars in my life.

The next morning we woke up, ate breakfast, and began our hike up Volcan Planchon. It was a tough hike but in the end it was so worth it. The view from (almost) the top of hte volcano was unbelievable. The lake below the volcano was the best part. The water in the lake was the bluest, most amazing water I had ever seen, and it was backgrounded by a large, snow-covered mountain. Our hike up Volcan Planchon was simply amazing.

Blog 2 by Joe

Buzzzzzzz......You wake up to it; you eat through it; you even shred nar whitewater with it. It is the sound of the coliguacho, a massive, flesh-eating black and red horsefly. They are never far away, they would hardly miss a meal. My first experience whith one was eating breakfast when I felt a sharp pain in my leg.

I made eye contact with one of the most hideous insects I've ever seen. It sees in kaleidoscope because of the whole "hundreds of light refracting surfaces as eyes" thing, but I'm sure it noticed because it pulled its 2mm proboscus blood sucker out of my leg. Before it could fly off I got it. The crunch was audible.

Paddling the Lake by Robert

Paddling the lake was supposed to be a 45 min. paddle before we reached the rapids but we are on Chilean time so those 45 min really got stretched out. My small playboat and I started off in the front of hte pack, but slowly as my energy and drive lowered I fell behind. The rapids were awesome but the adrenaline soon wore off once we saw the hike at the takeout. The hike was almost worse than the lake... I couldn't decide. After all I was glad we did the paddle and used it as a day to sharpen one of the many tools in my "garage," resiliency.

CONIN by Woody

We left the town of Los Quenes and made our way to the town of Curico where we went to the CONIN orphanage to meet all of the kids there. When we first walked into the orphanage everyone seemed anxious and the kids seemed extremely shy but it only took about ten minutes before everyone was having fun even us and the kids who were so shy before were now very happy and seemed excited to see us. After that visit we left for the hardware store to buy supplies for our service project of sanding and painting a playground set and cleaning out a corner of their playground, overall the work went well and the orphanage was a great experience.

NC vs. ID by Hines

At the beginning of this trip I was talking poorly about the rivers in Idaho. The differences between the east coast rivers and the west rivers is waterflow. In Idaho you have big water with lots of waves and holes (big ones!), and in the east you have somewhat technical stuff with a sticky hole at the end. Well after paddling the Rio Fuy I would like to try out one of these rivers in Idaho. I'm still not saying it's better but this big water is a lot of fun.

Being a Leader by Ashley (Mobile, AL)

Yesterday I had my fist experience leading the group. I really enjoyed setting hte pace for the day by planning the itinerary. When you are leader, it is important to make sure the river had something for all levels of paddlers, there is a balanced studytime, and we are never rushed or bored.

The hardest part of the day was leading down the river. It reminded me of getting my drivers license. Until you have to drive, you never really pay attention to how you get somewhere. Even though I had paddled the stretch of river before, it was hard to remember which way the river forked, how often to eddy out, and where the best lines were. The day definitely left me with a greater sense of all the small details that a leader needs to be aware of to make the day run smoothly.

Orphanage, by Caroline (Baton Rouge, LA)

Last week we spent a day at an orphanage in Curico. When we arrived there we played with the kids for about an hour. We brought them coloring books, crayons, bouncy balls, and silly bands to play with. People read them stories and held the younger ones. For most of that time I held the babies which were anywhere from 2-8 months. This orphanage was pretty small, about 30 children, which means they get a lot of attention, but even so, a few of the babies had bald spots on the backs of their heads from not being held enough. Seeing little things like that made me grateful that we could help out.

After about an hour we went to the hardware store to buy supplies for a few projects they had asked us to do for them. We bought white paint for a wall outside of the orphanage. It had been covered with graffiti so we painted over everything to make it look nicer. The other project we did was to sand and varnish a small playground. The wood had gotten old so the kids couldn't play on it because they would get bad splinters. These projects only took us a few hours, but the view of the orphanage from the street was much nicer after we finished.

Leaders of the day, by Agustin (Curico, Chile)

Being the leader of a crew is a new experience for me because I have to make a lot of decisions involving the breakfast time, study hours, kayaking groups, and lots of other things. I do like this because you feel that you are important in the group and you try to do your best, helping as much as you can.

I think it is a very good idea to motivate people with leadership. This is what makes you grow as a person and helps you to share your strength. Good decisions and reflections teach the people who need to be a leader. So far I think I've been a good leader, making decisions, communicating well with the group, and trying to think for everyone.

On the Road, by Challis (Boise, ID)

So I've been reading this book, On the Road, by Jack Keroac. I picked it up at the bookstore in the Portland airport on flight down here. And so far, I like it, even if it isn't about anything in particular. I guess I shouldn't say that, I mean it is about lots of things: traveling, love, getting lost... but I guess mainly it's about life.

So anyway, I found this real great cherry tree at our camp, and in the mid-day sun I crawled up amongst the sahde of its branches, book in hand.

For about an hour, I just laid there and read, surrounded by the ripe red fruit of its branches. At a certain point, it came to where my eyes still traced the sentences, and my hand still turned the pages, but not a word of it registered in my brain. All the sudden I looked back and realized that I'd read ten pages and hadn't a clue what happened, so I closed the book and laid it neatly in my lap, and allowed my mind to trail off and consider thoughts about travel, and love, and getting lost, and kind've about life, but mostly about nothing in particular.

That's what Alzar is. A pause from the day-to-day monotony of life at home, and an opportunity to reflect on one's life and see thw world in a new light.

Elements of Leadership, by Coni (Curico, Chile)

In the "Rivers of Chile 2011" trip, I learned the "Elements of Leadership." They are very important for all people because you always have to make decisions and reflect on them. And by doing this, you help other people. Specifically, I learned that "communication" is to talk with one or more people and you want to have many components, that are: actions, sensory data, wants, feelings, and thoughts.

Also, I have learned more about kayaking, at the pool at our campground in the Salto del Laja area. All of the students are practicing kayaking every day.

The People of Chile

Caroline (Baton Rouge, LA)

One thing I have been amazed by on this trip is how nice all of the locals are. Its not like in some countries where outsiders aren’t treated well, they enjoy talking to you! The first time we walked through Los Quenes with our helmets and life vests on people thought we looked strange, but as soon as I smiled and waived or spoke o them they smiled back. Each visit after that was more and more relaxed and gave me the feeling that they had no problem with us walking around their town, and may even enjoy it. The family who owns our campsite in Los Quenes had several little kids who would talk to us at the camp, then one night in town we passed them and they all spoke to us.

After our first day of paddling Rovert, Woody, Challis, Costanza, Jeff and I were waiting at the takeout for the shuttle to come back and pick us up. While waiting, we decided to try to reach some cherries that were growing on the other side of the fence. WE couldn’t reach them, but we could see the farmer, so Jeff asked if we could pick a few cherries off of his trees. The farmer walked off, but we didn’t know if he had said yes or no, so we waited for a few minutes. When he came back he was holding a giant bag full of the worlds sweetest, most flavorful cherries! This is just one example of how nice the people here are. We offered to pay for the cherries, but he wouldn’t let us, he just wanted to give us the cherries.

Blog #1

Joe (Boise, ID)

When I first found out about the people going on this trip I was very excited about seeing Challis again. I briefly knew him from cross country, but we never really talked. When we arrived at the volcano, first we ran around on the short poky grass. Then we went for a walk. I fell that alone time with others can be very beneficial to a lasting friendship. We talked about what we look for in people, schools, and ourselves.

We realized that we chose people based on their morals and thoughts towards religion. We talked about how schools are important to us on levels beyond the building set up. The people make up the schools personality while the surrounding areas can provide the best personal outlet for reflection and soul searching. Working hard is very important to personal fulfillment. We decided you should watch your emotions, and see your feelings from above. I’m glad to have become reacquainted with Challis and I look forward to a fun rest of the trip!

“Los Gringos Locos”

Costanza Jacques (Curico, Chile)

Esta es la historia de los gringos locos, en Rivers of Chile 2011. Todo comenzo el dia martes 28 de Diciembre cuando Agostin y yo los esperabamos. Lo que no sabiamos era todo lo que se nos venia.

Lo primero que se nos vine fue el espanol de los gringos, el cual le ensenabamos cada vez que nos pedian y cada vez salia una gota de humor el cual nos alegraba mucho. Lo Segundo qque se nos vino fue el kayak el cual aprendimos los que no sabian y el resto seguia practicando. Lo tecero que se nos vino fue el ano Nuevo el cual fue muy divertido y escalar la Montana, el cual fue cansado y divertido al mismo tiempo y esta es la historia y espero que les gusta.

Awesome

Ashley (Mobile, AL)

If I had to oversimplify this trip into one word I would use “awesome.” I have already had many awesome adventures in Chile. Paddling down the Rio Teno made me feel like I was back in North Carolina but then you look up and the Andes are surrounding you. The exhileration and fun of exploring anoher country like Chile would be enough to make anyone yell, “this is awesome.”

Besides the fun, Chile is another type of “awesome” standing in a lush valley nestled between the snow-capped Andes and a volcano deserves th other meaning of the word. That level of isolation really makes me aware of the vastness of the world and leaves me in awe. Rivers of Chile is an awesome trip because it is filled with excitement but also reflection.

Walking through Los Quenes

Robert (New Orleans, LA)

When we first arrived at Los Quenes I was skeptical as to what the Chileans would think of us (Alzar School). Even thought Sean and Kristen had previously met the people of Los Quenes and are friends, I was still intimidated. As we started to unpack our gear and belongings we were greeted by a group of local dogs. You could tell that they were stray and poorly cared after. Being able to see the ribs of most of the dogs made me really feel sad towards them and I wanted to do something to help them. Once we finished unpacking we walked into the center part of Los Quenes. I felt somewhat awkward being stared at by the locals, but those awkward stares we easily broken with a simple “hola.” This seemed to make everything alright. Things were coming together to make an awesome trip.

New Years was just a little bit different than usual. For starters, our campsite was the border of Chile and Argentina. Instead of fireworks to stare at we had the Andes Mountains and a sky full of stars. Even though we didn’t have my favorite dinner of all time, Agostine’s guitar playing especially made up for it, in my opinion. 2010-2011 New Years Eve will defiantly be one that I will remember.

The Los Quenes Step Bridge

Adam

Shortly after arriving in the small town of Los Quenes, we, as a group, decided that we would go take a swim down by the Rio Teno. After unpacking we all put on our lifejackets and helmets and began our walk through the town of Los Quenes on the way to the river. This was the first time that we got the change to walk through the small, happy town of Los Quenes, so we were guaranteed to see many new different things.

The first eye-catching thing that we saw was an old, rickety bridge that stretched across a river. This bridge was about 40 feet above the river, and was only hanging by two thick metal cables. As you walked across the creaking boards of the bridge, you would notice that the bridge slowly swayed back and forth. IT was a little delicate looking at first but once you were on it, it was obvious that it was strong and was not going to fall. This bridge was very important ot the people of Los Quenes because it was the only way of crossing the river that it covered. We made sure to respect the towns people by treating their bridge with care, and making sure that it stayed in perfect condition.

At the Pool

By Agostine (in his second language, English)

When I first stepped into the kayak I was nervous. But as soon as I did the first “test” correctly I felt comfortable and calmed down. I think what made me feel better was the encouragement tha the teachers transmitted at the time of teaching a new hard and extreme sport. Although the main goal of the lesson at the pool was the roll, which I just learned. What I most liked about the roll was that you have to work in many things at the same time.

Border Times

Challis
The mid-day sun sat high upon his lofty thrown, and beat down hot upon the Argentinean countryside. As we walked along the trail the shards of lava rock chinked and chiseled with every footfall. In time we came upon a mountain lake, nestled between the snow capped bosom of the Andes, whose surface was so glossy that it was a pristine mirror of the virgin blue sky. So moved was I by this pristine beauty that all my thoughts, and insecurity, and secret vendettas against the world were driven from my mind like thieves from a chapel. Never again could I look at the world as a harsh rock marked by an omen of treachery and deceit, but forever always as a perfect creation of the universe.

Los Quenes

Woody

When I first walked into the very small town of Los Quenes, Chile the villager greeted us “gringos” with stares of confusion. Not being used to seeing (North) Americans in the village it was obvious that there weren’t many (North) Americans that go to this town. One of my first goals was to be as nice as possible o the villagers greeting them all with an hola. Now only four days have passed and the villagers of Los Quenes stares of confusion have now turned into greeting smiles, and not only is the villagers familiarity improving with only four days but also is my Spanish. Holas have turned into simple conversation.

Planchon Volcano

Hines

I’m currently sitting in a tent underneath the Planchon Volcano in the Andes Mountains. We are overlooking a grassy plain filled with small creeks. Horses were running in at right about sunset. Woody, Adam and I took a break and walked about halfway (maybe a little less) up one of the mountains to overlook the everything. I can honestly say I have never seen anything so beautiful. This is going to be my favorite New Years Eve that I have ever had.

My favorite thing to do here is take pictures. One of our instructors, Matt, has been showing me a lot of things I can do with my camera. So far, I have taken around 600 pictures. I have taken a ton of the Volcano and the area around it. I am so glad that I can see all of this awesome land.