Small Mammals, Big World: At it again!

Flying over the Andes (this time at sunrise) is still the coolest thing I’ve ever seen in my travels. I told a lot of people this before I left, but Delta gives you complimentary wine, beer and liquor on international flights which is awesome. I tried to sleep on my flights but ended up watching a lot of movies. We had a very easy time getting through immigration and customs and lined up a taxi very quickly. I warned the other students about how crazy taxi rides can be and it sure was a crazy one. At one point the driver pulled over on the highway (where there was barely a shoulder so we were basically in traffic) to adjust the suitcases in the back. Then dogs started chasing our car as we pulled away (I had also mentioned the street dogs to the students by then).

It’s crazy how it feels like I never left Santiago. I still remember my way around (at least in the areas where I’ve been before) and the university is exactly the same as when I left it on December 1^st. My apartment is really cute but pretty small. I am trying to appreciate all the amenities (comfy bed, comforter, pillows, couch, WiFi, ice cubes) that I don’t have in Fray Jorge. Although, this year we are supposedly living in a house with a refrigerator (which means a freezer for ice cubes), beds, etc. so I’m hoping it’s a more comfortable 6 months than last field season. The view from the apartment is pretty cool, although you’ll notice the smog in a lot of the pics. It’s definitely worse than anything I see in Phoenix. Santiago is in a valley, like Phoenix, so smog sticks around, unless it rains and then you can get beautiful views of the Andes. We watched a fútbol match yesterday for the Champions league between Barcelona and Juventus. Barcelona won 3-1. It was fun to have some drinks and get to know the other students with us. A postdoc from NDSU, Carolyn Bauer, is here with us for a couple weeks, and we were all able to go out to dinner last night. We went to a Peruvian place, Ají Seco. I had my first pisco sour of this field season. It’s a Peruvian drink but Chile also claims it as its own. During the day we went to a vegan fair which was awesome! We got lots of goodies. I bought some cheese (made with cashews), a little quiche, and a vegan dessert. Today we went to the lab to get everything ready for the field tomorrow. I’m so excited to go see some Rinconada degus!