The Chileans do California

North America, Travel 2 Minutes

For the month of July, I was able to return a favor to a good friend of mine from Chile and give him a place to stay in San Diego. Sergio was coming to the US for the first time with his buddy Carlos, ready to live the Californian dream as seen in American Pie and American Pie 2. I was more than happy to host them and be a guide of sorts. Sergio had given me a place to stay, taken me snowboarding and helped me integrate into Chilean culture when I had just moved to Chile, so it was the least that I could do.

Curious about how they imagined California, I asked Sergio what he thought it was like here before arriving. His response: nice people, nice weather and frats. Fairly accurate I suppose. He said after leaving that it was basically exactly what he imagined. I guess I sort of live the stereotypical Californian lifestyle, which includes lots of surfing and beach volleyball. The side they didn’t get to experience was the working full time to pay absurdly high rent prices. Maybe next time, guys!

The Chileans got to see a lot during their stay, traveling to San Francisco, Santa Cruz, LA, Tijuana and all around San Diego. They learned many important quirks of American culture along the way, such as leaving a proper tip, counting coins that do not have numbers on them, ordering at Subway, sampling more froyo than you actually buy, knowing that al pastor is always the way to go and when you can/cannot drive in the carpool lane.

Traveling to a new country opens your eyes to the world. Seeing how this had positively shaped my view of the world, I was more than stoked to have Sergio and Carlos for the month, knowing it would do the same to them.

Here is a photo summary of the Chilean’s Californian July.

A Chilean eats a burrito at Rubios in San Diego.
“Why don’t we have burritos in Chile?”
A Chilean opens a bottle of pisco.
The Chileans brought their Chilean pisco, of course.
Two Chileans drink beer at Monkey Paw bar in San Diego.
Getting the typical bar experience: local beer and the bar drunk blabbing at you (see man on the right).
A Chilean eats tacos in Tijuana.
A visit to San Diego is not complete without a night in Tijuana.
Chileans drinking beers in Tijuana.
I bargained for those free shots, but responsibly did not take them because I was the designated driver. 😉
IMG_3631.jpg
A night in Santa Barbara before the drive to San Francisco.
Two Chileans at twin towers in San Francisco.
Twin Peaks a lo chileno.
Golden Gate bridge San Francisco.
Prof pics.
Hanging out in San Francisco.
Lombard street traffic in San Francisco.
I used to tell myself that I would never wait in line to drive down Lombard Street, but I found myself doing it.
Tourists take photos at Lombard street sidewalk in San Francisco.
#Selfietime
Going out for sushi in San Francisco.
Sushi with Not From London + the Chileans.
Chileans walk the streets of Chinatown.
Cruising through Chinatown.
A Chilean in front of a van that promotes peace in Santa Cruz.
Carlos feeling the vibes of downtown Santa Cruz.
Chileans take photos of deer in Santa Cruz.
Deer hunting.
Chileans take a photo with their flag at a concert in San Diego.
Blink 182 concert.
Chileans enjoying a Blink 182 concert in San Diego.
Chileans take selfies in front of the Hollywood sign.
Double Selfie in Hollywood.
A Chilean walking in Hollywood.
A Chilean and a woman taking a photo on the sand of Venice Beach.
Carlos didn’t meet his future girlfriend until the last weekend.
Published

7 thoughts on “The Chileans do California”

  1. Your mom just posted a link to your blog, so I had to check it out. I definitely enjoyed reading it and look forward to future posts. I wish you continued success in your career, safety on your travels, and fulfillment in your personal life.

    Steve Salas

    PS- El pisco de Chile está bien, pero no te olvides que el mejor pisco siempre viene del Perú. 😉

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    1. Hey Mr. Salas!

      Glad you liked it! Hope all is well with you.

      A mí no me gusta el pisco para nada, pero creo que eres el único chileno que diría que el mejor pisco viene del Perú jaja.

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  2. Has NOT FROM LONDON risen from the dead? Or has it merely been hanging out waiting for the right time to get up off the couch? Or have I missed something while NFL has been at the top of the charts? It looks like you showed your Chilean amigos all the highlights of California except for the action in groovy downtown La Habra!

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  3. One more time thanks you my friend, California was perfect, thanks you to all the good experiences and thanks to your family for the hospitality and time ! You will allways welcome to Chile bro!!
    PD: 3 photos in situations for my face haha, but it’s ok 😄

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  4. Loved meeting them. Hope they enjoyed some typical home cooked American food and family time with us too. Big hugs to all of you from Ella and I.

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