- Why do people like doing this?
- Typical Day
- Staple Diet
- Accommodation
- The Season
- Time Zone
- Plug
- Distance from town
- Transport to town
- Cost of a beer
- Cost of a coke
- Cost of internet
- Communication with home
- Things to do at weekend/free time
- Extra points for this destination
- Background Reading and Information
- Current Exchange Rate
Why do people like doing this?
The most common reason cited for doing this is to learn or improve Spanish. Four months in a Spanish speaking environment is a fantastic way to become fluent in Spanish even if you have little knowledge before you arrive. The Oyster 10 day Spanish course (including salsa dancing and cooking ) is run exclusively for our volunteers and is pitched at an appropriate level. Picking up Spanish will take a little work from you but being surrounded by people speaking Spanish all day really helps.
Volunteers are also drawn to this part of Chile as it so far off the beaten track and not on the way to anywhere else (except Terra del Fuego and Antarctica). Patagonia is still not somewhere, many travellers go to (unless you get very lost). The scenery is breathtaking and includes, glaciers, mountains and rivers with a backdrop of constantly changing light thanks to its varied weather.
Living as a local with a very welcoming Chilean family is a big attraction as you live life as locals do and not as a short term visitor. The families are relaxed and enjoy having volunteers and feed them well! If you are used to living as a family back at home it makes settling in with another Chilean family much easier. Many have had many of our volunteers of the years. Our Oyster Chilean representatives and their young family live just outside the town and add a further welcome, friendship and support.
Oyster arrange an excellent 3 days of an exclusive Patagonian expedition that can include, rafting, glacier walking, canoeing, horse trekking. Usually you will have some say in what you will do. This is often cited as one of the highlights.
Typical Day
A Typical Day in Coyhaique, Chile - written by Oyster Volunteer Ollie Bain in June 2010
If you choose to come to Chile and experience a Patagonian lifestyle for 4 months, it will be one of the wisest and most rewarding decisions you will ever make. After being with my group for just over 3 months it is clear that everybody has a different view and also some uncertainties about what to expect out here, including myself. To give you an idea of what to expect, here is a passage on what for me, is a typical day…
On weekdays I get up at around eight o'clock and head off to the secondary school -Josefina Aguirre- where i am based as a volunteer. One thing that you will find very apparent is that everyone in Coyhaique and generaly in Chile is very 'chilled out' and that rushing is just not a part of their life.
The classes start at about half past eight even though they should start at quarter past and the three of us are either given our own class or we are splits up depending on what classes there are and what the teachers would prefer. The classes themsleves are great fun, they can be hard at times but thats all part of the challenge and for me it feels as though I am making a difference and that the help is appreciated. At one o'clock we leave school and head home for lunch - the biggest meal of the day! If you like having the best homemade food around, then your going to love the meals you have with your family. They love meat here so it's almost a certainty that you will be having some sort of hearty, full, meat based dish. But if you are a vegetarian then you can get by just as well. I live in a family and one of the sons is a vegetarian and he makes some pretty fantastic lunches.
In the afternoon, you generally have the choice to go back to school, do something with the group or family. Don't feel bad if you don't go back to school, the teachers will ask you of you're returning, but remember they know you need to experience more than just teaching! For me I like to do something as a group such as go play tennis with my Chilean Dad and Brother or maybe meet with the other volunteers in Cafe Ricer (the infamous 'second home' to the volunteers) for a Hot Chocolate. One thing you will find after the first month is that you start getting into little things seperately for example, I play lots of tennis with my family, another person plays football, two people have joined a gym and do fun dance classes and someone has joined part of a French Group. You will find that you have to make an effort with these things but in doing so you will meet other people and make more friends.
In the evening during the week you really just chat to your family and improve your Spanish. But, at the weekend is when the evenings get fun. We typicaly go out at about 10 or 11pm and sometimes visit a club but we prefer the pubs and bars with live music to catch up on what we've done throughout the week and just soak in the Chilean night life.
All in all, the whole Coyhaique experience is great and you are within a good distance for trips to Torres del Paine, Chili Chico, Argentina, National Parks and other activities such as Horse Riding and Skiing.
If you feel like a challenge, that will not only benifit yourself, but other people aswell, then Chile is definately the country that will suit you best.
Staple Diet
Chilean food (and wine) is good and has Spanish as well as other European influences. In Patagonia there is plenty of excellent beef and lamb as well as seafood given its proximity to the sea. Breakfast is simple consisting of tea/coffee and toast. Lunch is normally the main meal of the day and unless there is a special occasion evening meal consists of sandwiches. If there is a formal dinner this is usually served after 9pm.
There are plenty of good snacks to enjoy such as empanadas (a sort of Cornish pasty) and pastries are popular too.
Chileans do enjoy alcohol but drink slowly and do not understand the concept of binge drinking.
Vegetarianism is less common than in Europe but vegetarians are very welcome.
Accommodation
Expect your own room in a traditional family house but to share a bathroom. Most houses are of simple wood construction, single storey often painted in traditional rich Patagonian colours. Heating is normally by wood burning stove. Volunteers receive all meals while they are at home and can use washing machines etc. We place volunteers individually with families to ensure they learn Spanish, however being a small town the other volunteers are all close by.
The Season
Patagonia is in the Southern hemisphere, so their summer is our winter and vice versa. Generally temperatures in Coyhaique are on a par or slightly cooler than the UK during the same season. Many say the best season is winter with snow on the hilltops and skiing on the edge of town in June. Autumn colours are spectacular in April and groups arriving in March have boasted of swimming in the rivers before the Autumn chill takes hold. Being some way south evenings are long in November and December.
Time Zone
For most of the year Chile is four hours behind GMT but from mid December to late March (Chile's summer) the difference is three hours.
Plug
Two prong US style 220V socket. European 240v appliances do work but can be a little sluggish. Adapters can be bought easily in the UK or at airports.
Distance from town
All our volunteers live within a mile of the centre town. Being a small town you should be able top get to most places on foot.
Transport to town
If you don't want to walk into town, there are taxis (called collectivos) that run on set routes for relatively low fares.
Cost of a beer
A bottle of beer in a restaurant is about a £1.
Cost of a coke
A bottle of Coke is about 75p.
Cost of internet
About £2 an hour at an internet cafe.
Communication with home
Mobiles work well and are cheaper with a local SIM card. Cheaper calls can be made on landline phones with a phonecard. Using Skype is possible too particularly if you choose to bring a laptop.
All the Chilean family homes have telephone numbers that you can share with your own family. Most homes now have access to the internet but do check with us if this is particularly important to you.
Things to do at weekend/free time
Coyhaique is a great time for charging the batteries at the weekend. There are cafés, a park and plenty going on. It is easy to get out of town by bus for a day trip to the coast, to Argentina or just to admire the beautiful landscape.
Most groups choose to see the dramatic Torres del Paine National Park that is further south of Coyhaique. Oyster do not arrange this but our representative Ian Farmer can tell you how to plan it.
Extra points for this destination
Volunteers do not need to have a Spanish qualification but do need to commit to learning some Spanish before they depart to make best use of the Spanish course. Most volunteers in this situation learn through listening to CDs and working through a text book and some book on courses.
Angus Walker - a month into his 4 month Oyster stay writes:
It´s strange to think that I have already been here a month as although so much has happened it has absolutely flown past. We, as a group, enjoyed a week getting to kinow each other in the hostel on the outskirts of town while doing some pretty intense but worthwhile Spanish classes, I have moved in with my family who I already feel very comfortable after only two and a half weeks, we had a three day weekend down south where we stayed in an amazing lake side cabin, did a day walk on a glacier and enjoyed the incredible scenery that Chile has to offer. Chile is an amazing country and it´s not just the countryside, the people here have been so welcoming despite working round a language barrier and the kids that we are teaching are so interested in our culture and always trying to teach us about their country and culture. All in all the first month has been an amazing experience and more importantly really good fun.
Background Reading and Information
Chile - Lonely Planet Country Guide
Spanish for Beginners (Usborne Language Guides)
Current Exchange Rate
1 British Pound = 766.45 Chilien Peso
This information should be used as a guide only.
Currency data has been provided by a third party source.
