Where is Ricky Martin?

Andrew, Greg, Tiff, Rocio, and Marcos on the Rooftop for New Years

Our evening began down the street at Marcos’s apartment, a high-rise w/ rooftop pool and 25×25 foot 1-bedroom units that have balconies. The size of the units took nothing away from the quality of the place, but allude to a difference in the space requirements of this culture. Marcos and his girlfriend fed us cheese, pistachios, and guacamole until the fireworks began at midnight. We went to the roof w/ a hundred other people in the building to watch; the 17th floor, w/ Santiago’s city lights stretching to the horizon in all directions. This city is much like Chicago in it’s size and available services, but the density of its construction is organized differently, primarily due to a lack of highway infrastructure.

After the fireworks, around 1am, we walked to barrio Bellavista, not far from our hotel, and waited in line to get into a club. It was true – these places did not get going until well after midnight, and we stayed until 5am. The music was nearly all familiar to me, all dance songs that are or were popular in the US, with Ricky Martin and Shakira both noticeably absent. I guess those two South American artists aren’t currently very popular. Everyone in the club sang along to the music, spoken in English. They really enjoyed Will Smith. The protocol for buying drinks in the bar was also interesting; you bring your receipt from the first counter to the bartender, who then gives you the the alcohol and a soda to mix into it. This kept the congestion away from the bar and moved it to the cashier area. The only other thing different here than home is I stood about a head taller than everyone else there, which isn’t that strange for me, but I could look across the room over all the people to spot Riha. Still no mistaking that we’re from out of town, even though our skin color no longer gives us away as it had in Peru.

Tiff in particular had a great time dancing until the wee hours of the morning; I had fun but was mostly just glad to have made it so late without feeling drowsy. Andrew, Tiff, and I all remarked this was quite different than years past, when we would spend New Years Eve on a ski hill, and this year we spent it in a foreign city of 7 million, in the heat of their Summer.

We’re thinking of everyone back home, hoping you all rang in the New Year in good company, and safely. Welcome to 2012!