For everything else, there's Mastercard

 
There really are some things in life that can't be purchased or organised.

My effort to secure a ski-for-free job has involved around 150 e-mails and travel to every major ski resort in Chile. This significant effort did yield a couple of opportunities that showed amber however none changed to green.

I had already made plans to accept failure and head up to budget friendly Bolivia until I knocked on the door of the head of HR in the most southern of Chile's main ski resorts – Nevados de Chillan.

In a long story short; even after HR non-responding to four of my emails and confirming with the fifth, the week before, that nothing was available, I somehow still managed to score the role of 'Control de Tickets'. Operation 'Ski Job' successful......

            “You can start, once we have your temporary citizenship and work visa”

It's about 50 miles from the ski centre to the visa processing town and the bus doesn't go all the way. Therefore it involves a bus and hitch-hike approach. On one of the trips back I thumbed a ride with a retired colonel who not only took me all the way back to visaville but in the process gave me a heartfelt history of Chile's rise to economic success. An absolute watermark of a gent who, as he gave me his card on leaving the car, said in the most warm and fatherly tone;

            “If you have a problem with anything or anyone – call me”

At this point I was facing a full weekend of waiting and possibly more for the inevitable South American, Benny Hill style paper chase. Therefore I set about scouting for a hotel at the opposite side of town as recommended by the colonel, as I knew it would be cheaper. At £7 a night I found the cheapest room in town, which as a point to demonstrate just how expensive Chile is, was almost double what I had paid for a bed in the last 4-5 months of travelling.

Anyhow with days to wait I resorted to wine, Facebook and good old fashioned books to keep me sane. Some Facebook chat lead me back to a Chilean lad that I had a belter of a day with up in Santiago and he happened to be making a once in a decade return to his parents house - in visaville. Almost a stranger in his own house his ability to invite was limited to lunch.

Picked up by my mate and his mum, the conversation flowed freely. It found its way to me telling them that the reason I had chosen a hotel in 'that' area of town, was because of this ex colonel who while giving me a lift.....................

            “you got a lift from an ex colonel the other day?”

            “yes”

            “there aren't many of those in this town; you know my dad is an ex colonel?”

And at that moment the three of us just stopped talking until we walked into the house and were greeted with a completely bemused smile from the father.

The colonel that had given me the lift the other day.

Instantly, after recognising the connection with his son, the offer of lunch was extended to the spare room, for as long as it was going to take to get the work visa secured.

What followed was 10 days of living as the pseudo long lost son of a warm and significantly wealthy Chilean family. Three hearty meals a day, three course lunches, decadent BBQ's, visits to the grandparents farm (very regal), breakfasts in bed, a properly heated house (these are rare in Chile), lifts into town for the paper chasing and most importantly for one and all; a great cultural exchange.

Priceless