Things have been relatively uneventful since my last update, but I will update none the less.
We went camping just outside of the Parque Nacional Chiloé the night before last, which was all in all a very strange experience. We got off the bus without really having a clue what we were doing, where we were staying, and really anything about the place where we had been dropped off. We walked along the road for a while and inquired about some hostels, then ended up deciding to camp at a little place by the lake where we could enjoy hot showers (supposedly) and legal fires at our own camp site. After an unfortunate event that left molly $160 poorer and without a debit card, we decided a nice boat ride would be a good idea to cheer us up. Although there was a nice, cozy motorboat at the end of the dock just waiting to take people out on the lake, I thought it would be nice to take a row boat and enjoy the peace and quiet. "Do you know how to use the oars?" the man asked me in something that I assume must have been Spanish. "Of course I know how to use oars." "Are you sure you know how to use oars? Ok, here you go." And we were off. It turns out that the oars are really heavy and difficult to manage, and that I don´t actually have much of a clue as to what I´m doing. But somehow we managed to make a zig-zagged circle (not that that´s even geometrically posssible) before ditching our pride and bringing it back to the dock.
After our little excursion on the water, we thought one on land might fare better, so we headed out on a trail that indicated a playa (that means beach) on the other end. For the first 15 minutes I was certain that I must be dreaming, although I´m afriad my words won´t really be able to convey how surreal the entire situation was. We were walking on a sandy path through jagged shrubs and trees that looked as if they had come out of a Dr. Seuss book and stumbled awkwardly into reality. The sun was setting, making the mountains in the distance appear like a backdrop on a stage rather than massive piles of earth hundreds of miles away. Every now and then we would pass a pony -- no more than 4 feet tall -- nibbling on the scratchy grass, and every few minutes a group of Chilean people would pass us by with their arms loaded up with twigs, beer, or towels. We could hear the Pacific ocean roaring in the distance, and it seemed entirely appropriate for a unicorn to gallop up to us just in time to save us from a massive earth quake and the sky turning yellow as plants came alive and cows began to float up to the heavens. Fortunately the majority of the last sentence is fictional, although we wouldnt have been too terribly surprised if it actually happened. Needless to say, we got tired of this pseudo dream and decided to turn back. The night was excellent -- we had a glorious fire on which we cooked our little hot dogs and enjoyed a cold beer (or I did, anyhow) and then we laid on the peir listening to Sufjan and looking at the stars. When we came back to the site our neighbors invited us to come enjoy their fire, since ours was dying, and proceeded to offer us drinks, snacks, and several hours worth of fun conversation. The next morning they came over and invited us to join them for lunch, which was perfect since we had actually run out of food and only had half a container of nescafe and a jar of mermelada (jam). After lunch we re-ventured out on the dream path, which was much less dream-like in broad daylight, and made it to the beach of the Pacific Ocean. This beach was unlike any I´ve ever seen, and seemed profound in some wordless way. Molly had a good swim and we both enjoyed tossing our things in the sand and playing in the powerful waves like a pair of small children. It was awesome.
Anyhow, we made it back to Castro, caught a bus to Puerto Montt just as an intermediary stop (thank God -- it was the first place where we have really felt uncomfortable here in Chile. Some really shady guys were whistling and saying crude things at us as we were walking to get dinner. it was not so awesome) then the next morning got on another bus to another town where we caught another bus and now we´re in Futrono, trying to muster up one last hurrah for our last 3 days, although I am so tired from traveling that pretty much the only thing that sounds good right now (besides chinese food) is my own room back in Viña where I don´t have to figure out busses, hostels, or what to do with myself all the time. This month of traveling has been awesome and wonderful and all other similar adjectives, but all good things must come to an end and this one´s end is finally approaching. I will heave a huge sigh when I arrive at my house in Viña, put down my backpack, and settle into a nice conversation with my host mom.
One other thing that is worth commenting on, although it doesn´t really fall in any chronological placement, is that Molly and I have become so close that we actually think the same things a very large portion of the time. Probably 20 times or more in a day one of us says something and the other says "I was just thinking those exact words". Or sometimes we´ll say the same thing at the same time, maybe one of us saying it in Spanish and one in English. It´s so awesome it´s almost creepy.
Anyhow, I think that´s about it. I guess I had a lot to say for not having a lot to say. My appologize if it crossed the line into boring. Feel free to send me a cyber-slap.
But for now I just send you my love and these few words.
Ciao.
Feb 26, 2009
Feb 24, 2009
amigos!!!
God hears our prayers -- all of them. And not just those that we begin saying Dear God with our hands folded, but those that we write in journals, those that we unknowingly think, and those that rise up from conversations with friends. He hears them all and He loves to answer them!
The night before last Molly and I were talking about how much we wished we could make some friends. We really hadn´t met anyone to hang out with since Pucon about 2 weeks ago, and really the people you meet traveling make the whole experience. So, the next morning (that´s yesterday) we got up with a vague plan to visit this look out point then catch a bus to Cucau, the town from which you enter the National Park of Chiloe. The look out point turned out to be really lame (with the exception of one especially funny moment that had to do with a dead end road, too much coffee for breakfast, and an unexpected vehicle) so we decided to head back to the highway to find a bus to take us to a nearby island that I had read was pretty cool. After walking for a while without seeing the bus we needed (or maybe we did, but we didnt know it was the one we wanted) we decided to give hitchiking a try again. After a quick prayer for safety we stuck out our thumbs, and literally within seconds a car pulled over and opened the door. We got in the car with three guys around our age who were going to Dalcahue, the departure city for the island we wanted to go to. After a couple of minutes of silence I figured I should try to start some conversation, so I asked where they were from. Turns out they are all from Valparaiso (the city where we will be studyding) and they are friends from scouts, gonig on vacation for a few weeks. We chatted all the way to Dalcahue, and when we got out we all kind of wandered around together, unsure if we should say our goodbyes or ask if they wanted to accompany us to the island. Before we could even ask them, they invited us to ride with them across the ferry to the island. Before we knew it, we were touring the whole island with our new friends, Esteban, Francisco, and Marco. We taught them english words (such as "shady", which has become our favorite english word to teach people. it is very useful. for example, "hitch hikers are usually very shady") and they taught us Chileanismos as we drove from town to town, taking pictures, getting out at the look out points, and checking out the various artesan markets. We ended up spending the whole day with them, letting them drive us around the island to see what there was to see -- which turned out to be the best thing that could have happened because it would have been much more lame and much less fun to try to do the same thing using the bus system. They were miraculously not shady, and very friendly. Also, it was very refreshing to be able to understand their spanish. The accent in Chiloe is especially difficult to understand, so we were starting to be discouraged and thinking that we could not, in fact, speak Spanish at all. However, we held an entire day´s worth of conversation with our new friends.
On the way back to Castro they were talking about going kayaking with their friend who is in the Navy stationed there, and we realized that if we joined them we wouldn´t make the last bus to Cucau. So we decided to stay another night. That´s the joy of not actually having plans and of knowing that God actually has our entire itinerary planned out for us already. So we told them we were going to find a hostel to stay in for one more night, and they mentioned that a bunch of people had just left from the house where they were staying. So we stopped by to ask the señora if there was room, and there was -- and it was cheaper and ten times more awesome (and included breakfast) than the place we had been staying. So we got our stuff, made ourselves comfortable in our room, and changed into kayaking clothes. We went kayaking (for free) with their friend, Marcello, out in the bay, and took a break on the beach on the other side to walk around and talk about life, sea lions, and funny words in Spanish. When we got back we ate stale cereal out of the back of their car and chatted -- another answer to a prayer, because Molly and I had been talking about how much we had been craving cereal. It was fantastic. We changed clothes and went out for dinner, then they drove us out to a look out point just outside of town where we could see the whole city twinkling in the reflection of the sea. It had the potential to be the ultimate in shady experiences -- going out into the dark with three guys we just met hitch hiking today -- but we could tell they are good guys and didn´t want to do anything bad. Plus our God is taking care of us and He let us know it was ok. It was beautiful, and afterwards we came back and played pool before retiring back to the house to chat over tea with the señora. Then Esteban got out his guitar and played beautiful, wonderful music on his guitar that was missing a string, then we taught them how to swing and two-step. It was the best day ever, and God answered so many prayers. Today they dropped us off in town where we said our goodbyes and made plans to get together in Valparaíso so they can show us the good places to go out and so we can get to know each other more.
So, here are just a few of the prayers God answered just in one day:
-making new friends
-cereal
-listening to/playing/singing along with a guitar
-give us a plan where we had none
-kayaking
-showing us that we can, in fact, speak Spanish
-eating real food
-having friends to hang out with back in Valparaíso
All of these are things that I journaled about or talked to Molly about or prayed about or just reflected on in the quiet moments.
PRAISE GOD!!!! He is awesome.
So now we are waiting for the bus to Cucau, where we will stay for a night or two, see the Park, then start making our way back up north and we start orientation on Monday. I can hardly believe that we only have 5 days of traveling left!!! It has been a great time and I´m excited to make the most of the last bit of time, but it will also be great to settle down with our host families and keep our clothes in a dresser instead of a backpack, to eat cereal and cold milk for breakfast, and to begin to establish patterns and friends in the place that we will call home for the next 5 months. And I am very excited to see the new ways that God shows me His mercy and grace and EXTRAVAGANT love.
p.s. - i have sent some post cards, and i am curious to see how long it takes to get there. so if you get one in the mail let me know.
also, i know i say it every time, but please comment! its so comforting just to know that people are reading this, even if you just say "hi".
love love love,
catie
The night before last Molly and I were talking about how much we wished we could make some friends. We really hadn´t met anyone to hang out with since Pucon about 2 weeks ago, and really the people you meet traveling make the whole experience. So, the next morning (that´s yesterday) we got up with a vague plan to visit this look out point then catch a bus to Cucau, the town from which you enter the National Park of Chiloe. The look out point turned out to be really lame (with the exception of one especially funny moment that had to do with a dead end road, too much coffee for breakfast, and an unexpected vehicle) so we decided to head back to the highway to find a bus to take us to a nearby island that I had read was pretty cool. After walking for a while without seeing the bus we needed (or maybe we did, but we didnt know it was the one we wanted) we decided to give hitchiking a try again. After a quick prayer for safety we stuck out our thumbs, and literally within seconds a car pulled over and opened the door. We got in the car with three guys around our age who were going to Dalcahue, the departure city for the island we wanted to go to. After a couple of minutes of silence I figured I should try to start some conversation, so I asked where they were from. Turns out they are all from Valparaiso (the city where we will be studyding) and they are friends from scouts, gonig on vacation for a few weeks. We chatted all the way to Dalcahue, and when we got out we all kind of wandered around together, unsure if we should say our goodbyes or ask if they wanted to accompany us to the island. Before we could even ask them, they invited us to ride with them across the ferry to the island. Before we knew it, we were touring the whole island with our new friends, Esteban, Francisco, and Marco. We taught them english words (such as "shady", which has become our favorite english word to teach people. it is very useful. for example, "hitch hikers are usually very shady") and they taught us Chileanismos as we drove from town to town, taking pictures, getting out at the look out points, and checking out the various artesan markets. We ended up spending the whole day with them, letting them drive us around the island to see what there was to see -- which turned out to be the best thing that could have happened because it would have been much more lame and much less fun to try to do the same thing using the bus system. They were miraculously not shady, and very friendly. Also, it was very refreshing to be able to understand their spanish. The accent in Chiloe is especially difficult to understand, so we were starting to be discouraged and thinking that we could not, in fact, speak Spanish at all. However, we held an entire day´s worth of conversation with our new friends.
On the way back to Castro they were talking about going kayaking with their friend who is in the Navy stationed there, and we realized that if we joined them we wouldn´t make the last bus to Cucau. So we decided to stay another night. That´s the joy of not actually having plans and of knowing that God actually has our entire itinerary planned out for us already. So we told them we were going to find a hostel to stay in for one more night, and they mentioned that a bunch of people had just left from the house where they were staying. So we stopped by to ask the señora if there was room, and there was -- and it was cheaper and ten times more awesome (and included breakfast) than the place we had been staying. So we got our stuff, made ourselves comfortable in our room, and changed into kayaking clothes. We went kayaking (for free) with their friend, Marcello, out in the bay, and took a break on the beach on the other side to walk around and talk about life, sea lions, and funny words in Spanish. When we got back we ate stale cereal out of the back of their car and chatted -- another answer to a prayer, because Molly and I had been talking about how much we had been craving cereal. It was fantastic. We changed clothes and went out for dinner, then they drove us out to a look out point just outside of town where we could see the whole city twinkling in the reflection of the sea. It had the potential to be the ultimate in shady experiences -- going out into the dark with three guys we just met hitch hiking today -- but we could tell they are good guys and didn´t want to do anything bad. Plus our God is taking care of us and He let us know it was ok. It was beautiful, and afterwards we came back and played pool before retiring back to the house to chat over tea with the señora. Then Esteban got out his guitar and played beautiful, wonderful music on his guitar that was missing a string, then we taught them how to swing and two-step. It was the best day ever, and God answered so many prayers. Today they dropped us off in town where we said our goodbyes and made plans to get together in Valparaíso so they can show us the good places to go out and so we can get to know each other more.
So, here are just a few of the prayers God answered just in one day:
-making new friends
-cereal
-listening to/playing/singing along with a guitar
-give us a plan where we had none
-kayaking
-showing us that we can, in fact, speak Spanish
-eating real food
-having friends to hang out with back in Valparaíso
All of these are things that I journaled about or talked to Molly about or prayed about or just reflected on in the quiet moments.
PRAISE GOD!!!! He is awesome.
So now we are waiting for the bus to Cucau, where we will stay for a night or two, see the Park, then start making our way back up north and we start orientation on Monday. I can hardly believe that we only have 5 days of traveling left!!! It has been a great time and I´m excited to make the most of the last bit of time, but it will also be great to settle down with our host families and keep our clothes in a dresser instead of a backpack, to eat cereal and cold milk for breakfast, and to begin to establish patterns and friends in the place that we will call home for the next 5 months. And I am very excited to see the new ways that God shows me His mercy and grace and EXTRAVAGANT love.
p.s. - i have sent some post cards, and i am curious to see how long it takes to get there. so if you get one in the mail let me know.
also, i know i say it every time, but please comment! its so comforting just to know that people are reading this, even if you just say "hi".
love love love,
catie
Feb 22, 2009
Some photos
<< here i am with some of our puppy friends
here he is catching the sheep we ate 
in Emma´s shop admiring her work
here he is catching the sheep we ate
here we are eating our illegally cooked hotdogs
in Emma´s shop admiring her work
Cook rock formation at the beach in Quemchi
Feb 21, 2009
from puppy love to sheep slaughter
I am sitting in an internet cafe in Castro, the capital of the island of Chiloe, surrounded by teenage boys playing some kind of dragon video game on the computers around me. And when i leave here I am going to the Festival Costumbrista, which is not only full of some of the best food, smells, and sights of the island, but that has attracted thousands of people from all around Chile and the world.
But first, a brief catch-up.
Quemchi was really relaxing, and right before we left we went for a brief walk on the beach where God stepped in once again to give us a little present just to remind us how much He loves us. Puppies. Yes, we were walking down the beach, picking wild blackberries as we went, when we came upon 11 tiny puppies running about on the rocky beach. Needless to say, we stopped for a good while to cuddle, play with, and take pictures of these perritos. The mom was glad for the break and took the opportunity to hang out with her dog friends a little ways up the beach. It was amazing. We decided that someone should name an alcoholic beverage after this experience: instead of sex on the beach, puppies on the beach. Even better.
Then we grabbed some lunch in a little restaurant, where a group of three guys from Santiago came in and promptly introduced themselves. We didn´t stay and chat long, because we had to catch a bus, but we saw them again later when we were waiting for the bus and they were coming out of the restaurant, and Claudio, the more talkative of the three, came up and told us he had a gift for us: two roses made out of napkins and a little piece of paper with his number on it. it was very funny.
We went from the sleepy town of Quemchi out to the country, to the house of a sweet lady named Emma for a taste of what day-to-day life means for her and her family. It really is amazing the amount of faith we are having to put in God in this trip -- we really didn´t know where we were going, what we were getting ourselves into, how we would get there, or anything. We just hopped on a bus with all our things and showed the bus driver the address and asked him to tell us when we should get off. And, praise God, we made it there on a long, dusty road, where Emma and her grandaughter were waiting for us with smiles and a pair of kisses to plant on each of our cheeks. She owns a small artesan shop, a bar-b-q pit type place, and a farm where they produce nearly all of what they consume and sell, from honey to marmelade to meat to the yarn she uses to make her blankets and shawls. When we got to the house she served us some bread that just came out of the oven, some tasty potato thing, and, of course, coffee. We have noticed that every time we get somewhere new God is there to welcome us with a cup of coffee in various forms -- sometimes with milk, sometimes with sugar, sometimes with fake milk, sometimes with nothing.... but whatever the case He´s always there to remind us He´s taking care of us. I think coffee has kind of come to symbolize that...
Later that evening Emma´s son drove us, his sister, and his neice into town to see the old church and to walk down a path by where the river spills into the ocean where he and his sisters used to play and pick blackberries when they were little. We had dinner at about 9:30 that night, which I expected to be something small due to the large snack that accompanied our coffee (here this kind of snack is called once, althoug I cant figure out why) but it soon became apparent that this was not the case. They led us up the hill in the frigid summer night to the fogon (the bbq place) where they proceeded to cook a massive amount of all kinds of meat over a big indoor bonfire. It was just meat in oil, maybe with some cilantro and salt, then we had a couple of potatoes to accompany it. It was so amazing -- words cannot describe. Mmm... to be a carnivore...
That night we snuggled up completely full in our beds while Oryan sparkled upside down from the magestic sky on the other side of the tin roof. In the morning we had more delicious homemade food -- including homemade plum jelly that is quite possibly the best thing i´ve ever put in my mouth -- and spent a long time just sitting around, watching the weather try to make up its mind between sunshine and rain. Because of the weather we really couldnt do much, so we spent a disproportionate part of the day watching disney chanel movies and sipping on coffee in the company of four generations of women in this family. Emma´s mother sat quietly watching life race on around her, Emma was constantly at the stove making marvellous things for us to eat, her daughters conversing and entertaining the youngest, Emma´s grandaughter, as she played with her hot pink My Little Pony on the floor. It was pretty sweet. Except for when it got to the point of excess, and our faces were slowly getting longer and longer as we entered that dangerous trance of television´s inactivity. Eventually we were able to go out with Rita, the youngest daughter who is in her 3rd year studying Social Work, to pick plums and apples in the back pasture. There is something terribly exciting about fruit trees to me. And the knowledge that these same plums might someday be turned into Emma´s magically delicious jelly. Then later they saddled up the horse so we could ride around for a little while. Then, when we asked if there was anything we could do to help, Emma told us we should go out to help them herd some sheep. Actually, we thought she said something about we should take a walk up the street to see crazy people playing soccer, but it turns out we were walking to the back pasture to herd sheep. The whole spanish-speaking thing is going great, as you can see. At any rate, we helped the family herd the sheep, then watched the husband tie one up and load it in a wheelbarrow and, smiling with his two-toothed smile, he told us it was lunch tomorrow. Then they invited us to watch them slaughter it. So we did. We watched them bleed it out, cut its head off, skin it, scoop out the guts, feed the livers and heart to the dogs, then hang it up in the shed. Then today we watched them skewer it all on a giant stick and cook it over a fire behind the fogon. Then we ate it for lunch today, and it was delicious. It was a very different experience, and I think it was good. I think that anyone who eats meat should be ok with seeing it go from animal to meat. Not the prettiest thing to see, but its part of life.
Anyhow, after that we had a small snacky dinner, watched a awful, tacky movie on tv, and went to sleep. We woke up this morning to more plum jelly and coffee, and after the aforementioned lunch we packed up our things and got on a bus to go. It was a really strange 3 days, a lot of which was spent having no clue what to do with ourselves. But I´m glad we went, and I´m also glad to be in a city now with grocery stores and internet cafes.
When we got to Castro we had reservations for a hostel we found online because everyone said that the whole town was full because of the festival. As we were standing outside of the bus station looking clueless (because we were), a woman approached and asked if we needed a hostel, and we said we had one but couldnt find it. She informed us that it was not near the center of town at all, and told us how to get there. "How much does your place cost?" we asked her. Turns out, its way closer, and way cheaper than the place where we had reservations. So she walked us down the street and showed us to our room, and we made ourselves a cup of hot, delicious, welcome coffee. Thanks, God. Even when we try to make plans He´s got something better going on. How awesome is that!
Also, on a side note, the song "If I see you in heaven" seems to be played everywhere here, and it just came on the radio, right after Hotel California. I felt like that was worth mentioning.
And yes, for all of you who have asked, I do plan on learning how to make Kuchen, and I will be more than happy to make it for you when I get back. Gotta share the kuchen love.
But first, a brief catch-up.
Quemchi was really relaxing, and right before we left we went for a brief walk on the beach where God stepped in once again to give us a little present just to remind us how much He loves us. Puppies. Yes, we were walking down the beach, picking wild blackberries as we went, when we came upon 11 tiny puppies running about on the rocky beach. Needless to say, we stopped for a good while to cuddle, play with, and take pictures of these perritos. The mom was glad for the break and took the opportunity to hang out with her dog friends a little ways up the beach. It was amazing. We decided that someone should name an alcoholic beverage after this experience: instead of sex on the beach, puppies on the beach. Even better.
Then we grabbed some lunch in a little restaurant, where a group of three guys from Santiago came in and promptly introduced themselves. We didn´t stay and chat long, because we had to catch a bus, but we saw them again later when we were waiting for the bus and they were coming out of the restaurant, and Claudio, the more talkative of the three, came up and told us he had a gift for us: two roses made out of napkins and a little piece of paper with his number on it. it was very funny.
We went from the sleepy town of Quemchi out to the country, to the house of a sweet lady named Emma for a taste of what day-to-day life means for her and her family. It really is amazing the amount of faith we are having to put in God in this trip -- we really didn´t know where we were going, what we were getting ourselves into, how we would get there, or anything. We just hopped on a bus with all our things and showed the bus driver the address and asked him to tell us when we should get off. And, praise God, we made it there on a long, dusty road, where Emma and her grandaughter were waiting for us with smiles and a pair of kisses to plant on each of our cheeks. She owns a small artesan shop, a bar-b-q pit type place, and a farm where they produce nearly all of what they consume and sell, from honey to marmelade to meat to the yarn she uses to make her blankets and shawls. When we got to the house she served us some bread that just came out of the oven, some tasty potato thing, and, of course, coffee. We have noticed that every time we get somewhere new God is there to welcome us with a cup of coffee in various forms -- sometimes with milk, sometimes with sugar, sometimes with fake milk, sometimes with nothing.... but whatever the case He´s always there to remind us He´s taking care of us. I think coffee has kind of come to symbolize that...
Later that evening Emma´s son drove us, his sister, and his neice into town to see the old church and to walk down a path by where the river spills into the ocean where he and his sisters used to play and pick blackberries when they were little. We had dinner at about 9:30 that night, which I expected to be something small due to the large snack that accompanied our coffee (here this kind of snack is called once, althoug I cant figure out why) but it soon became apparent that this was not the case. They led us up the hill in the frigid summer night to the fogon (the bbq place) where they proceeded to cook a massive amount of all kinds of meat over a big indoor bonfire. It was just meat in oil, maybe with some cilantro and salt, then we had a couple of potatoes to accompany it. It was so amazing -- words cannot describe. Mmm... to be a carnivore...
That night we snuggled up completely full in our beds while Oryan sparkled upside down from the magestic sky on the other side of the tin roof. In the morning we had more delicious homemade food -- including homemade plum jelly that is quite possibly the best thing i´ve ever put in my mouth -- and spent a long time just sitting around, watching the weather try to make up its mind between sunshine and rain. Because of the weather we really couldnt do much, so we spent a disproportionate part of the day watching disney chanel movies and sipping on coffee in the company of four generations of women in this family. Emma´s mother sat quietly watching life race on around her, Emma was constantly at the stove making marvellous things for us to eat, her daughters conversing and entertaining the youngest, Emma´s grandaughter, as she played with her hot pink My Little Pony on the floor. It was pretty sweet. Except for when it got to the point of excess, and our faces were slowly getting longer and longer as we entered that dangerous trance of television´s inactivity. Eventually we were able to go out with Rita, the youngest daughter who is in her 3rd year studying Social Work, to pick plums and apples in the back pasture. There is something terribly exciting about fruit trees to me. And the knowledge that these same plums might someday be turned into Emma´s magically delicious jelly. Then later they saddled up the horse so we could ride around for a little while. Then, when we asked if there was anything we could do to help, Emma told us we should go out to help them herd some sheep. Actually, we thought she said something about we should take a walk up the street to see crazy people playing soccer, but it turns out we were walking to the back pasture to herd sheep. The whole spanish-speaking thing is going great, as you can see. At any rate, we helped the family herd the sheep, then watched the husband tie one up and load it in a wheelbarrow and, smiling with his two-toothed smile, he told us it was lunch tomorrow. Then they invited us to watch them slaughter it. So we did. We watched them bleed it out, cut its head off, skin it, scoop out the guts, feed the livers and heart to the dogs, then hang it up in the shed. Then today we watched them skewer it all on a giant stick and cook it over a fire behind the fogon. Then we ate it for lunch today, and it was delicious. It was a very different experience, and I think it was good. I think that anyone who eats meat should be ok with seeing it go from animal to meat. Not the prettiest thing to see, but its part of life.
Anyhow, after that we had a small snacky dinner, watched a awful, tacky movie on tv, and went to sleep. We woke up this morning to more plum jelly and coffee, and after the aforementioned lunch we packed up our things and got on a bus to go. It was a really strange 3 days, a lot of which was spent having no clue what to do with ourselves. But I´m glad we went, and I´m also glad to be in a city now with grocery stores and internet cafes.
When we got to Castro we had reservations for a hostel we found online because everyone said that the whole town was full because of the festival. As we were standing outside of the bus station looking clueless (because we were), a woman approached and asked if we needed a hostel, and we said we had one but couldnt find it. She informed us that it was not near the center of town at all, and told us how to get there. "How much does your place cost?" we asked her. Turns out, its way closer, and way cheaper than the place where we had reservations. So she walked us down the street and showed us to our room, and we made ourselves a cup of hot, delicious, welcome coffee. Thanks, God. Even when we try to make plans He´s got something better going on. How awesome is that!
Also, on a side note, the song "If I see you in heaven" seems to be played everywhere here, and it just came on the radio, right after Hotel California. I felt like that was worth mentioning.
And yes, for all of you who have asked, I do plan on learning how to make Kuchen, and I will be more than happy to make it for you when I get back. Gotta share the kuchen love.
Feb 19, 2009
Fairy tales and Jesus
God is so good!!! He has listened to our prayers and even just our normal conversations between me and Molly. Usually we don´t really know where we´re going to go at the beginning of the day. Like today, I have no idea where I´m going after I finish writing this blog. But God is so faithful and so good and is so excited to be taking us on this trip that I know He has somewhere awesome planned for us!
So in Ancud we just hung out, made friends with our guide, Franco, and tried to avoid the senora of our hostel who, although she was very friendly, developed a habit of screaming three inches from my face when she wanted to talk to us I guess because she thought it would make me understand Spanish better.
Yesterday morning we got up, enjoyed kuchen for breakfast, and then ventured out into the rain to find a bus to somewhere, although we weren´t sure where. Once we had all our things we boarded a bus to Quemchi, a small town that my travel book said was pretty nice, and headed out with a steaming hot milcao -- a fried wad of mashed potatoes with chicken in the middle -- in our hands. We got out of the bus and started walking, waiting for God to show us where He wanted us to stay. And of course, he did. We arrived at a perfectly hospitable little hospedaje facing the ocean where the senora welcomed us in and invited us to enjoy a cup of warm coffee by the fire. There were pictures of mountains and rivers with Psalms written under them decorating the walls everywhere. She suggested that we go visit a small island nearby, which turned out to be the answer to a whole bundle of prayers that Molly and I had lifted up to our Father. We ended up hitch hiking for half of the journey, which is a really normal thing to do in this area, and which was completely necessary in the never ending rain that weighted down our clothes.
The night before, over raspberry daquiries Molly and I had been recalling some of the imaginary games we would play as chileren -- like playing survival-in-the-wildreness games on top of Babe´s dog house in the Boiles´back yard or pretending to be orphans living only in the company of a bunch of animals -- and wishing that some day we would be able to abandon ourselves to imagination again. And God gave us the island.
I cannot describe its magic, or even what happened, because it is too awesome and big for words, but I am pretty sure I am going to write a children´s story about it that hopefully someday you can read.
God also knew how much I was missing my family, and so he brought them to visit me in my dream last night. I was there with my grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, parents, Tyler and Cody, (and even two little kittens!) and we were all just hanging out. Normally my dreams are very complicated, but this was just us hanging out, listening to Grandaddy make up songs on the piano and enjoying each other´s company. Thanks, God.
Anyhow, I have to go. we keep getting kicked off the computers, which is probably for the best because we need to go enjoy the fact that its not raining at the moment.
I posted pictures on facebook -- you should go check them out.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2002065&id=1536330170&saved#/album.php?aid=2002065&id=1536330170&ref=mf
love love love......... and PLEASE keep the comments coming! its so great to feel connected to the other side of the equator and to know that we are not being forgotten in our absence.
So in Ancud we just hung out, made friends with our guide, Franco, and tried to avoid the senora of our hostel who, although she was very friendly, developed a habit of screaming three inches from my face when she wanted to talk to us I guess because she thought it would make me understand Spanish better.
Yesterday morning we got up, enjoyed kuchen for breakfast, and then ventured out into the rain to find a bus to somewhere, although we weren´t sure where. Once we had all our things we boarded a bus to Quemchi, a small town that my travel book said was pretty nice, and headed out with a steaming hot milcao -- a fried wad of mashed potatoes with chicken in the middle -- in our hands. We got out of the bus and started walking, waiting for God to show us where He wanted us to stay. And of course, he did. We arrived at a perfectly hospitable little hospedaje facing the ocean where the senora welcomed us in and invited us to enjoy a cup of warm coffee by the fire. There were pictures of mountains and rivers with Psalms written under them decorating the walls everywhere. She suggested that we go visit a small island nearby, which turned out to be the answer to a whole bundle of prayers that Molly and I had lifted up to our Father. We ended up hitch hiking for half of the journey, which is a really normal thing to do in this area, and which was completely necessary in the never ending rain that weighted down our clothes.
The night before, over raspberry daquiries Molly and I had been recalling some of the imaginary games we would play as chileren -- like playing survival-in-the-wildreness games on top of Babe´s dog house in the Boiles´back yard or pretending to be orphans living only in the company of a bunch of animals -- and wishing that some day we would be able to abandon ourselves to imagination again. And God gave us the island.
I cannot describe its magic, or even what happened, because it is too awesome and big for words, but I am pretty sure I am going to write a children´s story about it that hopefully someday you can read.
God also knew how much I was missing my family, and so he brought them to visit me in my dream last night. I was there with my grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, parents, Tyler and Cody, (and even two little kittens!) and we were all just hanging out. Normally my dreams are very complicated, but this was just us hanging out, listening to Grandaddy make up songs on the piano and enjoying each other´s company. Thanks, God.
Anyhow, I have to go. we keep getting kicked off the computers, which is probably for the best because we need to go enjoy the fact that its not raining at the moment.
I posted pictures on facebook -- you should go check them out.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2002065&id=1536330170&saved#/album.php?aid=2002065&id=1536330170&ref=mf
love love love......... and PLEASE keep the comments coming! its so great to feel connected to the other side of the equator and to know that we are not being forgotten in our absence.
Feb 17, 2009
Cachai´po, juevon?
Day 2 in Ancud.
When we got here at about 9 last night we could not find the hostel we had reservations for, but that was because God wanted us to stay somewhere different. So we wandered until we came to a large, bright blue building and the owner welcomed us in and made us coffee. Yes, this is where we are supposed to be. We had coffee with real milk, I took a gloriously hot shower, then we went to bed. This morning we got up, ate Kuchen for breakfast (I could really get used to this whole eating Kuchen at least once a day thing. Its the most delicious food ever made) and loaded into a bus with another couple from the hostel to go to the Pinguinera Pinihuil -- a penguin colony nearby. After picking up a few more people and our guide, we began the bumpy drive along the coast, stopping preiodically for our guide, a second year law school student named Franco, to show us some kind of flower, berry, or rock formation that, according to legend, is home to burried treasure guarded by the Traucos. The penguin tour itself was not especially thrilling -- we loaded into a boat and tossed about on the waves for about 30 minutes, getting some excellent views of penguins hanging out on some big rocks. This is the only place in the world where these two kinds of penguins can ever be seen together. Come March, one breed migrates north and the other south, but every year they come together here and lay their eggs on the misty shores of Chiloe. It began to rain and the waves were getting larger, so we had to go back to the shore, but we used our extra time to grab some Empanadas de queso y loco at a restaurant right by the shore.
For those of you who speak spanish, you might be wondering, as were we, what an Empanada de loco might be. As it turns out, it is not crazy-flavored empanadas, but rather empanadas with mollsuks. At any rate, they were delicious, and all 9 of us on the tour sat together and told stories and jokes -- many of which revolved around mine and Molly´s inability to speak or understand Spanish. But everyone here reassures that our Spanish is very good, and have even gone so far as to say that our accents are good sound almost authentic.
On the ride back Franco taught us all kinds of new Chilote words -- it seems that this island not only has its own magic, but its own language. Later tonight we are going to go get drinks with our new friend Franco and hopefully learn more.
Even though we have not yet done much here and, to tell the truth we don´t really have a clue as to what we´re going to do, I can tell there is a sense of mystery and fantasy here on this giant island called Chiloe. The ominous mist that never fully leaves gives everything a sense of secrecy, as if trying to hide the whispers between all the plants, animals, and waters. Tiny flowers that look like fairies decorate the countryside everywhere, dancing between blackberry brambles and trees that bear a fruit similar to a blueberry. I feel like if I could hold my breath and be still enough, I would actually see a fairy tale unfolding before my very eyes. I can hardly wait to write more about the surprises that God is going to show us on this magic island.
Ciao.
p.s. - the title of this entry is the essence of chileanismos. It roughly translates to "do you get it, dude?" but the way it is said is that makes it a true chileanismo :D
When we got here at about 9 last night we could not find the hostel we had reservations for, but that was because God wanted us to stay somewhere different. So we wandered until we came to a large, bright blue building and the owner welcomed us in and made us coffee. Yes, this is where we are supposed to be. We had coffee with real milk, I took a gloriously hot shower, then we went to bed. This morning we got up, ate Kuchen for breakfast (I could really get used to this whole eating Kuchen at least once a day thing. Its the most delicious food ever made) and loaded into a bus with another couple from the hostel to go to the Pinguinera Pinihuil -- a penguin colony nearby. After picking up a few more people and our guide, we began the bumpy drive along the coast, stopping preiodically for our guide, a second year law school student named Franco, to show us some kind of flower, berry, or rock formation that, according to legend, is home to burried treasure guarded by the Traucos. The penguin tour itself was not especially thrilling -- we loaded into a boat and tossed about on the waves for about 30 minutes, getting some excellent views of penguins hanging out on some big rocks. This is the only place in the world where these two kinds of penguins can ever be seen together. Come March, one breed migrates north and the other south, but every year they come together here and lay their eggs on the misty shores of Chiloe. It began to rain and the waves were getting larger, so we had to go back to the shore, but we used our extra time to grab some Empanadas de queso y loco at a restaurant right by the shore.
For those of you who speak spanish, you might be wondering, as were we, what an Empanada de loco might be. As it turns out, it is not crazy-flavored empanadas, but rather empanadas with mollsuks. At any rate, they were delicious, and all 9 of us on the tour sat together and told stories and jokes -- many of which revolved around mine and Molly´s inability to speak or understand Spanish. But everyone here reassures that our Spanish is very good, and have even gone so far as to say that our accents are good sound almost authentic.
On the ride back Franco taught us all kinds of new Chilote words -- it seems that this island not only has its own magic, but its own language. Later tonight we are going to go get drinks with our new friend Franco and hopefully learn more.
Even though we have not yet done much here and, to tell the truth we don´t really have a clue as to what we´re going to do, I can tell there is a sense of mystery and fantasy here on this giant island called Chiloe. The ominous mist that never fully leaves gives everything a sense of secrecy, as if trying to hide the whispers between all the plants, animals, and waters. Tiny flowers that look like fairies decorate the countryside everywhere, dancing between blackberry brambles and trees that bear a fruit similar to a blueberry. I feel like if I could hold my breath and be still enough, I would actually see a fairy tale unfolding before my very eyes. I can hardly wait to write more about the surprises that God is going to show us on this magic island.
Ciao.
p.s. - the title of this entry is the essence of chileanismos. It roughly translates to "do you get it, dude?" but the way it is said is that makes it a true chileanismo :D
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