Santi-again

Friday morning, we flew back from Punta Arenas to Santiago with Stew´s parents. While they checked in for their evening flight back to the U.S., Stew ran down to the lost luggage area and retrieved the back American Airlines had lost the week before. This is one of the great conveniences of naming giving your child after yourself. Unfortunately, (or perhaps at this point it was fortunate), our cheese and trail mix had been taken and destroyed by Chilean customs. While we were bummed that we didn´t get to eat them, we appreciated that our bag did not smell like moldy cheese. We did get some cheese and lox that Stew´s parents had brought in their carry on, so we weren´t without the luxuries of home.

We caught a cab back to the Eco Hostel where we had stayed the week before and where our bags were stored. We sorted through all of our new clothes and switched them out for old ones (yay! like going back to school!) and also picked up a new library (also like going back to school!). All of the books that we got looked great and we are very excited to have new real literature to read, but our bags just don´t have space for the 30 or so books we wound up with. Nonetheless, thanks to everyone for the books: it was great to have so much variety to choose from.

Afterwards, we went out for a final dinner with Stew´s parents. The restaurant was in the courtyard of a museum and we ate beneath a grafitti covered section of the Berlin wall. Outside the restaurant were scores of used book salesmen (hmmm...), artisans, and clothes shops. Amazingly, we looked at all of the stores and didn´t buy a thing even though Santiago has a distinct, hip, independent fashion scene. Then, Stew´s parents left for the airport. It was great to see them and we had a fantastic time traveling with them. We miss them already!

The last two days have been spent rather lazily (our most active pastimes include strolling through Santiago´s many parks and wandering through musuems) because we are waiting to go to a WWOOF blackberry farm. We will be there harvesting blackberries for the next 2 weeks. The bus to the country,( the farm is located in the heart of the Maipo wine region!) only leaves on Mondays, so we didn´t have much choice.

Today were the elections: Piñera, the conservative candidate, won and there are parties in the street but no alcohol for sale anywhere (except our hostel - apparantly they fly under the radar). It seems like every car in the city has hit the street to honk their horns and fly Piñera flags. The main road through the city is blocked off for a huge rally. Entire families - the stroller and wheelchair bound included - were carousing in the street, banners and flags in hand. By the time we came back to the hostel, we were covered in confetti.

All in all, it´s been nice to relax: we fixed many of our clothes, packs, etc., ate latkes, and read part of our new book store. Tomorrow we go to q blackberry farm and may be out of contact for the next two weeks. Sorry avid readers but adventure calls!