Adventures with Mom and Dad

Well Mom and Dad made it safely back to DC. I’ll chat with them later today about their flight; it’s quite a long journey from here to DC. I know I had a wonderful time with them and if a picture is worth 1,000 words our trip needs at least 725,000 words to cover all the stuff we did. Between the 2 cameras we took over 725 pictures and there would be even more had one of the cameras not run out of battery.
I’m going to try to put a link here to the web albums I have made of the trip.
We had a great time, the first day I took them on an “easy” hike up Cerro San Cristobal. Adding up the distance to walk there, climbing and descending the hill, walking back to the house, then moving the luggage to their hotel to check in, it was over 10 miles…oops, I didn’t realize how long it actually was, I’m just so used to walking/metroing everywhere. At least I didn’t forget to give them their first Mote con huesillo as a first taste of Chile.
The next day we went to Cerro San Lucia and the artisan marketplace there, where the Chilean pesos began to come out of the wallets in earnest due to mom’s first shopping experience in Chile and luckily for rah, K and I come Christmastime, by no means was it the last. We also made it to the Plaza de Armas and the National Cathedral, Mom and Dad also got to try their first Chilean empanadas. Mom and Dad were also even more awesome and took some of my closest friends I’ve made here and me out for pizza. We went through some delicious pizza pies and a couple bottles of wine and ended up closing the place out with our fun discussions about the US, Australia, Canada, and Chile.
The next afternoon we then flew to Puerto Montt and spent the night and the next half-day there. It was neat to be right on the Pacific Ocean, and our hotel room (in a sister hotel of where mom and dad were staying in Santiago) was spacious with a wonderful view. Mom had fun shopping for Dad before we headed out by bus to Bariloche Argentina. In customs it helped to have a “B” last name, haha
In Bariloche we were able to tour the Lake Nahuel Huapi and see two nature reserve islands with spectacular views from the boat of the Andes mountains, including the highest peak in Argentina Torre-“something” (I’ll have to get out the guidebook and check) we ventured off the beaten path and had good exercise hiking so then treated ourselves to some delicious steak from the parrilla (grill) at a restaurant called el Boliche del Alberto. If you’re ever in Bariloche, go check it out, and you can also drink some Santa Julia Cabernet Sauvignon (somebody finally realized how cool I am and named a wine after me). We also had some delicious chocolate, it was so hard not to eat all of it the rest of the trip.
We bussed back to Puerto Montt, and spent a half-day there before bussing and ferrying to Chiloe the next day. First we went to Castro, the capital of the Big Island and had some amazing crab and seafood. We saw some dolphins of the ferry-rides and then in Castro visited the same Church Pope John Paul II visited in 1987. The next day we headed to Ancud with the goal of seeing the penguins, unfortunately the penguins left their colonies in late march, something no one told us until we arrived, ready for some hard-core penguin watching. We were able to take a cold but informative and pretty tour on the pacific though, seeing some otters: the gatos del mar “cats of the sea”, some flightless ducks and other birds as well as getting some spectacular views of the Island. It was truly gorgeous in Chiloe.
We headed back to Puerto Montt, flew back to Santiago then spend the next 2 days around the city. We were able to have dinner with a group that included my friend Kat and her parents who were also visiting. I had to go to class on Tuesday but Mom and Dad navigated the city without me like pros. The last night Miriam hosted us all to dinner in the house and we had the last of our wonderful dinners, sharing the whole experience of where I’m staying with them.
It was so tough to say goodbye on Wednesday but I’m so grateful for the fact I was able to see them and share the whole experience with them. I can’t wait for Sarah and Kaela to visit! I should have enough Reese’s and peanut butter to last me until them, haha!