So let me start off with saying ´mom, jess and dad, I love you´...but staying in Barbara's home has been such a great experience I feel like I have a Chilean duplicate of my family at home, whom I love so much, but at most times I can barely understand them and think they are talking about me (sound familiar? just kidding).
Barbara is like my sister, Papa my dad, Rosendo Fritz (the German Chilean cat-see picture) who takes the place of Fred the cat at home, Nelly (Ian, Barbara's boyfriend's mom who takes care of everyone and is AMAZING) just like my mom. Each of them greet me with love when they see me and last night made me the biggest Chilean dinner that I had ever seen which was served at 2 am on the balcony of Barbara's house that overlooks Vina Del Mar and the beach! Even Papa who works at 6 am was up (not to mention he was late for work this morning and I accidentally greeted him in his underwear...like I said just like home).
Salad with fresh cheese, olives, mushrooms and a BBQ which wasn't really a BBQ. They put a huge stir fry pan on the BBQ and sautéed beef, chicken, chorizo onions, mushrooms, etc. IT WAS DELICIOUS! ´We listened to some Brazilian music while we watched Rosendo the famous cat, catch moths as the sound of the waves from the Pacifica moved in and out. This was way more exciting than it sounds. Then the boys left Papa, Barbara and I and I discovered a gift that a friend of Ian's, who had took us fishing the night before had sent. He left me the most heart touching pair of wool gloves..For the Frio Bonita gringita (the small COLD white pretty girl) with a note that said ´´your lucky family and boyfriend in Canada´ how beautiful! Given that the gloves are say...well, less than fashionable, but I finally know how a mom feels when her kid gives her the ugliest thing...it means something special and becomes beautiful. Anyway, cheesiness aside, during the day, we went to Ian's house (her boyfriend) and took the elevators up and down the crazy city of Valparaiso, which is the only way to navigate the hills there. The city is a rowdy port city which was always look down on by Santiaguinos, but the recent listing of it to the UNESCO World Heritage registry has caused the country to take a second look at it. It's all built on a hill and the streets are weaved cobble stone. I went roaming alone and sat in Color Cafe where I drew pictures and had the most amazing coffee ever. Another day of wonderment in Chile....off to the next couch in Santiago tonight... Amanda the gringita!
Where I stayed:
Still hangin with Barbara and the fam
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