Back in Santiago, it is warm, fortunately. Southern Chile is prized and one can see why, but I must admit I prefer Mediterranean climates and larger towns. One striking feature of the south, however, is the number of locals wearing mountaineering gear and Vibram soles. This is not something I had seen elsewhere in the Andes. I am assuming it is also a feature of Andean Argentina, where I have still not been (the Aconcagua climb having been rescheduled for the medium term future, due to scheduling conflicts).
In the Chilean lake region, they are trying to sell little vacation houses, with 100% financing and a 24 year mortgage. “Sign up for the house in which you will feel free as a condor,” says the advertisement.
In the supermarket, people are madly shopping for Christmas Eve. I shopped madly also, buying, among other things, a carmenera wine purporting to have been vinted in Tierra del Fuego (I have some doubts on this). Groceries are not cheap, but cheese, avocados, and wine are less expensive than at home, and fish is fresher.
Axé.
coldhearted scientist وداد 
pictures?
Have a great time, Prof!
Happy Christmas Z!
Thank you, Chaser! Pictures, it would be traditional of me to have, but I don´t.
And Happy Christmas to you, Charlie!
Salut! I’m finally able to get online here in exotic Zaragoza. Nochebuena involved watching SM el rey deliver a discurso while everyone madly text-messaged all their relatives wishing them feliz navidad (a new ritual). Now we are preparing for the wedding. I’m supposed to choose a poem to read–any suggestions?
Greetings from Valparaiso! Wedding poem: at the moment I am drawing a blank, I have in my head a line from Gonzalo Rojas, “Valparaiso, el viento” – which is unrelated to weddings. Happy wedding and New Year, though! –Z
enjoy your outdoors! the beauty helps remind me of the goodness still in this world…
Thanks for these posts, great reading here in the freezing cold Pacific Northwest. Hurry back and post to my blog. 😛
Heart
On the picture issue, although I did not take them, someone else went to more or less exactly the places I did, and made a nice video, which they posted on YouTube. Here it is (called “De Santiago a Chiloé”):
I found it because it is cold and Anglo-feeling here tonight, and I am nostalgic for the West and for Spanish, for the sights and sounds where I feel at home.