Trippin

The past couple weeks have made for a bit more exciting subject material for you all.  What with warmer temperatures and all, we've been more antsy to get out.  A couple weekends ago, Marie, Vicky, and I spontaneously decided to hit up a nearby town further into the interior, Limache.  It was roughly a 45 minute train ride and an absolutely gorgeous trip.  It's so nice to leave the city feel of Viña and land in the middle of mountains and country.  We walked through Limache a bit, then asked a random dude if there was any place to go horseback riding; he directed us toward Olmué, about a half-hour micro ride further into the rural interior.  We asked the micro driver to let us know when we got close to a horse-riding place; I was a little on edge about actually finding anywhere, but sure enough we were dropped off a short, dirt-paved distance from a place that rented out horses. We snagged some and meandered around the winding paths out on the countryside - at least as far as the horses would cooperate.   It was absolutely gorgeous.

After that, we headed back to Limache and took the train back to Viña so that Marie and I could make it back for a free circus that Marie's host mom had found.  It was pretty basic circus stuff, although I was impressed with how many foreign acts made an appearance.  China, Mongolia, Russia (or Belarus; couldn't understand the announcer too well), the U.S., and Ukraine were all represented and did their countries proud.

The other day Judith, Marie's host mom, took us to see a free film about the end of the Pinochet dictatorship.  In the...1980s (I think?  That sounds about right...) there was a vote taken to decide if the dictator would hold power for an additional eight years or if the country would take a democratic turn.  Every day for a period of time, television networks were to broadcast 15 minutes of propaganda per side - Si for keeping Pinochet in power and No for booting him.  The film (titled No) documented the struggle in creating the "no" propaganda.  Marie and I had a class and had to sneak out early, but it was interesting (if not super hard to understand).  It was especially relevant since today Chile is holding local elections.

Also this weekend, our program took us out to Isla Negra, the location of another house belonging to Pablo Neruda.  We spent several hours just wandering the beach and the tiny town (including a stop at a little cafe for some jugo natural - fruit juice).  It was so cute and secluded and we all decided that it would be a pretty great summer home location.  The beach was gorgeous; Neruda really had it made with his beautiful house overlooking the view.

On a more serious note, you all can be praying for Antonio and his family as they mourn the loss of his brother-in-law.  He had been in the hospital for awhile and seemed to be on the upswing when he suddenly passed away a couple nights ago.  From what Alice says, Antonio's family is big and really close, so it's gonna take some time and lots of support to adjust.