March 18, 2003

HELLO again!

Thought Iīd send out another letter so you all donīt forget about me, and so you know I havenīt forgotten about all of you! How is everyone?! If you received this letter, itīs because I miss you! So Iīll tell you the latest, but you all have to drop me a line and say hello too! I think that last time I reported on Christmas and New Years, so since then...

Shortly after Christmas, I hopped on a bus and rode 14 hours to meet up with one of my best friends here, Andrea, and her family in Puerto Varas. I visited Puerto Varas with my class when we went to the south. Itīs a really cute little tourist city on a lake thatīs really big. The people who live there are really proud of the fact that their lakeīs name means īlike the seaī... I didnīt want to break it to them that Ohio has a Great Lake-really big. This trip was even better than the first because the sun was out and I could see all three(!) volcanoes that are the backdrop to Lake Llanquihue. Also, I had a great time with Andrea and her sister. We made it to a German beer fest (whoa Rotary...you didnīt just read that), went to a bonfire on the beach (not to mention swam in the freeeeezing water), went on an amazing horseback ride in the rain through a bamboo (!!!) forest, and played lots of pictionary. Honestly pictionary was almost my favorite part. Andrea and I dominated the competition. Thatīs impressive considering that I didnīt know what a lot of the words meant!

After Puerto Varas, I met up with my Chilean family a little further north and we headed towards the Andes. We spent a week with extended family on a lake stuck right in the mountains. The sunset was unbelievable every night. The sun dropped into a wall of hills and volcanoes, the sky turned pink and orange and red and was reflected on the mountains all around the lake. Mother Nature was really showing off. Next, we headed over the mountains to Argentina. Our real mission there was to make fun of the hilarious Argentine accent (to be fair, they probably say the say about the Chilean accent and even worse about mine!), but we also managed to enjoy another lake and buy some souvenirs. I prefer Chile to Argentine primarily for two reasons. 1- Chile has avocados. 2- Chile has llamas. Argentina has neither of these things, so I was just as happy when we returned back to Chile and camped for a few days on another lake (see the pattern here?). Then back to good old Villa Alemana. The trip was definitely worthwhile, although Chile is a very long country which involved very long hours in the car with my in-the-annoying-stage brother and sister. I lived.

The very next day after coming home my boyfriend suggested we go see some of the north. Sure, why not? We headed by bus to the Bahia Inglesa, a big cove with true sea green water and a paper white strip of beach. Iīd seen this place in guide books but wow! I had never seen crayola sea green in the sea before. I thought it was some romantic description that poets and painters use but no, it exists!!! Spent a few days there, kayaked, went bike riding and searched in vain for penguins. Chileans insist that warm weather penguins exist. From personal experience, I think thatīs just a mean joke they play on all the gringas that will never make it to Antarctica :) Stopped on the way home to see Josh in La Serena. We made it out for pizza. Josh, Pablo told me your accent is that of a gypsy...pretty nice chico!

OK, since this is getting way to long, the summary of whatīs happened since then is: Went back to school. Not fun but learning cool things in history class that I never heard in the US. Patrick came to visit me all the way from OH! He ate meat, and we ate too much in general. Back at school this week. Mom comes to visit in two weeks! Watched Bush on tv yesterday. Not impressed.

So, in light of what may or may not happen in the near future, Iīd like to ask you all two favors. Please, remember to love each other, and hope or pray or send some thoughts out into the cosmos for peace. Iīm thinking of all of you and hope to hear from you soon! Much love from Chile,

Heather

PS FELIZ CUMPLIAŅOS to Karelisa and Hannah! Cumpliaņos feliz! Te deseamos a ti! Feliz cumpliaņos Kdogg y Hannah Hooooo. Que los cumplas feliz!