Saturday, February 02, 2008

Santiago Day 1 - The road less travelled

Today was our adventure up into Maipo Canyon (pronounced my poo). We hired a private tour company to take us up there, where Dena got to drive a 4WD vehicle. We were picked up at the hotel at 8pm and didn´t get back until 730. Long day. What a beautiful country it is though. We drove up the canyon from start to its end, about 50 miles of dirt road, some rough near the end. During the trip we stopped at this Andean indian mountain farm house where we purchased some goat cheese, freshly made. We had lunch by a lake where we kayaked, drank Chilean wine and beer, and had the goat cheese. Wonderful. After lunch we continued on our trek, bracketed by 15´000 foot Andes peaks covered in snow even in this South American summer. We drove beside the glacier fed river that had that wonderful bluish white hue that all glacial fed rivers do. The end of the canyon found us at a thermal hot springs pool where we jumped in a relaxed for a bit finishing off with a dip in the cold waterfall and a pisco sour. Life is hard here in Chile.

Pictures will have to wait until tomorrow. Some things to note, there is a 5 hour time difference from Los Angeles to here. It is 2 time zones east of New York. Also, I left all my postcard addresses on the plane in a magazine I forgot in the seat pocket. So very few of you will get postcards, my apologies. One last thing, I need your help on this, our room has a bidee (spelling?). How do you use it? You obviously do not urinate it in then wash, what do you do? Thanks all, until tomorrow. We´re going to go wait in the bar for Arlene to arrive.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

HI DAWN AND DENA

I BELIVE THE CORRECT SPELLING IS BEDET
IT'S FRENCH
AND I HAVE NEVER USED ONE BUT THE WATER BETTER BE WARM AND HAVE A TOWEL STANDING BY.

COUSIN ELMERZUNSEXIF

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I believe you potty in the toilet and then clean yourself in the bidet (I think it's spelled that way but I'm an ignorant American). I'll e-mail you my address. ::eyelash bat::

Kelly

Anonymous said...

Do not let this photo fool you...Dawn was like the Queen of Sheba, letting me paddle her around. I think she paddled twice then gave up... whose the wimp!