Hola from Chile

All I can say is this country has totally exceeded my expectations.  It is fabulous here!  Its really cold but dry and sunny -- we even eat outside sometimes.  The countryside reminds me of Colorado or El Paso.  The people dress very smartly, like Italians, but they dont wear a lot of make-up.  Everyone is polite and friendly.

And the food!  Like the US, there is local food, but also lots of ethnic food -- Italian, German, Thai, Sushi -- and its really good.  Wines are fabulous, of course.  There is a strong English influence, which we can see in the tea and the round-abouts and gardens.  The only thing they dont have that is fantastic is.... coffee.  Its pretty poor, and Anthony is suffering a little. 

Mi amiga, Fran, is having so much fun proudly showing us her country, and her family is so kind and welcoming.  In Santiago, we are staying in her brothers beautiful apartment [he stays with his girlfriend] which is spacious and stylish and has a kitchen worthy of the Ikea showroom.  They have taken us places and had us in their homes.  We feel so lucky.

This weekend we are on the shore, in Valparaiso.  This is a crazy town with tiny darting cobblestone streets up and down the hills above the Pacific and ramshackle buildings.  There are lots of funiculars and sleeping stray dogs.  We have had more good food and wines and hate to leave tomorrow.   Anna is begging me to play Uno,  more later...