Looks can be deceiving. From the outside, the cabaña that was to be our family home for the week of Chile’s Independence celebrations appeared relatively nice. Although it didn’t exude the charms of its sister cabañas, it was the last…
This morning, our newest addition to the household, a now 4-month old English Pointer named Missy, broke one of my favorite bowls. I had been so happy when it had survived the earthquake, for the garden scene and squirrels that…
There is a tree that grows in Chile, which emits the most offensive olfactory, gut-wretchedly putrid aroma that it assaults even the hardiest of breathing pedestrians. After five years of seasonal contact, I have finally committed to the quest of…
For most of my adult life, relocating to a new part of the U.S. became a three-five year cycle. What had at first had been met with strong resistance, eventually became part of my psyche. As soon as the three-year…
Yesterday, we made our regular trek to the countryside of Hualqui to replenish our supply of Chilean style tortillas. On the way there, an extended set of early Cat Stevens’ music was aired on one of the local radio stations. It…
At the beginning of the week, we awoke to ominous, black clouds, winds that whipped the tops of pines and palms like blades of grass, and rain that pelted the windows with such force that they bounced back out to…
One of the benefits of living in Concepcion is having relatively easy access to many destinations for recreation and relaxation. One of our favorite weekend getaways is to the Nevados de Chillan, which is home to three active stratovolcanoes, Volcán…
Sometimes the best-laid plans are the ones never made. Such was the case with one sunny Saturday afternoon. Uncertain of how to spend the day, we had started off at the office, checking emails, checking the progress of experiments, checking…
Rain approaching the mountains had forced a change in plans for Easter weekend. We had hoped to spend one last weekend camping in Alto Bio Bio before the rains and cold of Chilean winter set in, but nature had other…
There are many ways to experience Lago Lleu Lleu, the cradle of our earthquake experience. While the earth had convulsed in seismic waves during Chile´s 8.8 quake, and the land had risen more than 9 meters, my mate and I…