This is the most beautiful, green place!
They tell me it rains 300 days a year here, but it was sunny the day we crossed Lago de Todos Los Santos
on the ferry and went almost to the Argentine border. We spent all day hiking and scrambling around on the rocks. We thought the area reminded us of Fernie.We learn a lot on these trips--
not the least of which is spending 10 days together with not 2 minutes away from each other's company.
The most wonderful thing, in my view, is that these host nations take us under their wing, as it were, and coach us on language, culture and history in each place.
In Brazil we learned about the slave trade and pirates. We also learned about a Robin Hood-type bandit that lent dash and style to Forró, a style of music I always liked but didn't know much about. You can dance to Forró with a modified salsa step. We know this because we danced all over the grass at the hotel outdoor buffet, and lots of people joined us. (This was big fun and there were no teenage girls to grimace and make remarks about parents who dance. ) My Dad would like Forró because it is mostly accordion.
The theory we heard when we visited Natal, Brazil was that Forró came from the English "for all" from the parties held by the US Navy while based there during WWII, and invited the locals, but the word Forró dates from before that. Yes, we LOVE learning that kind of thing.
In Chile we learned about 3 waves of German immigration that have made Chile unique in Latin America. Also some language differences in Chile, a lot of history and culture.
People have this idea that Latinos are brown and always late.
In Chile we learned about 3 waves of German immigration that have made Chile unique in Latin America. Also some language differences in Chile, a lot of history and culture.
People have this idea that Latinos are brown and always late.
Those people would be surprised to see millions of caucasian people in ultra modern settings who speak Spanish.
And punctual! I was embarrassed because it seemed THEY were always waiting for US.
We went to Pablo Neruda's house on the sea, not far from Santiago. There we learned about a book of his that I was unaware of until then. We also got a college credit's amount of information on communisim and how Neruda for all his political talk, was not a good one.. what with all the STUFF he had in that house.
We went to Pablo Neruda's house on the sea, not far from Santiago. There we learned about a book of his that I was unaware of until then. We also got a college credit's amount of information on communisim and how Neruda for all his political talk, was not a good one.. what with all the STUFF he had in that house.
