Pucon; Enjoying the small things

I realized a few days back that the key to a successful blog is continuity and thus I feel that every travel or noteworthy subject should be addressed to my 'anxious' readers. With that said, last weekend in Pucon was truly noteworthy and a highlight of my South American tour six weeks in. Not only was it my longest bus-ride since traveling from Santiago but the travel came during the day so I soaked in all the sights. This included seeing the preparations for a dark beer festival in Valdivia and the rolling countryside with cows and wineries all shadowed by the distant yet intimate snow-capped Andes which magically form the backbone for this monkey arm of a country. After draining the battery of my iTouch we finally arrived in Pucon, a touristy city four hours northeast of Osorno. The town's population is much smaller than Oxford, MS and in the night you have no idea that the town is smack dab in the middle of the mountains.

After an evening of exchanging classroom stories with eight other volunteers, dancing to the Black Eyed Peas, eating Churrasco sandwiches, and drinking cheap Chilean box wine (El Gato), we roamed the town and took pictures of the mountains before heading to a hot springs 45 minutes away. We ate fried empanadas stuffed with poached egg, beef, and onions...I forgot what they are called but they are my favorite.

The drive was beautiful and when we arrived at the national park the clouds sympathetically parted ways and showed us a sunny, cool afternoon. We took pictures at the top of the hill and kicked the Jabulani ball around before I clumsily knocked it off the trail and into a steep ravine. While we managed to recover it we also found a different trail that took us straight to a fierce flowing river. This river continued on past our hot springs providing a natural chime as we sat in the hot tubs and stared at the mountains. Since I forgot to pack a swim suit in Dallas (who would have thought) I relegated myself to boxer briefs and nothing more. The elderly Chilean women probably didn't appreciate it but boy was I comfortable.

That night we celebrated July 4th by first finding a hamburger place (see above) and then having a party at our hostel with just as many natives as Americans. The Chileans watched comically as we drank a beer and sang the Pledge of Allegiance. It is these weekends that I feel like I am studying abroad. A bunch of Americans hanging out and talking about the food we wish could have (McDonalds breakfast No. 2, Marco's pizza, Mi-Cocina, Burger House, Gordita crunch, Dr. Pepper, etc.), Chilean customs, and the ridiculous Chilean-like haircut one volunteer gave to another. But then during the weeks I am teaching early on in the mornings and relaxing in the afternoons.

I have discovered how happy the small things make me when living abroad. The other day I found a soccer field very close to my house and I plan on improving my game for the next six months. I appreciate the wool scarf I just bought that keeps my neck from the never ceasing wind. I listen to the Rangers baseball games several times a week with the same announcers that I grew up with (CLIFF LEE!). I watch my own movies with Spanish sub-titles because I want to learn more words. I smile every time my Chilean mom puts mustard and pepper in front of me at meals because she knows how much I like them. She also puts them out with meals that one would dread putting those things on. I even appreciate the ATM giving me the English language button option. All of this is part of my South American experience and this month is only going to get better as I leave for a back-packing trip in three days and for Punta Arenas (Google maps that I dare you) the following Wednesday!

I hope everyone is well and enjoying the Texas heat as much as I am the continuous rainfall and needling wind. Ciao!