Life in Porvenir, Chile

Add it to the list to print

2012-03-06T19:44:00.000-05:00

Dad and step-mom visited us last week. I have lots of cool pictures to share but we are preparing for a trip so I don't have a lot of time. Fernando, Victoria and I are Boston bound for a seafood fair (anyone want to buy a container or two of king crab???) and Olivia is headed to Santiago to stay with my mother in-law. And then all of us are meeting up for two more weeks in Santiago because Olivia has to apply for preschool for 2013 now (the idea is to move back to Santiago in 2013... fingers crossed!!!). (Don't even get me started on the ridiculousness of a 3 year old having to "apply" to preschool, one year ahead of time. The parents also have an interview...)

In the mean time, here's another family photo, your everyday family photo, you know, in front of a glacier.

Reason #24

2012-02-24T06:39:00.000-05:00

Really cool family photos...

Love that getting in the car and driving can lead such cool places, with mountains and king penguins in the background.

These need to be blown up...poster size... and hung on the wall!

Sheep Crossing

2012-02-21T18:27:00.002-05:00

One of the times we went to Porvenir back in November, we were unable to take the ferry back on the day we had planned because it was completely full. So instead we went "the long way around" which means driving through Tierra del Fuego to the narrow part of the Strait and taking the short ferry and then driving all the way back around to Punta Arenas. It's a long drive. This particular time, there was a sheep crossing right in front of us. Here are some of the photos.

Mama and baby sheep making their way across:

The dog rounding them up:

As Fernando stood outside the car, snapping away, picture after picture, the girls and I waited and watched the seemingly quiet crossing from within the car. He then motioned for me to roll the window down and this is what we heard:

Those sheep don't look like they are "talking" in the pictures, but man are they noisy!

Me, two days ago...

2012-02-09T18:25:00.000-05:00

In the middle of summer...

I may have been slightly overdressed but I certainly was not sweating...

You can never have enough faux fur, right???

A New Park Experience

2012-02-06T11:34:00.000-05:00

Two weekends ago, we took a walk to a park near our house that we had never been to. It's about a 10-15 minute walk which doesn't sound so far but when nice days are few and far between, you tend to drive to the park and freeze your a-s-s off while your kid runs around and plays. So the weather seemed nice and we took off with Olivia in the stroller (she has taken a renewed interest in sitting in a stroller since you-know-who came along) and Victoria in the baby carrier. In the basket under the stroller, I stuffed in a blanket to sit on, some badminton rackets and birdie and some toys for Victoria. About three minutes into the walk, the sun went behind a cloud. Hmmm, a little chilly now. About three minutes later, the sky turned dark and the wind starting wooshing around. Another three minutes passed and it began to sprinkle. By the time we got to the park, it was raining and windy. A blanket to sit on??? How could I have been so naive? I guess that those three weeks in Santiago screwed up my weather expectations. I have NEVER sat on a blanket at a park here!

So Fernando and Victoria hurried back home but there was no convincing Olivia. We stayed at the park as the weather worsened and she paid it no mind. In fact, she had her first horse ride!

I like this picture below because it shows the Strait of Magellan and Tierra del Fuego.

Happy little girl finishing her horse ride.

The horse ride was followed by a 15 minute jump on a huge trampoline because despite the weather, Olivia was out for a good time. (Notice she is the ONLY one on the trampoline. Everyone else had packed up and headed home at this point.)

The weather started to clear for a minute:

Next time no badminton (ha!), just a winter coat, hat and rain jacket...just in case!

Tired girl

2012-02-03T14:12:00.001-05:00

Olivia has not been going to her morning day care center since the beginning of November. After a long long break, this Wednesday was her first day back. Historically, she is not a big fan of day care. The main (really the only) reason is because I am not there. Other than being mama-free, she loves the activities and kids. Well I am happy to report that not only has re-entry to morning day care gone well, she is so happy with it that she asked to stay for longer! Woohoo! She has grown and matured so much in the past couple of months. Here she is, post day care, a tired little girl (rocking the Little Mermaid with polka dots and zebra stripes cause any other way wouldn't be right).

Here's hoping for a happier, more fun year at day care!

Reason #25

2012-02-01T09:32:00.000-05:00

After 3 weeks of sun and fun in Santiago, I've been feeling ~~really~~ kind of negative about living in the south, in the cold, away from friends and family. Soooo, in order to ~~survive~~ start feeling better about life at the end of the earth, I am going to periodically post reasons why living here is good. I'm shooting for 25 reasons so, counting backwards, here is the first one.

I get to wear these bad boys YEAR ROUND.

Victoria's Baptism

2012-01-28T05:53:00.000-05:00

While in Santiago, we had Victoria baptized. And just like Olivia, she was baptized along side her similarly aged cousin, in the same church, with the same priest. Both girls look precious and I wanted to share photos from this special day.

Here is are the cousins with the priest.

Here is Victoria with her Godfather, taking an interest in the Bible.

And here is a photo from almost 3 years ago with Olivia and her cousin, taken in the exact same spot! (Yes, Victoria wore Olivia's dress!)

Before the baptism, Olivia, Victoria and I were hanging out on the balcony at my in-laws' apartment and I took a lot of pictures of Victoria. I couldn't decide which ones I like best so I am sharing them all here! (Her hair looks much redder than it actually is. It's actually not red at all!)

And here are a few of older sister on the balcony too!

Lago Grey Glacier Tour

2012-01-27T04:50:00.000-05:00

When my mom and step-dad visited back in December, we went to Torres del Paine, their first time there. One of the highlights of the trip was taking a boat tour on the Lago Grey to see a glacier. It was the same glacier Fernando and I hiked to two years ago but approaching from a different angle and with a lot less hiking to get there!

There was a short hike at the beginning to get to the little boat which took us to the bigger boat. It was quite windy (no surprises there) and I had to walk backwards to protect Victoria. You can see in the background that we are approaching the icy waters.

Here we are getting ready to get on board.

And Olivia, trying not to get her picture taking.

Once we got on the boat, Victory sat on my lap, so this was my view: cute baby head + glacier.

Beautiful icy shot:

My mom enjoying getting so close to the glacier.

More glacier shots:

And remember, I took all these amazing photos with this little one in my lap!

And Olivia, who is prone to motion sickness, was feeling sick and finally believed us that sleeping would help her feel better. She conked out on my mom's lap and missed the beautiful scenery!

And here is Fernando, getting one last shot as we finish up and hike back to the car.

On a side not, there was recently a huge forest fire in the park, weeks within our trip there. This is exactly the side of the park most effected. I am not sure what the current status is but I know that hundreds, if not thousands of acres were destroyed. It was very hard to contain the fires because of the... you guessed it: WIND.

To Santiago and Back

2012-01-25T20:14:00.000-05:00

We crammed our whole summer into three short weeks in Santiago over Christmas. It was a great trip. The weather was extremely hot which was just what we wanted. Olivia had the time of her life, meeting up with friends and cousins, swimming, playing at the park and just being outside without a coat on! Victoria also enjoyed being outside and taking walks in the stroller (not something we get to do much of here in the cold windy south!). Here are some pictures. (I have a lot of other pictures to share from my mom's visit and other fun in Santiago so hopefully I can get into gear and get going with the blog again soon!)

Olivia *hanging* out. She's got flip flops on but she never really did master how to walk in them. It was pretty funny to watch her limp/slide around when she wore them.

Happy baby girl, hanging out outside with only a onsie on for the first time in her life!

Sisterly love...

More outside fun, by the pool. Love love love Victoria's dress!

In the pool with matching bathing suits!

Olivia hanging out at the playground with her cousin and another friend, having the time. of. her. life. Funny story: as this picture was being taken, we were unknowingly missing our flight back to Punta Arenas. We were sure it left on Sunday evening. This photo was on Saturday evening. When we went to check-in online Saturday night, we realized the tickets were for Saturday evening. Besides having to buy new tickets which of course is never fun, we got to stay in Santiago for a few extra days which was nice. And Olivia really was having the time of her life that day so it was worth it!

I thought that transitioning back to cold summer would be difficult but kids being adaptable as they are, Olivia slid right back into her Punta Arenas life and wardrobe. Here are photos taken just one week after the pool and playground fun in Santiago. It's amazing what a difference there is in the weather!

Olivia and her friends spent the better part of an afternoon playing in a hole. Who knew a hole could provide such entertainment? Parents, keep this in mind the next time you are looking for an economical gift for your kids!

Little Penguins

2011-12-02T16:21:00.000-05:00

Mom and step-dad visiting. Penguin visit done! More fun activities on the agenda. Will report back with more photos soon!

Porvenir: Regional Produce Capital?

2011-11-30T11:58:00.000-05:00

On our two recent trips to Porvenir, I was surprised to find that the fruit and veggie place we frequent had watermelon, cantaloupe, and peaches - all three of which were not yet available in Punta Arenas. CRAZY! I immediately bought a watermelon for Olivia because she had been craving one for months. Unfortunately, it cost a fortune. I won't dare say how much but let's just say I basically paid for that watermelon's plane ticket down from Santiago! The cantaloupe was perfectly ripe and juicy and even Victoria tried a peach.

We also bought some "longaniza" (sausage) from Chillan. You can, of course, get this in Punta Arenas as well but our supplier in Porvenir seems to bring the yummiest ones. It's the same supplier as the fruits and veggies. They bring their produce from the central market (La Vega) in Santiago every week. I love that the local Mom and Pop shop in Porvenir has their act together better than the big grocery store chains in Punta Arenas.

I never thought I would be GOING TO Porvenir to get special foods! I guess there are a few things I miss there...

Ferry Cuties

2011-11-29T13:27:00.001-05:00

My two travelling babes on the ferry to Porvenir:

Second Ever Porvenir Thanksgiving

2011-11-29T11:44:00.001-05:00

As Fernando continues to be very busy with king crab season, we ventured back to Porvenir to be with him again last week and through the weekend. This allowed me to host another Porvenir Thanksgiving, just like two years ago, with virtually the same guests and same menu, except this time my father in-law cooked the turkey!

Here's a shot with all the traditional Thanksgiving dishes - stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, broccoli salad and cranberry sauce. I'm pretty sure that besides the mashed potatoes, the only other time these dishes have been consumed in Porvenir was two years ago at my Thanksgiving!

I made the cranberry sauce using dried cranberries which I was surprised to find in a dried fruit and nut store in Punta Arenas. It turned out great. Also, my cornbread is always a huge hit (sour cream and butter make it heavenly!).

Here is Victoria with her grandparents, pretending to enjoy the cornbread!

Pumpkin pie doesn't go over well with Chileans so I opted out of making a traditional Thanksgiving dessert and went full speed ahead with a flourless chocolate cake. YUM YUM! Olivia helped me make it the day before. I told her we had to wait until the next day to eat it. When she woke up the next morning, the first thing she said was, "Now it's time for the chocolate cake!" Hence the piece missing...

And one more close-up of the cake cause I'm pretty proud of myself!

Back in Porvenir

2011-11-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

King crab season peaks in November so Fernando is very busy in Porvenir. Last weekend he had to head back there on Sunday morning so we ~~got dragged~~ decided to go with him. This was my first time back since leaving in March. We were supposed to come back on Tuesday but the wind was so bad that we didn't dare cross back and risk a puke fest (has happened before for both Olivia and me...). So we ended up staying until Wednesday. We had a good time once we got there. I can honestly say that one of the hardest things about living in Porvenir is getting there. It is SO isolated and having to deal with a 2 hour and 20 minute ferry ride (and seasickness) makes it a hard sell!

Setting off, here is a cruise ship docked in Punta Arenas, one of the first of the just starting tourist season.

Olivia had fun looking for animals in the water through a little hole she found. No animals though! And soon after, the fun ended because we both started to feel sea sick.

The main thing to do with a three year old in Porvenir, is go to the park, weather permitting. Here you can see the weather was permitting...barely! Winter coat and hat on a *spring* day.

Bundled up baby with Papa. I love the look on her face!

"Hanging out" at another park the next day. The weather was slightly better (no winter coat...).

Fernando and I managed to escape for dinner at, by far, the nicest and newest restaurant and hotel in Porvenir, called Barlovento. I had the steak. It comes on a hot stone and you cook it yourself. They also have lamb, Chilean sea bass and king crab, all of the local delicacies.

And here's one of the girls with their La-La (grandma). Olivia is eating these gingerbread cookies we made (with two eggs, only brown sugar and minus the ginger, cloves and corn syrup). They turned out great and were still chewy the next day. Yum!

Heading back on the ferry, hanging out in our car, Victoria surfing the net on Papa's iPhone.

Cafe del Inmigrante

2011-11-14T06:00:00.000-05:00

You might remember me lamenting time and time again about there not being any cafes in Porvenir. Well Punta Arenas, while hardly a coffee-lover's haven, has a couple of nice cafes. The one by the water is very small but cozy and well located. Another one we discovered is called Cafe del Inmigrante. It is also quite cozy and I love the decor. They have a large offering for "once" (pronouced own-say) which is afternoon tea (sandwiches, coffee, tea, cake). Here are some pics!

Olivia attempting to eat her chicken salad sandwich which in fact came with two sandwiches!

Hoping to get back there again to try more of the delicious cakes!

Spring Day

2011-11-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday it was sunny and *almost* 60 degrees Fahrenheit outside so Olivia and I went for a walk. We soon realized that the wind would be a nuisance so we headed back to get a hat for Olivia. So here she is in the Olivia Spring Collection 2011, Patagonia Style:

And here she is with the largest dandelion I have ever seen!

Throwing rocks in the water, her go-to pastime in these parts...

After a rock throwing session, she promptly sat down to make a few phone calls...the wind was not stopping her from having a relaxing sunbathing session on the "beach."

Hanging Around

2011-11-11T10:13:00.001-05:00

A typical weekend for us here in Punta Arenas involves a lot of hanging around, sometimes going to the mall or a park and usually out to a restaurant or two. Here are some pics from a weekend a couple of weeks ago.

Olivia chillin' in the car on the way to the park. (This was just before the Pacifier Fairy made a stop at our house.) I love the crossed leg look in a car seat.

Papa and baby gearing up for a walk along the water. Don't you love Victoria's hat??

Olivia on some kind of climbing contraption next to the famous basketball courts.

The tide was low so we ventured out to the water like we have done many many many times in Porvenir but this time it was on the other side of the Strait!

Olivia quickly made friends with two girls digging in the sand. The random dog wanted to help but Olivia wasn't having it.

Next stop, a new cozy little glassed in cafe along the water (the ONLY cafe by the water). What a great view! And a great way to soak in some rays without the wind.

They serve yummy food, fresh juice and delicious "cortados" (espresso with milk).

Olivia likes coffee (weird, huh?) and tries to sneak sips here and there.

And here's the little one happy as can be (more on her brace another day).

Fernando and Olivia set out for one last run around but the wind was too strong and Papa had to carry Olivia back, shielding her from the wind.

And there you have a typical Saturday for us.

Victoria is 5 months old!

2011-11-09T13:46:00.001-05:00

Monday was Victoria's 5 month birthday! Here she is sporting a boina!

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-02T19:38:00.001-04:00

Yes, we found a pumpkin to carve for sale here! It was fun! And Olivia loves face paint!

El Quincho

2011-10-29T13:36:00.000-04:00

In Chile, it is common for a house to have a "quincho" in the back yard. A quincho is basically a very nice permanently installed grilling area. Here in Punta Arenas, it would be impractical to have the quincho in the backyard because let's face it, the weather sucks. So, a lot of houses here have semi-indoor quinchos, including the house where we currently live. The quincho is attached to the garage and even has it's own heater. Here is our quincho, with a bar area too!

My father in-law taking charge of the grilling:

The dining area next to the quincho:

The entrance to the quincho from the garage:

Basketball Anyone?

2011-10-13T17:03:00.002-04:00

I know, I know. I've been slacking on the blog. I have a ton of things to share but never seem to have time to post. Here's a quick one.
Punta Arenas inaugurated a bike path/road/playground/basketball courts along the water earlier this year. (Don't even get be started about how they didn't have such a thing previously. It's a city on the water, how can you not have a road/other activities along the water?) Notice anything strange about the basketball courts?

Sure, it's fun to play basketball next to the Strait of Magellan but I hope you're a good shot because otherwise you can kiss that ball goodbye. Good planning...

Apparently, a bunch of people lost balls during the inauguration and now everyone only plays half court...!

Chilean Independence Day

2011-09-16T13:27:00.003-04:00

It's a rainy Friday. Both girls are sick and it's looking like we are going to have to cancel the BBQ we had planned for lunch tomorrow using our house's awesome indoor grilling area that we have yet to inaugurate. (Most bbq's must occur in sheltered areas here because of the bad weather.) This weekend is the Chilean independence day holiday. People normally celebrate by eating huge quantities of steak, sausages, and other meat on the grill. Hopefully we will still be able to have the party but on Monday instead.
Olivia's school put on a show in honor of this holiday. Her class acted out a legend from Easter Island. When they first went out on the stage, Olivia was standing separately from the rest of the group and when one boy walked by her she screamed out, "no!" I was mortified because I thought she was mad and not wanting to participate. Well as it turns out, actually she was the only one in her class who had a "line" in the play and was supposed to shout no at the boy as part of the legend they were acting out. Woohoo my little actress in the making! Unfortunately I did not catch her acting debut on camera but here is a little Easter Island dance for you to watch in honor of Chilean culture on this festive weekend. Olivia is the girl on the left. The three year olds' interpretation of how the dance goes may be a little off from the real dance....

Happy Belated Birthday to Olivia!

2011-09-09T14:45:00.000-04:00

As I have previously shown on this blog (here and here), birthday parties are a BIG deal in Chile. Here at the end of the earth, the birthday centers are particularly popular because the weather is too cold to have a nice outdoor birthday party. This year, Olivia finally had her first officially big time Chilean birthday party with a trampoline and other jumpy toys along with junk food and ahem... coke. I am a little late posting but here are some photos from the big day.

To give you an idea of the place:

A Beauty and the Beast cake, per the birthday girl's request:

The birthday girl, jacked up on sugar and presents:

Jumping around (yes, there was a wardrobe change):

Woohoo!

By the way, my birthday is tomorrow if you want to overnight me a present...

Eternally Cold Weather

2011-09-08T14:35:00.002-04:00

Just two days ago we had a big snow storm. Soon the snow should stop and the WIND will start. When we are done living down here, I want to move to San Diego!!!

One of Olivia's favorite faces (especially since the arrival of a certain younger sibling...):

And what is that that she is eating? It's snow with sugar!

Checking In Again

2011-08-31T13:29:00.003-04:00

Life with a little baby and a toddler is still too busy for blogging, at least for blogging about life at the end of the earth! But here are some really cute shots of Victoria on her 12 week birthday.

Olivia had a little lamb

2011-08-05T11:38:00.003-04:00

Last weekend we went to visit a friend who has 'adopted' a lamb. He has two sheep in his backyard (it's a big backyard!). They recently had lambs but one of the sheep was apparently too young and did not produce milk and the lamb was going to die. So he bought lamb formula and a regular baby bottle and brought the lamb inside the house where she now happily resides (until she starts eating grass in about a month) with two dogs. Olivia had a great time feeding the lamb. Here are photos!

And if you are really interested, you can see the video. Please ignore Victoria's crying in the background!

Snow!

2011-08-03T10:56:00.002-04:00

While you Northern Hemisphereans are suffering in the heat, down here we have lots of snow! Here are some photos to help cool you off (and more to come):

The tiny Porvenir airport:

Getting on the ferry (would you like the cross the Strait on a day like this??!):

Moo!

And not a snowy one but a cool one nonetheless. A flamingo in the bay of Porvenir:

It always suprises me to see flamingos in such a cold climate!

Sister Love

2011-08-02T13:53:00.006-04:00

Life has been too hectic for blogging lately but I hope to get back into it soon. In the mean time, some cute sister photos.

Welcome Victoria!

2011-06-15T11:28:00.003-04:00

Shortly after my last post about still being pregnant, I went into labor and a fun twenty two hours later, baby Victoria made her entrance into this world. I had a completely natural childbirth experience which was already challenging going in because c-sections and epidurals are very popular here. In fact, I was kind of the weird gringa who was requesting a natural birth and had to search for a doctor open to the idea and I wasn't sure how it would pan out. In the end, it ended up being even longer and harder than expected because of Victoria's positioning. But, I did it! Here are some photos!

At the hospital:

Bundling up to go home:

With her Papa:

Eyes open:

Proud Grandma who arrived the same day we got home from the hospital (great timing, especially considering she bought her plane ticket months ago not knowing exactly when the baby would be born!):

Proud big sister:

Proud big sister trying to "play" with the baby:

Happy (and so far not too jealous...) big sister:

In case you were wondering...

2011-06-06T15:15:00.002-04:00

I'm still pregnant! Bigger and bigger everyday!

In this photo you can also see the lovely fireplace and mantel in our house:

Cool Photo

2011-06-06T14:57:00.003-04:00

I know I have been bad about blogging... Olivia got sick. I got sick. And now... we are waiting for our new little baby to make her appearance. I have a bunch of stuff to share so let's see if I get it on here before the baby comes!
Here is a cool photo Fernando took of the sailboat anchored near our house. Check out the mountains in the background on Tierra del Fuego:

Funny Confession

2011-05-30T16:19:00.003-04:00

I am borrowing a friend's funny confession concept to share the following funny confession: We just got a new fridge, much roomier than our old one and I was more than happy to fill the freezer door as follows:

Yes, those are 5 pints of Haagen Dazs ice cream! I bought them in the "Zona Franca" which has an unreliable and unpredictable inventory, so when they have something I like (and at a very reasonable price of $2.75USD at today's exchange rate) I have to stock up.
Other recent stock up items include:
Chex Mix (I won't share how many bags I bought...)
Stuffing Mix (who could possibly be in the market for this besides me and the handful of other Americans here?)
Cranberry Juice
Frozen Brussel Sprouts (nothing to feel guilt about here!)
Frosted Mini Wheats

And for Easter I also indulged in Reese's Peanut butter Eggs and Peeps- the peanut butter eggs because I love them and Peeps out of some kind of patriotic obligation even though I haven't eaten them yet.

All of the above mentioned products are hard to come by in Chile, some of them I have never seen, even in Santiago. So I feel justified in my grocery shopaholic tendencies, especially after a year and a half in Porvenir. Well either that or I can blame it on those pregnancy cravings, right??

More Butcher Fun Facts

2011-05-19T20:21:00.005-04:00

I have reported previously on this blog about the details of going to the butcher in Porvenir. Today I went for the first time in Punta Arenas. Since arriving here, I had been buying my meat at the big grocery stores mostly because of convenience although it really didn't make much sense. The meat I was buying was from Uruguay with who knows what kind of cow (free range or feedlot?) or what chemicals (antibiotics?) when instead, the local meat (as I have mentioned many times) is from cows who live in pastures and are not jacked up on antibiotics. So, today I finally took the time to go to the butcher. In Punta Arenas, all of my Porvenir butcher fun facts still apply, but I learned about two purchases I can make which I previously was unaware of:

An entire lamb's head for $1 (yes, that's one US dollar).
Half of a cow for $3.65 a pound (must order ahead of time).

My thoughts:
Does the lamb head come with everything inside - eyes, brains, etc...? One dollar seems mighty cheap.
Which half of the cow is it- front, back, top or bottom?

Bon appetit!

Rainy Day Fun

2011-05-19T20:18:00.003-04:00

This probably would not be my outfit of choice for backyard puddle jumping on a raining day in Patagonia but Olivia sure was content!

Porvenir Reminders

2011-05-16T14:22:00.003-04:00

Since Fernando still spends the majority of each week in Porvenir and since he loves taking pictures, I have lots more images of the little town at the end of the earth to share. Here are some recent ones:

The dolphins! Still swimming strong next to the ferry:

View from the ferry, crossing early one morning:

View of the bay in Porvenir, looking towards the fishery with the main land in the background (so close yet so far away....):

Boat in the bay, Porvenir in the background (those are the kind of rustic wooden boats they use to catch the king crab by the way):

A fisherman fixing up his boat:

And my favorite one, boats in the bay on a day with NO WIND!

La Cueva del Milodon

2011-05-07T19:46:00.001-04:00

One of the tourist attractions near Puerto Natales is a big cave with a replica of a ground sloth (sounds nicer in Spanish: milodon) which was discovered at the end of the nineteenth century and dates back to prehistoric times. Olivia had never been to a cave before, nor seen a ground sloth (who has?) so was quite excited to see the "bear dinosaur" in the cave.

View from within the cave:

Looking at the replica:

Afterwards we went to a cafe that had a replica of the replica carved in wood. Olivia LOVED it, probably because it was just the right size for her. As Fernando and I slowly savored our coffees (remember, a year and a half in Porvenir without a cafe....) she stayed with the "bear dinosaur" that she quickly named "Penny." I have no idea where she got the name but by the end of our coffee session, she was talking to the creature saying, "I love you, Penny."

Now over two weeks later, she still gets teary eyed talking about how much she misses Penny!

Easter in Puerto Natales

2011-05-06T07:39:00.001-04:00

So I am a little late in posting this but here goes. For the long Easter weekend we drove to Puerto Natales, which is the little town on the way to the Torres del Paine National Park. It pretty much rained all weekend and when it wasn't raining, it was super super windy (no surprises there...). But we had a nice time, especially with the fall colors on the trees. Since Porvenir doesn't have many trees, we never really had a fall last year.

On the road to Puerto Natales:

View along the water in Puerto Natales

A condor we saw fly very close by:

Up close:

Road near Puerto Natales

Snow on the mountains, fall trees in the foreground:

Olivia making friends:

Because of the rain and wind, we basically stayed inside a lot which meant restaurant and cafe hopping. It was fun! And the best part: no ferry crossing to get home :)

Room with a View

2011-04-26T13:10:00.000-04:00

When we were looking for a house in Punta Arenas, it was not an easy process to manage from Porvenir- between ferry crossings, cancelled house showings, and a mixed bag quality-wise, the search was slow and painful. Fortunately, we were able to narrow it down to two nice houses and would have been happy with either one. The one we did not choose was newer and in some ways nicer than our house. It is in fact a house in a neighborhood of houses fully imported from Canada - from the floors, to the cabinets, to the windows. Apparently about 25 years ago a company undertook a project to bring Canadian houses here and constructed an entire neighborhood. Touring the house was fun because it felt so familiar - very similar to houses you might see in the US (even the air vents for the central heating system! none of those ugly heaters!).

The house we did decide on is a little older, a lot creakier, and in an older neighborhood. But what I like about it, among other things, is that it is less than a block from the water. (The Canadian house was further "up" away from the water with no view.) We have a great view of the Strait and can keep tabs on all the comings and goings of the ships and yachts passing through. It's actually pretty amazing how many ships come through here and even more amazing to see the small sailboats and wonder who the people are crazy enough to sail here from who knows where!

Here's the view right on the water (not directly from our house) looking toward the main dock:

And then looking the other way towards a secondary dock where military ships are docked:

And there goes a cruise ship:

And two sailboats:

Currently there are four sailboats, which is the most I have seen. There is no marina so they just have to anchor in the middle of the water. I like that they happen to "park" right outside our front door. There is something fun about living on the water (even if it's too cold and windy to swim... ever) after having been landlocked my entire life!

Backyards

2011-04-13T12:47:00.003-04:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, I am much happier living here in Punta Arenas instead of Porvenir. One of the many reasons, somewhat simple but important, is our new backyard. It is small and surrounded by a horribly ugly cement and brick wall but given the hostile climate we live in and Olivia's age, it has some great advantages:
1- Tall ugly wall containing a small space = less in your face wind (yard in Porvenir was a constant wind tunnel)
2 - Tall ugly wall containing a small space = cats can go outside, semi-supervised and enjoy eating grass and smelling the world (poor things never got to go out in our "jungle" backyard in Porvenir)
3- Tall ugly wall containing a small space = Olivia can go outside to throw a ball, run, jump, whatever (could not do this in Porvenir because the terrain of our backyard was very uneven and full of tall weeds). When you are two, you don't need a ton of space to blow off steam outside!

And now the photos.

Here is our old backyard, picture taken from the very end of the yard looking back at the house. It was a HUGE backyard but very useless, full of weeds, holes and even broken glass and nails (don't ask, I have no idea...)

Here is Olivia enjoying a RARE day in short sleeves, making "soup" in a bucket:

And a random photo not related to backyards but taken on that rare day and she looks so cute I wanted to share:

And one more shot showing you that amazing view we had from our house of our huge backyard and the bay in the distance (photo taken on moving day, during which Olivia cried the whole time the movers took everything away!):

And now, the new backyard:

I know it looks *depressing* compared to the wild, natural huge backyard we had in Porvenir, but remember all the pros I mentioned above. And also remember that now we live in a "city" so many houses don't even have backyards. Given the climate we live in, the opportunities to go outside are not that often and having a smaller, blocked in space is actually advantageous. And so far, Olivia and the cats have no complaints!

And the view from our bedroom makes up for the lost view in the backyard. Hello Strait of Magellan!

Punta Arenas = Tropical Rain Forest...

2011-04-12T10:15:00.003-04:00

...minus the tropical climate and minus the forest! What I mean is that IT HASN'T STOPPED RAINING SINCE WE MOVED HERE. Ok so I am exaggerating slightly. What I really mean is that it hasn't stopped raining at some point during every 24 hour period of time since we moved here. What's up with that? I haven't gotten a clear answer from anybody- the time of year, a fluke, not really sure. And because the weather is so moody down here anyway, it's been a constant change of season, temperature and precipitation within the rainy cycles. Sometimes the rain is just plain old rain, sometimes it's a torrential down pour, sometimes it gets a little crazy and turns into hail or sleet and yesterday it went all out and pronounced winter officially here with our first snow fall of the year (April = October for you Northern Hemisphereians). But throughout all this crazy rain, guess what has been suspiciously absent? THE WIND! Which leads me to another point to ponder- which is worse: constant in your face, blow your little dog away wind or constant soppy wet rain (sometimes hail, sleet, snow or a combination thereof)?
So I'm complaining about the weather again. But it's Patagonia so it's par for the course.
Now the good news: I LOVE living in Punta Arenas! Our quality of life has gone up big time. More on that soon.

The Roaming Gaucho

2011-03-28T17:27:00.002-04:00

More to come on our new life but in the mean time, I have plenty to share about Porvenir still...
Remember this guy? Well he is still roaming around the Tierra del Fuego hills with his horses and various dogs. A couple of times I even saw the horses tied up in Porvenir for days on end. I'm not sure how he survives exactly but apparently he is doing ok because every time we see him out in the middle of nowhere, he asks only for cigarettes, no food or money! Wanted to share these great photos Fernando took of him about a month ago. Just like last time, he has a gentle look and friendly disposition.

Checking In

2011-03-25T21:26:00.002-04:00

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind - nothing like our routine in Porvenir. Moving to Punta Arenas was definitely the right decision for us. But we are not completely unpacked, we don't have internet and I got slammed with work so blogging has not been a priority lately!
Will be back soon, with pictures and reflections on our hop across the Strait!

Baaaah

2011-03-10T09:24:00.004-05:00

I haven't shared anything about sheep in awhile. They're still here, in case you were worried. In the craziness of packing for our move, I leave you with some nice photos taken at an estancia (ranch) not too far from the king penguins. I think the sheep had just been sheared and were being rounded up to head back out to the pastures.

Oops- one who thought he escaped the shearing gets caught and sent back:

Look how all the other sheep steer clear!

A sea of sheep!

A close up of the sea!

Eating cow, like a cow at "Como Vaca"

2011-03-08T10:57:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite things about traveling is discovering great places to eat and enjoying local food. While in Argentina, in the little town of El Chalten, we hit the jackpot with perhaps the best steak I have ever had. It was so good in fact, that we ate there three times (once a day!). The restaurant is called "Como Vaca" (which can translate as "I eat cow" or "Like a cow"). YUM

The steak was as big as a brick. Even Olivia seemed to not be able to get enough:

And not only was the food good, but the restaurant itself was super cute, family owned with a great ambiance:

Olivia's contribution to packing

2011-03-07T16:49:00.001-05:00

Getting ready for the big move!

Note to parents of small children: letting your kid pull apart a Styrofoam block to make "snow" is a really bad idea!

Moving On

2011-03-04T17:31:00.000-05:00

It is with a little sadness and a lot of excitement that today I share with you that we are moving to Punta Arenas in one week. Our days in Porvenir are coming to an end. A combination of factors have led to this decision. It was not an easy decision as Fernando will continue to have to be in Porvenir on a weekly basis for the king crab factory but life in a small isolated town on an island has just gotten to be too much for Olivia and me.
We will miss being within driving distance of a king penguin colony but instead will be within driving distance of a mall. (may sound superficial but let me see you try to live for a year and a half without the comforts and joys offered by a mall, especially in a harsh climate!)
We will miss the peace and quiet but instead will be surrounded by people, lots of them!
We will miss the personal relationship with the store clerks but instead will have many different stores to chose from with lots of food and goods we cannot get here.
We will miss the view from our house but will be replacing it with a beautiful view on the other side of the Strait from the upstairs of our new house.
And speaking of houses, we will miss our comfy little house that we put so much work in to but will be replacing it with a bigger, two story house in Punta Arenas.

Ok and now the things we will NOT miss:
Having to take a ferry to get anywhere in the world.
Not seeing anyone outside on the streets.
Not having anywhere to take Olivia to play inside.
Not having a mall, movie theater, swimming pool, bowling alley, more than 4 restaurants, a drug store, or a CAFE.
When sick, having to go to the hospital at 8:00 a.m. to take a number and then wait for hours to see a doctor (no appts, only first come first serve).

I haven't exactly decided what to do with the blog yet. Obviously I cannot continue blogging from the "in the land of fire" address as I will no longer be living in Tierra del Fuego. And also, life in Punta Arenas, while still fascinating and different from many of your lives, is not quite as fascinating as life in Porvenir. So give me some feedback. Should I continue blogging (under a new address) about life at the end of the earth even though it's not as extreme as life in Porvenir?

I have many more reflections and ideas to share about our time here. More later...

Perito Moreno Glacier

2011-03-02T09:23:00.005-05:00

Our road trip last week took us through the Argentinian side of Patagonia, basically their equivalent of Torres del Paine. The main difference is that on the Chilean side, you have to do a lot of hiking or boat trips to get the best views whereas on the Argentina side, they have built up enough infrastructure that you can drive right to the views. Each side has its charm and advantages/disadvantages. But when you are pregnant and have a toddler, the driving right up to the view side is nice!
Our first destination was the Perito Moreno Glacier. Here are some pics.

Approaching from afar:

Here you can see just how close you can get. They have built a series of metal walkways that lead you right up to the glacier. You can take the pictures, buy the t-shirt and get back in your car and leave. Again, the Chilean side has its more rustic, exclusive charm since you have to hike or take boats to the best views but sometimes it's nice to step out of your car and look at an awesome glacier.

Nap time:

Not sure if it's a seasonal thing (since it's summer and it was actually quite warm), a global warming thing, or just a normal year round occurrence but about every 10 minutes a chunk of the glacier would fall off and crash into the water. It was very cool but very hard to catch on camera. Fernando got one good shot:

Getting tired on the labyrinth of staircases:

A final shot of the sign on the way out:

We're back!

2011-02-28T14:41:00.004-05:00

Just got back yesterday from our week long road trip through Argentinian Patagonia. We have tons and tons of great pictures which will take me hours to sort through and share. We had great weather and it makes me wonder if the weather on the Argentina side is better in general or if we just got lucky. For now I leave you with an attempted family photo with the camera timer (too slow apparently) taken in El Chalten with the Fitz Roy mountain behind us...

Another Penguin Post

2011-02-24T07:39:00.000-05:00

Here's a funny side story about our penguin excursion. Just as we were leaving Porvenir, we saw a couple walking down the street. They were obvious tourists. It was 2:00 pm and the ferry was just leaving so we knew they were "stuck" in Porvenir for at least the rest of the day so Fernando decided to pull over and ask them if they were interested in going to see some penguins. Without hesitating they said yes and hopped in the car. And off we went! As it turns out, they are Swiss and had just started an 8 month journey from Ushuaia, Argentina to Bogota, Colombia. It was fun to be their tour guides and fun to think that we made a pretty good impression of Porvenir for them!

So here we are, hanging out watching the penguins with the Swiss, eating potato chips!

And one finally penguin photo of the two fattest penguins!

More Penguin Pics

2011-02-22T07:31:00.000-05:00

Here are some more penguin pictures.

I was fascinated by the penguins chilling in the grass laying down. I didn't know they do that!

I think these two are both males because they kept taking turns shouting at each other (or maybe it's a male/female couple fighting!):

And here they are...

2011-02-18T19:05:00.005-05:00

Wednesday afternoon, the weather was great and Fernando finagled the afternoon off of work so we could head out to see the King Penguins. We had been hearing that there are many more than when we went last July and had been waiting for a good day to go. Finally it happened!

Approaching from afar, not sure how close to get without scaring them:

Zooming in (you can see that some of them are shedding a layer of feathers):

Standing tall:

Group think:

Looking straight in the eye:

Proof we were there!

Tomorrow we are off on a week long road trip to El Calafate and El Chalten, Argentina. I will be offline but check back in a couple of days for more penguin photos. I have so many to share I thought I would space them out so you can soak them in!

Big News!

2011-02-17T06:30:00.002-05:00

I'm pregnant! And we went back to see the king penguins yesterday and saw FORTY FOUR of them! More photos soon (of the penguins, not my tummy!).

Summer Days

2011-02-15T19:06:00.003-05:00

Mark your calendar - we've set a record. We actually had our heat off for 48 full hours for the first time since we moved here! Woohoo! Unfortunately the heat didn't last long and we're back to those chilly summer days. Here are some recent photos.

In our backyard:

On the back steps:

Down by the water on a random "vintage" tractor:

A cute close-up:

You'll notice that we're pretty bundled up. Just yesterday on my daily weather check, the temperature here was the same as in Columbus, Ohio (45 degrees Fahrenheit). Pretty depressing that this was on a day in the middle of our summer and the middle of Columbus's winter!

Rainbows!

2011-02-11T05:57:00.003-05:00

When was the last time you saw a double arc full rainbow? Let me guess. Maybe never?? Two nights ago we stepped outside our front door to this view:

That's right, a double arc, ground to ground rainbow. It was beautiful!!! It was impossible to capture in one photo (hence the pieced together photo above). Here are some close ups (with the hospital, as it was the only place we could get a shot without telephone wires in the way).

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!

More Dolphins!

2011-02-09T06:43:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I was crossing the Strait of Magellan from Punta Arenas to Povenir. Just as we were approaching the bay, those famous dolphins appeared, accompanying the ferry into the bay. This time I got a great video (minus the salt covered window through which I am filming). I love love love the way they jump along side the boat. It's like their little way of saying hello. Enjoy!

My New Best Friend: the Crock Pot

2011-02-04T12:00:00.004-05:00

One of the more taxing, yet sometimes fun, things about living in Porvenir is that we essentially have to make all our meals ourselves. While there are some restaurants and even fewer carry-out places, they all pretty much serve the same kind of food (greasy chicken and rice anyone?). There is no pizza place, no Chinese and of course no bagels! I generally enjoy cooking but when I have to think of seven lunches and seven dinners a week, and then prepare them, cooking gets pretty old pretty fast. (I actually went on a dinner strike months ago. I only prepare lunch, the biggest meal of the day.)
For a few years now I have been pining for a crock pot but quickly learned that this is an American gadget, not to be found anywhere else in the world. I even looked in France while on vacation in 2008 since they have the same plugs and voltage as Chile, so as to avoid the converter issue but alas French cuisine does not ever call for the use of a crock pot!
While in the States for Christmas this year, I finally caved and took the plunge - hauling back to Povenir a crock pot (heavy and with a breakable pot and lid) and a converter (this along with the trampoline, an espresso maker and other absurdities that we absolutely CANNOT live without!!).
Last night I made our first crock pot meal. Nothing fancy, just some beef (more of that grass fed, happy to the end of its days cow meat) and vegetables. I am happy to report that the results were fantastic! A super yummy lunch already prepared when we got up this morning and best of all Olivia loved it!
The only con was that in our small, ahem... cozy, one story house, the smell of the simmering meal quickly filled every room before midnight and I actually dreamed about pot roast. But it's a small price to pay.
At least now I can have one of those seven lunches a week checked off the list.

And here is my culinary masterpiece:

I know this photo is not as exciting as dolphins and penguins but I had to share anyway. It's always more exciting with a photo!

Dolphins!

2011-02-02T09:35:00.005-05:00

While crossing the Strait of Magellan once again last week (Porvenir to Punta Arenas), Fernando got some great shots of the dolphins following the ferry. We have seen these lovely dolphins many times but this is the first time we have our own good photos.

And how about a close-up.

Don't they just look so friendly? It's fun how they follow the ferry.

Olivia and I missed the whole show this time, conked out in the car...

On another recent crossing Fernando got these shots, right from the comfort of his seat on the ferry. There were a lot of dolphins and they were accompanying the ferry for a while.

This is not a great photo of the dolphin but it shows you how close to the boat they were. Can you see the corner of the window by Fernando's seat in the photo?

So cool!

Summer Fun

2011-01-28T06:04:00.004-05:00

One day this week it was actually warm enough for semi-summer wear. (ex: Olivia wore a skirt and sandals but also a zip up sweatshirt. I wore a short sleeve t-shirt but with corduroy pants. When was the last time you wore corduroys in the summer?) Olivia had a great time running around and rolling in the grass.

Olivia Sliding and Jumping

2011-01-27T05:22:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned in my last post, when we go to Punta Arenas we spend a lot of time at the mall. One of the reasons for this is because they have a play area for little kids. Olivia loves it. Here is a video of her climbing up the slide and jumping down.

But as excited as Olivia always is to go away, she is usually even more excited to get home (I miss my toys, mama). Her big Christmas present this year was a trampoline with a handle bar on it (hauled all the way from Columbus, Ohio to Tierra del Fuego). She was very excited to get back home and get jumping (with all her toys of course). Here she goes...

And how cute is her skirt?

Hot Dogs - A Chilean Favorite

2011-01-26T07:36:00.003-05:00

This past weekend we were in Punta Arenas. As usual, much of our time was spent at the mall. I took a couple of photos I wanted to share.

The mall is relatively new (maybe 3 years old?) and has a small food court. Would you say that it's successful?

But upon closer examination, no one seems to be ordering food here:

Or here:

It's because they are all at "Doggies" the hot dog place! Yes that's right. Chileans LOVE hot dogs.

And not just your regular old ketchup and mustard hot dog. They load 'em up with avocado, tomatoes, mayonnaise and sauerkraut.

I have a strict policy against hot dogs (a quick Google search may convince you to implement this policy as well...) and have never eaten at Doggies but the Chileans just can't get enough of it!

Fruit Salad Yummy Yummy

2011-01-22T06:41:00.003-05:00

Summer is upon us here in Tierra del Fuego which, if you remember from last year, means all kinds of "big changes" in our lifestyle. You know, things like only having to wear a long sleeve shirt and poofy vest outside and being able to turn the heat off during the day sometimes. My favorite summer lifestyle change is the availability of yummy fruit. Yesterday's lunch included a fruit salad with: watermelon, cantaloupe, peaches, plums, bananas and strawberries. YUM! The main course by the way was hamburgers made with nothing less than locally raised, free ranging, grass eating happy cows.
I am feeling a little *lucky* enjoying my summer lunch while you Midwesterners are suffering in the -1 Fahrenheit temperatures and snow storms!

The Strike

2011-01-20T13:14:00.005-05:00

Our return to Porvenir after being away for over a month was delayed last week upon arriving to Punta Arenas from Santiago. We got there just in time for an unprecedented regional strike, protesting the proposed 17% increase in the price of natural gas (a very important subsidized resource here, given the climate!). Nothing like this had ever happened here before and we were not sure what to expect. Unfortunately Olivia and I were stuck in Punta Arenas for 4 extra days, waking up each day not knowing if the strike would end and we could go home. I was too angry/depressed/apathetic about the whole thing to take pictures which is too bad because I could have had some good shots of tire fires and make shift road blockades. Instead I snagged some shots I found online to share with you.

Gotta love a hooligan induced tire fire. Tires, when burnt to a crisp, turn into heaps of wire. Who knew?

Because all the major entrances and exits of Punta Arenas were blocked off by the strikers (with mostly taxi cabs and semi trucks), people were forced to walk to and from the airport (which remained open throughout the whole ordeal).

And the strikers' battle cry:

The strike ended up lasting one full week. We were lucky enough finding out two hours prior to a special ferry crossing on Saturday so we could get home before everything was blocked again (until Tuesday). But because we had to walk a couple of blocks (where we were staying was unreached by car because of the blockades), I could not bring all of our suitcases full of our loot from the US. So I am still waiting to unpack from our Christmas trip!

It was a very disappointing experience that I hope to never relive. The good news, at least for the locals, is that they managed to negotiate a 3% increase instead of the original 17%.

This. Is. Awesome.

2011-01-18T17:05:00.004-05:00

Well hello there. I think I am back. 2011 has gotten off to kind of a rough start but I wanted to kick off the year with something fun. Check this out: a while back, a friend of mine who reads the blog forwarded me an email ad from Patagonia (the outdoor clothing company) with this picture:

Does it remind you of anything? A picture I posted back in October perhaps?

I have analyzed the photo, the angle, the sun, the fencing (and the caption under the ad which says he is biking through Tierra del Fuego, Chile) and am 99% that it is the same tree, just taken from the other side. How freakin' cool is that?!!!

Land of the Extremes

2010-11-17T06:14:00.000-05:00

Porvenir is extreme, in every possible way. Here are some examples:
Starting with the obvious - the extreme and ever present WIND
The ridiculously extreme darkness in winter, followed by the ridiculously extreme lightness in summer (it is now light at 5:30 a.m. working its way down to about 4:45 a.m. come December 21).
The extreme isolation - it is an island and the only way off is on one of two ferries or a plane, none of which run at night so essentially you are trapped on the island every night!
The extremely brown vegetation - there are so few trees and plants here that any time I travel anywhere up north, I am fascinated by the green landscape now!
The extreme lack of food variety - you've read it here and here before, broccoli where are you?

Of course there are the positive extremes too:
The extremely cool penguins that stop by to say hi sometimes.
The other extremely interesting and different wildlife we see - flamingos, guanacos, foxes, dolphins...
The extremely tranquil lifestyle - no traffic jams (or traffic lights for that matter!) here.
The extremely healthy happy cows and sheep which lead to extremely delicious meat.
The extremely clean air we breathe (especially grateful for this after 4.5 years of filthy Santiago air).
The extremely beautiful view from our house, especially when the sun is setting.

But... I have to admit, I am getting extremely tired of the extremeness. This blog is meant to share fun and positive activities and learning experiences we have here and so I have decided to take a break from the blog until next year. We will be in Punta Arenas next week and then in the States for a month so I won't really be in Porvenir until mid January anyway. So... until then, happy holidays!

I Love Argentina

2010-11-09T10:53:00.000-05:00

Argentina is great. Fernando and I had a little weekend get away to Rio Grande, Argentina two weekends ago and I would like to thank Rio Grande for being everything that Porvenir is not. Sometimes I need that. So thank you, Argentina:
For your amazingly delicious and creative food (veggie sandwich which included sliced pumpkin, yum and different!).
For your beautiful double paned, hermetically sealed windows (especially important in windy Tierra del Fuego although the Chileans didn't get that memo).
For your friendliness, which when coupled with your lovely accent, makes you seem even friendlier.
For your smooth, quiet, paved roads (as I have mentioned before almost all the roads on the Chilean side of Tierra del Fuego are gravel).
For your amazing and cheap shopping.

It's so frustrating to be only 3 hours away by car from this "oasis" and live on a daily basis without so many things that are so close by relatively speaking. But at least we have a nice weekend get away that we should probably be taking advantage of more often!

And don't get me wrong. I don't want to live in Argentina. Viva Chile! But they sure do have a lot of nice stuff over there....

It's not a real penguin, mama?

2010-11-03T19:37:00.004-04:00

Yesterday Fernando called me when he got to work to tell me there was a king penguin in the bay. So Olivia and I hopped in the car and set off to find it. When we first arrived and Olivia approached the penguin (who did not seem to care we were there), she thought it was a pretend penguin, I suppose because she has never seen one so up close before. Here is the video:

And here are the photos!

Pay attention to me, penguin!

Maybe I should shoot photos for National Geographic??

A view looking back at Porvenir so you can see how close to town this penguin actually was.

And proof I was there, trying to take a self portrait with a toddler and a penguin. Not an easy feat.

I have even more photos to share because later the same day ANOTHER king penguin showed up in the parking lot of the fishery (presumably looking for its mate we saw?) and Fernando got a lot of good shots.

Ok so the wind sucks but the penguins are pretty darn cool...

Just a regular day in Porvenir....

2010-11-02T13:46:00.003-04:00

throwing rocks in the water... or is it?

More photos to come of our second "royal visit" soon!

Another Porvenir Road Race

2010-10-28T15:37:00.003-04:00

Remember when I WON the women's race last year at the annual road race? Well this year there was a special race sponsored by the government in honor of Chile's bicentennial. It took place the weekend that my dad was here so the three of us (dad, Fernando and I) signed up for the race. The distance was 8k for me and everyone else under 35, but those "oldies" over 35 (i.e. Fernando and my dad) only had to run 4k. Kind of a funny message they're sending, right? Well the competition was much stiffer this year and I came in third in my category but my dad WON the sixty and over category! Woohoo! Ok so there was only one other guy but still, FIRST PLACE IS FIRST PLACE! Not only did he get a medal but also a water bottle, a computer bag and a shirt. Good times! Here are some photos of his triumphant day.

Broccoli Crisis, Grapes Galore

2010-10-20T09:07:00.003-04:00

You may remember that when I first moved to Porvenir, I learned that broccoli (among many other produce items) was unavailable. And then I discovered the frozen broccoli and all was well with the world again. These days, even the frozen broccoli is not around (low demand, supply problem? not sure), but the other day at one of the fruit and veggie places I go to, there were grapes. Ok, no big deal. But upon closer inspection these were not Chilean grapes. They were from the United States! That's a big carbon footprint to leave just for some grapes.

So in conclusion, apparently it's not too complicated to get American grapes in Porvenir but broccoli, fresh or frozen, from anywhere, is too much to ask!

More Bilingual Fun

2010-10-17T07:12:00.004-04:00

I have mentioned Olivia's incredible bilingual development before and she continues to amaze me everyday. While I always speak to her in English and Fernando in Spanish, we have never labeled the languages with their names. We just speak them. Then a couple of weeks ago, out of the blue, Olivia said: "Car in Spanish is 'auto.' " What? So I asked her a couple more and she got them all right so now it's a game we play. I finally got it filmed last week and wanted to share. Please ignore the gum chewing (that's a different story related to motivation for a very slow potty training process...!)

Translating Toddler:

In case you can't understand all her words and don't speak Spanish: chair = silla, bread = pan, bed = cama, owl = buho, cow = vaca, couch = sofa, horse = caballo, dog = wow-wow/perro.

Translating Toddler Body Parts:

hair = pelo, eyes = ojos, mouth = boca, nose = nariz, knees = rodillas, hands = manos

So much fun!!!

Viva Chile!

2010-10-14T10:45:00.002-04:00

What an incredible story with an amazing outcome. I was glued to the TV all day yesterday watching the rescue, moved to tears every time a miner arrived to the surface. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G

Some great photos are here.

Olivia in Ushuaia

2010-10-10T09:05:00.000-04:00

Here is my final post on our trip to Ushuaia. Olivia had a great time. She loves to travel, see new things and socialize with new people. And when you live in Porvenir, just about anywhere you go is a great adventure with lots of new activities. Here are some photos of Olivia enjoying herself on our trip.

At an arcade, riding the horsey:

Swimming in the balls:

On the merry-go-round:

Up and down on the seesaw:

Don't be deceived by this picture. She spent very little time asleep in the car! Thank goodness for portable DVD players.

In case it still isn't clear...

2010-10-08T19:26:00.002-04:00

...how windy it is here:

Please note that there was no wind at the time this picture was taken. Please also note that the right side of the tree has not been chopped off.

The wonders of nature and its ability to adapt and evolve! (versus my lack of ability to adapt to the wind...)

Early Morning Conversation with a King Crab

2010-10-05T08:12:00.001-04:00

Grandpa's visit

2010-10-03T20:50:00.002-04:00

My dad left on Friday after six relaxing days in Porvenir. He got really really lucky with with weather - lots of sunshine and very little wind. (I recently heard a rumor that last year we suffered through effects from "el nino" and that this year spring and summer should be milder from "la nina." Fingers crossed!!!!)
Here are some pictures of his trip.

Walking along the water on a wind-free afternoon:

Fun going down the tunnel slide!

Face painting at a little fair:

Eating ice cream at our usual ice cream spot:

Love that look on her face (and the outfit, that she picked out of course):

Post run (the only day it was cold enough to need tights, hats and gloves):

Saying goodbye at the tiny airport, getting ready to get on the tiny plane:

Olivia had a great time with her grandpa and is looking forward to more grandparent fun in Columbus at Christmas time!

Signs, Signs, Everywhere Signs

2010-10-02T11:03:00.002-04:00

Even a road trip in the middle of nowhere at the end of the earth involves passing signs here and there (but no billboards, thank goodness!). Here are a collection of interesting signs we saw when driving to and from Ushuaia.

Beautiful sky on Argentina Route 3, the road that runs through Tierra del Fuego.

And here is the guanaco crossing sign I was wondering about. It does exist, at least on the Argentina side of the island!

Love this sign. WIND!!!

The signs on the Chilean side were less interesting. We always complain about how in Argentina the government has taken an active interest in developing Tierra del Fuego (paved roads, better infrastructure, better tourism) whereas in Chile, this is not the case. This sign perfectly represents the lack of investment in Chilean Tierra del Fuego. "Welcome to Chile" where we just can't be bothered to fix the sign greeting people as they enter our country...

Ushuaia Continued...

2010-09-30T11:08:00.000-04:00

As promised, here are some more photos of our trip to Ushuaia.

Olivia and her papa at the most southern ski resort in the world.

The ski lodge:

A very cute tea house near the ski lodge where we paid an arm and a leg for a bread basket and a coffee but it was oh so worth it. (Remember, no cafes in Porvenir...)

And some very cute meringue penguins at the restaurant where we had dinner:

Eleven minutes over the Strait

2010-09-25T18:46:00.002-04:00

When my dad arrived on Friday, I was waiting for him in the Punta Arenas airport to make the last leg of his loooong journey together. We took the tiny puddle jumper over to Porvenir. It's an eleven minute flight over the Strait. I always get queasy but I managed to get some good photos and my dad had the *privilege* of sitting next to the pilot!

When they say you can be co-pilot, they aren't kidding. There was actually a controller in front of my dad which moved with the pilot's controller movements. So I guess in theory my dad could have seized control of the plane!...??

Looking out at the Strait:

Saying goodbye to the main land:

Notice the angle of the horizon in this picture. This is why I get queasy...

Happy travels!

Grandpa is in town!

2010-09-25T14:47:00.002-04:00

Thursday late afternoon my dad started his long journey from Columbus, Ohio to Porvenir, Chile and 24 hours and 20 minutes later, he made it - with stops in Atlanta, Santiago, Puerto Montt and Punta Arenas. What a journey. But oh so worth it to be with his favorite (only!) granddaughter. She was anxiously awaiting his arrival (mostly because he had told her he was bringing presents!). He will spending a relaxing week here with us before making the long trip back.

Ushuaia Road Trip

2010-09-22T18:48:00.004-04:00

Blogspot is not cooperating and I cannot upload my photos but here is a sneak preview of our road trip to Ushuaia. Highlights are: yummy food, sunny weather, and greats shopping. Lowlights are: Olivia getting car sick.

Ushuaia from above:

Ushuaia from below, looking up at Mount Olivia!

More to come when blogspot is working!

Happy Long Weekend, I mean, Independence Day!

2010-09-16T19:33:00.002-04:00

It's time for the "fiestas patrias" (independence day celebrations) and this year it's the bicentennial so it's an extra long weekend - FOUR days. We're skipping out on the patriotic festivities this year to head to the other side of the island, i.e. Argentina - the land of delicious food and cheap groceries and books! We'll be staying in Rio Grande, Ushuaia and Tolhuin, a trip similar to one we made last September. Lots of pictures to come next week.

On a side note, remember that in Chile, it is illegal NOT to fly the flag for independence day. Last year I was enthusiastic about getting the flag out but this year we were not so on the ball. This evening, a man knocked on the door to tell us we better get our flag out because they had announced on the radio that the police were going to start giving out tickets to the non-flag houses. Democracy at its finest!

And on another side note, we continue to have lots of random people knock on our door. In addition to the unsolicited flag advice, this week two men came begging for food, rice specifically (!?). I gave them a package of crackers and two bananas and sent them on their way. I wonder if they'll be back...?

Happy Bicentennial to Chile and happy long weekend to us!!!

Papa's got a new set of wheels

2010-09-15T08:37:00.004-04:00

What is this picture? A billboard? No. A poster? No. What could it be and what is it doing in Porvenir?

Are you ready for it?

It's the truck Fernando drives to and from work everyday!

There are tax breaks when importing used cars and trucks here. The plant needed a refrigerated truck. And voila - this truck, imported from Korea to Porvenir, Chile. I do not know what the truck says but my best guess is that it was used for a beef and pork business.

And a close-up of the men watching over us at night:

Always something interesting to share around these parts...

The Other Porvenir

2010-09-13T12:02:00.004-04:00

As I mentioned recently, windy season is creeping up on us. Well not really creeping, more attacking, retreating, advancing, attacking, retreating, etc... We have already had a couple of of multi-day wind storms and they are terrible. BUT occasionally, we have days that are beautiful, sunny and peaceful (ok, a little breezy). Yesterday was one of those days. We always discuss on those days what Porvenir would be like without the wind. It would be a completely different, better, enchanting little town. So here are some pictures from the Other Porvenir we had yesterday.

Olivia and her papa hanging out on the "beach." Incidentally, Fernando is talking on skype through his iphone to a friend in Switzerland. The wonders of modern technology!

Two cowboys trotting through town:

Olivia eating ice cream and although it doesn't look like it, those cats were all over her trying to get the ice cream!

And in this picture I just love the look on Olivia's face (and you can see the botched job I did cutting her bangs!):

We also saw quite a few people flying kites. I think it's funny that it is on the least windy days of the year that people can get their kites out!

The Radio

2010-09-09T21:50:00.007-04:00

Porvenir does not have a newspaper. The only way to keep up with the local news is by listening to the local radio station. It's on the AM dial and can be heard from miles around which is good thing because one of the main "news" items are personal messages for people at the "estancias" (ranches) such as: "Juan Perez, please report back to town next Tuesday, your mother is sick." Fascinating? Yes. Enough to hold your attention? Not really. This, coupled with the folkloric music and ridiculously low and varying sound quality, has kept me from tuning into the radio very often. But I recently realized that we have missed out on a lot of things by not listening to the radio (the circus was here!). So I have tried to make an effort lately to listen more but it hasn't been easy. Every single local merchant has an ad on the radio, read by the broadcaster. And every single local merchant says the same thing in their ads: "XYZ store sends its greetings to everyone in Porvenir, especially at this time, for - insert upcoming event such as road rally or independence day - and reminds you to come shop at XYZ for the best service, best products, best prices, and run by its owners." One ad does always catch my attention though. It's the one for the slaughterhouse. Anyone else out there ever heard an ad for a slaughterhouse? I haven't really learned about any upcoming events not to be missed but wow am I glad to know where to by a box of hearts or tongues should the craving hit me.

So here is the question: do I have it in me to put my finger on the pulse of Porvenir? I'm starting to have my doubts! But if any of you want to help me out, they are online! Think of it as Spanish 101...

More Birthday Fun

2010-09-09T11:56:00.004-04:00

Back by popular demand and in honor of the BEST birthday month (that's September in case you didn't know), here are some pictures from a birthday party at "Happy World" that Olivia attended this past Sunday.

Rocking those pants in the inflatable jumpy toy (that is the official name of those things, right?):

With the birthday girl (you may remember her from Olivia's first play date):

Who says you need to actually be able to see the table to play foos ball? Looks like a pretty intense game!

Olivia is a picky eater but a champ when it comes to junk food pig out occasions (on her own birthday she ate mostly potato chips and chocolate covered peanuts, sigh...)

Her first (and hopefully last) taste of cheese doodles, with a fork no less!

Tomorrow is my big day. Olivia is very excited but I think it's because she thinks we'll be going to "Happy World" to celebrate!

More Americans in Porvenir!

2010-09-02T20:21:00.005-04:00

Remember last year (exactly a year ago!)? Well three more Americans are here again this year for a four month stint as English teachers. I have met two of them and they are great. (Thanks, M's mom for reading the blog!) So once again the American population sky rockets, except there's more... Today Olivia and I walked with one of the girls to her school and on the way, a woman stopped us and said with perfect American accented English, "You're speaking English!" To which we replied, "Yes!" As it turns out, this woman is from WISCONSIN and has been living in Porvenir for the past FIVE years. WHAT? How did I not know about her and how is it that no one ever told me? I knew the English teachers were here within 48 hours of their arrival because everyone and their sister told me. How can this be? We exchanged cell phone numbers and I can't wait to talk to her again!

More Snow Part 2

2010-09-01T20:03:00.003-04:00

Here is the video as promised. As we were driving along, there was nothing to indicate how windy it was because the landscape is so desolate (no trees and the grass was snow covered and thus not moving). When we opened the car doors, it was a big WHOOSH of wind. Olivia and I ran around a little bit (she was ridiculously under-dressed but refused to put on more clothes) and Fernando filmed. The first part of the video he has his back to the wind but you can hear as he turns to show the rest of the landscape that the wind is crazy strong. What would life be like here without the wind? I can only imagine... (and dream).

Here's the video!

More Snow

2010-08-30T19:29:00.003-04:00

Yesterday we took a little road trip, hoping to complete the "Ruta del Oro" which we have attempted a couple of times and have always had to turn around either because of a uncooperative baby or bad weather. The "Ruta del Oro" is the "gold route" which highlights where the gold rush took place. (There was a small gold rush here in the late 1800's which is how Porvenir came to be, and with such an optimistic name: Porvenir means "the future.") Well we were once again foiled by the weather. Not expecting snow, since there hasn't been any in town for a while, we were surprised to encounter a slippery, snowy, icy road as we headed slightly up into the hills. I have a great video of the WIND and if youtube and my internet connection cooperate, I will upload it soon. In the meantime, the only snowy shot we took after Olivia begged to get out of the car and run in the snow (love those eyes!):

Here Comes the Wind Again

2010-08-26T17:40:00.003-04:00

It's getting to be that time of year again. Windy season is upon us and I can't say I am happy about it. We have already had a few multi-day bouts of wind and they are just going to get longer and closer together as spring comes. The funny thing about winter here is that it's miserable - seven hours of light per day, freezing cold temperatures, wet sloppy snow- BUT with very little wind. So then when the wind comes, you see that you didn't realize how good you had it during the winter because *good* wasn't all that great but now it's even worse! At least in the winter, there is not a full on air assault on any uncovered body parts when you step outside (tuck in that shirt and don't forget your scarf or be ready for a drafty breeze up and down your back!). And while you focus on the freezing darkness that is winter in Porvenir, you begin to take for granted how nice life is without the wind. And then just when the temperature begins to rise (never higher than around 60 Fahrenheit/16 Celsius on the hottest days of summer), BAM! the wind hits you, literally. People all over the world discuss and analyze the weather, how ridiculously hot it is, how much snow we got last winter, etc... and Porvenir is the perfect place to drive yourself crazy obsessing about the weather. So here goes year two in the windy town. Everyone said last year was extra crazy windy for extra long so here's hoping for a short, painless, not too breezy spring... fingers crossed... very tightly...

King Crab Season in Full Swing

2010-08-24T19:50:00.002-04:00

King crab season is upon us. It runs from about mid July to the end of November. Sometimes it gets extended for two weeks into December if there is a lot of bad weather prohibiting the fishermen from fishing during the regular season. So when I say sometimes, I mean practically every year because there is almost always a lot of bad weather! Here are a few pictures from some of the first catches, no commentary needed, they are pretty cool all by themselves!

Happy Birthday to Olivia!

2010-08-23T20:57:00.005-04:00

Yesterday was Olivia's second birthday. She had been looking forward to it all week, asking me every morning if it was her birthday yet. And yesterday it finally was! We had a Hi5 party. For the 99.8% of you who don't know what Hi5 is, it's a kids' show with five characters who sing and dance. We watch it EVERYDAY (sometimes in Spanish, sometimes in English, hey we're 100% bilingual in this household!) so it seemed like a pretty appropriate theme.

A close-up of the Hi5 paraphernalia (purchased last month in the "birthday district" in Santiago):

The birthday girl opening her presents:

All the kids at the party (Olivia had a wardrobe change per her request):

The littlest guest, our handyman's five month old daughter:

Singing happy birthday (chocolate cake made by yours truly, with a "2" written in cherries!):

Family photo, Hi5 hats for all:

It's hard to believe my little baby is two years old and has lived half her life at the end of the earth.

Weather Confusion

2010-08-20T10:05:00.001-04:00

Whenever Olivia and I go outside (which is more often than I would like, given the less than ideal climate), it's a long process of putting on layers of clothing, hats, scarves and gloves. When we were in Santiago last month, the weather was quite nice (almost 60 Fahrenheit/16 Celsius!). Poor little Olivia still insisted on going through our getting ready routine and for the first half of the week was the only kid in the park all bundled up:

I finally convinced her piece by piece that it was OK to go outside not bundled up. I wanted her to wear a jacket instead of a coat but that was asking too much. Now that we are back in the inhospitable weather of Porvenir, she doesn't want to wear a hat...

Nap Time

2010-08-18T09:51:00.000-04:00

Sometimes, especially after traveling, when Olivia's sleep schedule is out of whack and I am desperate for her to take a nap, I resort to a trip in the car. The disadvantage here, of course, is that there is no long straight smooth highway to take an uneventful, not bouncy, tranquil trip. The advantage, though, is that sometimes the scenery is pretty awesome! Here is a picture of our last nap time drive: some grazing sheep, a few guanacos and throw in the Strait of Magellan in the background and you have a pretty cool shot!

Walking on Water

2010-08-16T21:30:00.003-04:00

On the day of the road rally, Olivia and I spent more time at the water than watching the cars. The tide was so ridiculously low we could walk way out on the bay. It was pretty cool!

Road Rally Madness

2010-08-14T14:44:00.006-04:00

Here is a weird tidbit about Porvenir: the people here love car races and loud engines. And here is a weird tidbit about me: people revving their car engines on purpose is one of my top 10, make that top 5, pet peeves of all time. Not a good combination. I heard earlier this week that the annual international car race (rally? derby?) from Porvenir to Rio Grande, Argentina and back was to take place this weekend. Slowly but surely the noise began, each day a little bit more. And then Friday morning the humming crescendoed into a constant buzz much like it must sound inside a bee hive. I thought, "now this is ridiculous!" and finally peeked out the window only to see this:

And then down to the corner of my street to see this:

The pole position qualifying race was starting right outside our house! And not only was the noise bad, traffic was a nightmare with all those race cars zooming around. And it took me twice as long to get to the library, i.e. a whole four minutes instead of two! A few hours later the noise subsided a bit, only to pick up again last night, I guess for pre-race festivities.

So this morning, I put on my best "I love loud revving cars" face and we headed to watch the race. Olivia was happy (and has perfected her "how does a car go?" noise).

I had never seen one of these races before. They blocked off the main road of Porvenir and each car, one by one, started the race, tearing down the street and then screeching around the corner, heading out to the gravel roads. It's a ridiculously dangerous trip, full of pot holes, rocks, mud and guanacos.

Here's a close-up of the starting line, a pretty cool picture actually with the flags and the mountains.

And here is a close-up of that car. Ummm... you are going to drive that thing 150 miles on a gravel road full of pot holes speeding as fast as you can?

A lot of the cars are pretty clunky, especially for such a dangerous trip...

Another clunker:

Last year we were here for the race; it was actually our first weekend after moving to Porvenir, staying at Fernando's parents' house which happens to be right next to the starting line (welcome to Porvenir!). It was raining which is probably why we didn't go out to watch the race. But we were awake starting at 6:00 a.m. when the cars were lining up and REVVING their engines. Someone came to the door at 6:30 a.m. (presumably because the light was on) asking for a potato which he proceeded to slice in half and use to clean the windshield on his race car. Ummm...ok! Here's last year's line-up.

Since we were right by the starting line, very early in the morning, we saw the higher ranked cars which were a little nicer than the lower ranked cars we saw this year (we didn't jump out of bed to watch the first cars at 8:00 a.m. this morning).

And a view of the interior:

Wow! A long post for something I really can't stand! Ok, ok, I admit that I've warmed up to the concept a little bit as today was kind of fun. But... I really really really cannot stand the NOISE!!!!!

The Wedding and the Dress

2010-08-09T21:54:00.003-04:00

I am finally posting a picture from my sister in-law's wedding so you can see the glowing bride and groom and my "bought in Porvenir" dress. My SIL's husband is from Sweden and that's where they live. Could Fernando's family be any more international?

Dia del Niño

2010-08-08T20:43:00.004-04:00

Today in Chile (and other places too?) is the "Dia del Niño," a day created to celebrate kids and buy them presents (we have the same thing in the US, it's called Christmas, right?). Yesterday, in honor of this special day, the town of Porvenir hosted a special festival for kids. Olivia, of course, LOVED it. It took place in the municipal gymnasium and consisted of music, dancing, a costume competition, drawing, basketball and all around general chaos.

I was impressed with the number of people at the event. There are A LOT of kids in Porvenir. Anyone concerned with a dwindling population in Tierra del Fuego need not worry. When we first arrived the bleachers in the background of this photo were completely full!

Olivia was more than happy to sit down and draw for awhile.

Some kids were less active...

There was a dance competition up on stage. Olivia had so much fun rocking out (she was down to her white undershirt as this point).

Here's the event winding down, nice view of the gymnasium which was recently remodeled.

We were, per usual, the last to leave because SOMEONE refused to go...

Hectic Week

2010-08-07T11:29:00.003-04:00

It's been a busy week. King crab season is in full swing (photos to come soon). We all have colds and I've been busy working (a rare occurrence these days!).

Fernando took a picture of me working in our home office. There's that view again! The weather is not always great for spending time outside but there's no better view when you have to be inside sitting at a computer!

And here are two random shots of Olivia in the bath that I felt compelled to share.

She'll probably not approve of this photo being on the internet when she is older but just look at that toothy grin!!!!

You can take the girl out of the city...

2010-08-02T20:48:00.003-04:00

...but you can't take the city out of the girl. Olivia had a great time in Santiago last week and felt right at home with the big buildings, flashing lights and loud buses. Apparently she takes after her dad and is a city girl even after having spent half her life in little Porvenir. Here are some great pics!

Her first trip on the metro. I took her to my office and enticed her by telling her they have lots of pens and paper she could draw with! On the way back, there were not enough seats and when I sat down with her on my lap she said, "Solita! Solita!" (by myself!).

Hmmm, what magazine should I buy?

Relaxing on a city bench, taking it all in.

More relaxing, love this one!