Family

Basking in family at the height of the holidays is something we’ve been very happy to do.  Though Christmas was different in our little cabana it was full of holiday cheer.  

Of course Kate always makes the little efforts that make the most difference!

Then my parents flew and drove over 4 thousand miles and 30 plus hours to visit us.  We were stoked to see them.  You never know just how important family is, until you aren’t able to see them or call them whenever you want.  

We had a great time with our family, sharing Jaden, exploring and sitting around the beach and cabana talking and laughing.

Of course, with visitors, Kate and I were able to get away a bit to do some of our own exploring.  

We climbed Volcan Villa Rica.  It was amazing to climb a volcano that was smoking, occasionally shedding rocks and making the most incredible rumbles.  

From the summit, we could see at least 4 other volcanoes, one of which was spewing endless amounts of ash into the sky.  Mother Earth is so powerful. 

I also went white water kayaking, a first!  A cross between surfing, skiing, and flying, kayaking is such a fun sport. I can’t wait to get back out there to do it again.  (sorry no picts)!

It was great spending the time with my family.  

We’ll have a few more days my Mom, then we have a few weeks to ourselves and then our luck is up again.  The Aldworths (Kate’s parents) are coming to visit.  When Kate finishes her job here in Pucon, we’re picking up and heading south again, this time into the reaches of Patagonia.  We are very excited by the prospect of more travel and adventure.  We might even find some more work.

Anyway, we love our families and are enjoying our time with them.  It’s been hard to do anything else, like update this blog. 

Here are some more photos that I thought I’d share too.

We've been to a handful of waterfalls that look just like this!  They are cold but absolutely refreshing to swim in.

We went to get honey from our local bee guy!  It was definitely organic.

Jaden loved his wrapping paper....the presents not so much.

His first finger painting experience.  

It's been really hot here.  Hose and sprinkler time is important.

The little details make it so much fun.

This water is actually warm, that's why my mom's swimming in it.  The water is snow melt, but runs through really shallow black, volcanic rock.  On the occasion that it pools, we jump right in and enjoy.  

These puppies were born under the cabana that my parents were staying in.  After several nights of living under there, the cabana owner and I pulled them out.  My parents slept a little bit better that night.

Jaden loves his Grandma "Kiko!"

mountains!

Many of you know that we have a place in our heart for the mountains.  We sadly said farewell to our beach side cabanas and lifestyle, packed the surfboard and towels into the shwarma karma mobile and hit the road southeast toward the Andes Mountains with excitement in our hearts.  Traveling can be like that….excitement typically has a death grip on all other emotions. 

We landed well in our wonderful little meadow cabana about 5 minutes walk from a big, refreshing lake (notice that the attennae is attached to a ten-foot stick).

Pucon is a wonderful little lakeside mountain, tourist destination.  The Germans settled here in the mid 1800s after Spain finally defeated the local indigenous population.  You see the German touch all over the place.  But obviously the most striking part of the town is the 10,000 foot smoking volcano that rises up and looms over the city.   It erupts on occasion and sends whoever’s here running for high ground (to get away from lava flow, glacial melt and mudslides). 

We’ve enjoyed making the walk down from the cabin in the afternoon to enjoy the hot black sand and cool mountain water.

We’ve been trying to hit the road in the mornings to see what beauty mother-nature has turned up in this area of the world.  This is a pretty strikingly beautiful landscape.

There are many rivers in the area.  We haven’t visited half of them yet and we’ve been here about a week.

But what we’ve seen thus far is amazing.

The Chileans are amazing people.  Their space etiquette is much different than ours in the US.  You could be sitting on an empty beach miles long and another group might show up and make camp right next to you.  This might bother you, except they are also very generous in their spirit:  smiling, laughing and offering you food and drink.  There is a wonderful vibe in the most crowded of places, like the main beach of Pucon.

We were invited to our first kayak race.  It was pretty awesome.  I think I know my next sport.

One of the things I love about the mountains is getting lost in the shear size and immensity of a place, yet appreciating the small details as well: the flowers on a small ledge, a tree growing up out of a crack in the rock, etc…

Jaden and I have been spending a lot more time together recently.  The time I’ve spent with him is paying off, as he wants to spend more and more time with me.  He’s also getting really heavy, so carrying him is harder and harder.

Nature is truly the ultimate classroom.  Today’s lesson: sink or float.  Jaden learned that rocks sink and splash, sticks float and unfortunately flowers float upstream??.  Oh well, there are more where that came from.

I love this photo.  It remind me of Where’s Waldo.  Hey, where’s Kate?  She is pretty camouflaged for this environment.

Anyway, as I’m sure you can tell, we’re having a great time.  We love and miss all of you in SB.  For those of you that are reading the blog, thank you.  I love getting those notes too, even if there only a sentence or two, keep them coming.

If you were to compare our trip to riding a wave, the last few weeks we've been fully barreled! Stoked!  Everything has been working out as well or better than we could have imagined.  Jaden has friends a touch older than him, that he runs around with constantly.  Kate's been working intermittently teaching English, she also has some girlfriends to spend time with.  While she's away and I'm at work, Jaden has been cared for by a lovely Spanish lady, Daisy.  Jaden is becoming bilingual.  His Spanish vocab is growing by leaps and bounds.  I've been surfing with friends and working everyday.  It's been the perfect scenario.  But the tube ride is almost over and it's almost time to get off this wave and do some paddling to get out again.

Four days ago we bought a new car!  YEEAAHHHH!  I've never had so much joy in a purchase.  This car will give us new options and freedoms that the bus schedule doesn't permit.  That's to say if it doesn't break down.

'95 Puegeot 505 (Estate Car) The ultimate rural mobile

In some countries it's used for a hurst or ambulance!

We call it the shwarma carma mobile!

We've also left Pichilemu and driven south on this amazing coast line to a quaint fishing village, Curanipe.  We're staying in some beautiful cabanas on the hill overlooking the ocean with our new British friends Lisa, Ossian and young Leo.  I don't want to say too much about this part of the coast, as it seems to be a hidden gem.  I'd like it to remain more or less secret and quiet around these parts.

One of many abandoned beaches

Jaden's starting to run, mostly away...

love this beach

Check out baby J's new swimsuit!  A one piece.

A few perks of our new place, pool, bbq, view, aaahhhhh.....

Hangin with the brits has been great!

We're still riding the wave that's been so wonderful, hanging with the brits, surfing and playing on the beach.  I need a few days to rest my body after the construction job.  Soon enough we're going to make our play for the mountains and a new wave/adventure.  Can't wait!

Chile does NOT disappoint!

With a coastline that is almost 2,700 miles long, you've got to expect that there are some quiet, serene and secluded beaches in which to explore.  If you're a surfer, you might find yourself wondering if there are secret point breaks, either unknown or rarely surfed, along this dramatic coastline.  From our experience, in the central region of this country, Chile does not disappoint...

Picture Big Sur stretched out for hundreds of miles in both directions without the tourism and paved roads.

Long, secluded sandy beaches,

dramatic headlands, morros sticking out the water,

lone, long point breaks,

rugged coastline in every direction.  It's got it all.

The best part is, no people either.  We've found ourselves on beaches with absolutely nobody around us in any direction.

Are there secret spots?  Sure!  But I'm good at keeping a secret....  These picts are from our weekend jaunts into the unknown.

Hmmmm!

YESSSS!