DAY 13 - DAY 21.
Santiago (Chile) to Sao Paulo (Brazil) to Campinas (Brazil)

I few out of Santiago on Friday the 22nd of June on the 2pm flight with LAN. I flew with Ana, as she had changed her ticket so that we could fly together and make it easier for people to collect us from the airport. The flight over was a very enjoyable one and I wondered around the plane and chatted with Ana and Caroline (the girl from my Temuco flight). I think that Ana was very excited about the flight, as she had not been to Brasil for about 20 years, I was excited because I was going to Brasil for the first time and had heard so much about it. The flight over is about 4 hours long, but the most difficult section is the section crossing the Andes. It was a little bumpy.

We arrived in Sao Paulo about 30mins early and got through customs with very little fuss. However the customs officer was a little gruff. I guess that happens when there is a communication barrier. I had arranged with Alex to meet us the airport, so it was good to know that I would be alright on the other side, but thanks to Sao Paulo traffic, he was late. Karen’s parent’s house, near Campinas, is about 1.5hrs drive away, depending on traffic. Now in Sao Paulo, it can get very bad. 15 Million (Basically Australian’s population in one city) all trying to get around on the same roads can lead to a lot of traffic jams. It’s a regular occurrence. As we were flying over Sao Paulo, the city just kept going and going… we came in on sunset and it was just one huge light show… Alex and Karen were late because traffic on a Friday night is just the worst. I didn’t care, as it meant I could just relax a bit after the flight and get my first taste of Brazil. In Brazil they have what they call Bread Cheese. It’s basically bread infused with cheese and eaten heated. It’s great, but not good for people with that gluten disease (lucky I don’t have it..!!!)

The drive to Karen’s House was just amazing. Cars, Buses and trucks changing lanes everywhere and no one was fussed about it. One good thing is that truck and buses always return to the far right hand lane (they drive opposite to Oz), which I think is great and should be enforced in Australia. Alex was driving and doing the same, it felt like we were racing car drivers and racing along the freeway. I think that everyone here thinks they are Aryton Senna or Rubens Barrichello. Ohhh, they have tolls here too, with the strangest values. I always ask, “Why the 30 cents, or 90cents, why not make it a round figure?” I just get strange looks from people.

Karen’s parent’s house is beautiful. It’s in a ‘country’ estate, where the blocks are bigger than average, but your neighbours are still right next to you. It’s about the same size house as my parents place and I felt at home straight away. I have noticed that houses here have a lot of marble or tiles on the floor. There isn’t much carpet and I think that it’s because it gets real hot here in the summer. The days here are averaging 20-25 deg C. so I am loving it. I met Karen’s parents, one of her sisters, Andrea, and the old lady that lives with them, they call her Grandma, but I don’t think she is. The next day we had a bbq and most of the rest of the family came over. There were kids everywhere, then I realised the extent of the family. The parents have 5 daughters and 1 son. The 3 eldest married daughters have 8 kids between them and the son has 1. Andrea has a boyfriend and Karen has Alex. It is a big family, but I love that, as I grew up with a big family too (just not as big as theirs).

They are building a bbq house on the property and have engaged a builder, who knows his stuff, but he’s just very slow. It looks like he was half done when I arrived and he had been at it for 3 weeks. Something like that, Dad and I would have had finished in that time. However I guess it’s just they way things are done. I did scratch my head when he kept asking Manuel (Karen’s Dad) for tools. Sub-contracted workmen in Australia always have their own tools. The electrical wiring fell to Alex and I to do. Now this is something I don’t understand. They run 2 power sources here in Brasil, 220Vac and 110Vac both at 50Hz (I think). They say to get 220Vac; you just add 2 phases of 110Vac together. Now I always thought that power on different phases, where on different phases and couldn’t be added together (maybe I’m a bit rusty with my electricity knowledge). I think that they are using the wrong term in ‘phase’. I think that they are the same phase, just a different source. Maybe someone can send me an email to clarify it for me. I confess that I am a little confused about that one.

Alex and I had a list of things to build or wire to get things right for the wedding. Wire the BBQ house, wire the garden for lighting and build a decking over the swimming pool, etc. The deck was for the wedding ceremony so that Karen, Alex and the 2 Ministers (Pasters) could stand on it for the ceremony. It just seemed that nothing ever was struck off the list, as new things kept being added and focus was shifted. Focus people… Please!!! Alex and I also drove to Sao Paulo for the day to drop off an ultrasound machine for repair for the Mum (she is a Doctor) and for Alex to go for a job interview. I was the navigator with a street directory that was valid for 1995. After his Interview we had 4hrs until we needed to be at the airport to collect Paul, Danni, Natalia, Papi, and the boys from Los Angeles (the guys I met in 2000). So Alex and I put the road map book away and ‘went for a drive’. Where we were going who knows…. Turn left, now right… go straight… now right…. “Where are we?”, “who knows who cares!!!!” It was a fun 1-1.5hrs…We then thought, it’s time to go to the airport.. Where is the sun? Ok to head north, keep the sun to our left and eventually we will hit the freeway we need for the airport. Great fun… even when we got wrong directions from other drivers. I love this kind of activity.

As a group, we also went to a Churrasqueria for lunch. Now this place is a restaurant where it is all you can eat and they bring the meats to you. You only need to get the salad. Most people don’t eat the salads. Different meats form different animals, one after the other. It never ends… You basically point out the slab of cooked meat you want and they cut it right there and you just keep eating. I was getting more meat on the plate than what I was taking off. So much for the diet… What diet, you’re in South America, you don’t need to diet, you need to eat… It was a lovely meal and I think that it only cost us about $10 Australian dollars each, which included our drinks.


All said and all activities undertaken, we got the job done, with about 5 minutes to spare, just enough time to have a shower and a shave and to get dressed into my suit for the wedding. I will put more info about the wedding on my next entry.

DAY 11 - DAY 13.
Santiago (Chile)

I arrived back at Paul’s apartment in Santiago to be greeted by Ana, Paul’s Mum. Ana had arrived from Australia 2 days earlier and was really enjoying the time with Paul, Danni and little Natalia (her first grandchild). It was Paul’s birthday, so it was hugs all round and birthday wishes. It was a lazy afternoon catching up with Ana and Paul. Hearing all the stories from Australia about the folks and family as well as sharing some of my experiences in the ‘South’. I think that Ana is really happy spending time with her family, a family she rarely sees due to distance. I think that Natalia is also enjoying the added attention from Grandma. She is similar to my own Mum when it comes to her and my brother’s family. You can see the joy in their faces, both Grandma and Grandchild.

That night we had a birthday celebration for Paul. The dinner was beautiful. We had Pastel de Coclo, which is like a Shepard’s pie, but instead of mashed potatoe you use mashed corn. I think that it is a traditional meal for Chile. It also contains boiled egg and whole seeded olives. I think that you should try it some time. We also had a cake and this is where the fun began. We put a load of candles on the cake and lit them all up. Now after we had sung happy birthday in both Spanish and English, Paul ‘tried’ to blow out the candles. Every time he did, they came back to life, but they were not the party candles. There was so much smoke in the place, I thought we were going to set off the fire alarms and have a visit from the guys in Red, well here in Chile, I think they wear grey. The cake was delicious. It was basically 20 pancakes stacked up on each other with orange marmalade as the ‘binding’ agent covered in icing. Check out the photo... Hmmmm very nice. They really know how to make things sweet here in Chile. It was a quiet night and a time of reflection and story telling about growing up, family, friends and the dreams of tomorrow. It was a very enjoyable time.

I just spent the rest of my time in Santiago trying to keep warm. The only part of me that felt cold was my feet; the rest of me was fine. However, when my feet are cold, I am cold. Ana was enjoying the time with Danni and Natalia. I think that it is good for the three of them. They were in and out of that apartment like it had a revolving door. I even went to a meeting with Paul for some work related issues. It was a wonderful experience of going to a business meeting and listening to the conversation in Spanish with the occasional words of English thrown in. I did understand some of it, but it was good to have Paul do some clarification translation or I would have suggested using 1,000,000 metres of cable instead of 1,000. (In Spanish 1 mil = millones and 1k – mil. Ok they look a little different but when you say them with an Australian accent, they sound a little similar to the listener. Opps…). It was enjoyable and I had realised how much I had missed being in the action, after only one month… What am I saying!!! Get back to holiday mode….!!!!!!

So on the 22nd of June, I packed my bags in Santiago and began my next leg of the trip, my trip to Sao Paulo, Brasil. Ana had changed her ticket, so that the two of us could fly together. When we left the apartment, little Natalia realised something was happening and the water works started. I guess that is little children, when only an hour before, she was helping me pack, by throwing things into my suitcase, laughing and then pulling everything out again… Charlotte was the same when I was packing for my African trip 6 months ago and also for this one. Paul was left to mind Natalia as Danni was going to see us off at the airport and then catch a bus back to visit her father. The taxi ride over was enjoyable, but a little squashy, having 3 suitcases and 2 hand luggage bags. I only had the one case and was travelling longer than Ana, so it was going to look strange if they asked me to open a suit case in Brasil to only find women’s clothing and shoes. It was due to an issue with Ana’s ticket. But hey, I’ve been told I look good in a dress (Sorry Rachel…you never wore that dress again, did you?).

My time in Santiago was peaceful and it was great to be able to spend time with Paul again. I guess some people think it strange that two best friends could live on the other side of the world, not see each other for some time, but still feel as if it had only been a week since our last time together in person. I guess it was good that the girls were out so often, it meant we could do a few blokey things and not worry about who was about or listening…. You know…guy stuff…

Goodbye Santiago and Chile and Hello Brasil…. Oooo Lay O lay O lay o lay, feeling hot, hot hot….

DAY 9 - DAY 11.
Los Angeles (Chile) to El Campo (The Farm - Chile)

It was a case of getting up this morning and rushing, as I usually do. Jess actually woke me up and got me going, which was a good thing, or I would have missed my bus to Gorbea. As we were driving to the bus terminal, some Brazilian music was playing and it was a very emotional time, due to the music. It was quickly changed. The drive over was a quick one and it seemed a little strange. This small country town flashing by, with daily activities continuing as per normal as my life was beginning to slow down. At the bus terminal I said my goodbyes and said to Jess that she now needs to come to Australia, as I have been to her house twice now. She said that I was welcome at her place anytime. I was sad to say goodbye, but know for every goodbye, there is a hello coming soon.

Chile has a very good bus transportation network, being that it is the shape of a pencil. People travel large distances by bus, unless you can afford to fly. Some buses are better than others, but all are of a high standard, as I find that people take more care of other people's property and know that they would like to find it the way they left it, so to speak. Here is a photo of the bus that I caught for the 3.5hrs trip from LA to Temuco and then onto Gorbea. Gorbea is the home town of my friend's (Paul) Mum. We stopped at various little towns along the way where 4 or 5 would get off and the same number would get back on. The same happened at the main stop in Temuco (Which is next to the Crematorium), however more got off than those who got on. So our numbers dwindled the further south we went. During the trip "Papi" (Paul's Dad) called me on my loan mobile. I confirmed that I would be arriving in Gorbea at 2pm. I think there was a bit of confusion on the phone, but it was alright.

The bus arrived 10mins early and there was a guy I recognised from my previous visits. He was wearing a "MANTAHUE" cap. Mantahue is the local indian name for the area. We discussed about Paul's dad and then I realised where the confusion was, we was sending this guy to meet me, in case he was going to be late or I was going to be early. Not long after Papi arrived in the 4x4 Ute and we were all on our way to the farm, another 40mins along access roads for the logging tracks, as people grow trees for the paper mill as a source of cash income. We chatted most of the way, talking about how cold it was, how it was good to see him wearing his Aussie Scarf and hat. Just general chit chat. It was good to see the farm again and notice the little changes that have been made to help with the running of the place. It is still a pictures place and a place that I find very relaxing, even though last time I was driven mad by fleas. I think the dog was the problem, but he is no longer there.

On arrival, it was the start of the feasting season. I think that since being at the farm, I have put back on all the weight that I had lost over the last few months. I don't think that I stopped eating or if I did, it was to sleep. Anyway it is a peaceful place and a place to just chat with the neighbours, drink a cuppa and watch the trees grow and the sun go down. BEAUTIFUL!!!!!! Well, that is basically what I did on the first day at the farm. Not much. I did play with the little boy Diego, who is the son of the house girl. He would be about 4 and she would be in her mid 20’s, if not younger, as a guess. She is the daughter of the guy who met me at the bus terminal in Gorbea. She is a single mum, which is common in the more remote parts of Chile, who lives in the house above the kitchen with her son and works from the moment she gets up to the moment she goes to bed.

The next day, 19th of June, was Papi’s birthday. I didn’t ask how old he was, but it is somewhere in the sixties. Being a Tuesday (I think), it was just like any other day. Got up, had breakfast and tried to stay warm. The sun did shine, which was good, so I took a few photos of the place, like this one here. Don’t you just love the rolling foothills of the Andes with all the trees and the little farm house with the smoke coming out of the chimney. Some of the locals came over to visit, the guy from the bus stop and one of the old farm hands from years ago. They basically do a bit of work for the old man, who pays them with either smokes or bottles of the local brew, Chicha. It’s basically an alcoholic apple cider, without the bubbles. I tell you what, it isn’t a Strongbow. The professionally made stuff is really good, but this stuff is just not so sweat tasting coloured water. However the local guys love it. Fact: A lot of the locals are from German decent and the German they still speak here is from the 1900’s. I think someone from Germany once came to study them. Well that’s the story I’ve been told.

Once the guys herd it was Papi’s birthday, then they had to stay and help him celebrate it with the roast meal and a few glasses of Chicha. I stayed with the Coke. Wow, was this meal fantastic. I ate way too much again, but thought that I would walk it off later. I never did, as I couldn’t move once it was finished. Can I just say that the caramel cake they make here is just fantastic. I hope the photo does justice. Not much else happened other than a million phone calls to Papi from family and friends wishing him a Happy Birthday. It was a very tranquil time in the country. I even had conversations with Diego and I think enjoyed having the company too.

On the 20th of June, Paul’s birthday, we had to leave early, so we could drive to Temuco, so 80km up the road. Now my flight wasn’t until 11, but it took us 45mins to get to the main road and then another 15 to Gorbea. From there we could get onto the main Highway and drive the 40km to Temuco. Plus the rain had been bucketing down all night and the roads may have had issues. It was a quiet drive to Temuco, but I think Papi was surprised when I asked for clarification of the issue they were discussing on the radio. It was the same as last time, Peru wanting the most northern region of Chile, which Chile won in a war against Peru and Bolivia about 100 years ago. It was controlled by Spain after the 3 countries gained independence, but they pulled out without indicating who was in control. I think that they are arguing over it because think that is where one of the worlds largest copper mine is. Run by BHP, I think... At the airport Papi and I shared more stories and generally discussed Alex’s (his other son’s) wedding, the one I am in South America (Brazil) for. It was great to spend the time with him again and he too had thought that communication would be difficult, but in the end it wasn’t too bad.

The flight up was great! I don’t know what it is like for you, when you fly, but I never get to sit next to someone I want to talk too, unless I already know them. Well, this girl wanted to talk to me, which was great, as it helped pass the time. I found out that she was from Brazil and that she would be on the same flight to São Paulo on the Friday. I think that I had just made a friend. One thing I have noticed about South American people, they are very easy to become friendly with and they are very open to conversations. I think that it was made easier that she spoke Portuguese, English and Spanish. Sorry people, only a photo of the plane I travelled in. I love planes...