How's Bill holding up?

Some of you have been asking how Bill has been doing this year in Chile. Sometimes the question seems filled with apprehension (the poor guy, so far from home, not speaking the language, is he doing allright?) Well, rest assured, Bill is doing just great! It's been a party ever since the day that he and the girls arrived on September 18th, the Chilean independence day celebrations, las Fiestas Patrias. This is celebrated a lot like the fourth of July except that it lasts for several days. Then, let's see, backtracking through the Andes: a couple of weeks later we went skiing on one of the last days of the ski season. Next we went mountain biking in the Elqui Valley. We had also been on several horseback rides through beautiful country in the south. There were quite a few bird-watching expeditions, including one to La Campana National Park, just outside of Santiago, where Bill saw a giant Andean hummingbird which came buzzing right up to him. And, of course, there's all the fun stuff we did this past summer that I've already written about in this blog.

He's been to see two really good concerts, one of which was Roger Waters in the National Stadium. We had both wanted to go, but the tickets were a little expensive and it was on a week night. I, of course, had to get up early the next morning to go teach. Bill has the luxury of going back to bed if he likes after getting the girls and I off to school. Anyway, we didn't get tickets, but the night of the concert Bill took a different route on his usual evening jog and ran over by the stadium, thinking he'd hear some of the concert while running around the building. Well, as luck would have it there was a guy out there selling tickets for a really great price, so Bill got to see the show after all. Back at home, not far from the stadium, I thought I could hear him singing, "Wish Sue Were Here"! Then, last week, he went to see Jethro Tull in a small, intimate venue with our friend John.

He's been working pretty hard on his Spanish. Though the girls and I laugh and roll our eyes at his accent, he's actually quite good at carrying on conversations with people. For a while in November and December he was teaching private English classes to some Fulbright doctoral candidates hoping to be studying in the U.S. next year. He has become good friends with one of them, Giancarlo, and they still meet and converse, sometimes in English and sometimes in Spanish.

Bill can often be found in the kitchen, doing one of his favorite activities: cooking amazing meals, mostly vegetarian, for his family and any of my colleagues I happen to bring home with me. He always makes so much, I don't even call ahead to tell him, we just show up at the door. Everyone at work marvels about what a great chef Bill is. Here you can see him at work in the kitchen: http://picasaweb.google.com/bdoody61/KitchenSongs/photo#5068315271536131058

Sometimes Bill will meet a friend for lunch, and then the girls and I have to fend for ourselves. The girls are actually very good cooks, unlike their mother, but by the time we all get home from school at three o'clock, we're hungry and want to eat right away. In Chile, the main meal of the day is lunch, and it's usually eaten sometime between one and three o'oclock. Once, Bill had the audacity to go and leave us for five whole days. While we were surviving, barely, on week-old leftovers from the fridge, Bill was enjoying an amazing trip to the southern tip of the continent. I'm going to let him tell you about it:

The first thing I noticed when I arrived in Punta Arenas was the wind. It seems to be almost visible as it forces all to bow to its mighty presence. The mountainous landscape is also very impressive. This looks to me like the area where the soft smooth Coastal range and the hard stark Andes come together, mingle for a time and then queue up in separate lines to make their journey north.

My traveling partner, John, and I made our way by bus to base camp in Puerto Natales. We were met by our hotel owner, Miguel, an accomodating man of Croation descent who drove us to the Southwinds Hotel and got us set up with our room. Beset with hunger, we made our way to the Pizza restaurant called Mesquite Grande. John had been down with his family earlier in the summer and had said this was the best pizza in Chile, and I do say I have to agree. They serve an awesome selection of brick-oven pizzas similar to the California Pizza Kitchen back home. This place quickly became my favorite dining place for the trip. After filling our gullets we made plans for the next day.

The next day the rain let up and we were greeted by the bright rising sun. Even in the crisp morning air you can feel the effects of the hole in the ozone layer as the powerful rays of light beat down on you. And those winds.... Well lets just say they turned it up another notch from the day before. This morning we were headed on a tour to Argentina and the famous Perito Moreno Glacier.

We arrived at the border of Argentina and were greeted by a runaway Chilean sheep and winds that nearly blew us over. We had registered for the trip as Chileans, so they would not accept my Estados Unidos passport at the border, and I was kind of bummed that the guard wouldn't stamp my passport. But they got a good laugh out of the fact that this Chilean could not speak Spanish too well. I was just glad I didn't get locked up with that illegal alien sheep.


We also had a brief stopover and a break from the winds in El Calafate, Agrentina's fastest-growing city. It is situated in a valley next to Laguna Nimez ( the largest lake in Argentina). Unfortunately we didn't have time to explore this peaceful place but I would love to come back.

Next it was off to Parque los Glaciers and the breathtaking Perito Moreno Glacier. Upon arriving at this beautiful park I was again reminded why I so dislike bus tours. Everywhere we looked there seemed to be another photo op. There were condors flying above, and rainbows appearing out of nowhere, but on a bus there is always a schedule to keep. Fortunately for us, though, we were going to be stopping at the highlight of the park: the majestic Perito Moreno Glacier.



This giant river of ice is one of the few glaciers in the world that is still expanding. It loses two meters a day but gains six. It also boasts a five-km wide face . We boarded our boat to view the glacier to close up and were treated to three nice ice drops. The last one created a mini tsunami right in front of us. Our skipper quickly maneuvered the boat around to take the ten-foot wave head on. I'm glad I got the big splash on camera. For more pictures of the Glacier check out these pics: http://picasaweb.google.com/bdoody61/Glaciers

The next morning I bid my traveling partner good-bye. John had to get back to work the next day. After leaving the bus station I noticed I had a little problem. There I was, all alone, with no plans for the day. I started thinking what a waste of time this is, to be in this amazing part of the world with nothing to do. I've got to do something. I kept thinking I should rent a car and drive into the mountains. The more I thought, the more nervous and anxious I became. Then, all of a sudden, I realized what the problem was. I was thinking again. So, following in the footsteps of another great American (Forrest Gump), I picked up my backpack and started walking. The winds were gone on this serene morning so I walked to the bay, did some journaling and had a great quiet time. I continued walking around most of this beautiful city and had one of the most peaceful days of my trip. Our friends John and Melinda have both commented on how they would have loved to do a Fulbright in Puerto Natales and I fully agree. Here are a few pics of the town. http://picasaweb.google.com/bdoody61/PuertoNatales

Next came decison time. Should I continue on with my peace and solitude or accept the lunch offer of my gracious hotel owner Miguel. He knew I was alone and wanted company so he asked me to lunch with him and Miguel Jr. I was feeling a little apprehensive with my interpreter John gone and knowing that neither Sr. nor Jr. spoke a bit of English. I sat on the decision and soon the thought came to me that I should get out of myself, so it was off to lunch.

Thank God that sometimes I actually do listen to that inner voice because we had an awesome lunch. And it wasn't just the great meal of salmon a la pobre (salmon topped with grilled onions and two sunnyside up huevos). We actually had a wonderful conversation. I was even able to get across some obscure stories; like how the gangsters in Chicago always used to sit with their backs to the wall so as not to be easy targets for their enemies. They just loved that story.


The next morning I met up with my guide, Marcos, whom I immediately dubbed the mayor of Puerto Natales because of his popularity with all the locals. We rented a car and headed for the park, Torres del Paine.

Well, what can you say except that it is everything that has been written about it and more. That "more" is the description that words are too small to wrap themselves around. Along with the breathtaking views, precious flora and fauna, and crystal clear waters we drank from, there was a deep sense of spiritual wonder.

One day is not nearly enough to breathe in this amazing experience. But I highly doubt that one week, one month or one lifetime is enough either. http://picasaweb.google.com/bdoody61/ToresDelPaine

"You will often meet with characters in nature so extravagant that a discreet poet would not venture to set them upon a stage."
-Lord Chesterfield