Are staying on a Honey Farm at the moment. Unfortunately, due to the drought the poor bees can´t find the nectar they like so the farmers are having to feed their honey back to them! There are also horses and Maggie has given us a horse each while we are here and we´ve been riding every day! Its brilliant. Real South american saddles and I even have a pair of ¨chaps¨ (leather over-trousers). Quite scarey for a Mother to see her older son, who has never been on a horse before, cantering across a field as if he is Indiana Jones.......HE LOVES IT!!! Sam has a little Sam sized pony called Chocolito and he just trots along happily looking a bit like a Hobbit! (Sam that is, not the pony)! Graham really wants that Poncho now to look the part on his horse!
We have decided to hire a car again so that we can do some more exploring. We are currently about an hour and a half north of Osorno and it is a lovely area... still lots of lakes and mountains.
Went to see a farm belonging to a 6ft 2 red-headed Irishman today. So interesting, he lived in NZ for 2 or 3 years and then came here and worked for a big farming outfit before going out on his own about 6 months ago. He´s an expert horseman and came out riding with us yesterday on a very fiesty horse and made it look easy.
We are hoping to go and spend some time with the Mapuche indians next week.. sounds very interesting seeing how they live and learning about their culture.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Lakes and Mountains
We feel like we´ve been away for quite a while now and then realised it was only 3 weeks! In the swing of things now...language still a bit tricky but we are getting by. Occasional mistakes like when G ordered 12 Empanadas as a starter! (they are the local pie/sandwhich)Have hired a car for a week and have made the most of it. Driving not too bad, have been on the Panamerican Highway a few times. A little disconserting when there are pedestrians wandering along the side, occasionally crossing and the speed limit is 120km!
Have discovered önces¨which is a very German style High Tea that one can have at 5 or 6pm before moving on to dinner at 10ish. We haven´t been getting out of the door very early in the mornings, but we still seem to beat the locals!
So far I have managed to stop G buying a Poncho! He can just see himself in one a la Clint Eastwood, watching winter sport!
Got into some stunning scenery quite near the Argentinian border at the weekend...felt like we were right in the Andes. Lakes, majestic peaks and of course the odd Volcano. The boys tried swimming in some of the lakes but the temperatures were not pleasant, even for these two who I am sure are part polar bear!
Have been to the coast today and boy there were some huge breakers coming in. Yesterday we went to an old Spanish Fort from about250 years ago. Not a whole lot left of it, but still interesting.
Heading a little further north next week. will keep you posted!
J
Have discovered önces¨which is a very German style High Tea that one can have at 5 or 6pm before moving on to dinner at 10ish. We haven´t been getting out of the door very early in the mornings, but we still seem to beat the locals!
So far I have managed to stop G buying a Poncho! He can just see himself in one a la Clint Eastwood, watching winter sport!
Got into some stunning scenery quite near the Argentinian border at the weekend...felt like we were right in the Andes. Lakes, majestic peaks and of course the odd Volcano. The boys tried swimming in some of the lakes but the temperatures were not pleasant, even for these two who I am sure are part polar bear!
Have been to the coast today and boy there were some huge breakers coming in. Yesterday we went to an old Spanish Fort from about250 years ago. Not a whole lot left of it, but still interesting.
Heading a little further north next week. will keep you posted!
J
Surounding Stuff 2
We have done a lot lately. We went to a volcano beside a lake and went quite high up on it to where the snow was. I threw snowballs at Lachie and he threw some back. After that we went to a place called Ensenada and found a cool place to stay. One day we had Onces, which is afternoon tea and it was yum. There were LLamas and an emu there. We have been watching Bob es Sponga (Spongebob)in Spanish, the characters sound funny.
Sam
Sam
Valdivia 2
Just been back to Valdivia as we didn´t get any fish last time. Said hello to the Sea-lions (again) and got filleted Salmon for dinner. Checked out an old Spanish fort that had been used to defend Valdivia a couple of hundred years ago.
Sam is not too happy about Mrs.Weston saving him work and is not looking foward to coming back.
It is hard for us to believe for us that we have only been away for three weeks now as it feels like months.
Lachie.
Sam is not too happy about Mrs.Weston saving him work and is not looking foward to coming back.
It is hard for us to believe for us that we have only been away for three weeks now as it feels like months.
Lachie.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Valdivia
Valdivia was founded in 1552 and was the main port for Chile and Peru. It is at the mouth of 3 rivers and has several forts around it. Apparently pirates were a problem. It was the Spanish gateway to the Pacific.
These days it is known for its fish market and brewery, a legacy of the Germans who settled the area 150 years ago. The local brand is called ¨Kunstman¨. Try getting your tongue around that one when you have had a few.
The fish market is on the wharf and the fishermen fillet the fish and throw the scraps over the side. The local sea lions have worked this out and there is a pack of them that live by the wharf. They are big!
We are having a few laughs with our Spanish. Boarded a local bus which took 3 times to get to Valdivia as we had hoped. Also had a few strange things turn up on the table after ordering from the menu. I managed to get a double portion of starter yesterday!
All good fun. Our hosts are exceptional, as is their maid Irma. Fantastic cook and we may have to consider kidnapping her. I have a feeling she will be well guarded though.
These days it is known for its fish market and brewery, a legacy of the Germans who settled the area 150 years ago. The local brand is called ¨Kunstman¨. Try getting your tongue around that one when you have had a few.
The fish market is on the wharf and the fishermen fillet the fish and throw the scraps over the side. The local sea lions have worked this out and there is a pack of them that live by the wharf. They are big!
We are having a few laughs with our Spanish. Boarded a local bus which took 3 times to get to Valdivia as we had hoped. Also had a few strange things turn up on the table after ordering from the menu. I managed to get a double portion of starter yesterday!
All good fun. Our hosts are exceptional, as is their maid Irma. Fantastic cook and we may have to consider kidnapping her. I have a feeling she will be well guarded though.
Strike!
Hi everybody. We´re still having a great time here. Itis raining today for the first time in a while. Just found out that the kids here go back to school in March,and leave school at the same time as we do! So I persuade all of the kids reading this to go on holiday strike for another month or two!
Lachie.
Lachie.
Surrounding Stuff
We have been to 1 Surrounding town lately the it was called Valdivia there was a huge fish Market and loads of greedy Sea Lions hanging out waiting for fish scraps.
Monday, February 2, 2009
What we have done lately
Went to the local national park. Not quite what we were expecting, but had a lovely beach, very like Kawhia. Dark sand and long stretches of wild surf.
Headed to Ancud and booked onto a penguin tour. We were bussed to the beach and then launched into the surf to visit the offshore islands. Saw Magellen penguins as well as Humbolt penguins, which are endangered. The weather packed it in so no photos. Jane saw a sea otter and we all saw sealions as well. Judging by the worn out ponchos we were provided with, the weather was not unusual. Typical west coast really.
Headed back to the mainland, including a ferry crossing. Then headed to Orsorno where we were picked up by Andrew Fraser´s cousin. Have had two nights there so far. They took us sightseeing yesterday to Fruitillar and Peurto Octay. Both lovely little towns on the side of a lake with a huge conical snow capped volcano as a backdrop. Think Taupo if it had been designed by the Germans in the 1800`s.
The boar on the spit was sensational. Are thinking of heading through the mountains and having a quick look at an Argentinean tourist town. This area is where a number of New Zealand dairy farmers have invested. It is apparently unusually dry and Mark and Sarah are battling to keep the cows fed over the 22,000ha that they help run. As we have a client who has invested here, I am assuming this part of the trip will be tax deductible.....
Headed to Ancud and booked onto a penguin tour. We were bussed to the beach and then launched into the surf to visit the offshore islands. Saw Magellen penguins as well as Humbolt penguins, which are endangered. The weather packed it in so no photos. Jane saw a sea otter and we all saw sealions as well. Judging by the worn out ponchos we were provided with, the weather was not unusual. Typical west coast really.
Headed back to the mainland, including a ferry crossing. Then headed to Orsorno where we were picked up by Andrew Fraser´s cousin. Have had two nights there so far. They took us sightseeing yesterday to Fruitillar and Peurto Octay. Both lovely little towns on the side of a lake with a huge conical snow capped volcano as a backdrop. Think Taupo if it had been designed by the Germans in the 1800`s.
The boar on the spit was sensational. Are thinking of heading through the mountains and having a quick look at an Argentinean tourist town. This area is where a number of New Zealand dairy farmers have invested. It is apparently unusually dry and Mark and Sarah are battling to keep the cows fed over the 22,000ha that they help run. As we have a client who has invested here, I am assuming this part of the trip will be tax deductible.....
Greetings from Lachie
Sorry to hear you are all going back to school. Wishing you were all here right now. Yeah right!
Wild boar
We went out to tea last night to celebrate school starting without us and had wild boar cooked over charcoal on a spit. It was yum! You could eat as much as you liked!
Sam
Sam
Coffee in Chile
Those of you who know my coffee habits will be impressed/horrified that I am not only drinking Nescafe, (the powdered variety) but that I have also purchased a small tin of it.
The cafes in Cambridge can feel safe in the knowledge that nothing rivals their flat whites down in the coffee growing mecca that South America is.
I am not sure that placing a tin of Nescafe and a thermos of hot water on the table of The Deli or Tocatta would catch on.
The cafes in Cambridge can feel safe in the knowledge that nothing rivals their flat whites down in the coffee growing mecca that South America is.
I am not sure that placing a tin of Nescafe and a thermos of hot water on the table of The Deli or Tocatta would catch on.
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