Bienvenidos amigos! Hopefully that says Welcome Friends, but you never know with my spelling.

Well what a week it has been! Actually, my week hasn't been that exciting, I just wanted a dramatic hook to get you all reading. Shameskies.

Since I last blogged (awkward phrase "blogged". It reminds me of What Nows "gunged". Except im not getting covered in slime.) I have managed to scrape together enough interesting information to write you a new installment of Cool in Chile. Last weekend I visited the Valle las Trancas, (I think), A small collection of cabanas, bars and backpackers, nestled in the towering peaks of the Andes mountain range. It was the last weekend before the high season, so the place was like a ghost town, but still very charming. There was snow on the mountain but there hadn't been enough yet to be down where I was staying, so the town trees still had their autumn finery on. All in all a very pretty picture, and sure to be a right good time further into the season. We went up for a bit of a play in the snow, and right when Im in the middle of making a snow angel, a pair of Malamutes/Huskys appeared and started running around next to us. Turns out that they do dog sledding up there, something im definitly keen on giving a go!

On the way back from the mountains, Kimberly and I pulled into a service station to get some eats and let the kids have a run around. Chileans are pretty funny when it comes to babies and cold weather. They literally swaddle their children up in great big duvets, and it took the first 2 weeks of my stay to realise that they people I had seen wandering around the streets and stores with giant bundles of blankets wern't just carrying them around for a laugh, they actually had tiny people concelled within! Needless to say, I was thrown some dirty looks for the onlookers in the petrol station when I dumped the twins on the ground in their t-shirts and trackpants. Harden up I say.

So this week I've really taken my confidence to a new level, catching the bus in and around town, going shopping by myself, etc things that you consider to be so easy at home but seem to become so much tricker when the only way you can really get across your message is with a multitude of hand gestures and the occasional "Cuanto?, Queiro...." thrown in. But its going well so far, so Im pretty pleased with myself.

I also drove a car for the first time, which was both a natural and surreal experience. Natural because I like driving and the car is a Toyota and similar to the model I have at home, surreal because im doing it all on the wrong side of an unmarked road with a bunch of drivers who have a im-out-for-myself-on-these-roads mentality. Still pretty fun tho, no doubt i'll get the hang of it.

Finally as this post is getting long, Im happy to report that I had a fantastic social encounter last night with a bunch of guys and attached girls who form the St Johns Old Boys rugby team. Really nice bunch of people same age as me, most of whom are studying and have also know each other since they were in their mothers wombs. I had a fantastic night of vodka, intelligent conversation (mostly on my end) and being able to laugh and chat about normal 20-something-year-old life happenings. I have issued my name as Sam, after lenghty attempts of trying to pronounce my "strange name". I was a right hit with my tales of a non smoking dystopia Me- "and even in bars, you can't smoke". "So they have a seperate part for smokers and non smokers?"Me- "No you can't even smoke in the whole building!!" Chilean"(wide eyed and mystified)- "You're joking me, you're joking me, I don't believe you!
At a nice round hour of 2am, me and a couple of guys headed off to a local discotech, to have a bit of a jig to some reggeton, and im sorry to say that apparently I havent got the hang of it just yet. Tatish put some of the other lads under instruction to dance with me so I would improve, but sadly I dont think it was much use. Then it was home to a bun with penut butter and bed for me at the ripe old hour of 5am. Standard. Needless to say I've not done much today.

Love you all, and miss you, but not as much as I miss the delicious raspberry dougnuts from Foodtown, woke up dreaming about those things yesterday morning. Flippin gay.


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