Del Pino Family Adventure Day

It's your lucky day! Two updates from the Chile Cheese Blog. That's because I (Madeline) went on my very own adventure today.

So I got home last night, so worn out and dirty from the hours spent crawling up Cerro Pochoco, and my host madre told me that we were going on a family outing today! Destination: Cajón del Maipo. According to wikipedia, Cajón del Maipo is "a canyon located in the Andean southeastern portion of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, Chile. It encompasses the upper Maipo River basin, where the river has entrenched itself in a narrow valley." Basically, it's a beauuutiful area about an hour south of the city, and the longer you drive, the deeper into the Andes you are (and the more smog-free the air becomes!). 

 

So we packed up the minivan this morning (8 people + 7 seats in the car= 1 improvised seat built out of pillows...), and drove out of Santiago. I had no idea where exactly we were headed, so it caught me by surprise when we pulled over onto a patch of grass and started to set up camp. We ate hot dogs and choripán (chorizo + bread... so basically just a fancier hot dog.), and sandwiches and more bread, and finished off the day roasting marshmallows. We hiked a little and explored our surroundings, which included a few waterfalls! Mostly, we were just there to soak up the Great Outdoors-- what a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

In addition to the joy of getting to see all of this lovely nature, I had the best time with my Chilean familia today! They are just the best (Don't worry, REAL family-- you guys are still better.). They're so funny and warm and snarky, and they just love each other, and they love life. The whole car ride home tonight, we played the "fire hydrant game" (grifo in Spanish). The goal? Spot a fire hydrant and shout "grifo!" It was pretty great, and very similar to a game we play in my real family called "cow."

I'm showing you this for two reasons: 1) You can spot la Fer and her dad having some quality time, and    2) That big orange sign basically means "bridge in bad condition." We drove across that bridge. Twice.

La Fer and la Carla, posing for me in their matching fleeces.They really love Miley Cyrus and Lady Gaga.

"'Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,' says the Lord, who has compassion on you."-Isaiah 54:10