Christmas in Coyhaique

The last 3 weeks have been a whirlwind adventure of breathtaking scenery, once-in-a-lifetime experiences, and banterful camaradery. Too much to try and describe in a single blog post, especially since I can't upload any photos from my phone. Besides, it needs time to process before it'll be possible to summarise sufficiently for a blogger audience!

Three days ago, we arrived in the city of Coyhaique, the capital of the region of Aysen and located in a Andean valley in the middle of the Chilean side of Patagonia. From the minute the city appeared over the crest of the hill, I felt welcomed, and arriving at Rodrigo's parents' only augmented that; we were welcomed with a feast of salad and traditional Chilean soup, and best of all - fresh fruit. After two weeks on the road and countless meals of preprepared rice and pasta with tinned pulses I was feeling the lack of fresh ingredients. Unloading our backpacks, showering, and doing laundry in the knowledge that we wouldn't have to repack for at least a couple of weeks was refreshing in itself. The food and company were warm and hearty and we couldn't have wished for a warmer reception. Kevin and I have been bowled over by the generosity of our hosts and I'm struggling to know how to repay them.

Despite being one of the biggest cities in the area, Coyhaique's population falls just short of 60 000, just two thirds the size of Hastings, which I consider to be a reasonable sized town at best, certainly not a city. Once again demonstrating just how empty this vast country is compared to most of Europe. The surrounding mountains are visible from just about every point in the city, and the pace of life is slower, people are friendly and say hello in the street.
Wandering around the centre, I could finally feel a touch christmassy thanks to the icy wind and the huge Christmas tree in the square, covered with lights and decorations. The advantage of spending the holidays further south is that it's a bit colder and I can a at least pretend it's winter! The house is decorated for the occasion too, with lights, a tree and a Santa sat on the table. The only thing missing is the smell of pine, since real trees are prohibited as a result of theft from commercial pine plantantions provoked by the desire for genuine Christmas trees. I guess it's more economical and ecological in the long run anyway.

So far our stay has consisted of a tremendous amount of delicious food, booze, a party, climbing, walks and secret Santa. Just what you want at Christmas really. In all honesty, aside from being with my actual family, I can't imagine a better place to have spent Christmas and I feel honoured to have been welcomed into such loving company. It's the second Christmas I've spent abroad, and its been interesting, but nothing compares to Christmas with family. In the meantime I'll be following the advice of my favourite person in the world and try to "love everyone like family" - sisterly wisdom. Everyone is someone's family, and everyone deserves to be loved unconditionally and with acceptance. I've received so much from this family already, it's the least I can do to try and give something back.

The experiences I've had the privilege to have lived are the best present I could have wished for, and there's more to come still! The adventure's not over yet! And what an adventure it is... It's beyond comprehension. My life feels a bit ridiculous right now - I'm quite literally living the dream and it's better than I ever imagined it could be.

Love. Live. Move.