December 21, 2005
Day 84
This morning, Katty cooked American-style pancakes for all of us. The Brazilians had never seen such things, so I carefully had to explain how to eat them. "First, smother them with butter. Next, smother them with syrup. Finally, stuff your face with them." I think they appreciated the simplicity of the pancakes, but they didn't exactly like the taste. I didn't mind; it just meant more for me.
After breakfast, I left with the Brazilians to go on a really long excursion through the city. First, we went to the other side of town to buy bus tickets, then we went to the Brazilian Consulate to take care of some immigration issues. Finally, we got some lunch and headed back home. It may not sound like we did much, but in a city as big as Santiago, doing anything takes a long time. The metro is fast and efficient, but sitting on it for half an hour or more is not uncommon.
Later in the afternoon, I took a long nap, said goodbye to Katty and the Brazilians, and took off for the bus station. I had a 12 hour ride ahead of me to go to Puerto Varas, which is in the Lakes District of Chile. After being in Chile for over three weeks, I'll finally cross over the halfway mark as I travel south through this ridiculously long country.
