All but the kitchen sink

It’s been a pleasant flurry since La Reinita and I joined Nelson in Chile just over a month ago. A lot has happened. In no apparent order, the main themes of our life have been:

MOVING IN


We were fortunate to find an apartment within a couple of days. It is a small, two-story house a block from the coast, with views of the hills to the west and the Straits of Magellan to the east. The first time we saw it, I was enchanted by the kitchen, which had a good-sized fridge, spacious cabinets, and best of all a six-burner stove and oven with lots of room for baking. The previous owners were in the process of moving out, so some of their belongings were still around too. I was surprised when we came back to move in to find out that the only thing left in the kitchen was the proverbial kitchen sink. The fridge, oven, and even the cabinets were all gone. Apparently this is normal in Chile, where people own their appliances and cart them around every time they move. I keep thinking I have this country figured out, and then situations like this show me how much I have left to learn.

My initial culture shock has been tempered by the kindness and generosity of friends and family who have donated their time, furniture, beds, sofas, bookshelves, and the aforementioned appliances to help us set up our home. It’s been wonderful and an affirmation of our natural inclination to travel light. We are incredibly fortunate.

WEDDING


We had our Chilean wedding ceremony on Saturday, November 17. It was lovely, and miraculously the Patagonian winds cooperated for the 20-minute outdoor ceremony, which was held in the botanical garden of the Patagonia Institute, a research center where Nelson used to work. Our friend Gino performed the ceremony, and several friends and family participated by reading poems by Pablo Neruda and Walt Whitman. The rings we exchanged were made by a friend of Nelson’s, and mine had an inlay made from a stone found on the beaches here. We stood under an arch that Nelson had constructed out of coligue (a Chilean tree) and adorned with native regional flora (calafate, michay, lenga, and nirre) that we’d collected from the hills above town. My mom made my bouquet out of chaura, a native berry related to the cranberry.

The ceremony was followed by a dinner at Hotel Finis Terrae in downtown Punta Arenas. The long daylight hours (these days until 10pm) allowed us to enjoy the 360-degree view across the Straits to Tierra del Fuego, down to the Darwin Range, and up to the hills. Nelson and I did a half-hour slideshow that chronicled how we met and how we’ve been going back and forth between the hemispheres for the past 3.5 years in order to be together. We also showed photos of last year’s wedding, which people really enjoyed. The souvenirs we gave out were maple candies from a family farm in New England – also a big hit.

So, I think we’re pretty well hitched. Thanks to everyone for the well wishes and thoughts from afar. We’ll try to upload photos to the site soon.

RHUBARB


I’ll admit it. I thought rhubarb was only used (and sparingly at that) in strawberry-rhubarb pie. But down here, the plant has been elevated to a much higher standing, perhaps due to its impressive capacity to withstand the extreme climate. We’ve been given rhubarb cakes, pies, and breads, not to mention lots and lots of jam. Apparently the plant is also used to make juice, or if you ferment it, some kind of alcoholic beverage. We have a backyard garden where rhubarb grows wild, so perhaps one of these days I’ll try my hand at a rhubarb concoction. I’ll keep you posted.

WIND


November through March (spring and summer in the southern hemisphere) is the windy season here, which would explain why I’ve not experienced the phenomenon before, as I’ve only been here in the fall and winter. This is no ordinary wind. It comes shrieking down the hillsides with a force that tears panels off of roofs, breaks windowpanes, makes the houses shudder, and has even lifted me into the air on one occasion. I’ve had the chain blown off of my bike, and we need to take care to hold onto the car door when opening it, so that the hinges aren’t torn off.

The highest speed it’s reached during my time here has been around 70mph, although Nelson has said that it can reach over 100mph. Apparently when it gets that high, the city puts out ropes along the streets and across the plaza so that people can avoid being blown away. Reinita refuses to set foot outside, as the wind flattens her ears and whiskers and makes her squint her eyes. Riding a bike is a challenge, frustrating when you’re riding against it and pedaling your heart out but advancing at a snail’s pace. I often don’t realize how hard I’m pedaling until I turn the corner and find myself out of the wind. Until I turn the corner again. Side-winds are the worst, and very scary, especially when on a road with cars and the bike side-slides a couple feet towards the middle of the road. The periods when the wind is at your back are thrilling but, alas, all too infrequent. I often chuckle thinking of that Irish blessing “May the wind be always at your back”....


In other news, my mom was here for a wonderful 2-week visit, during which we took many long busrides over the steppe to visit national parks and glaciers in Chile and Argentina. We also visited museums and churches and penguins. Oh yeah, and planned a wedding. Mom had a good time in Patagonia, but I think she’d have been happy with a bit less wind.