La Pequeño Gigante, su rinoceronte, y El Gringo

Ahem. Yes, well. (Tap, tap on the microphone...)

As Nate and Erin are lounging on the sofa and consuming prodigious amounts of candy and popcorn, I will have to be the one to give you images of La Pequeña Gigante and her Rinoceronte. I trust you can tell the difference. Erin has told the story of this exhibition in the past, so I won´t bore with the details. Note the steam issuing from the nose (of the rhinoceros!)

While we were slightly less than impressed than expected with the doll herself (although she is big), we were quite impressed by the rhinoceros, and astounded by the crowd. According to "the authorities", there were 500,000 Chileans there (I think that comes out to 1000 Americans, if I recall the exchange rate correctly).

We have been studying Spanish and Chilean culture at a whirlwind pace, punctuated by hitherto pathetic attempts to find nice restaurants. The best food we have found has been fast food (empanadas) and street food. Despite Nate's devious but ultimately unsuccessful endeavor to keep it for himself, we were able to enjoy--how does one say, Nate?--delicious Mote con Huesillos: a peach flavored tea containing whole, peeled peaches and whole wheat grains.

We visited the house of Pablo Neruda, a poet who won the Nobel Prize, visited a huge statue of the Virgin Mary which overlooks Santiago, and went to see a cartoon in the cinema (Erin thought it would be simple enough even for us to understand).

We also have been having lots of fun playing scrabble and wandering Santiago, inventing new games, such as our own version of "Where´s Waldo?": "Spot the Gringo!"

Disclaimer: All references to Nate are completely fictional and not meant to indicate any person living or dead, now or in the past or future. This blog should in no way be construed to mean Nate is not actually our Second Favorite Person in Chile.