For Janyce~*

This image of the Virgin Mary was taken in San Cristobal Park

Here is the church you asked to learn more about. It is located in the vineyard Santa Rita.
It was built by a father as a gift to his daughter.

Inside of church - Catholic, of course

I was torn between stepping into the pulpit or the confessional..........

What were we thinking?

All sorts of things come to mind:
innocence, segregation, stoicism, art imitating life, cloning, hope, zoos, fantasy, love, perpetuation of a species, religion, conditioning, apathy, play, cryonics, a warm bed and hot chocolate with sprinkles!

nemesis and dance partner

Meet my Chilean nemesis and dance partner!

We had many arguments... which in the end led to me perfecting the two step-hop and curse~* Although frustrating and scalding - Mr. Blanco Agua was a very good teacher.

Chile, 1-0 qualifiying for the World Cup 2010

Picture above: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/19/20081016/img/psp-chile-argentina-wcup-so-2c04622aba74.html

Here: http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/?cc=5700

A tidal wave of emotion rose up and crashed thru the streets of Santiago last night - when Chile ripped from Argentina a win that would have placed them in the finals... instead Chileans chanted in the streets, strangers were embracing and horns were honking ALLLLLLLL night long! Sound better than sex? It was... for a moment :) There's no way to bottle that patriotism - it just flooded the city - permeating every wall and every soul. Extremely contagious, live it, love it... or get the hell out~* he!d!

El Teniento - worlds largest underground blockcaving copper/moly mine

Joysticks are bilingual - whew~*
(Heidi trying to crush rocks via remote)

This was your grandfathers copper mine!

Today - it's the most modern underground copper/moly block caving operation in the world.
Level 6 - Pipa Norte

El Teniente - CODELCO - Chile
100+ years mined... maybe 80+ more in the vault
8 underground levels, 9th being constructed
We explored levels 5 & 6... I was literally in AWE!!!

10 Mile... and we're not talkin' Micheal Mathers here

flowers in Castillo Hidalgo park

most expressive

refreshing stop at the market

I'm puzzled over this one... do you see the little trees planted a top each pillar?

building reflecting building

10 miles round trip - - - took sooo many more photos, but wanted to share the more abstract & less obvious beauty I could find on my walk~*

How to use a bidet...

Now get this right the first time - believe me it's a work out.......

1. Use the toilet first. The purpose of the bidet is to help clean off after toilet use. While some people believe that using a bidet is a hygienic substitute for toilet paper, many choose to use both.
2. Straddle the bidet. On most stand alone bidets you can either face the bidet's water controls or you can face away from them, as you would on a toilet. It is easier to control the flow and temperature of the water if you face the controls, but if you are wearing pants you will generally need to remove them in order to straddle the bidet in this manner. There are a variety of bidet designs, so the configuration of the jets and the area of your body that you wish to clean may dictate which way you need to face.
3. Adjust the temperature and jet strengths for comfort. If the bidet has both hot and cold water controls, start by turning on the hot water. Once it's hot, add the cold water until you have a comfortable temperature. (In normally hot climates, such as the middle east, you should start with the cold water. The water will not need time to heat up and you may end up burning sensitive areas if you turn the hot water on first.)
   
   • Be very careful when turning on the water, as many bidets can produce a very high jet of water with only a slight turn of the control.
   • Be sure that you know where the water will be coming from ahead of time, or you could end up with a surprise shower.
   • You may find that you need to hold the control to keep the jets on.
4. Position yourself over the water jets so that the jets hit the desired area. For some bidets you can continue to hover above the bidet or you can sit down on it. Note that most bidets don't have seats, but are still meant to be sat upon; you just sit directly on the rim. Some bidets do not have jets, but instead simply have a faucet that fills the basin, as you would fill a sink basin.
5. Clean anal area and/or genitals. Generally, you simply allow the jets to clean the desired area without having to use your hands. If there are no jets, you will need to use your hands to assist in bathing. You can use soap if you want to, applying it just as you would in the shower.
6. Dry your skin. Some bidets have a built-in air dryer that you can use. For others, simply pat dry with toilet paper. Many bidets have a towel on a ring positioned next to the bidet, but this is often intended for drying hands.
7. Rinse out the bidet. Once you are off the bidet, run the jets at very low pressure for a few seconds to rinse the basin and keep the bidet fresh.
8. Wash your hands with soap and water, as you would any time after using the toilet.

http://www.wikihow.com/Use-a-Bidet

whew... got it? GOOD!

bike the city then walk home

la bicicleta verde - what an awesome tour! If you like to play as hard as you work or just like to play... this is the tour for you... and ME! We took bikes around Santiago and wheeled thru the parks and followed a trail of stories that basically left me feeling like I was reliving Chilean history and politics from the past 2-3 centuries.
little plug for peddling :)
www.labicicletaverde.com

Our tour group - Guide in Green - Nico!
And since I have no problem forgetting names (it's one of my strengths actually) so I won't even try to remember who they all were... but I can tell you where they are all from:
(from left to right)
Nico - Salt Lake City (lives in Santiago)
Santiago - it's home :)
uh-oh ... somewhere USA - works at the US Embasy in Santiago
Anchorage - just me
Germany - spending 4 weeks in Patagonia with freinds (nice!)

Or I could just call them: Nico, Peter, John and Carlos :)

a small portion of a painting in the coffee/icecream shop

Salvador Allende wrapped in the Chilean flag

*~unfortunately his rule weighed heavy on Chile - followed by a heavier Pinochet FIST*~

38, a very dark place - say no more

Tomorrow brings exploration of the celebrated culture of Chile... museums, arts, sculpture and miles of walking, smooch~*

Peter, John, Carlos, Ricardo, Jorge or Nicko

I went back to see "Peter, John or Carlos (for those more intimate with the man)" - he had this to say to you doubters - you may be one of his illegitimate sons or daughters - so be careful who's craft you make fun of! He is quite the fun story :)

On a walk around the city today I met Peter. He asked me something in Spanish... and I guess by the puzzled look on my face he tried English - "What do you need?" I laughed and told him that I was just studying the metro map, but thanked him for his help. We chatted for 10 minutes and he invited me to have coffee or tea. At a nearby Italian restaurant we enjoyed a cup of tea. Peter told me about growing up in Chile, and at the age of 8 his mother died. His father shortly there after remarried - he commented that his fathers new wife did not like Peter very much... so at 16 he left home. He got on a boat from Chile and ended up in Houston. Then from there he went to Puerto Rico, Canada and France looking for a new home. Finally after 8 months of hoping around the world, Peter found himself in Switzerland. There he met an man who introduced him to his wife - the two of them took Peter in and let him live with them. He told me with great humility that they paid for everything even his schooling and university. He is now an economist... and economist that feels Gov Palin would make a fine President of the USA... (hmmmm - lol). I won't go into all the compliments he bathed me with - but considering I was in South America I just braced myself and let them wash over me. He could tell I was visibly uncomfortable with being studied and complimented as a feminine creature. I know those that know me will appreciate this one - he commented at how 'quick witted' I was! haha
Peter took a new name while living in Switzerland - he changed his name from John to Peter S. to show his love and appreciation for the family that really helped him become who he is today. The university in Switzerland is calling for him to return the end of October, so he will be moving back and offered to buy me a ticket to visit... (how flattering... but there was some catch in there like sending him a photo of me in my beach suit for his wallet). The man was hillarious, adorable and absolutely charming! Now... if only he were 30 years younger! Long live Peter~*

Vineyard visit - Oct 9

almonds

Black Necked Swan