I have been in Chile for 5 days now. It is wonderful to be here. As I flew out of Dallas late last Tuesday night, the full moon was rising in the darkness outside my window. All week long the moon had been waxing fuller and fuller, drawing me like a tide to Chile, and Catherine. After flying all night and watching the thinnest sliver of sunrise over the sawtooth Andes from 30,000 feet, we dropped down through the thick clouds and caught glimpes of vibrant green fields outside of Santiago.After a 4 hour layover in Santiago and a one hour flight to Concepción, I was met at the Concepción bus terminal by Luz Maria, Rodrigo's girl friend. She was kind enough to meet me there and take the one hour bus ride back from Concepción to Chillán with me. As we rode the bus, the scenery outside the window reminded me of Oregon in the winter - green coastal range hills with small farms and vineyards (one difference here is the common sight of orange trees.) As we approached Chillán, we could see a dramatic bright rainbow lifting up out of the center of the city. That looked like a pretty good omen to me.
At one point on the ride, Luz Maria looked out the window and commented on la calle mojada, which transported me into the lyrics of the Victor Jara song te recuerdo Amanda. Actually, since I have been here I have felt like I am living inside Jara's images, including a woman with la sonrisa ancha at the Police Station who was registering my passport and visa.
At the center of this new world, it is most wonderful to be reunited with mi amor, Catherine, after a three and a half week separation. Despite almost constant rain and raw weather, our house is toasty with two wood stoves. After years of dreaming together and all the busy-ness of the past six months getting ready for this year's adventure, it is great to finally be here together, living in it instead of preparing for it.
