chile IV of IV

Okay, so here's the last photos from Chile. I try to be brief and only include the best photos, but when you take so many, it's hard not to show at least some of them. And it's like showing off a great country, or a great relative or friend - you just can't say enough about how wonderful they are.

Being half Chilean, I feel a sense of pride and belonging, I was interested to still discover. I was surprised that after 15 years of absence it is still strong. If outsiders spoke disparagingly about Chile, I found myself feeling personally miffed. Sheesh, I thought, and who are you?  So many things, the imperfect and the chaotic too, felt perfect just as they were.

cactus fruit - tunas - prickly pears

eating a yummy cake I used to have as a kid 

so it wasn't only my Abuelita who saved everything in the soups :)

Tia Martita 

The two guests didn't decide fast enough between our two favorite cakes,
so the next time we turned around there were two cakes!

Tio Lucho discusses the higher points of life with Casey

the famous soups - of all varieties 

a door like many others

another neighborhood street early in the morning

with Mom

tried Sangria for the first time with these great folks in Valpo
- it's pretty darn good