Great Day - Bad Day

All was going so well. Yesterday my folks and I did "Part II" of the Santiago tour, since we had spent so much of the first day at one place and didn't see everything we wanted to. We got to a few more places that I had yet to see, even after my month here, things I'd been wanting to do since arriving. We saw the palace, the main market, the oldest church in Santiago and the main city plaza, filled with outdoor coffe shops, street performers and vendors. I love those!

In the evening we were set to meet up with Edgar y Maria for dinner. I was a little apprehensive about how it would go since the FULL burden of any form of communication between my parents and them would have to go through me. When my mom and I stopped over there the one day to pick some of my things up, Maria, who is an incessant... and super FAST... talker just went on and on, like somehow she couldn't grasp that my mom didn't understand one word she was saying. There were no pauses for me to translate anything! At one point I had left the room and Maria just kept chattering away, while my mom sat with a blank look on her face. So I was hesitant about a whole evening of that. It turns out I had nothing to worry about.

We met at their house and they greeted us with aperitifs, hors d' oeuvres and, incredibly, flowers for my mom and a gift for my dad. Seriously, could they be any nicer? And somehow the conversation just flowed, which sounds odd, I realize. Maria slowed down and allowed me to translate everything and my parents and they were able to have a "conversation". Whew!

We got to the restaurant about 9 (a half hour later than our reservation, still gotta love the whole time system down here) and we were, I kid you not, one of two tables in the whole place. On weekends, no one goes out before 10. We were like those groups of old people who go out for dinner at 4 pm to get the "early bird" specials! Anyhow, it was probably for the best as the restaurant was quiet so it was easier for me to hear so I could do all of the translation. We shared great food, wine, conversation and laughter. And I realized once again just how very much I am going to miss Edgar y Maria. But it was pretty cool to be able to sit at the table with both my parents and my "Chilean grandparents". Great times!

We had plans today to go to a rodeo, complete with traditionally dressed huasos (Chilean cowboys) and everything. My dad LOVES that stuff. He came down here with only two requests: to go up into the Andes mountains and to see some real South American cowboys so I was so excited to have found a rodeo within driving distance during the time they were here!

And then..... I got sick. Really sick. Middle-of-the-night-up-six-times sick. I got up this morning intending to go anyhow but then just couldn't do it. Even a slight movement made me feel nauseous. I couldn't believe it. I have been here for a month and a half and haven't been sick a day, only to get really sick the ONE day that we could arrange the rodeo. I felt soooo bad. I still feel bad. My dad's over it but I'm still feeling serious guilt. What a shame to waste a whole day of their time here! So now the pressure's really on to make the one other of his two requests, the day in the mountains, seriously rock! It will have to be TWICE as good! Will get right on that....