Jugar en enero (playing in January)

   


        Happy New Year!

The year started off with a bang, as you can see from the pictures Mike took from our apartment terrace!  If you read the last blog we actually completed all the tasks you're supposed to do in Chile to bring good luck in 2011.  I've included a picture of the girls completing one of the tasks.

On January 1st we took a trip to a beach in Dachato the town that was hit worst by the tsunami last February. 

There isn't much in the town of Dachato, as you can see by the picture.  The University of Concepcion's marine station used to be located here but it will be a while before they can rebuild!

However, the beaches around Dachato are great!

Little did we know as we were driving home there was a 7.0 quake south of us near Temuco.  Luckily there was no damage or injuries!  Looks like 2011 is off to a good start.

January has gotten off to a nice relaxing begining.  We haven't gone on any big trips since this is actually Mike's busiest time!  The girls are taking swim lessons in a small lake by our house in the mornings and then we try to stay on track academically by homeschooling.  This has been my biggest challenge as a teacher! However, the girls are getting their work done so I think they'll be on track next September.

Ella has mastered the backstroke.

Juan Carlos made Mabel feel right at home.

Mabel learning to do the torpedo with her teacher, Ursula.

We've been to a few parks and fairs during the Chilean summer.  It fun to explore more of what is in our own backyard.  Believe it or not Concepcion is home to a Jurassic Park of it's own.  Right next to the dinos there is a great Natural History museum.  We're going to have to go back because we didn't have enough time to take it all in!

Watch our Mabel!!  He looks hungry.

We also went to a fair in Parque Equador (in Concepcion).  This is when Ella recognized one of her swimming teachers was working at a climbing wall so Ella gave it a try.  She surprised everyone, including herself, with her ability.  They even gave her a helmet once they saw what she could do!

We now call Ella, Spidergirl!

On the next weekend, while Mike was working, the girls and I headed to find a garden in the next town south of Concepcion. As a family we had tried to find this garden a couple of times without success so this time failure was not an option!  After testing all my Spanish abilities and asking for directions three times we made it to Parque Lota!!!

The earthquake a year ago had some major impacts on this botanical garden.

The flowers that were blooming were spectacular!

As we've been out and about learning to swim and climb Mike has been hard at work preparing for and then surviving his week long course teaching graduate students from all over South America about the carbon cycle. He said the students were fantastic, really motivated.  They all stayed after 7pm working on their homework assignments!  Yes, Mike is a mean professor, giving lots of work to be completed outside of class time.  He taught the class in English and there were mostly female students, many from Brazil.  Mike had a great time!

Once Mike finished the course we headed a few hours south to finally go camping and relax after not spending much time together.  Our Spanish teacher set us up with all the camping equipment we would need, including a small tent for the girls to share on their own.  When we arrived at Lago Lleu Lleu we found camping in Chile is a bit different then what happens in Montana.

They really pack them in at campgrounds here.

Though the camping area was crowded it was surprisingly tranquil and quite.  Typically whole extended families came to camp together.  The folks next to us had been at the campsite for a month with their grandmother who was wheelchair bound.  Nothing stops these folks!  The Chileans stay up really late at night (we are wimps) but they are quiet, except for the Evangelical accordion player a couple of sites down from us.

Our campsite.

Ella and I swam to the small island.

Swimming with a new friend Sophia.

Ella designing an airplane out of sticks and grass.

We stayed for two days and survived a nice rain storm without any adverse affects.  The trip was a really great success.  We are ready to go out on many more camping adventures after this maiden voyage.

We've been here 5 months now and feel very comfortable with our life in Concepcion.  Our one big challenge is the ever present language barrier.  Even with our lack of skills we now feel much more confident with our ability to get whatever needs doing done.  We continue to love reading and hearing about all that is happening in the US.  Please stay in touch!

Love from Ella, Mabel, Mike, and Kate