Surprises in the South, La Piojera, and San Cristobal

The gap in time between this and the last entry is thanks to a short and unexpected trip to the south with my Tia Sarays. Tia Sarays was the Tia we hardly ever saw because she always stayed in the country running the farm and never came to the city. All I ever really knew about her was that she married my dad's brother Oscar and she's mum to my cousins Claudia, Leo, David and Nona. Well wouldn't you know it, my Tia Sarays rocks! She's tough as nails and bright as a button. She's got guts, enthusiasm and ideas and she wants a bite of the latest cherry to arrive in the south, Tourism. I have NO DOUBT she will do very well.

Upon returning to Santiago I discovered another interesting surprise - a cocktail called Terremotos or Earthquakes. I think the name was chosen by the first person to suffer from the hangover they give you. I spent the WHOLE of the next day driving the poceline bus or curled up in bed. Who the hell cames up with the idea of mixing cheap white wine with home-brew, and adding a dolop of pineapple icecream??? I discovered these drinks when I inadvertantly became the butt of a stand-up comics' jokes. After a good dose of ribbing about the hair, the piercings, the accent and Kangaroos in general, there came a joke involving these monstrosities. He asked if knew what he was talking about and when I said no, he refused to go on with the show until I agreeded to shout him one after the gig. They make these drinks at a place called La Piojera (The Nittery? Sounds less gross in spanish) Apparently this is a pretty dodgy dive given the reaction from my family when I told them where I went. Either way, met a lovely bunch of people there and got rawcously drunk. It was just what I needed.

The most recent surprise I had was going to the zoo at the hill San Cristobal today. When I think of zoo, I'm thinking Toronga or Western Plains Zoo. A place of education, respect and kindness. This is clearly not what all zoos are about. The only things I really enjoyed about this zoo were the Giraffs and the Flamengos. Girraffs think they are the only normal creatures on the planet, everyone else is missing something. And Flamengos are so vane they LOVE being stared at.