15Feb14
Hemos llegado a Valdivia. Here’s Chris chillin’ before our bus ride, along with the nasty fire we saw in Temuco along the way.
Someone told us today that most firefighters in Chile are volunteers. Wild!
By far, Valdivia is one of the most beautiful cities we’ve been to in Chile. It’s so green, with several rivers crossing through it. It’s a major college town and is one of the cities with some German influence.
Our Airbnb host Yanette and her 14-year-old son picked us up at the bus station. We were originally going to stay in a room in their house, but their cottage is currently empty so we got an upgrade. She stocked the kitchen with bread, cheese, ham, jam, juice and cake for us. And she treats us like family.
Today, her husband had to pagar el piso (literal translation is “pay the floor”) and she invited us to join them. Her husband explained that, in Chile, when you get a new job, it’s customary to invite your boss and his/her family over to your house and entertain them. They barbecued and drank beers, and we spoke Spanish with all of them for two straight hours. It was lots of fun, but a challenge because it requires a lot of focus in order to understand.
They have three dogs, one of which is also age 15! Meet Lucas.
We checked out the Feria Fluvial today, as well as just wandered around downtown. Tomorrow we’re going to hop on a boat and explore the river.
