16Feb14
Travel is humbling. We took the #20 micro (a small public bus) today to Niebla, a small town west of Valdivia near the Pacific. Or so we thought.
We told the driver we were looking for the feria costumbrista, and when our stop came, he told us and we happily got off the bus. We ended up at this wonderful fair with food, music, and great people-watching. We saw the word “costumbrista” on some signs. And with the view (see above photo), we weren’t complaining.
When we got back, the family we’re staying with asked us about our day. The father, Claudio, asked me if we went into the ocean. I said, “No! It’s too far, but we saw the river.” He looked at me like I was crazy because he said the ocean was only six meters away. When I showed him the photos, he said, “Oh, you didn’t go to the feria costumbrista. Or you did, but in Piojo — not Niebla.”
Shoot! Guess we’ll have to try again tomorrow. At least it was beautiful. Doesn’t Valdivia look like the Pacific Northwest? We’ll leave you with a couple photos from the boat tour on the river.
