To San Pedro de Atacama

We spent the weekend at the beach town of Algarrobo for a church retreat.

We enjoyed some great time outdoors.
And good food and fellowship at the Bank of Chile lodge where we stayed.
After the weekend was over, we continued our journey up north to the Atacama desert, stopping for lunch the second day in Copiapo. The Greek themed Empanadopolis served dozens of varieties of mouthwatering empanadas, turning the humble meal into a gourmet feast.
Further up north on interstate 5 (the Panamerican highway), the shore and the desert meet, creating expansive beaches like Bahia Inglesa--English Beach.
Raise your hand if you've seen the quick-sand monument.

On the third day we stopped for lunch in Antofagasta, northern Chile.

It was a dusty day at the Tropic of Capricorn, the farthest north I have been since arriving in Chile.

1,500 kilometers later, our weary journey was over, and we arrived in the dusty town of San Pedro de Atacama in the high desert. It didn't look like we were at 8,000 feet, because everything was flat. But the night air was cold, and we used all the blankets that night.

USS George Washington

We spent the day as control officers for a trip with my boss's boss's boss's boss and his colleague from Europe. Since we were fairly well acquainted with the foggy port city of Valpraiso, the trip went fairly smoothly. We also visited some nice vineyards in the town of Casa Blanca on the way.

A few days later we were back in Valpraiso again. The carrier battle group led by the USS George Washington (CVN-73) was in port, with outreach activities on board and in town. 70 thousand tons of diplomacy and thousands of sailors. Some of us from the Embassy were privileged to spend time on board at the invitation of the captain. Representatives from nearly every embassy in Chile were also present. We were ferried out to the carrier, hidden off shore in the fog.

After a very long ride, the George Washington's hulk became apparent in the mist.

We were warmly welcomed on board and enjoyed a sumptuous reception and given permission to explore the ship. The sailors were very professional and courteous.

Th flight operations deck was larger than I had imagined. 30+ acres of various aircraft, draped in the setting sun over the Pacific. The deck seemed as large as a mall parking lot.

At sunset the colors lowered for the night and the ship's bridge was bathed in light while security continued its vigil over the waters.

Out of the Woodwork

The islanders of Chiloe pride themselves on their fancy home woodwork. No plastic siding here--its all wooden shingles, each home trying to out-do the neighbors.

We spent the weekend in the little German hamlet of Puerto Varas on Lake Osorno. The bed & breakfast we stayed at--Casa Azul--was warm and cozy, and had one of the best breakfasts we have eaten in a while. Delicious muesli and eggs, among other items like breads and jams.
We spent another day hiking around Volcan Osorno and enjoyed views of Lago Todo Los Santos (All Saints' Lake).