I'm going to Chile!

Ermahgerd, I’m going to Chile today! I had a few PBRs and Miller Lites yesterday, which means I have yet to pack for the next 3 weeks.  Normally, I wouldn’t stress about packing, but I’m planning on doing a wee bit of trekking and horseback riding in southern Chile, so I need some gear to deal with the cold weather.  See, it’s still beautiful here in the US as it transitions from summer to fall.  But in Chile, spring is just starting to rear it’s lovely head.  And that means that it’s going to be cold in the southern part of the country.  

So I should probably pack waterproof pants, a jacket, gloves, a balaclava, long underwear, a fleece or 3, wool socks, and waterproof hiking boots, right?  Hey, there’s my packing list! 

Really, I don’t plan on doing serious outdoor activities until I’m on my own for 5 days in Pucon.  But in those few days, I plan on hiking up a 9,000 ft volcano that requires crampons, horseback riding through Mapucho country, and being ultra lazy in some hot springs.  

Before Pucon, I will chill in Santiago with my wonderful friend Rachel, and explore wine country and Valparaiso with Rachel, Jason, and Janie.  Then Jason and Janie will go back to Texas, where they’ve discovered the motherland of peopleofwalmart.com.  And after running around Pucon on my own, I will go meet Rachel in Puerto Montt, and we’ll take a bus to the island of Chiloe for a few days of seafood, wooden churches, and God knows what else.  

Did I mention that Chile is the ultimate destination for steak, carmenere wine, and pisco sours?  My blog posts over the next 3 weeks may or may not be influenced by the above substances.  You’ve been warned.  Salud!