build a deck, get a home

I arrived at the hostal yesterday morning, a day before they were ready to receive me. I had been before, and perhaps misjudged their hospitality, for when I arrived my bed wasn´t made and they were clearly more concerned with working on the garden than entertaining me, but Gonzalo said his usual ¨this is your house¨ so I dropped of my bags and hit the town.

I had a stomach bug today, perhaps due to too much coffee and sweets (my staple foods here in Chile, and even at home when I´m there!). I managed to sneak back into the hostal late, around 11 PM, get under the covers, and not wake up until 11 AM this morning, feeling better.

After picking up my clean clothes and grabbing breakfast at my favorite cafe, overlooking the lake and volcano, I went to Puerto Gres - a local pottery shop in town that sells very unique, high quality pieces. I decided to buy myself a few things - call it a house-warming present for my apartment, which doesn´t even have a kitchen big enough to hold my new mugs, sugar container, and cream holder. Coffee is my passion, and a big part of my life, so I know I will enjoy these things despite having the room to store them.

In addition to going back to school to become a vet, I think I will open a cafe in denver. Oh yeah, and independent film theatre as well...and my dog sitting business. Where was I? Ah yes, telling you about my day.

I decided to help Gonzalo with the garden, and instead we got started on building a deck - something I have never done. We started from scratch - removing wooden panels from the rear of the house, based on how much wood we had, determining how big to make the deck. We measured, we hammered, we dug, and the deck is starting to take shape! It felt good. Gonzalo offered me his yard as a gift, saying it was mine if I wanted to move to Puerto Varas and camp for the rest of my life. To most people this might seem odd or like the worst gift ever, but for me, this was a miracle. Such a generous offer, one I just might take him up on one day - at least for a summer.

Imagine sleeping under the stars on warm, balmy nights, surrounded by a beautifully landscaped garden, just a few feet from a door, behind which is a bouldering cave! Waking up, strolling the few hundred feet to a tranquil, turquoise lake at the base of a volcano, strolling a few hundred more feet to the pier where you watch the sun rise, and strolling the last few hundred feet to a cafe that serves the best cortado (coffee with cream) in Chile. Yeah, a great gift.

At 5 the pachamama crew arrived (a new guide this time - yerson), and 4 aussie girls. Tonight Yerson is making us pasta - vegetarian for me. I liked him instantly. Minutes after we met he showed me his keychain, which looked like a mapuche tribesman carved out of wood. Pull his feet, Yerson suggested, and with a raised brow I did so, discovering that upon doing this a carved penis emerged from beneath the figurines wooden attire.

OH Yerson...