Settling In

Friday, 30 June 2018

I took this as we were driving to Santiago. Find better pictures of this landscape here

The kids were quite
bored on the 6 hour
drive to Santiago.
Keenan sent this
picture to a friend
of his with the text:
I hate Bolivia.
Apparently the smile
is a ruse. Every time
 I ask if he's enjoying

himself, he adamantly 

denies it.

There's not much to do when you're new in town.

 

Here's the story of this next picture: When we had only been in Santiago for a day or so, we visited the Whitaker farm. We asked the teens if they wanted to go for a hike with us (see link and picture at the top of the page for what the landscape looks like). I didn't want to go because my leg is healing from a repetitive use injury, and Keenan didn't want to go because he just wanted to stop traveling around all over the place. 

I had started to walk slowly towards

home when I saw the Whitaker's 

jeep / truck coming down the road,

loaded with everyone who was going 

on the hike. I flagged them down and 

asked for a ride. Keenan got in the 

back seat / trunk area, which looked 

a little bit like a barrel of monkeys, 

but with a bit more space. There 

were Whitaker teens, Wilson 

children, and a smattering of 

more stereotypical Bolivians. 

When everyone returned home, Juliette came up to me with a sad face, but I didn't understand what she was saying. Jon came in and explained that they didn't notice that JJ was missing until they reached the trailhead, which was a 30 minute drive from where they'd started. 

Apparently, Mother Whitaker had also been unaware that Juliette had been left behind. She had been playing with the chickens so contentedly, and when Mother realized what had happened, she just let her continue to play. Although JJ was upset at having been left behind, and put on her best pouty face when she was reunited with me, she happily reported that she had performed some dances for Mother and for the customers who had come to buy milk at the farm that day. 

We have started cleaning up the property where we hope to build a home.

The previous owner is giving us tips and pointers on the house building project. Interestingly, he is an Italian who's lived in Santiago for a decade or two. He also sings in the choir.