Los pintures

As traveling goes, plans changed once again. We missed our bus to the mountains, walked around Mendoza in the hot sun looking for a hostel when Monica finally had it and dropped her bag and called a cab to the nearest open hostel. That night, we were on the terrace making up songs and drinking an unthinkable amount of beer, when a group of chilean painters came out and joined the party. Immediately, they picked up any nearby instrument they saw and jammed. Kristin got in impromptu harmonica lesson. She learned it´s all about moving those arms and respirating like no body´s business! Without really knowing why or what they do, we were invited to paint with them the next few days. We woke up late, weird right, and met them at a near by city building, called the Municipulidad de Godoy Cruz. There, we helped finish painting a mural in celebration of the bicentennario anniversay 2010, commemorating Chile and Argentina´s independence from Spain. We painted with people from Canada, France, Brazil, U.S., England, Argentina and Chile. The next day, we returned to paint, but in a more rustic part of town. This building was an old school building and the mural we painted was to help inspire learning, reading, music, art and creativity for the kids. We later came to find out this group, called Colectivo Brigada Ramona Parra (BRP), travels the world painting murals depicting history, peace, justice and human rights for the people. It was truly incredible to be a part of this and meeting this amazing politically charged group of people! It was all by chance of circumstance and we thank them for sharing the experience with us! They were just invited to paint in Barcelona, Spain in October! We wish them the best of luck and hope to see them and their art in the U.S.!

tour de Maipu

Our first week in Mendoza we decided venture to the vineyards in Maipu on bike for a day filled with a ton of wine, fresh olives, liquor dulce, chocolate, and gourmet lunch. We rode on old cusier bikes with map in hand. We only managed to visit a few of the wineries because we took a detour and treated ourselves to homemade lasagna and two bottles of wine making the ride to the next place that much more fun. We highly recommend this experience!

Afternoon Delight (in Santiago)

We took a week long detour stop in Santiago to hang with some chileanos we met on the beach a few weeks prior. Our intention was to stay for maybe one or two nights, but after being spoiled with homemade comida, a bed, nice shower, laundry, 3 pm siesta and great company, we stayed a little longer. Our friends, Nick and Xavier, took us on a hike up Bella Vista to get a good view of the city and to try a little salvia. Que bueno! The next day, we jammed with guitars, melodica, and beers poolside. That night was full on debauchery filled with piscoliiiiiiiiiiiiiiita, cards and Jack Johnson. Nick´s friend Orlando is the Jack Johnson jukebox! You name it, he´ll play it! Muchas gracias to our Santiago friends for showing us a great time and giving us a true home for a week! We finished the trip visiting San Cristobal, the Museo de Bella Artes, and helado. We said our farewells and ventured into the busiest bus terminal eva! The bus that night was the worst to date. There was little to no air, crying babies, broken chairs and NO SLEEP. All part of the adventure! Onward to the bodegas of Mendoza!

Viva la Chocopanda!

The mullet is back in a big way in Chile. In fact, it´s rampant. We´ve seen them big, small, brown, blonde, long, short, spiky, curly, straight, fish tail, motorboat, whoville, flip up, curl under, rat tail, helmet, dready, hammertime, 10/90, business in tha front/partay in tha back, shemullets, old, young, and evrathang in between. We have decided to document the mania, and in fact have written a little tune dedicated to the chocopanda. You see, many years ago there was a man selling ice cream, otherwise known as chocopanda, who doned this peculiar hairdo. People took notice but it really took off when a man in a popular spanish soap opera flaunted a mullet. From there, it has spread like wildfire, and thus is called chocopanda en español and thrives today. Viva la chocopanda!!

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Saddle-up!

Scallops by the sea...

Just a few hours south of Iquique is a small quaint port-town named Bahia Inglesa. We camped here for a few days enjoying paddle ball and piscola with our neighbors. Piscola is a favorite Chilean drink and the Pisco Sour is their national drink. Our last day we treated ourselves to some fresh scallops right on the waterfront.
Today we arrived in La Serana, another cute beachtown. We are trying to make it up to Elqui Valley to tour the pisco distilleries and for a little horseback riding.