HA! Back from the Ends of the Earth!

Saludos!

Just got into Puerto Montt, which is an insane port city at the mouth of a bay in the 10th Region of Chile. Was just in the 12th Region, which is for reals very, very close to freakin' Antartica! I have so, so many adventures to tell you about--

The most dramatic landscapes you can imagine: in the Chilean Patagonia
Some of the most beautiful and amusing people I have ever met
The comedy they brought into my life
Bad-ass hiking & dropping some pounds, finally
Adorable penguins (sorry, Andrew, you shoulda been there)

I am now headed to continue the vacation, realizing a dream--a bike tour of the Chiloé islands and some of the parks in the Lakes District. Alexana just went back up to Santiago and I'm off to find more travelling companions. Wish me luck. I promise to be safe (no La Paz repeat)!

Oh, and did you hear the good news about Pinochet? That huevón finally got arrested for the Condor slayings! Since I just got back to civilization, I don't have a good sense of what all is going on, but I assure you this is Progress.

More later--I get back to Santiago (free internet there=completing the blog) around Christmas and meet up with my punk-ass brother for a 2 1/2 week circuit through Argentina (including Montevideo, Uruguay and a national park in Paraguay), getting back to Chicago on Jan. 13th. Oh dear, what will I do about this blog when I am no longer "yendo a Chile" (as in Corrie "va a (goes to) Chile")?

Hope you are well. You should be here with me! Merry, merry Christmas and Happy Hannukah!