Christmas in El Tabo, Part IV: A Road Trip to Algorrobo

Once Rodrigo had cleaned and dressed, he brought me across the street from Jorge's shop to the 'artisan market,' where he sold his wares.  The three of us, along with Jorge's mom, were going on a week long trip down south the next day and he needed to pick up some things for the stay.

The artisan markets are very popular in Chile.  They're much like a flea market here in the U.S., only the wares are much nicer.  Real artisans occupy the booths offering all sorts of unique items, from toys to homemade clothes (my Mapuche jacket came from Rodrigo's friend at the market.), jewelry, knick-knacks and much more.

The experience of walking through the market to Rodrigo's booth with him helped me see just how much of a sweetheart he really is.  His place was towards the back, and we stopped at least three or four times because fellow artisans wanted to chit chat with him. One such vendor, Evelyn, was just getting ready to close her booth for the day and apparently she needed a ride somewhere from what I could discern from their conversation.

I was right.  The woman needed to get to Algorrobo, a seaside town up the coast where her son was working in a restaurant.  They were going to meet and make their way home.  Of course, Rodrigo offered her the ride in Jorge's car, and once Rodri had gathered his belongings, we took a nice little ride up the coast.

Algorrobo is a beautiful, touristy place about a half-hour ride north from El Tabo.  The entire ride up was filled with scenic vistas everywhere and spectacular views of the Pacific.  Somewhere along the ride, Jorge pointed out the Pablo Neruda House, a place where he'd once been a curator in his younger days.  For any of you who don't know Pablo Neruda, he was a famous Chilean writer and poet and Jorge has some pretty fascinating stories from his days there.

I sooo wanted to stop somewhere along the way, and after we dropped Evelyn off, that's just what we did.  A little bit past where we dropped her at the restaurant, there was this spectacular beach laid out in front of these resort-like apartments.  Jorge had told me about the place because I remembered him talking about the world's largest swimming pool, which sat right there between the apartments and the Pacific. Unfortunately, the pool wasn't open to the public, but it was immense and a site to see!

Jorge parked the car and the three of us walked around a bit and took some pictures.  We didn't stay long, though, because by then it was already almost 8:00 p.m. and we had more things to do.  The next day was our trip down south and we still had to take showers (a luxury) and dinner at mama's, get home to pack, and get some shut eye before the long, twelve hour drive.  We got back into the car to go back to El Tabo and that's when the phone rang...

to be continued...

Check out the first three parts of Christmas in El Tabo:

Christmas Eve

A Christmas Morning Surprise

Christmas Lunch and a Visit to Patricio's

Christmas in El Tabo, Part III: Christmas Lunch and a Visit to Patricio's

Once Rodrigo's family had gone on their way to their cabin in Algorrobo, it was time to return to mama's ranch for some Christmas lunch, which was basically leftovers from the night before.  The only thing different this time was the first course, a blandish soup consisting of one big potato, some noodles, and a strange looking piece of barbecued meat.

Now here's one of those times when my not-so-fluent Spanish got the best of me.  Rodrigo could see that I was a little confused as to the contents of the soup and he tried explaining it to me.  In his description, I thought he said the word 'conejo,' which means 'rabbit.'  I smiled and nodded, but inside I was completely grossed out!  I'm pretty adventurous when it comes to new foods, but rabbits are sooooo cute!  I'd never eaten rabbit before, and I really would never want to.

frugal-cafe

Not to be rude, I ate the contents of the soup...all of it...and oh so slowly, too.  I later confirmed from Jorge that it was not rabbit in the soup, but beef cooked a special way.  I wish I'd found out earlier...the whole thing would have definitely gone down smoother!

By the time dinner was finished it was nearly 5 o'clock already.  Between getting up late and it being summer, there were still plenty of daylight hours left (the sun is up even longer down there than here in NY...it sets at almost 10 o'clock!), so even though we'd had a full day in just five hours, there was still plenty to come on this eventful Christmas Day.  Our next stop was to visit Jorge's cousin Patricio, who lived nearby mama's house.

Patricio is an eccentric fellow, for sure.  He's got a lot of money and according to Jorge he has so much of it he doesn't know how to spend it.  I'd bought a laptop computer and a karaoke machine (those Chileans LOVE their karaoke!) for him at Best Buy and we were delivering the items to him.

Much of Patricio's wealth comes from the property he owns, which is expansive and takes up much of the hillside where Jorge's mom and other family members live.  On the way to his house, Jorge had explained that Patricio likes to buy 'stuff,' and he wasn't kidding.  Oh, the show Hoarders would love to visit this house!  The man's immense home was filled to the brim with huge collections of all sorts of things, from Matchbox cars to dolls, plates, videotapes...you name it.  Virtually every inch of the house was filled with some sort of collection.

The house itself was very old fashioned and very beautiful.  It actually reminded me of a much larger version of a 19th Century house I once lived in and I wouldn't mind living in it.  I quickly found out even before seeing the collectibles that 'things' weren't the only items Patricio liked to collect.  Upon our arrival, we were greeted by not only Jorge's cousin, but by 14 dogs, too, and there was a collection of about 100 chickens out back. Oy!

We didn't spend a lot of time at Patricio's house.  While we were there, he served us a couple of shots of some sort of alcoholic concoction he had made himself and I think I grew a couple of new hairs on my chest from the experience.  Afterwards, he took us outside to see one of the most incredible things I ever saw.  Patricio had a two-story guest house built in a tree towards the front of his property, which he gave us a tour of.  It was incredible and I wish I had taken pictures, but I didn't want to be rude.

After our visit with the cousin, it was off to Massael's, Jorge's thrift store in town, so that Rodrigo could take a shower (there's no hot water at the house!).  Little did I know at the time, there'd be much more still to come on this Christmas Day.

Sunset in El Tabo on Christmas Day

Stay tuned...

Check out the first two parts of Christmas in El Tabo:

Christmas Eve

A Christmas Morning Surprise

Christmas in El Tabo, Part II: A Christmas Morning Surprise

Even though we went to bed very late on Christmas Eve, I still didn't sleep well when I did go to bed. You see, December is summertime in Chile and so the bugs were out, and there are these kind of super mosquitoes down there that are very deliberate and very, um, ,pesky.  I had one in my room that drove me bonkers all night long, buzzing all around my head and giving me some very itchy bites all over my body.  Blech!  That all did not bode well for what was to come next, as I didn't fall asleep until around 6:30 A.M.

The next thing I knew, I heard Rodrigo's phone ringing in the other room.  I think the ring jolted us all into awareness that we'd slept enough.  It was just before noon.  Rodrigo's conversation was short, and I could hear the two of them talking with fervor after he hung up.  In about two seconds, Jorge knocked on my door and I was jolted awake!

John, get up!  We gotta get ready.  We're getting company.  With that, the front door opened as Jorge added, Rodrigo's whole family is here!  Holy crap!

I had no time to prepare myself for what happened next.  In just ten seconds the small house was filled with Rodrigo's family, who were stopping by for a Christmas visit on their way to a cabin in nearby Algorrobo for a family vacation.  They were all there...his mom and dad, two uncles, a couple of nieces and a nephew, and they filled both the inside and the outside of the house with typical familial chaos.

Merry Christmas!

The next couple of hours or so was a whirlwind of uncomfortableness for all three of us.  The unannounced visit was bad enough for Rodrigo, but poor Jorge.  These were his in-laws.  And as for me, well, let's just say between my always initial shyness and the fact that none of them spoke a word of English, it was awkward to say the least.

At one point towards the beginning of the visit, I went outside for a cigarette, right near where Rodri's Uncle Nanu was standing...

Esquizofrenia!

Rodrigo gave me a warning about his strange-looking older uncle who was missing most of his front teeth.  He was moving his forefinger in a clockwise motion as he said it.  I just smiled and nodded at the man while I enjoyed my smoke. The whole family pretty much ignored me anyway, thankfully, except Rodrigo's mom who was very pleasant and sweet.  She chitchatted with us in the dining room as we dined on an impromptu 'tea' of ham, cheese and bread.  That's what Chileans do...they eat...just like Italians, lol.  Dad wasn't as pleasant, very stern, and he spent most of his time outside surveying the outside of the house, apparently looking for faults to criticize.

Al in all, the whole visit was short, thankfully, and that's because Jorge, Rodrigo and I had been invited to Jorge's mom's at two o'clock for lunch.  The whirlwind that started that Christmas morning had finished, and it was only been the beginning of what would become a long, adventurous day!

...stay tuned for more...

Check out the first 'chapter' of my Christmas in El Tabo right here.

Christmas in El Tabo, Part I: Christmas Eve

Last Christmas was very different than any other I'd ever spent before.  Last Christmas I spent in El Tabo. "Where is El Tabo?" you may ask. Well, until this time last year I'd never heard of it either. You see, El Tabo is a town on the west coast of Chile and that's where I spent a Christmas I won't soon forget.

I'd only been in Chile for about a day and a half when it came time to celebrate Christmas.  Both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were going to be spent at my friend Jorge's mom's house up on the hillside from where he and Rodrigo lived.  I'm usually a shy person, so it takes me awhile to warm up and feel comfortable, but that really wasn't the case with Jorge's family.  

Mama and me

We were expected at his mom's house at 10 on Christmas Eve.  During the afternoon, we had stopped off at the market for some soda and potatoes to bring to his mom's for dinner, so I got to meet her beforehand. (She looked exactly like Jorge if he were a woman, lol.)

The house is located in the countryside, totally isolated and with dirt roads, horses and sheep, and lots of land.  A white picket fence surrounds the front yard of mama's house on three sides, and a large vegetable garden lies to the left of the house, next to where a single horse and a sheep hung out. A Christmas tree adorned the living room and other decorations were scattered here and there like anyplace else.

Like any typical mom, Jorge's mother offered us some food and drink.  The food was a fresh baked fruit cake, much like an Italian Panettone, and the drink was comparable to egg nog, and it was homemade, too. Delish!  After the quick bite, Jorge and I were off to get some last minute things before we returned to mama's later that evening.

We got to mama's house a little after ten.  There would be eight of us altogether: mama, Jorge, Rodrigo, me, Rodrigo's brother, Jorge's two sisters Erika and Maria Eugenia and Jorge's niece Massael. The first thing I did when I got there was greet Jorge's mom with a kiss and a Feliz Navidad, but I was corrected.

No es la Navidad hasta los doce!

Okay then...

Within minutes, the rest of the family arrived and I was as apprehensive about meeting them as they were about meeting me.  I was also a little intimidated by the Spanish, as there were seven of them and only one of me, but I held my own I think.  Within only a few minutes we were all chatting like old friends.

Christmas Eve dinner consisted of some chicken and beef, with a traditional Chilean salad of tomatoes and onions, string beans, bread, rice and potato salad,  I have to admit that it was much more enjoyable than the fish I'm usually forced to eat on the holiday.  After dinner, everyone adjourned to the living room for some chit chat while they waited for midnight to arrive.  That's when they opened their gifts.

I hadn't expected anything, so when Jorge, Rodrigo and mama passed me some presents with my name on it, I was both surprised and humbled.  Mama gave me a nice bottle of wine (Chilean, of course!), Jorge a dirty, dirty Chilean 'toy', and Rodrigo a beautiful, authentic Mapuche llama's wool jacket.  (Mapuche is the name given to the indigenous native Americans from the area.)  Very cool!

Rocking my Mapuche jacket

As with any other family, the one who made out like a bandit was Massael, the only child in the group.  Among other things, she got an art set, a Chilean version of Monopoly, games, a puzzle,, and a mini-tablet.  WLike with any other child, watching her open her gifts was adorable!

Overall, last Christmas Eve was enjoyable.  Jorge's whole family was very warm and welcoming, and the language gap didn't mean a thing.  Even the little one, who's relationship with Jorge is cold and sarcastic on the outside, but very loving deep down, warmed up to me eventually.  By the time we returned to Jorge and Rodrigo's, it was already well after two, but we chit-chatted and drank wine until the wee hours.  I went to bed that night with a warm heart and a big smile!

To be continued...

Song of the Day - Praise You - Fatboy Sim

We've come a long long way together

Through the hard times and the good

I have to celebrate you baby

I have to praise you like I should

lifeforthelord

Though this retro dance tune from 1999 has never been considered a Christmas song (I don't think it has anyway), I think it fits perfectly.  Must be why I woke up with it in my head...Merry Christmas to you and yours...

Song of the Day - The Little Drummer Boy - Pentatonix

In anticipation of the Christmas holiday that begins tonight, I share with you a fresh and beautiful version of one of my favorite Christmas songs.  It's performed by Arlington, Texas-based acapella group Pentatonix, and the video was shot on the hills overlooking the City of Angels.  Enjoy!

Song of the Day - Do They Know It's Christmas? - The Various Incarnations of Band Aid

I'd recently heard about the newest incarnation of the classic Christmas tune Do They Know It's Christmas?, conceived by Boomtown Rats frontman and activist Bob Geldof and sung by a myriad of pop stars way back in 1984, but I didn't know that there were two other versions of the song.  Yes, originally I was going to post the new one next to the original, but in doing my search for the videos I came upon the those other two.  

Like with most things, the original is usually the best, and that is no doubt the case with this tune. However, music is very subjective and not everyone may agree with me.  All four versions of Do They Know It's Christmas? feature top artists of the day when they were recorded and if any of those times were your time, then you might think that One Direction or Emile Sandé being involved make this year's recording better or likewise with Natasha Bedingfield and Joss Stone in 2004.  

Anyway, I don't expect anyone to listen to all four versions fully, but it is kind of fun to check out the different artists singing the lyrics made so famous 30 years ago...it's history in some form. In any case, if you'd like to plead a case for any one of the versions being better, by all means do so in the comment section.  In the meantime, please check out at least one of them...

Band Aid 30

The newest incarnation of Do They Know It's Christmas? was recorded on November 15th, and the proceeds from the single are meant to lend aid to the current Ebola crisis currently happening in West Africa and around the world.  The 30th anniversar edition features some of today's hottest British and Irish acts, including Coldplay's Chris Martin, Sam Smith and Ellie Goulding, and the lyrics were tweaked to fit the current aim of the group.  Check it out...

Band Aid 30 Participants

Bono                                     Clean Bandit                       Paloma Faith                 Guy Garvey (Elbow)

Ellie Goulding                      Angélique Kidjo                  Chris Martin                  Olly Murs

Sinéad O'Connor                  One Direction                     Rita Ora                         Emile Sandé

Seal                                       Ed Sheeran                         Dan Smith (Bastille)       Sam Smith

Underworld                          Jessie Ware

Band Aid 20

The 20-year anniversary edition of the song was recorded to benefit those stricken by the humanitarian crisis in Sudan's Darfur region and wasn't as well received as the original...

Band Aid 20 Participants

Tim Wheeler (Ash)                Daniel Bedingfield                Natasha Bedingfield          Bono

Busted                                   McFly                                    Chris Martin                      Dido

Dizzee Rascal                       Ms. Dynamite                        Skye Edwards (Morcheeba)

Estelle                                   Neil Hannon (The Divine Comedy)                                 

Justin Hawkins (The Darkness)                                          Jamelia                              

Tom Chaplain (Keane)        Tim Rice-Oxley (Keane)        Beverley Knight                 Lemar

Shaznay Lewis (All Saints)  Katie Melua                           Róisín Murphy (Moloko)   Feeder

Snow Patrol                         Rachel Stevens                       Joss Stone                          Sugababes

The Thrills                           Turin Brakes                          Robbie Williams                Will Young

Weird Al Yankovic               Russell Mael (Sparks)           Fran Healy (Travis)           Fraser Stone

George Cave                        Fraser Aitken                        Felix Pivcevic

Band Aid II

The second version of Bob Geldof's brainchild was recorded just five years after the original, in 1989, and was produced by the then hot production trio Stock, Aitken and Waterman.  Proceeds from the single added to what had been raised since the first and this version became the last number one hit of the year in Britain.  Check it out...

Band Aid II Participants

Bananarama                    Big Fun                              Bros                       Cathy Dennis

D-Mob                             Jason Donavan                  Kevin Godley         Glen Goldsmith

Kylie Minogue                Pasadenas                          Chris Rea                Cliff Richard

Jimmy Somerville           Sonia                                  Lisa Stansfield         Technotronic

Wet We Wet

Band Aid - The Original

Who can forget images of this, the very first incarnation of the now-classic Christmas tune?  This was the first such exposure many of us ever got of the day's top musical acts getting together to perform for a cause (remember USA for Africa?).  With the likes of Duran Duran, Cyndi Lauper, Phil Collins, The Pointer Sisters, Sting, Paul McCartney, Boy George and many more, this one etched itself into the Christmas songbook for all time.  Enjoy...

Band Aid Participants

Adam Clayton (U2)                 Phil Collins                   Bob Geldof              Spandau Ballet

Chris Cross (Ultravox)           Duran Duran                Paul Young              Heaven 17

The Boomtown Rats                Marilyn                         Bananarama            Jody Watley

Bono                                        Paul Weller                  Kool & the Gang      Sting

George Michael                      Midge Ure                    Francis Rossi             Boy George

Rick Parfitt                              Holly Johnson (Frankie Goes to Hollywood)

Paul McCartney                      David Bowie                Big Country

Well, I hope you've enjoyed this trip down Christmastime memory lane with me.  Have an awesome Saturday and stay tuned for more...

Song of the Day - Christmas Tree - Lady Gaga, featuring Space Cowboy

Since Christmas is only a week away, it's about time I started throwing in some more holiday music. But like last week's rare and unusual performance of Rockin Around the Christmas Tree by a young Miley Cyrus, I want to play Christmas tunes that are a bit on the obscure side.  Here's one that I'll bet many of you don't know.  It's a Gaga Christmas jingle from 2008 that's got the pop-dance sounds of Fame and Fame Monster.  Of course it's full of sexual innuendo, but it is different and it's pretty fun to listen to...