Fiestas Patrias

This past Saturday, my program had a trip to Pomaire, Chile -- about an hour drive from Valparaíso. Pomaire is an artisan village, known mostly for its pottery and massive empanadas (=2.2 pounds worth). don't forget to check out pictures in "Viva CHILE"Then after Pomaire, we headed to Isla Negra (which is neither an island nor black), where Pablo Neruda's first house was built. We have visited them in reverse order. Even though this man had some serious issues, I find his life fascinating -- much like other artists, including Frida Kahlo. I believe out of his three houses (Santiago, Valparaíso, Isla Negra) that this one was my favorite. Although the construction of his house in Santiago is the most creative, the view and location of this house was out of this world.

Pablo Neruda was originally buried in Santiago in 1973, when he died from prostate cancer. However, in 1992, they got permission to move his body to Isla Negra, where Matilde Urrutia (originally lover then third wife) is also buried with him.
This week (18th-20th) is Independence Week ("Fiestas Patrias") in Chile; therefore, there are flags everywhere you look, heaven on earth for a person obsessed with flags. One thing I love about the Hispanic countries to where I have traveled: they all show such pride in their country. They know they have problems, but that does not keep them from uniting to celebrate the freedom and blessings that they DO have in the country.