Finally, the day arrived and we were veeeery curious to see just how this party would shape up.
With so much talk of the party, I had many wild visions in my head about what might take place. I (Norm) had half expected to wake up on Thursday morning to see people pouring out onto the streets in celebration. Funny how our imagination can lead us astray!
What we did find was a very quiet city. Refreshingly so! To walk the streets without the roar of the traffic was a treat in itself. The party was apparently being held in the homes and hearts of Chileans, and not on the streets. (There were some small corner stores etc. that were open)
We we told that the public gathering that we should attend was at the Sporting Club (the horse race track). A 30-minute walk to the south-east brought us to the track and the celebrations.
These shots are of the track facility. Its a lovely place! If you look closely at the next shot you will see some children flying a kite. We've mentioned in the past that kites are very popular here. Wherever there are kids and a little space, there are kites for sale and in the sky.
The festivities were set up in the infield of the track and consisted of booth after booth of barbequed treats. You could also get fresh juice (pineapple and banana mixed with ice cream should you desire it), and of course pop, wine, beer, or pisco sour.
Notice the Andes Mountains in the background!
Every booth had a Parrillita (barbeque grill) cooking anticuchos (mixed meat kabobs - chicken, beef, sausage, wieners). Of course, there were also plenty of empenadas available.
Charlene got adventurous again and tried what looked like ground beef mixed with spices, rolled into a fat sausage shape and put in a hot dog bun. We're not sure of the name but this one turned out ok! She really is enjoying what she's eating, I just happened to catch her mid-chew!
Another area of the field was full of games of chance much like you might see at a community association game night.
Much of National day is traditional food and traditional dance. Those of you following along will know that the dance is called the . . . . . . . Cueca! The BBQ and the Cueca seem to be the underlying theme of the holiday.
We took refuge from the hot sun in a massive temporary structure. The walls and ceiling were covered with tree branches. It allowed enough natural light in but seemed to keep the heat out.
All manner of food and drink was available here while the band played and the dancers danced. Some patrons were plucked from the crowd to participate in the dance. Fortunately, these gringos were seated well to the back!!
This lighting provided our camera with a challenge or two.
As we strolled back to our apartment, we realized that we had been invited out to a friend's tomorrow and had forgotten to pick up a gift. A bottle of wine seemed just right, but if you recall, this town had been shut down for the holiday. What to do??!! Well, today we learned that, in Chile, you can buy a pretty good bottle of wine at the Esso! Problem solved!
We finished the night by curling up in front of the computer and watching a movie. (No English TV remember) Earlier in the week we ventured in to a Blockbuster video store and walked out with a couple of recent releases. Address, telephone number and passport number were all that was required. Passports are required to rent a hotel room as well. Earlier, we had to produce our passports to gain entrance to a university. Passports are just something that we just never think about in Canada unless we are leaving.
So, National Day in Chile proved to be very nice. It was much like Canada Day would have been at home, minus the fireworks. It wasn't the party-fest that my imagination had conjured up and in some ways, that was disappointing.
The holiday continued on the diecinueve (19) and for us it would mean a trip to the countryside to chill with the Chileans.
Until then,
Hasta Luega,
Love,
N & C
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