Do Over

Here we go again.

I’m kicking off my latest Do Over (and taking the liberty to say I started on ALL SAINTS DAY - which was actually yesterday – because I like keeping good company) … I can’t even count the number of times I’ve started over, but in homage to the resilience of the human spirit, here I go again. (And really – what are the options???)

I’m very cognizant of the group effort involved.

My parents tell me my first sentence was “I can do it myself” and over the years, I have (tried). But just when I start getting cheeky and all "Look what I can do” the rug comes flying out from under my feet.

So here I was, on my a** at the bitter ends of the earth, wondering ‘What in blazes am I going to do now?’ … when the whole planet rolled out the red carpet. So many kind words and offers have come about in the last days, it is mind-boggling. Tomorrow I take a bus to Punta Arenas and when I arrive in Ushuaia (12 hours later!) I am to go to the yacht club and ask for a friend of a friend who has offered to put me up on his boat for a couple of days. Then I leave for Buenos Aires, where Viviana, a friend of Holly’s, is going to pick me up at the airport, and have me stay. As soon as I get my visa (arranged by Marie’s friend) I hop another (12 hour!) bus and go to Marie and JP Dufour’s in Paraguay. So once again I find myself very blessed, marveling at this fabulous network of friends and strangers who have pulled together to help me on my way. Whichever way that is …

TRAVELOGUE

‘Stuff’ is expensive here in Chile but food is not, so I have indulged in a few inexpensive meals out. For lunch I grabbed the pizza special at a coffee shop, although it was made with some funky cheese and bologna, and served with catsup and mustard. Thankfully the local Austral beer on tap helped to wash it down.

Dinner however has been better, and tonight I had salad and centolla (the local king crab) pasta at a restaurant just around the corner (here in the Hostel district) on a street unexpectedly named “O’Higgins”.

So many bistros, side by side, are bound to push each other to raise the bar … Well last night’s dinner at La Luna was good: the salmon, especially (although the French fries a bit squishy); and the ambience very comfy. Lonely Planet meets Natural Café.

Tonight I ate next door at Jekus, where every INCH of the interior is covered with wood or timber or veneer or … wood; and adorned with the occasion (wood) carving, (wood) saw, or bambi head (mounted on wood). A bit quieter, the dinner a notch up, and then … they offered dessert. Again, the calafate mousse was declared a “must”. It seems that calafate (sort of a blueberry)mousse is their version of apple pie. “As Chilean as calafate mousse,” you might say … Well Jekus’ calafate mousse was a sure winner over La Luna’s cool-whippy parfait version. At Jekus it was semi-frozen, served in a block, almost gelato-like in texture, on a sea of blueberry sauce. And cheap.

Everywhere you go, by the way, they play American music. At lunchtime the Disney song “You’ll be in my heart” was blaring, followed by John Denver singing “Take me home, country road.” Yes, ‘made me a bit melancholy.

Now I’m packing; having purged my luggage nearly in half. My bus leaves Punta Arenas at 9AM and I arrive in Ushuaia at 9PM. Not sure when I’ll be back online so … love and happiness to everyone!! XO Betsy