Safe and sound!

So I'm here! My flight got in right on time this morning. I think this must have been the smoothest plane trip I've ever taken: no flight delays, no lost baggage; they didn't swab my baggage for explosives; and the flight from Miami to Santiago was EMPTY, so everyone could spread out and lay down over several seats.

And by some sort of great coincidence, on the flight from Montreal to Miami I was sitting with a woman and her father, both from Buenos Aires. They had been vacationing in Montreal. She gave me some tips on Argentina and also her business card - she has a business where she rents rooms out to foreigners and travellers. So the options are piling up on where to stay in Buenos Aires.

I knew I had arrived in Chile not just from the breathtaking landing over the Andean Cordillera, but from the behaviour of the immigration agent. He must have been about 19 years old, and, bien fresco, as they'd say in Spanish: this little Don Juan who was just oh so happy to have to stamp the passport of a young gringa tourist. He's like "How long are you staying in Chile?" and I was like, "One month," and he's like "Why such a short visit? Stay for longer!" And it went from there...

Claudia and her cousin Susi picked me up at the airport and we made our way through Santiago's morning rush hour toward Claudia's place. She lives at this amazing house with seriously 15 foot ceilings, an awesome little garden/interior patio, a wood stove and swinging western doors! The ceilings are so high that all the bedrooms and the living room have like a little loft built in. I get to sleep on a fold out couch in Claudia's humumgous bedroom (except for when her boyfriend's over... then I get to sleep on the loft in the living room!! :)

After sleeping all day, we started celebrations for Claudia's birthday, which is today. First her boyfriend cooked us this kick-ass lasagna, then her family came over. I had met most of them the last time I was here. I was out in the garden playing soccer with her nephew Sebastian when everyone starts to freak out because they'd just discovered someone had broken one of the windows on her cousin Carola's truck and stolen a backpack and a jacket. So all the men immediately jumped into the truck and sped off, yelling, in an effort to try to find the thief and do, well, I'm not so sure what: Chastize him? I just went back to playing soccer.

Then a couple of Claudia's close friends came over and we busted into the wine. I should have some pictures soon. The REAL birthday bash is happening this Friday.

Time for bed - it's been a long day.

(For anyone reading this, dont forget you can leave comments! Tell me how you're doing....!!)