Fiesta Combrista – Ilque, Feb. 14

The County Fair. I am pretty sure that Ilque cannot be considered anything as large as a county but they have one hell of a fair. The setting: Sunday afternoon, a large field on the shores of Fjord Reloncavi, a picturesque Catholic Church waiting in the wings (the banos, bathrooms, were here), empanadas by the dozen and all Chileans except for a pack of gringos…we were 13 in number and unmistakable as we had 2 redheads and 2 blue eyed blonds in the mix. The wares included hand-knit wool sweaters, fresh herbs, salmon fresh caught and turning on a grill, lamb, shellfish, beer, wine, chicha (homemade cider) corn in a cup in some kind of sweet liquid (a traditional food), candied apples, cotton candy, horseback rides and all sorts of other enticements. Activities included a log chopping contest, tug of war, bag races and the traditional mating ritual dance the name of which I have forgotten. The perpetual wind was cool blowing in from across the fjord and the sun was warming the clear air making for beautiful weather. Excitement and the wafting aromas of meat cooking mixed in the air and the dancing was fine. Bennett lost his heart to a 3 year old Chilean girl with dark ringlets and a mischievous smile who is named Valentina. When they finished their dance he grabbed her hand and kissed it. (The next morning he told me he was still going to marry MaeMae after he asked me: “where will I find her? …Chattanooga, Calbuco where?”). The children filled their sweet teeth to bleeding and the adults ate enough empanadas to sink a ship. Graham’s favorite empanadas are the carne (meat) and Bennett’s are the queso (cheese). It was such a fun day and so incredibly authentic and basic and one of a kind. These are the experiences we traveled across a continent to absorb and to show to our children.

Graham said to me tonight as I put her to bed: “Mama it seems like the people here in the campo are poor”. My response covered the bases of: not everyone lives like people do at home, having 2 cars and a big house doesn’t make everyone happy, the world is not the same everywhere etc…. After pondering my retort she says “everyone here is so nice and seems so happy though”. So the days I am so sick of rain and clouds and only cold water or NO running water and cooking over a fire and a broken washing machine and traveling to town on a crowded bus or any number of other mild annoyances I have this brief conversation to remind me that our reasons for choosing this experience are becoming crystal clear to our children.