To Viña del Mar
6 December 2005 (Tuesday) – La Serena to Viña del Mar, Chile
Claudio had again gone to town to try and wrestle his money back. Well, there is really nothing much to eat at home now. If the payment was delayed one more day, I guess he would have to go to his mother’s house for food. And that was something he rather not do, haha.
He said he would be back to take me to the bus terminal. But I waited til 12:25pm and as my bus was leaving at 1pm, I had no choice but to leave without saying goodbye. I left him a thank-you note, took a taxi, had a very quick lunch at the terminal and gosh, the bus really left exactly at 1pm. Right on the dot! This was truly a different world compared to Peru, Bolivia…
I am going to Viña del Mar now. The reason is that nearly 3 years ago, I had met a family from Viña del Mar when we were holidaying at Villarrica. They then invited me to stay with them. Now, 3 years later, it would be great to see them again. Yesterday, at the observatory, when I mentioned to someone that I was going to Viña, she had said it was not worth it. I guess, in the end, it is always who you know in the town. I think I would really enjoy Viña because of the family.
Unfortunately, my friend Jessica had night classes today and she could not go pick me up at the terminal. So, I took a taxi to their home. Big, big, big, huge, damn huge mistake!!!! Firstly, they do not really live in Viña del Mar, but on a hill in the suburbs. Secondly, rates for taxi rides in Viña are DOUBLE anywhere else. In La Serena, it was 100 Chilean pesos for 200 metres. Here, it was 200 Chilean pesos for 200 metres. Imagine, every 2 blocks, the meter jumps up about US$0.40. By the time we pulled up in front of their house, it was… get this, US$15!!! OUCH!!! I was horrified!!!!! I had never paid so much for taxi in my life, I think!! I could not believe it at all!
Anyway, Señora Adrienne (Jessica’s mother) was working at her grocery shop and she was the first one of the family I met. She hugged me happily. But poor dear, she had recently broken her arm! Gosh, how could she work? But she bustled around the kitchen to try and get some tea and bread ready for me. My dear dear dear Chilean mama.
When Jessica came home, she called my name out loud. But she called my Chinese name!! I could not believe that after all these years, she still recalled my Chinese name!!! We greeted each other happily!! As it turned out, they could not really pronounce ‘Trisha’, but they could pronounce my Chinese name ‘Wei Xin’ very accurately. And so, for the past 3 years, they had been referring to me by my Chinese name. Incredible!! I hardly use my Chinese name outside of my home, but my family here in Viña had been using it all these times.
Jessica took me for a quick spin around Reñaca, Viña del Mar and Valparaiso in her car, proudly showing me the developments in the city these last few years. I could recall a bit of these two lovely cities. The train system had changed. Some new hotels had sprouted up. Viña is the favourite beach resort of Chile, so it is posh, modern, expensive and really pretty. Valparaiso has more lovely old buildings up the many hills, has a more defined charming character. I like them both.
When we got home, the rest of the family was there. Jessica’s brother Enrique, his wife, Fabiola and their children Kathya and Sebastian. Wow, how the two children had grown. Kathya is now a lovely, beautiful 18-year-old lady. And Sebastian, whom I remembered as a chubby little 11-year-old, is now much thinner and fitter and a very handsome 14-year-old. A little shy, too. Oh so so so so so so nice to see everyone again!
Tags: 10) It's Chile Here, Viña del Mar
swesn
December 8th, 2005 at 6:27 am
Wei Xin continues to make the most of everyday and every moment of her journeys;
her totally postive attitude to life must rub off onto everybody she comes into contact with; or is it her pure white aura ;-)))