October 10-12, so Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon, we went on a camping trip with other families from Avery's Kinder class. The classes are VERY intentional about spending time together, as the kids will be with each other all the way through 12th grade, more or less, so it's very important to the parents that the kids are close, and the parents as well. The friendships made in "colegio" (K-12) are friendships that will last the rest of a Chilean kid's life. So many of our friend of a friend of a friend connections here are from colegio friendships. They are even more important than university friends, because most kids live at home during university, so the bond there doesn't grow as strong. But it is apparently unusual for a class to bond via camping. Our particular Kinder class parents are just a bit more outdoorsy than most, and they like camping. Well, we were all about it.
Getting to the campsite was a bit of an adventure. Drew had taken the van into the Mercedes dealership three days prior to get the 300km full maintenance done, which, kudos to him for being proactive about that. But 40 min into driving, the oil warning light came on with the message "Hi" being displayed on the dash. We were actually right next to the Mercedes Dealership where the work was done when the light came on, so we took it there and asked what was up. They tested the oil level, said it was fine, took it for another test drive, said everything was fine, and declared it must be a faulty sensor. Drew rightly didn't believe them, so we began using Gemini to figure out what was wrong. Apparently it is a very common problem for Mercedes Sprinters to get a smidge too much oil after an oil change, and the engines are very sensitive to the level being just right. So after another while, when the light came back on after the engine was warmed up again and the oil had expanded, we made our way to another mechanic shop we found on the way, which, at this point we were outside the city, and there were no bigger towns on our way to our camping location, so this meant the mechanic shop was really a guy working out of his house. But, he had legit tools to do the job, meaning a code reader, blocks, and a bucket, jajaja, so we had him drain out a half liter or so of oil and voilá! Problem solved. But it turned our 2.5 hour drive into a 5 hour one. But it was a good practice in patience for both us and the boys, as, undoubtedly, this sort of thing is going to happen on our trip down south this summer. And we need to be able to adapt and relax and enjoy the journey as much as the destination. Because ultimately, we're getting to spend time with each other regardless, and isn't that the whole point anyways?
This is the view from our campsite (Drew actually took it from the top of the van). You can see the ocean, as well as a fence surrounding the entire property. Chileans are serious about the ocean being dangerous, and they definitely don't allow kids to play there unattended, hence the fence. Each campsite had its own quincho (charcoal/wood grill) as well as a picnic table, electricity, and a shade structure. Behind our site was a bath house with running water, sinks for washing dishes, and showers. This is apparently the preferred way to camp in Chile: tent camping, but at a site with amenities. We were the only family out of probably a dozen that was sleeping not in a tent. One family did rent a cabaña that was up the hill to sleep in a real bed. It was a very fun weekend, as the kids could run amuck, and we took up an entire row of campsites, so we had an entire section of the campsite to ourselves. There was one main site, the one closest to the water, that was our main cooksite for the group. You were on your own for breakfasts, but each lunch and dinner was a communal asado (BBQ) with all the food provided. Our plug in cooler definitely came in handy for this, as we were the keeper of all the meats.
Going to the beach in Chile is definitely a different experience than in other parts of the world. It was a bit windy on Saturday, so between the wind, the springtime temperatures, and the cold water, I was FREEZING, hence why Avery and I are cuddled up under some towels. I haven't actually been to a Chilean beach yet where it was hot enough that I wanted to layout and sunbathe. But I suppose my skin will thank me when I'm older. And the kids still love it, as all they really care about is playing in the sand.
Obligatory football matches.
Asado. Always salchichas (hotdogs) for the kids, chorizo for choripan, and beef in large chunks for sharing between the adults.
Friday night we stayed up later than normal for a couple of reasons. One, we didn't arrive til 7pm due to our fun oil level adventure, and they didn't have food coming off the grill until 8pm. 9pm was marshmallow time, which is funny for us, because the concept of a complete s'more doesn't exist here. It's just roasted marshmallows and that's it. By 10pm, we were hauling the kids to bed, the first family to do so. Bedtimes here in Chile are very optional. They don't seem to place the same emphasis on sleep routines as we do in the States. I guess I should clarify; they don't place the same emphasis on sleep routines as I do, because I will admit, I am much stricter than most. Anyways, the boys were for sure grouchy the next day, so we cut out early on Saturday night and had the boys in bed by 9pm. But many parents said the next day they didn't go to bed til 11pm or 12am, and the kids stayed up with them the whole time. To each their own, I guess.
The final highlight of the trip was that on Friday night, Drew saw a tarantula making its way across the main campsite, so he, of course, captured it in a cup, then transferred it to a box we had, and it became the mascot of the trip. All the kids wanted to see it, and Emerson took great pride in keeping her safe. Well, in a family vote, I lost 1-3 to keep it as a pet, so now we have a pet tarantula named Rosie in the apartment. Welcome Rosie! No, we will not be taking her on the trip South. No, she will not come with us back to the States. She will be a short term pet, and then she will be released back into her natural habitat.
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