Las Colinas: Potpourri. Is that spelled right?

Here is just a variety of experiences we have been having. We seem to get around ok now, but we run into some strange things now and then.

While traveling to Melipilla, the town where we attend church and do most of our shopping, we pass a very strange farm. In St. George you work like crazy to get rid of these things, but some people here plant them for a farm and make their living off of the fruit.

If you have ever had a bad day at work, just imagine quitting your job and coming to Chili to pick Tuna. What you are seeing are huge fields of prickly pear cactus. Imagine working your way through there to pick the fruit. Maybe your job isn't so bad.

The fruit is called Tuna. Nope, I have no idea why. We don't see it in the stores or fruit stands, but somewhere in the world there is a market for it. So- we had to give it a try.

Please ignore the old man wrinkles

So needless to say, we won't be ordering any tuna in the future.

We seem to go shopping all the time. It is probably only once a week, but to me that is all the time. And the store of choice is:

You will probably recognize the symbol, but the South American name is not Wal-Mart. We didn't find ourselves here very often in the States, but here, it is our mainstay. God Bless Sam Walton. We got tired of the drive to Melipilla so we headed Northwest to San Antonio. It was a refreshing change. The road was free from litter without lots of traffic. The scenery was amazing after the winter rains have come.

Es muy verde

Here is an interesting phenom here in Chile, and probably in many Catholic dominated countries. You cannot miss the little roadside shrines everywhere you drive. As we have inquired they represent a remembrance of a departed loved one. The person most likely died at or near the spot and their family has erected a little shrine in remembrance. I guess you see things like this in the states now and then, but these seem to be at every turn. They are called "animita"which I think stands for spirit. Most are just placed by families with no involvement of their church, but once in awhile the church does get involved.

Notice the little bench

How about a picnic?

Some families can only afford a cardboard box

Others build a building

And for the cherry on top, the next one has Catholic church involvement. This particular shrine started in Argentina around the 1840's. A man named Clemente Bustos was forcibly recruited to go to war. His wife was very distraught after he was taken and decided to follow him with his infant son. She didn't have enough supplies and lay dying of thirst under a tree she found. As herdsmen passed by that spot the next day they found her body laying by the tree, but her infant son had survived by nursing from his deceased mother. The child was taken by the men and an attempt was made to find his father. Here the story has different endings. Some say the child became weak and died, while others say he lived to an old age. Nevertheless, as the story spread the Catholic church decided to designate the brave woman a saint. She is Saint Deolinda Correa and every year people travel by her shrine in Argentina and pay their respects. Other countries have also put up shrines to this saint. Our local shrine doesn't look too saintly because truckers in Chile have taken her as their saint and bring her water so she will grant them safety and good luck.

Just warms your heart doesn't it!

A few parting shots. A cowboy in Chile is called ___________? Give up? I had never heard of this before, but Barbara and I are teaching one. He is a great guy and is very proud of his lifestyle. He has invited us to a "rodeo"in September. It should be fun to watch. No bucking broncs in the ring. That is all done at home in their spare time. The goal of a "rodeo"in Chile is all about working cattle with your trained horse. Two "Huasos" mounted on their home trained horses maneuver a steer around a ring trapping it against the side rail at designated locations. They are timed and have to complete a certain number of captures.

Barbara and I were driving to Melipilla the other day- oh wait- it was just yesterday on our weekly run to Lider, and we passed these Huasos on the highway.