Thursday, January 19th, 2023

There is a habit that I have been doing for a while which is perhaps on the borderline of becoming a tradition. And that is, appreciating the "colinas" (hills) on the journey out of the Santiago SCL airport. They aren't mountains, just foothills, but they still give a small sense of awe as they contrast sharply with the flat Ontario landscape that I know of.

I admire them every time I arrive, sometimes I take a picture. They are one of the first visual signals that tell me that I am back.

My usual destination after just arriving in Chile is to head to my grandfather's farm property which is one hour out of the city. Grandpa passed last fall but at the farm he can be felt everywhere, having built the house, planted and cared for trees, and developed the property. It is bittersweet being back, that is for sure.

My grandfather's wife, Gladys, still lives at the farm and she did not disappoint in making me feel at home. She is a great cook and we caught up for a few days over delicious meals.

Saturday, January 21st, 2023

My grandmother and uncle were also in Chile at the same time coincidentally, so we had a nice trip to Valparaíso and a nice seafood lunch while we were there. Valparaíso is a beautiful city, it is one of the four UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Chile [1]. It is not my first time here, rather I had a bit of déjà vu, doing similar activities to when I last visited. I visited the Neruda House, visited the municipal cemetery, and admired the graffiti and the Museo a Cielo Abierto (Open Air Museum).

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[1]	Historic Quarter of the Seaport City of Valparaíso