Pangipulli and Villarica

Some of the missionaries live in nice places, some live in okay places, and some live in places I would not let any of you live in. One set of elders had not had hot water for two weeks! Their natural gas tank had a problem and they did not know what to do. They figured that the regulator was faulty so we went to Pangipulli to the Ericksons (another senior couple) to get parts and learn how to fix it (and to see the northern part of the mission, of course -- the resort area of the mission!). After the trip we saw the elders at an all mission meeting and they told Keith that they had "fixed" it and had hot water again. We don't know what they did but as they live an hour and a half away, we are happy that they are happy.

After the training, the Ericksons took us to Villarica to join up with the Biggs (the other senior couple in the north) for lunch and a little touring. Lunch was in a very nice place, a hotel with beautiful grounds and great food. We had pastel de chocolos. Sounds like a chocolate pastry but it is not. It is like shepherds pie without mashed potatoes. Chocolos is corn and in place of the mashed potatoes there was a topping of corn masa, like corn bread before you cook it, that had been broiled so the top is crunchy but the center is still mushy. Keith and I shared it. In giving him his portion I found a whole chicken leg in my portion, in addition to the hamburger and vegetables! And they served powdered sugar to put on top. This is as Chilean a dish as we have found. It was tasty -- even the masa, but I can do without the powdered sugar. (And I did try it, just so you know.)  I wish we had taken a picture of it, but alas, no.  Dessert was ice cream, homemade and to die for! I had chocolate and black cherry almond. It was a great meal. We went driving through the town of Villarica, but because of the tourists -- half of Chile had to have been there! -- we just crept along the streets. We decided that we would come again in March, before the winter hits but after the tourists go home. Beautiful beaches. Volcanoes in 3 directions. Little shops to visit. But people, people, people!

Volcano Osorno

Hermanas Stott, Biggs, and Erickson

Elder and Hermana Stott

Villarica and people, people, people!