Day At The Races

Spent yesterday at las carreras (the races) in the countryside. We asked where we were exactly, were told, then immediately forgot. In fact this is true for most of the Spanish we're learning.
Danay, an English teacher we work with on Wednesday took us out to her families farm where they have some racing horses. We spent the morning halfway up a really steep hill having a picnic. The hill was so steep we had to drive in a truck to get all the food (and ourselves) up there. Amina, me and all the kids were in the back of the truck and I was so scared that I was going to fall out. But it was still so much fun. Dad I'm sorry the photo above is a little squint but it was taken during the very bumpy ride, and I just pointed and clicked.
Danay's husband and a jockey named Claudio climbed a tree to knock down de güeñes. They're like mushrooms that are white on the outside, orange on the inside and they seem to grow on trees. Me and Amina cut them up and they were very sticky but we felt very Chilean because it is the woman's job to prepare the food.

If you want to make a Chilean salad, mix de güeñes with coriander, salt, oil and lemon juice (freshly squeezed of course) and mix. Then you all eat it from the bowl with a spoon.
We also prepared chicken sandwiches by peeling bits off of a whole (obviously dead and cooked) chicken, which I have never done before. Life in Chile is a series of firsts.
After lunch we drove back down the hill and joined the party that was brewing by the farm. People were starting to arrive with their horses so there were lots of people to talk to. We had to keep asking people to speak slowly and clearly so that we could understand them. We met practically all of Danay's family, the major of Lautaro and probably everyone who lives en el campo. A lot of people compared my eyes to those of Cameron Diaz, and all the guys apparently fell in love with us but that's just because we're gringas.

A great moment was when Claudio offered to take me and Amina for a little ride on a horse. Love horses! Although I was ridiculously ungraceful when getting off the horse.

Now the thing about a Chilean horse race is that it contains only two horses that race about 200 meters. And  they are fast. They shot past us and after waiting all day for the race it lasted about 10 seconds.

I had my first empanada as well which was apparently a big thing. They're nice. Had a really good day out and we can't wait to go to another race.

Oh, scary after story. I was putting away my washing and while folding up a sock a bee came out from inside! We got quite a fright. I may hang my washing up inside now... Life is certainly never dull in Chile!