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Alexandra trying to ditch Mark in the woods. She is faster than she looks.

Volcano Villarrica on our hike through Parque Nacional Huerquehue. It was swell.

Paradise found in Pucón.

Bariloche hike through the Patagonia mountains.

We are in the thick of Chile. It took Mark all of two kilometers into the country to comment on how chilly Chile is. Yeah, I yawned too. I mean, you´re so funny!

Our first hike looked like it was going to be great. Sun as we left town! But we got to the trailhead and found rain, a lot of it, and about six inches of snow. As we hiked the sun started to break through and a rainbow grew out of the valley below us. A turquoise lake of snow melt was visible at the bottom of the mountain but slipped into the clouds as the weather turned and we climbed higher into a bamboo forest. It was surreal to hike surrounded by snow frosted bamboo in the Patagonian mountains. The rain started, then turned to snow and our clothing became soaked. Mark, remarkably, stayed positive even though I was cursing the heavens and trying to maintain feeling in my toes. We got back to town sans hyperthermia but not too far from it.

We made our way to a small mountain town called Pucón after spending some relaxing days in Puerto Varas. But let´s talk about Pucón. We drank with townies! They listen to Dispatch and Ben Harper! They took us to a discotec! Mark and I won a dance competition! They gave us glow sticks! And then we went on the most breathtaking hike to four mountain top lakes which also gave us the view of a not-to-distant volcano. Once again, bamboo forest mixed with mammoth trees that would give New York City skyscrapers vertigo. And then we ended the day with a nighttime visit to hot springs where we spent two hours with our heads tilted back staring at the Milky Way Galaxy and a backdrop of stars we had never seen before, in numbers we could never count to.

For some reason we left that paradise. We made a mad dash through Santiago and both agreed that we didn't like it. It was just like NYC, just with more stray dogs. We have now landed in Valparaíso. Valparaíso, we love you. This is a city of hills, and house built upon houses on the hillsides. Free wallspace is decorated in murals and spray art which makes for dangerous walking when you are looking to your sides and not in front. Mark says it's like San Fransisco´s drunken brother. He's an eloquent fellow.

So we are here now and will be so for the next couple days until we hop a bus and go 24 hours to San Pedro de Atacama.

-The Defender and Protector of Mankind (Alexandra)

and

Markus Aurilious Maximus III (Mark)