Campo Encantado

Sunday, I was allowed to leave the house. Rosa's friend, Tonio, took Rosa, Claudia, and I on a trip to Campo Ahumada. We went in Tonio's truck.

Campo Ahumada isn't much of a destination as it is a journey. The road winds up into the mountains, giving breathtaking views of the whole valley. It started to drizzle, then further up it turned into snow. The snow stuck to the plants (cactus covered in snow = funny) but not to the ground, making the landscape look like a brown-red mat covered with cotton balls.

The road turned from paved to dirt and we continued up until we came to a school. The outside of the school was all painted with English phrases that were poorly translated like ¨Here, English is learning, so if you speak, come on and welcome my pal.¨ We took a picture.

On the way back down, we passed the first huasos, Chilean cowboys, that I`ve seen. They were on horseback wearing round hats and wool ponchos to keep out the snow. They were leading a young black colt by a rope. We stopped the truck and Tonio approached them. ¨Can you spare a moment so she can take a picture with you? She's North American¨ he said, as if North American was an excuse for wanting a picture. They allowed it, in any case.

One day, when it's not snowing, Tonio has promised a return trip to Campos Ahumada where we will continue beyond the English school and further up the mountain.