Chile - Peru 2009

The day we all came here for is upon us...the marriage of our cousin Avital to Jonathan. There were no organized activities involving all of the US cousins. Susie and I walked to a mall about a half mile from the hotel in the morning. These modern malls look like their counterparts in the US. If they didn't have so many of the local cell phone services operating booths all over the mall, you might think that you were in a US mall... many of the same stores.

When Susie and I walked around the area yesterday and this morning we noticed signs on lampposts around the Vitacura area advertising a craft fair at the Vitacura Civic Center, near the Rio Mapocho. We asked at the hotel for some information about the craft fair, but the person at the desk didn't even know it was taking place. He printed a Google map to lead us on our way to the Civic center and we went on our way. The walk was a little bit further then we had thought, lengthened by construction which blocked the most direct route. It was an interesting fair with handcrafts from the various regions of Chile as well as artisans from other Latin American countries as far away as Mexico and Cuba. There was nothing that reached out and grabbed our attention and a lot of the crafts wouldn't have fit in our bags. We hope to find some interesting crafts in Peru next week.

The Wedding... Cousin Sam, the father of the bride arranged for us to be picked up at the hotel by a van at 9pm. The actual wedding ceremony started at about 10pm and ended 45 minutes later. We were then directed to the reception hall where we found a plate of appetizers waiting for each of us and then the party started. It didn't take us long to figure out that our sleep deficit was not going to shrink, but grow significantly. The main course was not served until about 2am and the wedding cake was cut around 5am. We were driven back to the hotel after the cake was cut, but the party continued until 6:30 - 7am.

To say that the Chilenos know how to party would be an understatement. The music started with a waltz for the newly married couple and guests, followed by one of the longest lasting Israeli Horas that I can remember. The band was outstanding and performed a wide selection of music, mostly with a latin beat... slow dances were at a minimum. When the music played, the dance floor was always crowded (there were roughly 400 people in attendance). Fortunately, the reception hall could handle the crowd. By around 3:30am, the Norteamericanos were starting to wilt, but the rest of the people, especially the younger ones, were going as strong as they did when the party started. Bottom line, it was a great way to celebrate the marriage of a great couple.