I found Jess, who works at Class VI, here rafting some and working with Mitch and other locals for her senior thesis on dams and mines on the Futa. I've been staying with her in town, with Umberto, who's a Chilean training with me, and Brian, who's from the US and works in Idaho. I've been hanging out with a pretty big crowd of people, some Canadians, Frenchies, Argentinians, only a few from the US, a Colombian, an Italian, and a bunch of Chilenos. There's like 15 or more of us. We've been hanging out since it's the holidays and not a lot of people are working.
So, Christmas Eve, we all planned to each make a dish from where we're from and have a pot luck, and then later go to a big Asado with people from all over town. Our "family" dinner was great. Jess and I made a cherry and apple cobbler together. Brian made a stew, Colo made some potato dish,and Josie made a pumpkin pie. Everyone else said they would make something, but ended up getting drunk instead... ha ha. They brought beer and liquor.. ha ha that
was their contribution.
We ate all together, then headed to the Casa Azul, the Futa Explore house to have an asado with 2 lambs and hang out with everyone. There was a 96 year old woman there partying with us. It was her 96th birthday on Xmas eve. Really cool lady. It turned into a huge party after a while, and we all rallied to the disco down the road. The disco is the shit. Always good times guaranteed at the Futa disco. Ha ha.
I remember the sun coming up as I walked home from the disco.... and Colo dropping the cobbler in the dirt ha ha.
Christmas day, we all got up and had leftovers for breakfast, then rallied to the Rio Espolon to a play wave with 3 kayaks and my board. We spent 7 hours there, playing around, drinking chicha, hanging out. Everyone tried kayaking and everyone tried riverboarding. It was a blast. The board was a hit.... as usual.
We cooked a bunch of hot dogs on a fire... it was great. It really reminded me of good times at Canyon Doors. We headed home around 7pm and had an awesome italian dinner made by the best Italian chef in Futa.. and then all passed out early.
We really have this tight international family here. I feel like Futa is home and I'm surrounded by family. I really am loving it here. Every day is better than the last.
So... I didn't have a horrible xmas all alone... as I had feared. I was surrounded by family and love, just like it should be.
New Years was a good one too....
I rowed the safety raft down the Rio Espolon all day, and then got a ride into town for the fiesta later that night.
I bought a bottle of White Horse Whiskey and it disappeared quickly... ha ha. There was definately an asado and a disco involved in the evening.
The next day, New Years day, we had a trip on the Rio Azul, and I was riverboarding along. I was drunk till about 2 pm when we put on... It was all I could do to keep from vomiting while puting my wetsuit on.. ha ha. But, made it through the day puke free and sobered up within the first 3 rapids. Ha ha. It was a pretty leisurely day, since everyone was pretty hung over. Good times. Pelado was in a ducky, Sarah was kayaking, Aren was kayaking, Mitch was rowing Brian and Henrick down, while they drank beers, and Hernan took a raft of people down. Really fun day.
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