El Juego Bonito

We dedicated much of the morning to calling home via Skype video to our respective families. It is impressive to be able to stay in touch from such a distance in such a remote location. Sometimes the Internet is a marvellous thing.

The sun has been getting progressively stronger and has rapidly melted the snow that fell in the mountains last week. A few days ago, the solar-powered water heater mounted on top of the roof of the hostel boiled over in the middle of the day, venting steaming hot water out of the overflow. We reduced the pressure by running the shower for a short while, which produced a spray of scalding water.

To cool down and take a break from catching up with these blogs, we took a walk to the market place and purchased two cups of mote con huesillo.

Mote con huesillo

This drink is typically Chilean and, while I first thought it included corn, it is actually made from cooked husked wheat (mote) and sun-dried peaches (huesillo). The peaches are rehydrated and boiled in a sugar solution, cooled and added to the wheat. This refreshing beverage is to be found sold everywhere in Chile and is such a part of the national identity that anything more quintessential is said to be "más chileno que el mote con huesillo".

As well as being able to make mote con huesillo, the ability to play (and general interest in) football is probably also one of the quintessential facets of the Chileno character. This fanaticism is not restricted to men, as our female Spanish teacher in Santiago was crazed for the 'national sport' and could not fathom our indifference to the approaching 'Copa América' and the sport in general (especially as English).

It is no surprise, therefore, that among even the limited facilities of San Pedro, there is a football pitch opposite the marketplace.

El juego bonito

Football is most often referred to as the hispanicised fútbol but can also be called balompié (balón = ball, pie = foot). Today there were a number of matches being played. The teams comprised young and old, fit and not so fit, but all were united by their passion for the 'beautiful game' (el juego bonito). How they manage to sustain a ninety-minute kick about in the searingly hot sun, I will never understand.

I have never seen anyone use the slightly less well appointed pitch near to our hostel, so I presume it is a former incarnation of the astroturfed, floodlit version.

Alternative pitch

For dinner, I put a selection of food together in an attempt to make a meal out of the sum of the parts in the fridge.

A meal of parts

Fried plantain met guacamole, tomatoes and goat's cheese, with quinoa to bind it all together.