From Anchorage to Ushuaia by Bike

"Where are you going to be for Christmas?" "What are you going to do for Christmas?" These are questions that we've been asked a lot lately. And we don't really know what to do for this holiday season, normally spent with the family. And it doesn't really feel like Christmas here: it's warm and sunny, and there are no lights. It's hard to really get into the Christmas spirit!

We decided to make a reservation for a little apartment/cottage in Ankud, two bedrooms and a kitchen. We never make reservations normally, but we made an exception for Christmas. We found a good deal on a place that looked pretty nice (actually, it was even cheaper than a hotel or hostel!).

We invited Dave to spend Christmas with us. He's an American, teaching English in Santiago for a year, who we first met on Easter Island and then met up with again in Puerto Varas. The more the merrier! It's an international Christmas this year, with a Canadian and an American and us!

So after 2 days of biking (one short day to get to Puerto Montt where we had microfinance interviews, and one long day of almost 7 hours biking) we arrived on Chiloé, famous Pacific Island.

Tonight we're cooking a special meal, taking full advantage of the oven and equipped kitchen to cook a meal that everyone had a hand in:

• Cocktails: Guacamole
• Appetizer: local oysters and shrimps, smoked salmon
• Main: Stuffed tomatoes and rice
• Dessert: ice cream, fruit salad, shortbread and chocolate chip cookies

To accompany the food, we have pisco sour (a typically Chilean cocktail, although both Peru and Chile claim it as there own), cola de mono (a strong liquor with milk, coffee and aguardiente, drunk mostly at Christmas time), and Chilean wine: syrah and carmenere.

And of course, how could we forget the little plastic Christmas tree that the owner of the cabanas lent to us for Christmas.

Happy Christmas Eve to everyone!

We're thinking of you!

Merry Christmas!

Sara