Fiestas Patrias!

Two weeks ago we traveled to Concepcion, the second largest city in Chile, to share "Fiestas Patrias," the Chilean Independence Day with two of our new friends and their families.  Feliz Diez y Ocho!  (Happy 18th).  Turns out, they celebrate much in the same way we do - with barbeques and beer!  Well, almost the same.  They replace beer with delicious Chilean Ponche (white wine w/ chunks of various fruits) and Chicha (fruity champagne w/ a kick).  They replace fireworks with more eating and drinking.  Most importantly, they do it all as a family.  We had the pleasure of joining a wonderful family who's mission was to keep our plates full of home cooked Chilean tradition for 48 hours straight.  They succeeded.  We gained 5 kilos each.  Awesome!  Below are a few of the traditional dishes from the feast:

 The Barbeque

 Student Protests

 The Beautiful Campus

Enjoying the Campus

"Empanadas de Pino" - Chile's most traditional empanada stuffed with a blend of beef, onions, one olive,one egg and a hint of merken (chilean chile pepper)
"Congrio" - rich, flakey white fish direct from the local fishing port cooked in a savory broth with potatoes and vegetables.
"Cazuela" - stew of fish, chicken or beef, potatoes, a pumpkin-like squash, and assorted vegetables in a broth
"Chorripan" - traditional Chilean sausage grilled over carbon flame and eaten on toasted Chilean bread with a Pevre dressing (Pevre is a blend of fresh tomatoes, onions, and parsley like salsa).  Mayonnaise, ketchup and "mostaza" (sweet mustard) are also available for added flavor.
"Anticucho"- Chile's version of shishkabobs.  Grilled sausage, steak, onions, and peppers on a stick.
Barbeque - giant pile of assorted meat served with grilled potatoes, fresh sliced tomatoes, beet salad, and more meat

Between meals, we also visited the Universidad de Concepcion (Chile's largest university, on strike since July), Talcahuano (fishing port and Naval base that was leveled by the after earthquake tsunami in 2010), and beautiful downtown Concepcion (Chile's second largest city).  See pics!

Downtown Concepcion

Fish Market

Famous Ship in Talcahuna

Finally, we made a pit stop at the Salto del Laja (Chile's baby Niagra Falls) on our return trip to Temuco.  After a few photos, a keychain souvenier, and a bag of Equino Gerky (horse meat jerky), we made our way home. 

The Waterfall

Many thanks and love to Felipe, Pamela, and their wonderful families for taking us in and showing us what it means to be a Chilean family. 

The Medina Family