Our last day in Santiago (for real)

A few things...

Beard-off '09 has, sadly, come to an end. With a mere ten days remaining in the competition, Matt shaved off his beard. He was quoted as saying, ¨It looks like shit. I´m getting rid of it.¨ And Shane? Well, he´s gonna keep right on growin´. It ain't too pretty, but he is starting to have a legitimate beard. Look out for pics in the next couple of days. We know that´s the main reason you´re reading this blog.

Today we took the Metro to a neighborhood where there was a huge flea market. We saw an original Gameboy for sale (with a nice selection of games) and Matt almost bought it. We also saw some really cool surplus Chilean army stuff. Additionally, there was some Nazi paraphernalia (stuff with swastikas, the SS insignia, etc.). Chile (as well as other South American countries) apparently has a decently-sized Nazi community comprised of expatriated former Nazis and their decendants. There are apparently entire towns of Nazis scattered throughout the continent where the beliefs and values of the Third Reich are being perpetuated still. One American girl from Brandeis who has been studying in Chile also told us that the Nazis taught their torture tactics to the Chilean military. We thought all of this was pretty disturbing.

After the flea market, we went to a Middle Eastern restaurant in Bellavista. It was delicious! The hummus, falafel, and babaganouj were outstanding. The restaurant was run by a Palestinian woman and her family (there is a sizable Palestinan community in Santiago, mostly Christians).

Tonight we're taking it easy. We fly outta here at 11:30 AM. The next time you hear from us, we´ll be in B.A. ¡Ciao!