Serendipity

Although today is far from over, I think I’ll have a quiet evening and reflect.

Gonzalo and Laura were married in a Civil wedding today and are now partying with family. Tomorrow we all move on to the next part of the wedding and party hard (so I’m told). I have been ordered not to eat much in the 24 hours prior because there will be so much food! I’m resting now in preparation for the festivities😃

I could feel the anxiety this morning. Laura bounced out of bed really excited, dancing down the hallway with the biggest smile on her face. We chatted for a while, she testing her English and me testing my Spanish. We get by. Neither of us are fluent but it makes us laugh. She is so sweet.

Gonzalo was smoking, stressing and making phone calls, making sure all the last minute things were done, so I crept out and went into town. I went to an old favourite cafe for a coffee, out in the back garden. People don’t know it’s there, so I know it will be quiet. There was a little boy at the table in the corner, sitting with his mum having a chocolate milk. He had beautiful big brown eyes and curly hair, but reminded me of Leo. He kept staring so I said hello and asked his name. “Manuel”.

His mum looked up and apologised but she said that I look like his grandma. She spoke in broken English to practice and I spoke in broken Spanish. Manuel just kept staring. She asked where I was from, and her eyes grew huge when I told her I was from Australia. “That’s the country with koalas” she explained to 3 year old Manuel.

He came over to my table and brought out some trucks to play with, then I remembered I had just this morning attached a tiny koala onto my key ring. I took it off and gave it to him and he was so grateful and excited. What a sweet few moments that was and why did I put the koala on my key ring this morning? She didn’t mention kangaroos or crocodile Dundee like most people do…it was koalas. This place, Santiago, is so full of magic!

I needed to get a few things from the supermarket etc today, so I went to new town which is quite a long walk, but there are bigger stores there. On the way, I dropped in to see Nate at Pilgrim House and ended up chatting for about an hour. I then poked my head in to Casa Ivar to visit Ivar and again, had a lovely chat. I was thinking that I would never get to the shops but eventually I did and got what was needed.

I stopped for a slider hamburger at my favourite tapas bar as I walked back and then my phone rang as I was passing the Talking Stone park. I’ve been there many times but never noticed what the park is actually about. My phone call was with my Bolivian friend Mark, the one who I walked to Muxia with a few years ago. As we were talking, I looked up and noticed the “stones”. They were large rocks placed in a spiral each one with a quote from various people. I walked the spiral. Fascinating.

The weird thing is that Mark and I had been discussing just two days ago, how his girlfriend had a thing about rocks! How serendipitous it was to have him ring me right when I was in the Talking Stone park.

That is two things today that have I’m sure been orchestrated by a higher power. Now I know I’m right where I should be, doing what I’m meant to be doing, and loving every minute. How I’ve missed Santiago and it’s amazing magic. can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings!