Kirst and Match's Aspen Adventure: 2007

Match gets in touch with his catholic school boy days. It was quite surreal, being on top of a hill with church music being pumped out of giant speakers surrounding the statue of mother mary. I think this is supposed to be Santiago's answer to Brazil's mountaintop statue. On the plus side, the views were amazing! Santiago is a huge city, spreading as far as the eye can see to the surrounding mountains.

Photos from the gondola ride up the massive hill in the middle of Santiago to a giant statue of the mother mary. Quela (Fran's sister) & Jules; me & Match; Dave & Jules

Sites from Santiago

The crystal clear waters of the Morales hot springs in the Andes - apparently these murky baby-poo brown waters are amazingly good for your health! Diego, Dave & Match check out the mineral content of the waters before taking the dive with the locals. The newly-weds trying to stay warm in the "hot" (aka slightly warmer than the water of the Pacific Ocean at Zapallar the day before!). Diego gives it the thumbs up!

Day Trip 2 - into the Andes and visit to hot springs. I love the fact that after 2 hours of remote unsealed roads driving into the mountains you can still get an icy cold coca cola??! Lost tour group!

Proud fisherman with his catch of the day... and our lunch!

Day trip to Zapallar - beach resort 2 hours drive north-west of Santiago.

The party continues... I think these pics were around 3am! Mike's Dad Phil gets into the party spirit.

Match and me matching! (also looking a little blurry... an indication of how we were seeing! The wedding went until 5am - we lasted until about 4am as we were suffering from jet-lag after flying in from Sydney the day before!

The international friends table - Match, Adler & Stu from UK, Nikki & Pete from UK, Diego & Laura from Peru, Jules from USA and Dave from UK... oh and Fran's brother Freddy (Chile) managing to get in both pics!

Fran walks down the isle with her Dad. The beautiful church and catholic mass wedding - conducted in Spanish by an Irish priest! He did slip into English once to tell Mike that he needed to follow in the words of Elvis Presley and "take care of her"! Mr & Mrs Graham!