In my novel-in-progress, Clara Albright arrived in Valdivia over forty years ago. This after a whirlwind, forbidden courtship with Jorge Valle, a Chilean graduate student in West Virginia at the time. Some ten years ago, tour guide Pete Snyder reached the Lake Region on the heels of an unsuccessful career as a ski instructor in Colorado. A couple of years ago, Bill Albright flew from Charlestown to Valdivia to find out what was wrong with his sister Clara, and Pamela Palmer traveled south from her home in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, eventually reaching Valdivia to visit her long-estranged daughter Luisa.
Now it’s time for me to join my characters, to make sure the world they inhabit resembles the real one.
Check and triple-check:
For months, I’ve been preparing. I’ve bought miniature toiletries, compression socks, and a TSA-approved luggage lock; agonized over which clothes to pack; contacted credit card companies and learned as much as I can about my technological acquisitions (including this blog site); worried over a variety of imaginary scenarios; and strove to figure out if 24° C is a pleasant temperature (it is) and 2,000 pesos is too much to pay for a cappuccino (probably not). As the departure day approaches (February 28), the excitement gives way to a more robotic state, similar (though on a much smaller scale) to how I felt when I left my life in Puerto Rico and moved to Spokane.
My stomach teeters like the ship at the edge of the precipice. However, the plunge will be cushioned by the good wishes of so many.
Go!
It’s going to be a wonderful adventure!
I hope so. I just got to
Chile and am still adjusting!
Yes, 2000 to 3000 CLP is about right for a latte or cappuccino. The slang word they use for the currency is “luca.” I think this is like saying “two bucks” in Texas. I’m am very curious about how you are going to weave these characters together! I suspect you are going to meet real people who will join your book as well….there are some real characters the hinterlands of Chile.
I’m sure there are.
Right now I seem like the real character in this new city!
When you can, post something about your abode and what you have discovered about Valdivia. Does the town (and Chile) look and feel like you thought it might? Can you sort out the Chileano espanol?
Your suggestions are great insights for future posts! I can understand the Spanish well, but of course most of my conversations are one-on-one and up close. Put me in a group and it might be a different story … I will talk about the town more, but for those who know Puerto Rico, most parts of the city remind me of cities out on the island — Arecibo, perhaps, or San German. The promenade I found yesterday faces nice homes, condominiums, and a few restaurants, similar to a yesteryear Isla Verde. Stay tuned!