Last weekend, I traveled with seven of my fellow students to San Alfonso, a small town nestled among the grandeur of the Andes mountains about a two hour journey outside Santiago. We arrived with the intention of spending the day hiking in the mountains in the national park. When we learned the price of entry into the park, we decided to look for another option. As we were asking several locals what we could do and where we could go for a good price, we met a man named Alejandro. He told us that he had a friend who could guide us up the mountain we saw before us and for a very reasonable price. He called this friend, and Pablo came running. This was my first true encounter with Chilean hospitality, and it was a blessing. To be sure.
Pablo then spent the next four and half hours carefully and patiently leading our group up the mountain on the best hike of my life. The vistas were astounding. The company was delightful. The tour guide was perfect. And the Andes were....well, the Andes.
As we were walking, Seth told me that he had recently watched Planet Earth and had learned that the Andes have been called "The Spine of the Earth." I suppose they get this nickname because they are so vast and stretch for miles upon miles up the continent of South America. We both thought this was a beautiful name.
So, we spent the day walking along the spine of the earth. I am so thankful for this experience. I will never forget it.
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