Jardin Botanical in Vina

Yesterday my American friend and I went to the Botanical Gardens in Vina- it was refreshing to be in what was more akin to a park then a botanical garden, but me and my parks, I do miss them so. There were foreign exchange students playing soccer and locals having picnics with their kids. We brought wine, apples, bread and what she called goats cheese. To me it tasted like mozzarella and it did not agree with me I'm afraid. My excitement for goats cheese was in equal proportion to my ensuing gastro-suffering.

It's no secret to my friends and family, and now anyone that reads my blog, that I've had my share of "stomach" problems here. I've vacillated from issues with gas to issues with constipation- neither are any fun or sexy. I spent hours researching online, changing my diet, with little improvement. My cousin suggested papaya, I tried the juice because I didn't really know how to eat a papaya, then when that didn't work, I tried the papaya itself... I stopped eating meat, I went back to vegetables I chewed on gas x my mom sent me from home, I cried on skype about how badly I needed to go to the bathroom, I went to bed each night giving Sylvain a run down of whether or not I was going to bed in pain or not.

Finally after several hours at the garden and the most (gastro) pain I've been in in a long I said, screw it, I'm going to the pharmacy. Thankfully late at night in moments of desperation I had looked up the word Laxative in spanish so it was no problem asking for what I needed because gas is just gaz. To cover all the bases I got medicine for both. I wasted no time and before could reach the pharmacy exit all of two steps behind me, I had swallowed the pill dry... and it worked in snap.

Feeling better this morning I went for a jog towards the beach that my friend Ms. America had told me about- I hadn't gone in this direction because everyone had a story about some friend of a friend whose gotten mugged, but usually these stories took place late at night and to guys. It was noon and beautiful and how bad could it be it was on the way to a beach.

I know now why I never found the beach before- it took a little ways to get there and if you didn't know you'd be rewarded with a beach you would have thought, why bother carrying on in this direction its nothing but highway and port authority after port authority... But then, there was sand, about as much as one might need to fill a sandbox for adults. But it was glorious nonetheless and I sat down in the rocky perimeter for a few minutes before heading back to soak up sun and enjoy the beauty of the harbor.

Sylvain told me today, 52 days left... it's time to get moving- next on my list Isla Negra an Zappallar one of which I hope to visit this week or next weekend...