Griffy's 8!

Casa Esperanza and Hogar were still closed today for the holiday weekend.  That actually worked out well, because Griffy turned 8 years old today.  He's been really excited about going to the ocean, so this morning we left the apartment at 7:00 a.m.  It was still dark and actually quite chilly.  No wonder the Chileans say it's cold in the winter.  We saw a small puddle that had a little ice over the top of it.  Many of them do not use heat in the winter, so I can only imagine how cold their houses are in the morning.  We made our way to the metro station and our journey to the South Pacific began.

Two trains, a bus and a taxi later and we were in Vina del Mar - just before lunch.  The kids were elated!  By this time it was a lot warmer, probably around 60 degrees.  It's a holiday weekend in Chile, but the beach wasn't crowded because of the "cold."  I let one of the waves come up on my bare feet and ohhhhh, chillllly!  The water is cold because of the Humboldt current coming up from the south (which here is basically coming from almost Antarctica).

The kids put their swimsuits on and did not seem at all bothered by the cold.  They played hard for at least 2 hours before they felt the cold and asked to get dressed.  It was so cute hearing their excited voices at the beach.

These pictures were taken BEFORE the boys took their shirts off and got soaked from head to toe (including sand in the hair).

It was a great day.  We got home at about 6:00 p.m. and had dinner and cake.

"He who builds his lofty palace in the heavens and sets its foundation on the earth, who calls for the waters of the sea  and pours them out over the face of the land - the Lord is His name!"  Amos 9:6