Just another manic Monday.

Hugo works at the ascensor and always takes the time to chat with us, sometimes for longer than he realises.  He usually leaves the conversation after a few minutes and races back into the control room to bring up an ascensor full of people wondering why the 100 metre journey took so long.  He is also a barometer to what is happening around Valpo.  However he does only answer the questions we ask.  He is a great mime too.  I liken him to a short John Cleese.  At the weekend he told us that today, Monday, is a special day for Saints Paul and Peter, a feast day.

We went to bed wondering what happens on a feast day in Chile.  This morning we awoke and went through the usual Monday morning routine of breakfast and school lunches.  Except today it was quiet… almost too quiet.  This is Chile where the dogma of if I’m up, you’re up is ever present.  A quick look out the window and suddenly it was like looking at a post apocalyptic scene, without the usual destruction that goes with apocalypses (or is it apocalypi?).  In hindsight it was nothing like a post apocalyptic scene.  I’m embellishing.  I’m sorry.  But when I looked out the window we saw that one of the other schools was closed and the streets were all deserted, similar to a post apoc… you get the idea. 

Hugo was working the ascensor so we sent Indy out to ask him if there was any school today.  Talluah watched from the front door and I watched from the open window.  Hugo shouted out, “Hello.”  Indiana and he had a quick conversation and Hugo crossed his arms, “Siguir durmiendo,” (continue sleeping) he shouted to our apartment.  “You could have told us yesterday,” I called back. He waved and smiled and returned to his ascesorial duties.  Hugo doesn’t speak any English.

Talluah broke out the emergency arts and crafts supplies and spent the morning making a cardboard birthday cake for the girls’ two-year-old cousin in Australia.  After lunch we headed out to a park which sits in the shadow of the Navy School and is directly opposite the sea.  Indiana immediately found a new friend to play with and Truce almost kneecapped herself showing us how far she can almost jump from one cement slab to another.

All in all we discovered that the best part about having a three day weekend is knowing about it in advance.