Fiestas Patrias and drinking with family

So, Sept 18 is Chile's Independence Day, and the beginning of the Fiestas Patrias, which are sort of like the USA's 4th of July, times 10 and stretched out over a whole weekend, or depending on when the 18th falls, a whole week. As Chileans explain it, the Fiestas Patrias are when you "drink too much, eat too much and dance too much"-but in a good way. The traditional foods include parillada(bbq), empanadas, chicha(alcoholic drink), wine, and of course, Chile's national alcohol: pisco. Plus, everyone dances the cueca, a wonderful dance based on the moves of mating chickens.
All of this is combined in the form of fondas, which are basically like mini-county fairs that pop up all over the country, dozens in each city. Fondas are kid friendly during the day, and blacked-out-drunk-friendly at night. I have never seen someones so drunk as when we drove past a fonda on the way home-this man, "huaso" technically(aka a legit cowboy), who was weaving in and out of the street in front of cars like I thought only happened in movies.
But highlights:
I went with my host mom to her parents house, my chilean grandparents, with my two chilean uncles and their wives/gfs. The grandparents, who are super sweet, live in a beautiful little town two hours south of Santiago called San Fernando, basically in the foothills of the Andes and populated by more sheep and horses than people. After a stressful week of school and tests, I was so appreciative to be able to sit in the sun, stare at the snow-capped Andes and hear horses stomping down the dirt road.
For the 18th we had a delicious bbq of local chorizo and longaniza (sausages) plus an amazing stew, and a slew of drinks. My uncle taught me how to make pisco sours, the national drink/what everyone drinks in bars, and mojitos-not quite so chilean but still a crowd-pleaser. By lunch, everyone was drunk. Then came dinner, and more drinking. The warnings were true, I ate and drank too much, but not too too much.
The next day my grandpa took us on a tour of the mountains and nearby rivers.
Here's some pics!


Andes!


My host brother, in our grandpa's pick up truck; a nerve-wracking but fabulous way to take in the Andes


He looked like he was having so much fun, I had to join him! Sorry mom, we didn't wear seat belts....




Where two rivers meet. Notice how one is brown, and the other is crystal clear azure...

My host mom and brother, being cheesy