The Catholic Playground:  Encuentro de los Jovenes en Santiago, Chile

The New Image Bank

I've written a few poems about the Chilean trip.   None are complete yet, but they are:

• Dreaming in Spanish
• Chilean Fog
• En La Casa de Gustavo y Alejandra a Avienda Fernando de Aguillar 7247 in Santiago, Chile

Some more of Doug's images follow.  Anyone mentioned by first name, unless noted otherwise, is a pilgrim from the Kansas City group or one of the Chilean guides and/or friends made during the trip.

A word of warning:  all these images are copyrighted by black dog imageworks, and cannot be reproduced in any form whatsoever without the prior written consent of Doug Hesse, who photographed them.  

• A second view of the Andes Mountains.
• Anne praying at Mass in O'Higgins Park.
• A shot of Ted playing basketball against some Chilean youths.
• A picture of Josh praying in the crowd.
• A building in downtown Santiago, as seen from an old Spanish fort on a high hill in the center of the city.
• Mike and Maria Jose (she's the blurry one) with candles at the Vigil. 
• Mario at the Day of the Kingdom events.
• A Chilean youth after the Vigil, on Sunday morning
• Fr. Mike, Anne, Melissa, Maria Jose and the Kansas State flag during some of our wanderings
• Several scenes from the farewell party for Doug and I at the Vicencio's residence on Sunday night:
  • Gustavo Sr. playing guitar as Gonzalo listens
  • The party guests:  Mario (who threw the first party and introduced me to Pisco) is dancing
  • Mario's wife dancing and singing as I look on
  • Alejandra and everyone else clapping along to the music as Mario takes a smoke break
• A statue of Mary, behind the Our Lady of Mercy church, in Vitacura, Santiago
• The Mass in O'Higgins park
• Alex and Melissa painting on the Day of Reconciliation
• Ted and Rigo sawing, also on the Day of Reconciliation
• A statue of a general (I don't recall which one) in downtown Santiago

The Old Image Bank

• The Andes Mountains, as seen through the afternoon haze from the bus station we were helping to repaint, etc.
• The Vicencio family, with whom Doug and I lived during the trip:  from left to right they are Gustavo, Gianina, Alejandra, and Gonzalo.  They were a godsend, and positively made the trip to Chile as wonderful as it was for Doug and I.  The picture shows the whole family saying goodbye at the airport, save for Gustavo Jr.
• Allan with Gonzalo and Gustavo at the O'Higgins Monument and Eternal Flame in downtown Santiago.  Notice the Berliz Spanish/English electronic dictionary:  we often repeated this scene throughout our stay--everyone huddling around the LED display trying to find the right words.
• Paula and I talking.   This was really the first time we were able to speak at length, without maddening crowds, Metro stations, etc. to worry about.
• Paula and I chatting in the park (Paula's somewhat irked to be caught on film, again, I think by Doug; by this time I was a) completely distracted, and b) numb to Doug while working--unless he made the Fifth Element "zzzzzz" sound which meant I had to move out of the way of the lens)
• A group shot of Doug, Maria Jose, Paula and I posing for Gonzalo probably, also in the park. 
• A great picture of Gianina in her yard.  She's such a cutie!
• A wonderful image of the clouds and trees above Santiago.  Doug has this way of making things look aquatic that I haven't figured out yet, but find incredibly inspiring none-the-less....

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