Boasting about summer in South America when it’s winter above the equator is just plain mean. To avoid any hard feelings, I’ll try not to dwell on the temperature nor my tan lines. If hearing of summer in winter offends you, it’s probably best to skip this post – and definitely don’t look at the photos. Fair warning!

Maybe I’ll start with the fact that it rained a bit in November. There were some clouds. It was breezy. Some days I wore a shirt with long sleeves. If you don’t believe me, ask our friends Kerrie and Don. They were here for a visit. They suffered with us.

One of the most beautiful things about Buenos Aires in November is the abundance of in-bloom jacaranda trees. Their branches dripping with purple flowers. Several of the major avenues here are lined with jacarandas and for a week or two in November they create a breathtaking sight.

Although we’ve toured the Teatro Colón several time, we were lucky enough to book box seats for a large orchestral performance. The Colón is an amazing venue. Very old-world. Some day we might get back for an opera or maybe a ballet. Who’s in?

And while we’re talking music, we also arranged a night of jazz with Kerrie and Don at BORIS – a small jazz club two blocks from our apartment. As with other jazz orchestras we’ve seen, the age range of the musicians covers the spectrum. It was cool to see that mix and always impressive to listen as each musician gets a chance to show their stuff in a solo during the two sets.

For Christmas, we escaped the heat of Buenos Aires for the heat of Santiago. We jumped across the Andes on Christmas Eve for a quick, five-day trip to meet up with our friends Karyn and Dave. They had just finished a cruise that took them from Florida through the Panama Canal.

This was their first time to Chile. We had visited Santiago for a few days in 2008 on our first South American adventure. Back then, it was more expensive than Argentina. That’s no longer the case. I don’t think it’s any cheaper than it was then, it’s only that inflation now in Argentina has made Chile the more affordable tourist destination of the two countries.

We stayed in the area called Lastarria and ate at some great restaurants. If I was a true foodie, I’d give you a plate-by-plate breakdown with photos. But it’s likely better to trust the masses on TripAdvisor. Check out Sarita Colonia and, while you’re at it, great food and cocktails on the rooftop patio at the Singular Hotel.

We did a fair bit of walking – including a three-hour city tour and a hike up San Cristóbal hill for a panoramic view of the city. We felt entirely safe during our stay and getting around by Uber was a breeze.

We want to get back to Santiago again in the future – maybe even spend a few months exploring the city and other parts of Chile while we’re at it .

We made it back to Buenos Aires in time for New Year´s Eve. We hosted a few Canadian friends that night for dinner. Our terrace has a large barbecue grill (called a parrilla) and I’ve picked up some skills grilling various cuts of meat over wood coals. However, I’ve yet to master what it takes so that I don’t smell like a campfire for a few days post BBQ.

New Year’s Eve was so hot (sorry Canada) that we couldn’t bear to eat outside. It was all we could do to stand on the terrace at midnight to watch fireworks in a humidity-laden 36C.

Now we find ourselves in mid-January with about three months to go before we return to Canada. I’ll wrap this up and get busy with new experiences.

If you’re interested in more day-to-day photos, consider following my Instagram account: @hashtagshappen

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