by Diego, age 9, asks Viejito Pascuero your name means Old Man Christmas. Are you like Santa?, about the Andes Mountains, and why Chile is so long and narrow
Dear Viejito Pascuero,
My name is Diego and I am 9 years old. I live in Santiago, Chile, where my family eats Christmas dinner outside in the warm summer evening, and the mountains behind our house still have a little snow on top even in December.
First, your name means Old Man Christmas. Are you like Santa?
Second, a geography question: what mountain range runs the whole length of Chile?
Third, a school question about my country: why is Chile such a long, narrow country?
I left you cola de mono and a small treat.
Love, Diego, age 9, Santiago, Chile, Santiago, Chile
From the Desk of Viejito Pascuero
Dear Diego, thank you for the treat, it was wonderful. Now, your questions.
Your name means Old Man Christmas. Are you like Santa?
Exactly that, the very same generous spirit, simply dressed in the Chilean language and a summer-weight coat.
What mountain range runs the whole length of Chile?
The Andes Mountains run along nearly the entire length of Chile, an extraordinary towering spine of rock and snow, and flying beside those peaks on a clear summer night, stars overhead, is one of the most striking parts of my whole South American route.
Why is Chile such a long, narrow country?
Chile is squeezed into a long, narrow strip of land between the towering Andes Mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west, stretching over four thousand kilometers from its northern desert to its southern glaciers, giving the country an incredible range of climates and landscapes.
Feliz Navidad, Diego.
Ho ho ho, Viejito Pascuero
