Peder's letter from chile
I was 5 just before i travelled to Chile together with my grandmother and mum to sail onboard empire for a looong time. At least I thought so. When I turned 5 in March I was sure that I would travel “tomorrow”. My bag was ready but we were not supposed to leave before end of april… after 30 hours on the plane we came to Santiago in Chile . Heidi and dad was waiting for me. Dad thought I was a big boy. Last time i saw him was in Chaguaramas i Tobago when I was 4 years. People in Chile speak Spanish. That is a different language from what they spoke in Trinidad and Tobago. In chile they speak like the people I met at Isla Margarita in Venezuela.
		I met Edguardo in Valdivia , he is boss in the marina where empire was. He was funny and we became good friends. Soon I learnt some Spanish, just a little in the beginning and then more. When I had learnt a lot we came to a new country where they spoke a different language… That was English. I had learnt a few words english while in the Caribbean , but I could not remember anything. Edguardo taught me ”HOLA” (HI) and ”MI NOMBRE DON PEDRO” (my name is Peder).
Mamma left after a few days. grandmother Irene was going to sail with us for 2 weeks. Later heidi, dad, empire and I were going to sail across the passific. The military in Valdivia did not want us to go. they said that the weather was no good, but it was nice. then We stayed a long time in Valdivia. Edguardo was happy. One day a new sailboat came to Valdivia. I became friends with Lasse, Pauli and all the
animals onboard Satumaa. Lasse and Pauli spoke Swedish, almost like Norwegian. One day we travelled to Maggie and Ian, they Live on a ranch close to Valdivia.
			Grandma rode like a queen on their pony (it is really a hor..., but dad says that you should not speak about that animal in a boat because it brings bad luck. So I call it for pony on land too). Heidi, dad and I also had our own ponies, mine hor...eh - pony was called chokolita. At the farm I also learnt how they make the best honey in the world, san pedro honey. Since my name is don Pedro in Chile I liked to have San Pedro honey in Empire. But we had
to eat all of it before we came to New Zealand, otherwise the customs would take it. We stayed in a nice cottage at Maggie and Ian's. When they understood that we were sailors as they also had been, we were not allowed to pay to sleep in their cottage. One day the military said the weather was good and we could leave, but before that we drove grandmother back to the airport. When we came to Higuerillas I sailed optimist dingy alone in the sea, only together with other kids. First I was not allowed but then the teachers said it was ok. I was happy. Heidi and Daddy watched from the brake water. When I was finished I told them that I did not move in the little sailboat. Daddy said I was clever and though.
	On the Norwegian national day we paraded around empire's deck. Daddy played his trumpet. After we sailed to Antofagasta. Ono ur way in through the brake water the waves were scary BIG, but it went ok. At the yachtclub I got to know Christian, he was the boss in that marina. He was almost as nice as Edguardo in Valdivia . Christian invited us on his sailboat. it was smaller than empire. Christian also sailed with empire. One day we were visiting a friend of Christian. In Christines garden we had a Chilean barbeque, asado. That was good but I was tired in the evening and felt asleep. but Daddy remembered to take me home to the boat.
Peders letter from Peru
We left empire in Antofagasta and took the bus to Arica, Ariquipe and Cuzco in Peru . We took a small train which drove in zigzag, back and forth, up a very steep mountain. The train went to Machu Picchu. At Machu Picchu was the Inka king's chair and old houses. I also saw some nice lamas. We walked all the way down to Aqua Caliente. Heidi and Daddy didn't think there were many 5's who had walked there on their own feet's. I don't think so either.
			The day after Heidi and Daddy walked very funny. they were tired in their legs from all the walking – I was not. I met Miriam in Agua Caliente. she was also a 5. We blow soap bubbles together and then we were friends. I also met a boy. we played with marbles . One marble disappeared and then we could not play that game anymore. I swam in the hot springs in Aqua Caliente. It was fun to take the warm water in my mouth and spit it out again.
			Daddy said I was not allowed to do it because the water wasn't clean enough. Next day we took bus and train to get to lake Titicaca. I was sick many times on the way. Dad thought it was because of the dirty warm water from the springs. It could also have been altitude sickness. In the hotel in Puno they gave me oxygen to breath to see if i got better. To be sure that I got better we took a bus down from the high mountains many 1000 meters , home to empire.
Lennart came to visit us in Antofagasta. he is also a sailor. His boat is named cabo de Hornos, that means cape horn. He sailed there together with my dad and Heidi. Lennart is also my friend. When he went back to his own boat in Uruguay we sailed Empire to Galapagos. I will tell more about that in another letter. HADET – CIAO – BAYBAY