Traveling to Chile 1970 with Cyrus Eaton: Elizabeth and Cathy1970 Trip to Santiago, Chile, with Grandpa Eaton
Thursday, December 24, 1970
Today it is sunny and mucho calor.We have been here since Tuesday morning. I will go back and reconstruct our days so far. We began our trip Sunday A.M. when Dad and Mom drove us to airport to take the C & O plane to Miami, Florida, with David and Jill LeFevre, me, Elizabeth, Norm Comisky, his wife, and Grandpa.
Sunday, December 20, 1970
Elizabeth’s 17th birthday.
We studied up on Chile, and David was obnoxious about Dad shoveling manure. Toni served cold lunch, and the flight was not delayed by head winds as expected. We left Cleveland about 10 AM and arrived Miami about 3. Two limousines, black and shiny, took us to Deluxe Carrolton Hotel. Elizabeth and I were in room next to Jill and David. Grandpa was in Governor’s suite on the 17th floor. Elizabeth and I sunbathed and looked at hotel shops. We had roast beef dinner with wiater who kept counting us. Piece of birthday cake with candle. It was very difficult to get fresh squeezed orange juice in ritzy Florida hotel. Elizabeth and I went to bed early. Room was in sight and sound of the ocean. Jill and David to Burgundy room.
Monday, December 21, 1970
Elizabeth and I wer up early and out in the sun. We got scalded from boiling hot water coming out of pipe in back of hotel.We sunned and swam in ocean.Two surfers were out. The waves sooooo oh gentle. Sunned and swam in pool. Obnoxious loud speaker of games. Old people playing cards. Jill came out briefly. Lunch at ? and? Hiding from others. Sun again and shopping. Bought bathing suit and dress. Met Grandpa out for a walk. Interview with Cuban. Grandpa.Ho Ho Ho. Packed. Sole for dinner. Mart Twain, Rudyard Kipling, sons and daughters of Abraham – ho ho ho.Grandpa grando table. Elizabeth be Grandpa’s friend. More chocolates. Leave for airport in one unbroken down limousine. 1st class on Lan-Chile. Polite guy with streaked hair sauntered down with us and asked to pronounce Allende. Many Spanish Chileans around. No dindin. Slept petite ?. Lima, Peru in airport. Small.Touristy stuff. Machu Picu. Back on plane. Slept thru ? Woke.Saw mountainous clouds and clouds of mountains. Like being in Lost Horizons.
Tuesday, December 22, 1970
Flying from Lima to Chile.Through customs sans much trouble.Two cars to Santiago. Grandpa asked David about dirt. Many communist type painted signs. Hotel San Cristobol is modern, only been open five months, very, very expensive, clean, comfortable, pool with fountain.We are suite with Grandpa on the 4th floor, room number 437. Un packed, sunned and eat with David. Jill slept. Sun and swam.David translated with Polish ambassador. I forwalk. Me scairdy – not look at anybody, lizards, canal, construction, body. Turn back. Read and dinner with Senator Tario (sp?) and wife and Polish ambassador and wife.Red and white wine. Crab and beef. Enjoyable be between Taveo and David. Mrs. Taveo stout and friendly. Polish man screw up mouth and mouth. Laugh. Whisper sweet nothings in Elizabeth’s ear. Private dining room. Raspberries and ice cream for dessert. Bed late.
Wednesday, December 23, 1970
Sleep late, sun and swim quickly, interview with woman with Polish man to Senate. Meet Taveo and Polish man’s wife. Tour of Senate and House. Pictures. Comfortable Chairs. More pictures. Lunch of tongue and fish, beef, whiskey sour, red and white wine, cheese. Go with Polish wife to San Cristobal mountain; walk up. Virgin French statue. Steps.Mono rail. Steep hill. Flowers. ? popsicles and sprite. Drove to pool with rocks, fountain and water fall, swim, and sun far end. Interview with lady. To play ground with Polish. Hot, hot, hot. Met agricultural minister. Saw school. Imaginative play ground, speeches, dar, cool. Back to hotel. Bed.
Thursday, December 24, 1970
Up early, sun, sun, sun.Lunch and swim. Talked to Eric and brother. Shopping at arcade. Mucho people. Saw nice Chilean art shops outside temporary shops. ? copper – self portrait.
Cocktails with British. Me sickest.
Christmas Eve dinner. Steak Diane – flaming. Red wine.
Elizabeth go to bed early.
Friday, December 25, 1970
Christmas. Give a Damn. David, Jeff, Elizabeth all a night. All four diarrhea. Go with our driver to farm. Bumpy.Beautiful area. Not ride horses. ? shop and go and stop and turn. Bull, Wheat, cattle, house, school. Polish . Fix feast.We not eat. Chilean families come. Finally Christmas. Elizabeth sleep. David great with kids. Polish eat and eat. Lemon. Pregnant woman. ? cheese.Kids small ride with us.Embroidery. Back. Sleep 4-8. Order baked potatoes. Sick.
Saturday, December 26, 1970
Up most of night. Terrible back ache and cramps and much sick, pass out twice. Feel mucho better, Jill, Elizabeth, and I went with Sally Brugh to shops, her house, coke, more shops, and picked up her husband, Dr. R. V. Sorensen. Saw Sonia (2) and Cynthia (six months) at house of brother-in-law Fry – older farmer, business man and wife (Soransen’s sister). Had bought chicken and chips at Sorensen house. Many skins? Around, home made lamps and shelves. Brugh parents brought things, backyard, flowers, sandvox, little house, cokes, and pills.Went to mountains. Not feeling too super. Beautiful drive. Cactus. Poplars. ? stone formation. With Dr. and Sally down steepish hill to water. Also stopped at Boy Scout place to look for plates. Muy bueno. Rumanians to dinner and British daughter. Elizabeth and I not go. Baked potatoes, chicken soup, orange juice, hot chocolate. Early to bed.
Sunday, December 27, 1970
British ambassy. Robert and Mary Ann and parents. Crocket. They were dressed informally. WE were dressed up. Russian ambassador and wife. (Sinatra) assistant to dinner. Mucho food. Assistant wanted to drink and eat.Saw us swimming. Mill, Mrs. Comisky feeling yucky. Talked to David and Jill in our room with Miami chocolates. To race track. Roberto and Rudolf took us. Polo?, and their house, guitar and drinks, and to? Discothèque (sp?)
Monday, December 28, 1970
Sun bathe
Shop. Obnoxious American in lobby.
Grandpa’s 87th birthdayparty. Old man and wife, communists, ambassadors. Sally and Dr., Frys, Roberto, Rudolf, up on top of hotel. Beautiful view, perfect lighting. Elizabeth pictures. Huge cake.Meet people, people, people.Senator Tarvo and wife, Polish ambassador and wife, Russian ambassador and wife….back ache, Canadians and Swede. Roberto muy attentive to Elizabeth.Come to room. Finally leave. Pack.
Tuesday, December 29, 1970
To teach with Sally. Breakfast picnic in front of hotel.Not see Ruben. Two hour drive 10-12. Got much greener nearer sea. Very hilly, flowers, town, gamboling hall. Sally brave to drive, drive all along beaches, red flags, eat hotdogs, ham and cheese at Savoy, beach, sun swim, paddle tennis game, skinny girls, got crowded, OIL in water and on beach. Left 3:45. Visited Dr. Sorenzen’s aunt, not there. Hot sidewalk. Saw her when driving. (hat) to post office. To Valpraiso. Climb in car. Up. Up, up. View of harbor, ships. Elizabeth not talk mucho. Coke on way back.
Departure postponed.
Elizabeth and me steak Diane downstairs. New Year’s Eve television program. Me dress again and have wine with Comiskies.
Wednesday, December 30, 1970
Up at 6 AM. David and Jill bye. To airport. Signs. Polish and Czeck and Russian ambassador and wife good bye. Present Allende ---- book to Grandpa.
In air. Last looks. Haunting feeling. Clouds.Mountains. Ocean. Elizabeth and me.
Thursday, August 8, 2006
As I type of this diary of our trip, I remember very little of it, except being scalded in Miami, Grandpa making fuss about no fresh orange, going to ocean with Sally, oil spill on sand and in water, buying woven ponchos, feeling sick, big gathering on Grandpa’s birthday. I also remember having lost a lot of weight and having Mom trying to get me to eat hamburger and baked potato in family room when I got home.