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Vamos, Buster!Santiago, ChileChile is a land of adventure! There are mountains, deserts, beaches, and farms just perfect for exploring!
My new friend Carolina is the biggest adventurer of all! I met her in Santiago, Chile's capital city. We rode up a big hill in a cable car called a funicular. It was a little scary to be up so high, but the view was amazing!
 When I was in Santiago I heard people playing folk music. That's a special kind of music that tells stories about the local culture and history.
 In Chile I found a new food: empanadas! They're pastries stuffed with meat, cheese, and other yummy ingredients. Empanadas are usually small like a sandwich, but we had special ones that were really big! You can make your own empanadas.
Carolina gave me a present: a chanchito. Chanchitos are clay pig sculptures. Some people think they bring you good luck. I think I'm lucky to have Carolina as my friend!
In Chile I also met two boys who ride in rodeos. Nicolas and Juan Pablo have been riding horses since they were little. Rodeo's a really cool sport. Teams of riders compete to herd cattle. Nicolas and Juan Pablo can even ride sideways. Impressive!
 D.W. emailed me (with Arthur's help). She wanted to know if unicorns could compete in rodeos. Then she asked if the unicorns could herd big brothers instead of cattle.
We also traveled to the Maipo Valley and hiked to a cascada -- that's what you call a waterfall in Spanish. Some people believe magical spirits guard the cascada. I'm glad the spirits didn't mind when I did a cannonball into the water!
In the Andes, I met Ema and her dad, Carlos. We hiked up the mountains to hunt for fossils. We found fossils of ammonites, spiral-shaped sea creatures. They're here because the Andes were underwater many millions of years ago.
My friend Carolina was such a great guide! We went kayaking in the ocean to see some penguins. They were really cute! The penguins swim all the way here from Antarctica. That's a long way to travel!
Carolina isn't just an adventurer, she's also a writer. She even wrote a book about saving dolphins! Her inspiration is Pablo Neruda, a famous Chilean poet. Neruda wrote poems called odes about everyday things, including food. Mmmm, that's my kind of poetry!
 Chile inspires you to explore and have fun. Los Viajeros wrote a song about the country's spirit of adventure called Vamos, Chile!. "Vamos!" means "Let's go!"
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All animated characters and underlying materials (including artwork) © Marc Brown.
Buster and the other Marc Brown characters are trademarks of Marc Brown.
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