The heck with lifting heavy aquaria; shopping is easily the most exhausting of tasks.

Chile has plastic screening of a design and quality we have yet to find at home.

The sheer amount of screen we purchased impressed both vendors and our coworkers.

Getting to know the new neighbors; seems like the zoo animals were as interested in us as we were in them. Seeing rare or endemic Chilean fauna made our tasks that much more exciting. The Quique, Galictis cuja, a hyperactive mustelid, found our presence highly entertaining.

Like its northern cousin the Grison, the Quique is an aggressive predator. In fact, Chileans use the name “quique” to describe someone who is angry.

We changed everybody’s routine, and even woke up nocturnal animals like this Magellanic Owl, Bubo magellanicus.

However, after sniffing over the newcomers…

… and softened up by tasty handouts, we were accepted.