The Mission

Not long ago, your Auntie Peggy returned from a trip to Ecuador. Although preoccupied with jungles, volcanoes, colorful markets, and the Galapagos Islands, she did not forget about you. Just days after her return, she visited with a beautiful gift for you.
Handcrafted in a tiny village, your gift was a wooden, toy car. Made of recycled pieces of wood, it has that home-made look that makes it a one of a kind, heart-warming toy. You haven't used it too much yet, but we know that once you've fully mastered your own mobility, you'll reach for this toy as something you'd like to have moving around with you as you walk around the house.
Now, if this toy inspires you to visit South America, Rai, we wanted to let you know that, in case it's hard to catch a plane headed that way, there's a cheap and easy way to get a flavor of South America or Latin America without even leaving the city.
Just go to the Mission District. This sprawling neighborhood is the melting pot for Latin American immigrants to San Francisco. Many begin their life in America here and many others remain here even after getting settled. Spanish from every Spanish-speaking country south of us can be heard on every street corner in the Mission. More than just culture, Rai, you can find lots of great architecture and food in the Mission too. Many of the Victorian homes that precede the Great 1906 Earthquake are in the Mission and the Spanish Mission church that gives this hood it's name is the oldest building in San Francisco, a reminder that, way back in 1776, this city was once nothing but this Mission!