ARGENTINA & CHILE #18: INCREDIBLE IGUAZU FALLS

Posted on April 11, 2024 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

Off again for another flight! We had never been on a tour with so many flights, but there was no way around it. Besides, there was no way we were going to miss the post-extension and not see Iguazu Falls! We had been to Niagara Falls and were mesmerized and in awe of how large and powerful it was. Well, Niagara Falls (167 feet high and 3,947 feet wide) are small compared to Iguazu Falls, which measure as high as 269 feet and are 8,858 feet wide!

The falls can be viewed from both Brazil and Argentina because they are located on the eastern-most tip of Argentina and surrounded by Brazil and Paraguay. We were going to get to view the falls from both countries.

After arriving in Iguazu, we crossed the border into Brazil and changed buses, drivers, and guides. Ola Manuel (“Manu”)! More about Manu in my next post, but he was a terrific guide!

We headed straight to Iguazu Falls, which is comprised of 275 waterfalls, the largest waterfall system in the world! There were several viewing platforms to see the falls from different perspectives as well as a walkway built over the water to get an up-close and personal (and very refreshing!) view of the falls. The volume of water pouring over those falls (61,000 cubic feet per second!), was so powerful that a constant mist was present. It was impossible to keep my camera lens dry, but the cold water was a glorious relief from the heat! I got completely soaked (on purpose), which was a lifesaver during the hike up the hill to get more of a birds-eye view.

The sky was a bit mucky, so my photos aren’t pretty like the ones in that Wikipedia link. I think they will give you a pretty good idea of what we saw, though:

(For all photos, especially panoramas, click on the image for a full screen view.)

Wildlife seen on the walking trail overlooking the falls:

This is a South American Coati, in the raccoon family.

Following our visit to the Brazil side of Iguazu Falls, we crossed back into Argentina and headed to Puerto Iguazu, our home base for three nights. We learned from Manu that since the city is situated on the borders of Brazil and Paraguay, the 82,000+ residents are a mix from those two countries in addition to Argentina. As a result, the food, language, and culture is a bend of all three. Spanish, Portuguese, and the language of the Guarani natives can all be heard in this tourist city. And, 70% of the residents work in tourism-related jobs, because Iguazu Falls is the most visited National Park in Argentina.

Our hotel, Amerian Portal Del Iguazu, was beautifully situated on the river where we could see Brazil straight across the river and Paraguay across to the right. A short walk away was the Three Borders Landmark where there were more beautiful views of all three countries. Although our room didn’t have a view of the river, we looked out from our balcony to lush jungle views as far as the eye could see. On the roof of the multi-story hotel, there was a beautiful outdoor bar with amazing views:

See where it says Argentina? Our hotel was the tall building above and to the left.

The view from the hotel’s rooftop bar. That’s Brazil on the right and Paraguay on the left.

During the evening, our group gathered for a wonderful dinner in the hotel’s restaurant overlooking the pool and the lit-up Ferris wheel across the river in Brazil. It was beautiful!

Coming up next: ARGENTINA & CHILE #19: A VISIT TO THE INDIGENOUS GUARANI COMMUNITY

Posted on April 10, 2024 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

ARGENTINA & CHILE #17: BACK TO BUENOS AIRES

Since this was a travel day back to Buenos Aires without much to write about, I will combine two days in this post.

As we prepared to bid farewell to El Calafate, we were greeted by this cutie as we looked one last time at the beautiful grounds of our hotel:

(For all photos, especially panoramas, click on the image for a full screen view.)

After a smooth flight from El Calafate to Buenos Aires, we enjoyed a relaxing afternoon before rejoining the group. It was a warm and sunny day, so we enjoyed our short walking tour at the river where we had our Welcome Dinner. This was our last night together on the main tour, so we concluded our walking tour and gathered one final time as our group of 16 at Villegas Resto for our Farewell Dinner.

The following day, we met up with Noe, our Buenos Aires guide at the beginning of our tour. For our last day in the city, we enjoyed a wonderful tour before saying farewell to five members of our group who were not going on with the rest of us on the Iguazu Falls post-extension.

Our first stop was La Recoleta Cemetery, the final resting place of the wealthiest and most famous Argentinians, including Eva (“Evita”) Peron. 94 of the 4,691 vaults in the cemetery have been declared National Historical Monuments. Many of the elaborate marble Mausoleums were worth up to $250,000, and many families are trying to sell them due to financial hardships caused by the unstable economy.

We saw this sculpture after leaving the cemetery.

Tigre City, north of Buenos Aires and situated on the Parana Delta, was next on our tour. Located 17 miles from Buenos Aires, it is a favorite weekend tourist destination for city dwellers as well as rowers and kayakers. There are several rowing clubs on the delta, and it is the training site of the Argentina Olympic Rowing Team.

The skies threatened to drench us during our boat tour, so most of the group stayed inside to listen to Noe’s informative narration. I was thankful for the boat’s speaker system because I opted to stay outside and listen while I shot photos. Nora was so interesting!

Tigre City is a group of islands about half the size of Switzerland. Since there are no bridges connecting the islands, boats are the mode of transportation. A network of beautiful 70-year-old wooden boats serve as water taxis—the way most locals get around. It is also the way mail and groceries are delivered, and the drivers know the houses not by numbers, but by their names. Leaving your house to go on vacation? Hail a water taxi, put your luggage up on the boat’s roof, take a seat inside, and off you go!

Following our tour, we opted to get dropped off at the weekend crafts market in the city square. I liked the colorful and whimsical paintings by this artist:

Four our last two evenings in Buenos Aires, Andrea’s husband, Julio, joined us. Also an Overseas Adventure Travel tour leader, it was a joy to have Julio with our group. The two of them were such a cute and fun couple!

Broccolini Ristorante Italiano, is where we enjoyed our last dinner together in Buenos Aires.

Next up: ARGENTINA & CHILE #18: INCREDIBLE IGUAZU FALLS

ARGENTINA & CHILE #16: A GORGEOUS GLACIER!

Posted on April 8, 2024 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

What the previous day may have lacked in excitement and beautiful scenery was more than made up for on this day. Just wait…

Before you get to see the glacier, I must show you the Rhea I photographed out the bus window. We saw a bunch of them, but this was the best shot I captured:

(For all photos, especially panoramas, click on the image for a full screen view.)

Ok, now I am going to overload you with way too many pictures of Perito Moreno Glacier in Los Glaciares National Park. See how I provided those links? That is how you can learn more about these amazing beauties of Patagonia— another link! I will just let these photos (mostly) speak for themselves. I will preface them by saying I was totally impressed by the infrastructure (including handicap accessible ramps) provided to enjoy spectacular views. The color-coded, well-marked walkways and stairs made it so easy to wander with a plan in mind—and, without getting lost. It is the best I had ever seen anywhere. Gracias totales, Los Glaciares National Park!

This map shows the walking paths in the park. These were constructed of steel and color coded with painted dots on the railing posts.

The splash you see is calving of the glacier.

Here is a calving sequence:

For an up close and personal view of the glacier, our group boarded a boat and were able to witness a lot of calving of the glacier.

Approaching the glacier; we got a lot closer…

…and then we saw this!

A HUGE GRACIAS TOTALES TO ANDREA SALAS for capturing it all on video, which I uploaded to YouTube. Watch this short video; it’s awesome!

We returned to El Calafate and had the remainder of the afternoon and evening to enjoy the town on our own. Here are some random scenes I captured along the way:

I purchased one of her hangings with a Rhodochrosite stone in the center.

Coming up next: ARGENTINA & CHILE #17: BACK IN BUENOS AIRES

ARGENTINA & CHILE #15: ENJOYING EL CALAFATE

Posted on April 7, 2024 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

There was no way to get around it. This was going to be a long day on the road looking out a bus window while traveling north, crossing the border back into Argentina, and driving to El Calafate.

To begin our journey, we headed back up the hill and stopped for one last look back down to our hotel and to Torres del Paine National Park beyond.

(For all photos, especially panoramas, click on the image for a full screen view.)

Along the way, we saw more beautiful guanacos off in the distance. They are good at hopping fences, though, so we were forewarned.

After a few hours on the road, we stopped at a restaurant, El Ovejero, in the middle of nowhere, for lunch. It was attached to a hotel located at the border crossing and the crossroads between two routes that lead in and out of Torres del Paine National Park. We were charmed by the gaucho theme of the place and the authentic food we enjoyed for lunch. Cazuela is a traditional Chilean stew, and the one we were served was loaded with (much appreciated!) vegetables and chicken rather than beef. To spice it up a bit, we could add Pebre, a Chilean sauce similar to Mexican salsa fresca. Delicious!

Clever bar stools– perfect for a gaucho!

The restaurant and hotel, depicted in a wood wall panel

This artwork depicting the hotel was at the end of one of the dining tables.

Since we were leaving Chile and entering Argentina, we had to say goodbye to our bus and driver as well as Sergio, our guide. Ola Ariel, our new guide! The moment I saw him, I felt like I knew him from somewhere. Well, I didn’t, but I realized he looked just like someone I knew from my childhood days while going to religious school at Temple Beth Shalom, in Long Beach, California, where I grew up. Sure enough, like me, he was a Russian-Polish Jew, 100% Ashkenazie. I couldn’t get over his Argentinian accent. To my ears, it just didn’t compute!

Ariel was a hoot! If I had to be stuck on a bus for that many hours, he was just the guide to be stuck listening to, because he was a great storyteller! As he told us about the lifestyle and work of gauchos, he demonstrated their typical attire by dressing me up. (Thanks, Lisa, for grabbing this shot!)

Although this was the day on the itinerary I was not really looking forward to, because of the long drive, it turned out to be quite enjoyable!

Kau Yatun Hotel, in El Calafate, was love at first site! The beautiful grounds, authentic architecture—it was oozing with charm! We were greeted with fresh flowers to place in the little vase in our room and gathered for a welcome drink—a nice touch.

After settling in, Andrea took us on a walking tour to town, a short walking distance from our hotel. Adjacent to the hotel, a gaucho was tending to his sheep.

Note the cell phone in this modern gaucho’s hand. Times have changed…

El Calafate is in Patagonia, but quite a bit north from where we had been in Punta Arenas. The town of 25,000 residents is situated on Lake Argentino and is named after the calafate bush which has yellow flowers and dark blue berries.

This is the place to stay if you would like to visit Los Glaciares National Park and see Perito Moreno Glacier, our destination for the following day. It’s a nice town, too, with buena onda—good vibes.

Following our tour, I went on into town with a few members of the group to explore a little more before returning for our group dinner. We would have the opportunity to see more of the town the following day.

On February 28th, it was still Christmas in El Calafate!

A few of the many stray dogs in El Calafate. The shelter holds 1,500 dogs, and it’s full. Sad…

Back at the hotel, we got a kick out of the Quino cartoon panels they had displayed in the hallway at each room. Coincidentally, this was the one outside our room. As a glass artist, Bruce could relate!

Next up: ARGENTINA & CHILE #16: A GORGEOUS GLACIER!

ARGENTINA & CHILE #14: MORE TREKKING IN TORRES DEL PAINE NATIONAL PARK

Posted on April 6, 2024 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

As it turned out, we had better weather during our first day of hiking at Torres del Paine National Park. We were so fortunate to have seen the granite peaks of Torres d’Agostini, Torres Central, and Torres Monizino in clear view, because it is rare they aren’t shrouded by clouds. In fact, it is so rare that our next local guide, Ariel, couldn’t believe it! When Bruce told him we had seen the towers, Ariel asked, “Are you sure?” He thought Bruce was joking.

These were the towers on the right, the highest topping out at 8,200 feet above sea level:

(For all photos, especially panoramas, click on the image for a full screen view.)

It had to happen at some point. We finally had a not-so-fabulous day of weather. Although it was cold and windy, which is typical for the region, the only rain we had was just a few sprinkles here and there. It was perfectly fine with me. After all, it is what we expected and hand prepared for when we packed for this trip. I finally got to use my Hot Hands!

During our first hike, we saw breathtaking scenery, a hint of a rainbow, and heard an avalanche. After enjoying a delicious boxed lunch that included the most amazing fudgy brownie topped with a layer of ganache (WOW!), we did another hike and saw Grey Glacier off in the distance.

It was a long walk over a rocky beach to get to our second hiking trail, and it was going to be a steep climb up the trail. Bruce’s knee was bothering him, so he turned back while I continued on up the hill with some of the group. This is a telephoto shot of him down below on his solo walk back.

Our buena onda group with our tour leader, Andrea (in red), and our local guide, Sergio (second from right)

We saw more guanacos on the way back to the hotel.

By the time we returned to Rio Serrano Hotel & Spa, the dark clouds had given way to a beautiful blue sky dotted with puffy white clouds. The scene looked like those landscape paintings you see displayed at a Sunday art show in the park. We couldn’t have had a more beautiful evening to enjoy during our dinner.

In my next post, we will be heading back into Argentina. Throughout our travels in Chile, Andrea and our local guides kept the bus rides interesting by informing us of recent history, current life challenges, and the culture of this beautiful country. The following tidbits landed in my notebook:

During the period of 1973 – 1990, the country was under a dictatorship ruled by Augusto Pinochet. He ruled with an iron fist and committed many civil rights crimes while he was in power. Sound familiar? What transpired in Chile was similar to Argentina. (Officially) 3,000 people were taken and never found. Meanwhile, the “Chicago Boys” returned to Chile after studying economics under Milton Freeman and worked their way into high-ranking government positions. They established a free-market economy and constitution that remains today. According to the transitional provisions of the 1980 constitution, a referendum was scheduled for 1988 to vote on a new eight-year presidential term for Pinochet. Thankfully, he lost the vote, and the government has been a democracy since 1990. Like many other countries, however, the country is extremely politically divided, as I described in a previous post. Attempts were made by both the left and right to change the constitution, however, they failed each time to win enough votes. About 65% of the 1980 constitution has been reformed, though.

Here on some brief facts on some hot button issues in Chile:

Public healthcare is good quality; however, it takes a long time to get treatment, and some people have died waiting. Private healthcare is very expensive.
10% of personal income is taken for retirement.
Gay marriage was allowed one year ago.
Abortion is allowed in cases where the health of the mother or unborn is at risk and rape.
Gun ownership is not common due to the paperwork required to prove mental fitness.
Central Chile is very progressive and not religious, whereas in southern Chile, the church is very influential.

Overall, Chile is very stable politically and economically compared to other South American countries.

I always find it interesting to compare the country I am visiting to what we are experiencing in the United States and reflect on how Americans respond to what we feel are “crises.” Traveling, in my opinion, is an excellent way to gain perspective. 211% annual inflation in Argentina and 3% in the United States… Americans should be thankful; it could always be worse.

Next up: ARGENTINA & CHILE #15: ENJOYING EL CALAFATE

ARGENTINA & CHILE #13: TREKKING TORRES DEL PAINE NATIONAL PARK

Posted on April 3, 2024 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

Here’s a fun fact: The Magallanes region of Chile is so far south and so remote that no sales tax is levied on products to give the residents a break. All products are transported from Santiago, so they are expensive enough as it is. There’s a catch, though. Don’t think you can buy a car tax-free, and then get away with taking it back up north. Any cars purchased in the region must stay in the region. If you want to drive north, you need a permit that lasts 90 days maximum, and then you had better turn that car around and head back south.

Your drive north is going to be a long one, too, because there is no road that goes continuously through the 2,600-mile-long country from south to north. You must cross east into Argentina, and then head north, and finally back west into Chile.

Many residents of this region will drive 500 kilometers (310 miles) each way, once per month, to shop at a large supermarket or Walmart to stock up on food and goods that are not available at their neighborhood stores (or they are way too expensive).

As a (mostly) pescetarian, I wouldn’t do so well as a Magallanes region resident. They eat beef or lamb at all meals and have the highest rate of diabetes in Chile.

It’s a tough life in the frigid, windy climate, especially for the gauchos (cowboys), and especially in winter. Each gaucho typically works 20,000 acres and manages 10,000 lambs.

The cost of living is also very expensive in the region. The minimum salary is $500 per month; however, rent averages $500 per month. You think it’s tough here…

(For all photos, especially panoramas, click on the image for a full screen view.)

As we made our way to Torres del Paine National Park, we were fortunate to see a lot of wildlife. Our bus driver was awesome! Whenever he spotted wildlife, he would pull over and drive slowly or stop the bus, so we could observe and take photos out the window.

My favorites were the guanacos, which are similar to lamas, but native to South America. When the Europeans first arrived in South America, there were an estimated half billion guanacos, but there are now approximately 500,000.

These cuties are fast! We saw one jump over a fence and run off at probably a fraction of the 35 miles per hour they are capable of running. Their only enemy is the puma, so they need to be able to outrun them, since there is no place to hide in the open land.

We also saw some beautiful, large birds:

Surprisingly, while on our hike, we saw flamingoes, too! They were too far away to get a clear shot, but I did get this (somewhat blurry) photo out the bus window of some flamingoes we saw while driving to the park:

Once again, we (somehow!) ended up with another day of good weather for our first hike. More hikes would follow the next day, so our fingers were crossed!)

We made a pit stop here for refreshments. The sign reads, “Here we open when we arrive and close when we leave. If you come and we aren’t here, it is because we cannot meet.”

What a gorgeous park! Torres del Paine National Park is widely considered to be South America’s finest and most beautiful national park—and one of the most remote places in the world. Bruce and I felt so fortunate to have the opportunity to surround ourselves with such beauty.

We have Douglas Tompkins, founder of The North Face and co-founder of Espirit, to thank for this protected land. After selling his stake in Espirit, he spent a lot of time in Patagonia enjoying climbing, kayaking, and skiing. This led him to develop an interest in land conservation and become an environmental activist. Tompkins established the Foundation for Deep Ecology, which supports environmental activism and The Conservation Land Trust which works to protect wildlands. Along with his wife, Kristine McDivitt, a former chief executive of Patagonia, they bought up a massive amount of land in Patagonia and donated it to the government of Chile to establish Torres del Paine National Park. Sadly, Tompkins died in 2015 while kayaking with a group in Patagonia. Large waves caused their kayaks to capsize in the 40-degree water, and Tompkins died at the age of 72 of hypothermia.

Following our hike, we continued on to the Rio Serrano Hotel, a wonderful all-inclusive hotel located in the national park. I loved the vibe and atmosphere with all the wood and stone, and the views were gorgeous! It was also a beautiful place to walk in the grounds surrounding the hotel.

This was located just across the field from the hotel.

A nice touch in the room was a fully stocked mini refrigerator with a variety of non-alcoholic beverages and Chilean beer as well as healthy snacks. Although we aren’t drinkers (at least when we don’t travel), we also enjoyed Pisco cocktails with the group. Dinner was served upstairs in their dining room overlooking this view; a highlight of the trip:

P.S. Don’t believe the title of this post; “trekking” just sounded good with “Torres”!

Next up: ARGENTINA & CHILE #14: MORE TREKKING IN TORRES DEL PAINE NATIONAL PARK

ARGENTINA & CHILE #12: PLEASANT PUNTA ARENAS

Posted on April 1, 2024 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

Punta Arenas was quite a distance south from Puerto Varas—so far that the flight was over 2 hours long. We were in the back of the plane with some empty seats, so the guy in the window seat in my row insisted I move over from the aisle, so I could see the beautiful views of the snow-capped Andes. Meanwhile, he opted for the row behind us, which was really nice! The window was quite scratched and cloudy, but I managed to get this shot out the window:

(For all photos, especially panoramas, click on the image for a full screen view.)

We were so fortunate to have relaxing and uneventful flights on this tour, and this one was no different. It was smooth sailing through Puerto Montt airport before departure and an easy arrival at Punta Arenas.

Located in Chile’s southernmost Magallanes region, Punta Arenas, one of the world’s most southerly ports, is the capital city with a population of 143,000. There are only 184,000 people living in the entire region, because it is very remote, windy, and cold most of the time— except this day, when Bruce and I got quite warm walking around in the late afternoon sunshine!

Following our arrival, we stopped at the Museo Nao Victoria to see replicas of the fleet of ships commanded by Ferdinand Magellan that contributed to the “discovery” of the area. (I put “discovery” in quotes, because all of these “discoverers,” including Christopher Columbus, landed in places that were long inhabited by natives.)

It was fun to explore these replicas to see how they were built and to get birds-eye views of the Straight of Magellan. I had never been that far south, so I wanted to dip my hand into what proved to be VERY cold water! Our group did, too:

Upon our arrival in town, we took a bus and walking tour before arriving at our beautiful hotel located on the main square. The Hotel Jose Nogueira, declared a National Monument, was the most beautiful building in this European-inspired city. The rooms were quite unique, too. I had never seen an octagon-shaped shower before (with two shower heads and a rain shower head above)! It was so large, much of our group could have fit in!

We noticed this on the streets in several cities. It is meant for the blind, so they know by the change in the raised pattern that they are at a corner or where two paths meet.

The remainder of the afternoon was free, and it was gorgeous outside, so Bruce and I headed to the waterfront to see painted murals that Andrea had told us about. What we didn’t know we would also be seeing was this massive quantity of cormorants hanging out on the pier and beach! I’m always excited just to see one of these beautiful birds but look at this! They seemed to be enjoying the sun as much as we were on this uncharacteristically warm and calm day.

A larger-than-life-sized wood carving in front of a souvenir shop in town.

A surprise performance by a band and choir on the street near our hotel.

Flag of the Magallanes region: Blue represents the night sky with the Southern Cross, the gold represents the steppe region, and the white is snow.

Our group reconvened in the evening for a customary Pisco Sour, which I previously failed to explain other than it is the favorite cocktail of South America. Pisco is a wine distilled into a high-proof spirit. It is then mixed with a sour mix and tastes quite good!

A delicious salmon dinner in the hotel’s beautiful restaurant followed—a perfect ending to a wonderful day!

Coming up next: ARGENTINA & CHILE #13: TREKKING IN TORRES DEL PAINE NATIONAL PARK

ARGENTINA & CHILE #11: PHOTOGENIC PENGUINS AT PUNIHUIL

Posted on March 31, 2024 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

While visiting Chiloe Island, we had seen a few of the 16 wooden churches designated by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites. On the way to Punihuil Wildlife Preserve, we stopped by the Museum of the Churches of Chiloe to learn about how these churches had been restored.

(For all photos, especially panoramas, click on the image for a full screen view.)

Next, we were off to see the penguins! And, yes, it was another gorgeous, sunny, calm day—perfect weather for a boat ride! Mother Nature sure was kind to us throughout our travels!

When we arrived at the boat launch, I was surprised to see that vehicles were permitted on the beach. We drove right up to the site, collected our life jackets, and boarded a cart that was pushed down the shoreline directly to the boat. No wet shoes on this boat trip! I had never seen anything like it.

Punihuil Wildlife Preserve is comprised of three rocky islets off the coast declared a National Monument to protect the breeding colony of Humboldt and Magellanic penguins. The best time to visit is October thru mid-March, so we were fortunate to see the penguins before they ventured back out to sea.

Although the boat was able to maneuver quite close to the islets for a good look, there was some boat movement with the current making photography of the birds a challenge. I needed to back off the zoom to get sharper shots, so these photos have been cropped.

These cuties are Magellanic penguins. They grow to be 24-30 inches tall and weigh 6-14 pounds:

Humboldt penguins, which range in size from 22-28 inches, have some pink in their face, so this is one here:

It was so exciting to see the penguins in their natural habitat, rather than at Sea World!

When we returned to the beach, our group had a seafood lunch at this restaurant with a beautiful view:

It was a lovely day for a walk on the beach afterwards, and Andrea snagged us for another “seeing double” fun photo:

Visiting Chiloe Island was a wonderful experience, but it was time to take the ferry back to the mainland for more adventures. We returned to Puerto Varas and were ecstatic to see a clear view of the volcanoes! Bruce and I grabbed an ice cream and headed out to enjoy the amazingly clear views, savoring one last evening in Puerto Varas before flying south to Punta Arenas, our southernmost city of the tour.

Coming up next: ARGENTINA & CHILE #12: PLEASANT PUNTA ARENAS

ARGENTINA & CHILE #10: A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE RILAN COMMUNITY

Posted on March 30, 2024 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

I’m big on taking notes when I travel, but I need to remember to read them thoroughly before I post a blog! I just now read that those “moonrise” and “sunset” pictures in my last post were actually moonset and sunrise pictures I shot on this day. (That’s what I get for continually forgetting to reset the day and time on my camera before traveling!)

Anyway, breakfast was a treat this morning as we enjoyed the beautiful view as well as a buffet that included a warm Marraqueta (traditional Chilean bread) with delicious fresh guacamole and cheese—a common Chilean breakfast.

Happily fortified, we were off for a brief stop to photograph the palifitos we had visited the previous day. (We will see more later in the afternoon.)

(For all photos, especially panoramas, click on the image for a full screen view.)

Next, we were off to the Rilan Peninsula for our Day in the Life adventure, beginning with a visit to the main square to see the Church of St. Mary, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a National Monument of Chile.

Keeping with our buena onda tradition, Andrea gathered us for another cheesy group photo:

Now, this next shot was something I had never done before. We played follow the leader—in this case, our local guide, Daniel. As soon as Andrea panned past us, we quickly followed Daniel behind Andrea and got back in front of the camera—the reason you are seeing double!

While the others went inside to explore the church further, I hoofed it up the hill to take a closer look at houses I had seen on the bus ride to the square. I had been captivated by the artistically cut house shingles since arriving on Chiloe Island, and I wanted to see more.

When I returned to the church, I had just enough time to take a quick look at the interior before we walked across the square to Isle and Raul’s home and farm.

Our “Day in the Life” experience with them was a day to remember! We first gathered in the fogon—a covered structure separated from the house—where family and friends meet to share mate or tea and socialize. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn about Isle and Raul’s life on the farm and hear their perspective on how their traditional ways of life are being threatened due to politics, technology, “progress,” the economy, and salmon farming. Now that Chile is the second-largest producer of salmon in the world, it has had a huge impact on their community.

Another possible threat (or benefit, depending on which side of the debate you are on) to the island is the bridge that is going to be built to connect the island to the mainland. Will the increase in traffic, pollution, and tourism affect the people and Chilote traditions on Chiloe Island?

It was time for Isle to start preparing our lunch, a traditional meal called a curanto, so the group pitched in. Curanto is a stew—this one including mussels, sausage, meat, potatoes, and greens that is cooked in a huge pot. The group also prepared chapalele, which are potato dumplings that are wrapped in plastic wrap before they are added to the pot to be cooked.

One of the most important Chilote traditions is the “minga,” which is sharing essential tasks. A minga is a gathering of friends and acquaintances to roof a house (or even move a house!), build a fence, harvest a field of potatoes, or another project that requires a lot of labor. The reward? Curanto! It reminds me of back in college when buddies helped each other move apartments or out of the dorm, except pizza and beer was the reward.

Meanwhile, Raul gave us a tour of the farm, which wasn’t just an ordinary farm. Everywhere I turned, it was a feast for the eyes—at least my eyes! I am always in awe of the creativity of crafters, and I love to see (and sometimes purchase) the folk art and crafts of the countries I visit—especially if I can interact with the artist or crafter rather than purchasing from a souvenir shop. Between Isle and Raul, they seemed to make everything! From knitted wool clothing and baskets, to wood carving and models, to hand-built food processors and presses; to… just everything! I was simply in awe.

Raul built this food processor and is mashing apples.

After helping Raul dig up some potatoes, he took us on a little nature walk through his property to see his life-size wood carvings. Of course, he built his own bridge across a pond as well as the walkway. Just look at this man’s talent! His carvings depict famous mythological characters that are very much a part of the Chilote culture.

While the curanto finished cooking, Raul taught us how to play rayuela, a traditional Chilean game similar to bocce or horseshoes, except tejo (small disks) are used. We also enjoyed a pisco sour, which became a popular drink among our buena onda group!

Our visit with Isle and Raul concluded with our sharing of the curanto for a wonderful lunch of good food, good company, and music performed by Raul and Daniel. It was such an enjoyable experience!

We weren’t done yet, though! After departing Rilan, we returned to Castro and hopped on a boat (for just our group) to go see more palafitos.

On the way to the palafitos, we could see our hotel and room facing the water.

We were able to get quite close to these Red-legged Cormorants, and I zoomed in. I think they were quite used to boats coming by, because they didn’t fly off.

A view of Castro and the Church of San Francisco.

A closer view of this bird in flight. The sign reads, “Between sea and land.”

Captured from the bus window while heading back to the hotel.

What a fabulous and very memorable day!

Next up: ARGENTINA & CHILE #11: PHOTOGENIC PENGUINS AT PUNIHUIL

ARGENTINA & CHILE #9: CHARMING CHILOE ISLAND

Posted on March 26, 2024 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

Chiloe Island, a ferry ride away from the mainland of Chile, was a place I looked forward to visiting after learning about the native Mapuche people and their values. During our home hosted dinner, Carolina told us her mother lived in Chiloe and described the island’s people as humble and giving. As she explained, “Being wealthy [in Chiloe] is having a meal to share with family and friends.”

Chiloe, “Land of the seagulls” in Mapudungan, is an archipielago located at the southern end of the Lake District of Chile with about 40,000 residents. It’s a rainy place; it rains 75 inches a year. Fortunately, we didn’t experience any of it—well, except when we were on the bus for a short time.

After driving along the Pan American Highway, we arrived at the landing and embarked the ferry, bus and all, to Chiloe Island.

(For all photos, especially panoramas, click on the image for a full screen view.)

Once we pushed off, we were all permitted to vacate our vehicles and enjoy the one-hour crossing. It was another lovely day, so we all went up on top to enjoy the views. I always have my camera with me, so I took advantage and grabbed a shot during this quick pit stop in the head:

Following our arrival in the town of Chacao, we took a walk along the waterfront to the town square. Along the way, we saw so many gorgeous birds, including this large beauty high up in the tree:

These are black-necked swans:

A unique characteristic of the architecture on Chiloe are the intricately cut house shingles. Each builder has his own design, and locals can tell by that design who built which house. The colorful buildings made me smile as did the warm and friendly people.

We popped into the community center to see what the local crafters were selling, and I had a wonderful interaction with a fiber artist who didn’t speak English. Thanks to Jay, a fellow member of our group, I was able to learn the price of this adorable sheep and complete the transaction—only 2,000 pesos, which was just over $2! The fun part, though, was trying to communicate with her in my limited Spanish. I knew just enough to tell her how beautiful her work was! She was flattered when I asked for a photo, and she made my day. Her sheep keeps me company as I write these posts…

As I photographed the gigantic Chilean flag in the square, Andrea came running up to me and Bruce and exclaimed, “Come quick!” She didn’t want us to miss an impromptu performance by a young music and dance group that was on tour. They delighted us as well as the locals, including this woman and these shop owners who warmed my heart:

Following our visit to Chacao, we made our way through the rugged, windswept island to Castro, the capital of Chiloe Island. We checked into the Enjoy Chiloe Hotel, which was a huge surprise given that Andrea told us not to expect it to be as nice as the Radisson in Puerto Varas. (Evidently, she had received some complaints from past travelers, something I could not understand AT ALL after we arrived.) Just look at this floor-to-ceiling view from our room! Our jaws dropped! We looked around and tried to figure out what was not to like. Sure, there were some stairs going down from the door and closet area to the bedroom; and, the location wasn’t as walkable as Puerto Varas, but look at his VIEW! Just wait until tonight…

Meanwhile, while admiring the fiber arts pieces on display throughout the hotel (which made my heart sing, because my mom used to create beautiful fiber arts pieces), we made our way to the restaurant for a delicious lunch—with a VIEW!

Time for a laundry stop! I handwash our laundry as we go, so we took a pass, but on OAT tours, they always try to arrange somewhere for the group to have their laundry done along the way. Drop it off, see the sites, and then return for a clean stack of clothes.

Our first stop was to see the Lady of Grace Church in Nercon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a wonderful example of Chilota architecture. No nails were used; just wooden pegs, beams, and bent wood.

Our tour of the church included the attic where we were able to get a look at how the church was constructed. From there I found a hole large enough for my camera to capture this unique view.

Returning to the main square of Castro, we visited another UNESCO site, the Church of San Francisco, built in 1910. It is painted yellow to represent the sun, and the purple trim represents royalty.

Going to church is the big social event of the week for residents of Chiloe Island, but they are also helping immigrants from Venezuela and Haiti to settle in Chile.

Andrea loves taking group pictures, so she took this cheesy shot at the Castro sign. There were two ladies from Santiago watching, and they wanted a picture with our “Buena onda” (good vibes) group, so we invited Sarah and Veronica to photo bomb our shot as honorary group members. They were a hoot!

More scenes around the main square:

The afternoon concluded with a visit to see Castro’s iconic palafitos—colorful homes built on stilts that have become Castro’s biggest attraction. Andrea and Daniel, our local guide who was with us in Puerto Varas, had a friend, Hanover, who lived in one, and we were invited to stop by for a look. Hanover built the house himself and used 80 stilts to support it.

Most of the house is built on stilts, which are not pictured. You will see many more palafitos in a future post!

Several of the palafitos had decorative hand-cut shingles like we saw in Chacao. A very hard wood is used and lasts about 40 years. When the shingle wears out on one side, they just flip it over. Bright paint colors are used (except for the one below) to contrast the cold, gloomy, and rainy weather that usually plagues the region. But look at this day! Our luck continues…

Our “buena onda” (good vibes) group having fun on Hanover’s deck. The stilt side (water side) of the house is considered the front of the house.

Views from the deck:

Evening views from our hotel room:

Next up: ARGENTINA & CHILE #10: A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE RILAN COMMUNITY

Elaine-iaK's Travels: A Traveler's Tales of People, Places, Photos, Pools… and CHOCOLATE!

Category Archives: International Travel

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ARGENTINA & CHILE #13: TREKKING TORRES DEL PAINE NATIONAL PARK

ARGENTINA & CHILE #12: PLEASANT PUNTA ARENAS

ARGENTINA & CHILE #11: PHOTOGENIC PENGUINS AT PUNIHUIL

ARGENTINA & CHILE #10: A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE RILAN COMMUNITY

ARGENTINA & CHILE #9: CHARMING CHILOE ISLAND