Tuesday, April 15th, 2025 - Return to Argentina - Remote Living

 

Monte Balmaceda

It seems fitting to share this image of Monte Balmaceda now, as we leave it behind to head back to the Patagonian steppes. It was the mountain I saw from the plane - the gateway to the ice cap. I've loved sniffing around the edges of this Southern Ice Field this last couple of days, wishing I had discovered it years ago when perhaps I could have done more than just this brief glimpse.

As we turned our backs to the mountains, we were headed for El Calafate, in Argentina. If we were condors, it would have been a short, 37 mile journey. Instead, for us it is a 133 mile road trip, as we have to loop around to the south and east to get there.

Guanacos Keep Watch

Chilean efforts to improve the protection of Torres de Paine and similar natural resources has resulted in the establishing of a new National Service of Biodiversity and Protected Areas project. One goal of this endeavor, is to incorporate privately owned lands into the parks, creating a legal framework to keep domesticated animals out. This will allow guanacos to have sole access to grazing, without sheep and cattle to compete with them. 

Mother and Baby - A Nursing Guanaco

The likely increase in guanaco population will, of course, also allow the pumas to continue to thrive. Our Chilean guide said 'Chile loves paperwork', so although the project is already 2.5 years old, they expect it to take at least as much time again to be put in place. Nationally, the system of parks and the protections that Chile has already developed covers 20% of the nation and is providing/preserving wildlife corridors for animals to move between parks. 

Andes Condors Have Found a Carcass

We were fortunate to pass some condors that were enjoying a carcass. It was a still day, with little wind.

Flap, but No Flight

 These birds are so heavy, they need the assistance of updrifts to fly, so the feasting birds did not fly off when our bus stopped to observe. This one looks as if it has a damaged wing - even with uplifts, it may be not be able to fly.

Magnificent Bird

It was amazing to see them within range of my 250mm zoom lens and with the help of Lightroom and Topaz sharpening, you can see some of the details of these magnificent birds.

Could it be a Barrister?

They did look rather like lawyers in my opinion, with white collars around their necks and looking almost as if they had a flat headdress. 

The Andes condor has also been a beneficiary of Chile's biodiversity and protection efforts. There is an excellent Netflix program called Our Great National Parks. Episode Two is about Patagonia and has superb wildlife videography that talks about guanacos, pumas and condors in some detail.

Transitioning to the Steppes

Although we were leaving the dramatic peaks, there was still unspoiled beauty all around.

When we had crossed the border into Chile, we had been warned that our bags would be scanned for fruit (and possibly other contraband they didn't tell us about), and that the bus would also be inspected. If we didn't declare any possibly offending items, we were told there were stiff fines. The fundamental message had been that the Chileans adhere strictly to rules. As we approached the border, there was concern about whether we had our Tourist Card that had to be turned in as we leave Chile. We were not told much about the 'rules' for returning to Argentina

Igneous Intrusion Through Sedimentary Layers

I loved travelling through this land where the geological structures were exposed. One could see folding and faulting in the sedimentary layers. This spot showed where molten rock had pushed across sedimentary layers in a very obvious way - the pink granite pushing aside the other rock. This is a small scale version of the intrusion that happened to create the horns of Torres del Paine.

It's a bit of a stretch to compare this geological event, that's frozen in time, to intrusions that have happened in human history, but I did want to be sure that I mention some of the turmoil the Chileans experienced in my lifetime, during the dictatorship of the Pinochet government from 1973 to 1990. It was a bloody coup and during that time, thousands 'disappeared' and tens of thousands were imprisoned and tortured. His rule was ended through a referendum, but we were told that one of the legacies, has been a desire in Chilean society for more freedom of expression and less unquestioning adherence to authority. We were told that exercising their democratic rights through peaceful protests is new behavior for Chileans, unlike their Argentinian neighbors, who have a longer history of expressing grievances through public protest. 

Black Necked Swan

Again, it's a bit of a stretch to link this bird photo to recent Chilean history, but the black and white coloring of the swan brings to mind a 'Penguin Revolution' that took place in 2019. The term 'penguin' came from the black and white unforms of the students in Santiago who sparked these protests, following a 30 peso increase in bus fares. The demonstrations spread beyond the capital and extended the range of issues to include dissatisfaction with the education system and wider issues of inequality. The protests continued for six months and sparked a push for a new constitution and focus on social justice. (There had been earlier student protests in 2006, which were rooted in some of the same issues.)

Our Lunch Waiter

We had lunch close to the border. There is a 'No Man's Land' between the two border posts, as there is still disagreement between the two nations over the exact line of the border, especially in the region of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. 

(I just put our waiter's face here, as I liked his hat and crimson checked vest!)

Chile/Argentina Border Crossings

Our border crossing will be the blue marker at the top of this map, the Don Guillermo River Pass, but I include this here, because I find myself wondering who put the pencil on the map to draw the straight line down in Tierra del Fuego. This agreement was made in 1881 and is said to reflect the division that would have been in place when the area became independent from Spain.

 Much of the border was defined by Perito Moreno with a Chilean counterpart in the 1890's. (Moreno is the person who had established the first Argentine national park in Bariloche in the 1920's)

 When you consider that this is the third longest international border in the world, at 3,298 miles, there has to be a great potential for jostling! In spite of the 1881 Treaty and Moreno's early efforts, border disagreements have taken place through the years, sometimes spurred by the generals/politicians who hoped to divert their constituents' attention from problems closer to home.  There have been times of 'almost wars', but our guides wanted us to know there is good feeling between the people of the two countries and if there are any shared threats from outsiders, Chile and Argentina stand together.

Landscape Near the Border Posts

After we'd turned in our tourist cards to the Chilean border post, we switched buses, drove the few miles to the Argentinian post, walked up to the customs window and got our passports stamped. There was little fuss and we didn't get warnings about fines. Mind you the unfortunate Argentinian workers at this very remote border crossing have very poor living conditions. It is far away from anywhere and can be very cold and windy. They live in a fairly ramshackle building with no running water, and work in shifts of days or weeks at a time before rotating to have a break in their home town, possibly Rio Gallegos, the provincial capital, which is 1.5 hours away. 

We were encouraged to smile and be gracious to brighten their tough days!

La Esperanza - From the Bus

Esperanza is a desperate little town we drove through. It has 135 inhabitants, although only 34 are registered, and none are children. It has a hotel, a health post and a gas station. It's name means 'hope' - which doesn't look as if it was realized here! The reason it's noteworthy, according to our guide, is that it is the coldest continental place in Argentina. Temperatures of minus 48 degrees Fahrenheit have been recorded here. When strong winds are blowing, your cheeks will freeze instantly.

 Wealth is beneath the feet here. The majority of the population in Esperanza are seasonal/temporary workers in the mining industry. The area has oil, open pit gold and silver mines, as well as natural gas which is piped to Buenos Aries.

Santa Cuz Province, Route 40

We are now in Santa Cruz Province, which is the size of California, home to 300,000 humans and three million guanacos! The road is Route 40, the same one we traveled on when we went through Villa La Angostura when crossing the Andes, 1,000 miles north. This road spans the entire length of South America from the Strait of Magellan to Bolivia, zig zagging 3,246 miles. Our guide called it 'the highway of the crazy people!' This iconic highway showcases a great variety of landscapes. Here, as you see, we are truly in the steppes - the mountains to our west have taken all the moisture from the air.  It is difficult to survive here - it's windswept, lonely, cold, dry in the summers. Any soil that might form gets blown away by the winds. In the winter when weather conditions are severe - gusts of 100 mph winds for example - the police will close the highway down, as it is too dangerous to be out in it.

Nearby sheep ranches produce high quality merino, and this area was a significant supplier of wool for the European troops during the First World War. The introduction of synthetics fibers in the mid 1900's greatly impacted the economic viability of sheep ranching, resulting in economic downturn for the region.

 I could have been in the Australian Outback!

Shrine to Gauchito Gil

As we turned on to Route 40, we saw a small red structure by the side of the road, with people sitting on blankets, having a picnic. We learned later that this is a shrine to an Argentine folk hero, Antonio Hill, known as Gauchito Gil. He was a soldier in the mid-1800's, who fled to Uruguay to avoid capture, and became a Robin Hood type character, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. He was eventually captured and hanged. However, prior to his execution, he found out that the hangman had a son who was ill. Antonio told the executioner that he would heal the son from the other side, after his death. Of course, that's what happened - the son got better and word got around. People started coming to his grave with petitions. For those who couldn't travel the distance, these shrines became created all over Argentina, People came to leave a gift (often beer) for Gauchito Gil, and to ask for help. He is regarded as a saint by many Argentinians, but the church does not recognize him as such. 

Back to the Ice Field

Happily, the barren land was not the final destination for our day. Having traversed our loop, we were headed back to the west, to be greeted by the same ice field we had just left. The body of water you see, is Lago Argentino, the largest body of fresh water in Argentina. The waters are fed by 13 glaciers, resulting in icebergs and water temperatures of 40 degree Fahrenheit.

Our destination, El Calafate, is the gateway to the Perito Merino Glacier and Mount Fitz Roy, both very popular tourist destinations. In the 1990's the Governor of Santa Cruz  had a summer home here and he became tired of driving, so he pushed for an airport to be built. The town flourished after it was built in 2001, growing from a population of around 6,000 to 30,000.

Mount Fitz Roy in the Distance

Before we came down off the plateau, I was teased by the sight of Mount Fitz Roy off in the distance. I had read about it before I came and regretted that our journey would not include a closer look at this famous landmark. Unlike Torres del Paine, it is a single peak, with a scenic lake at its base, and its infrastructure for visitors is probably not as well developed. I will keep it on my list if I ever manage to get back this way.

Hills Again - Looking Back Toward the Patagonian Plateau

We have ben travelling on a plateau that ranges from two to three thousand feet above sea level. At one time, it was just like the ice fields to our west. El Calafate is in a valley carved out by  glaciers, and is only 650 feet above sea level. As a result, it does get some shelter from the wind and has somewhat warmer temperatures due to the moderation of the large lake.  

El Calafate

The fall colors of the poplar trees greeted us as we arrived in El Calafate. The name has nothing to do with the word 'caliphate'. It is the name of a blue berry which is slightly smaller than our blueberry and with more of a sweet sour flavor profile. It is made into syrups and jams. We were introduced to it in a drink called 'Calafate Sour', which was a cocktail made with calafate and pisco. 

Hotel Driveway - An Old Ranch

It had been a full day of travel, so it was lovely to arrive in this colorful, frontier-feeling town. Our next blog will share a visit to a small estanza nearby, a wander through El Calafate, then, leaving the best to last, we'll visit the Perito Moreno Glacier. One of the highlights of the trip for me.

We're almost done!

Saturday April 12th, to Tuesday April 15th, 2025 - Torres del Paine Cordillera, Chile

Monte Balmaceda, 

 I don't normally choose window seats. My legs are long, I often get up to stretch and I like to have easy access to the bathroom. On this flight, it was not my choice to be assigned an aisle seat. As we left drizzly Puerto Montt, and headed south to Punta Arenas, the cloud cover blocked the view......so I dozed. After a while I opened my eyes, to see this magnificent shape seemingly within reach of my arms! I gasped when I saw it. This is what I had come this far south to see!

I found out later it is Monte Balmaceda, and is considered to be the gateway to the Southern Patagonian Ice Cap. The glacier coming in from the top right is the Balmaceda, also know as the Felicia Glacier. I was saddened to learn as I was Googling, that the glacier is rapidly retreating and thinning.

Of course, I was disappointed to know we had already flown across the entire ice field - I will hang onto the possibility that it was all covered in cloud until I woke!

Al Espiritu Selk'nam Monument, Punta Arenas

As we left the Punta Arenas airport we passed this monument to recognize one of the groups of indigenous people who were living here before European settlement - the Selk'nam. When Magellan first arrived in South America in the 1500's, his crew reported seeing extremely tall people on the shore. Without knowing their tribal name, the Portuguese called them Patagons, which is believed to have come from a character in a popular romantic novel from that time. The character in the novel - Patagon - was a monstrous dog-headed giant. There is speculation about which tribe they might have actually been, but it is possible that the headdresses of the Selk'nam were a factor in this designation.

 When Magellan came through here, they saw fires in the large island to the south, which is why it was named Tierra de Fuego (Land of Fires). They were fires lit by the indigenous dwellers here.

Along with the Selk'nam, there were a number of other tribes. Efforts by hunters, ranchers, miners and soldiers in the late 1800's to remove these people, were largely successful, but remnant groups remain and strive to preserve cultural identity and gain recognition.

https://www.patagonjournal.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4278:el-pueblo-selkanam-sigue-vivo&catid=197:cultura&Itemid=340&lang=en

Plaza de Armas Muñoz Gamero, Punta Arenas

By the time we arrived and checked into the hotel, it was night time, and we left the following morning before dawn, so we only enjoyed this delightful town in the dark. Punta Arenas means 'sandy point', and it is the southernmost city in the world, with a population of about 130,000. The waters of the Magellan Strait moderate their temperature, which stays relatively mild in the winter, but the region experiences very strong winds, especially in the summers.

Jose Nogueira Hotel, Punta Arenas, Chile

You would think a city at 'the end of the world' would struggle economically, but with the strait offering a throughway from the Atlantic to Pacific Oceans, it was a busy place. In the beginning it was a penal colony and a 'gulag' for out of favor political figures, but that was not a successful venture - there was chaos and riots. As European immigrants arrived in the late 1800's, sheep farming and gold mining created prosperity for some of them. With their acquired wealth some built fabulous mansions or palaces here. Our hotel had been the 'palace' of Sara Braun, who was one such immigrant. All the materials were shipped from Europe for construction! Ernest Shackleton stayed here in 1916 as a guest of Sara Braun after his disastrous Antarctic expedition.

To add to local prosperity, oil was discovered here in 1945 and continues to be extracted, along with natural gas.

Bathroom Art, La Luna Restaurant, Punta Arenas

We visited La Luna Restaurant with the promise of having the best Chilean King Crab, and indeed, my meal was both excellent and inexpensive. However, my visit to the bathroom was even more memorable, with art work covering doors and walls. This fellow was on the back of the bathroom door, so I got to stare at his butt! The logo on his shirt says 'Crazy Cat Art'. I don't know who the artist is, but the restaurant throughout was colorful and quirky. It was quite unexpected so far from the rest of the world.

Swedish Space Corporation, Punta Arenas Ground Station

These white domes that we saw from the bus next morning were antennas - part of a system that supports polar-orbiting satellites. In conjunction with similar sites in Australian, it produces 'unmatched' communications coverage.

Chile is also striving to innovate in solar, wind and hydro power. When life hand you lemons, you might as well make lemonade and in this area, the strong winds are being used to extract hydrogen from the air with wind turbines. The hydrogen is then converted into bio-fuels. It requires a great deal of water from the Magellan Strait, which needs to be desalinated to create these highly innovative fuels. 

In other parts of Chile, especially further north, solar power is becoming highly developed, with explorations to create UV-Sensitive solar panels that will function when it is cloudy. 

Southern Patagonian Ice Cap

But enough of civilization, we are headed back north again to the edge of the mountains we just flew over yesterday! This ice field and the mountains beyond are 518,000 square miles of ice, with 49 glaciers. It is the largest fresh water resource after the Antarctic and Greenland.

Guanaco

But what's this - our first quanaco sighting! These camel-like herbivores are ever-present, and well camouflaged with their coloring. As you might imagine, the ranchers did not like the competition they presented for the grasslands and their number became depleted. On the mainland, they are now  protected, but are raised for meat on Tierra de Fuego. I enjoyed a meal of guanaco (from Tierra de Fuego, they told me), but I did not find it a remarkable meat, so I don't have to try it again!

Lesser Rheas

As if guanacos are not cute enough, we also saw rheas. These are flightless birds, related to emus from Australia, kiwis from New Zealand and Ostrich from Africa - providing quite tangible evidence that all four continents were connected at one time. They are also in the same family as the dodo. Each species has evolved differently in each environment. Darwin thought they were emus when he first saw them, but upon returning to England saw that the bones were different. 

They stand three to five feet tall, can run up to 35 miles per hour and are polygamous. It is the male who creates the nest next to a shrub. After she lays eggs, the females leave. The male stays with up to 30 eggs and raises the chicks for six to seven months! He is even willing to adopt lost chicks. Of course, the young ones are vulnerable to foxes and condors, so many do not survive to adulthood.

The birds hold a special place for the Mapuche, who use them for food, as well as feathers and bones. Our Mapuche speaker in Bariloche  told us the rheas are very important for them - their movements are imitated in dance and the shared role of both male and female is valued.

Torres del Paine, View From the East

Finally, we arrive at the magnificent cordillera we had come to see, generally known as Torres del Paine. (It took me a while to figure out that the last word is pronounced 'pine-eh'.) The national park is  a collection of 29 peaks, and this photo shows the core massif which is most accessible without backpacking. We stopped on our way to do a short trek to see it from the east. On the left, you can see the main peak - Cerro Paine Grande, at 9,462 feet - and on the right you can see the three towers, which give the park its name. It became known to the larger world after the first 'tourist', Lady Florence Dixie published a book about her travels in the late 1800's. She referred to the towers as Cleopatra's Needles.

Sunset, Torres del Paine Massif, From the South, Across Lago Grey 

When we arrived at the hotel - Lago Grey Hotel - the view was spectacular, with not a cloud in the sky. From this angle, we were able to see the 'horns' better than the towers that we had seen earlier. 

Googling the weather told me that cloud cover is more common than not, and that in the area of the hotel, precipitation - both rain and snow - is 38 to 40 inches per year, with April and May being the wettest months. There are people who will come here and see little of the mountain - much like my experience in Puerto Varas with the Osorno Volcano. I felt very blessed to see this view so clearly.

Sunrise, Looking Across Lago Grey, Grey Glacier Far Left

There was frost the next morning, but the sky was still clear with just a few wispy clouds. The name of the collection of peaks means 'towers of blue', with the word 'paine' coming from he mapuche language for blue. It is not clear why is was referred to as blue - many of the internet resources suggest that there is a bluish hue to the granite, but I couldn't see that. Our guide suggested it could have been covered in more glaciers in the past and the bluish tinge could have been due to that. This photo shows bluish-ness, but this a common feature of many mountains when seen from a distance.

From Lake Pehoe Trail

Perhaps I should just stop telling you stuff about this mountain and call this blog 'how many different ways can you take a photo of the same, very beautiful place'. This is one of my favorites from this very still morning when such a reflection was possible!

Avalanche!

Shortly after I took the reflection photo, we heard a rumble and roar, which our guide identified as an avalanche. I was able to zoom in enough to catch a photo of it - in the middle of the image above. You can see the vertical drop, with the plume of snow and ice fanning out at the base of the fall.

Fall Colors

I still relished in the red hue one could see on the hills around to the south of us with the nothofagus turning colors.

Fire Damage - Looking South

The National Park here was established in 1959, and has expanded over time to cover 561,000 acres. It became a UNESCO biosphere in 1979, and last year drew 364,000 visitors. One hazard of having visitors is the fire risk. Significant acreage (20% of the total acreage) has been burned following the improper use of camp stoves, open fires and smoking. Due to the very strong winds in the summers - up to 100 miles per hour - any stray spark can take off and spread rapidly. The winds also make fighting the fires very dangerous - air support becomes impossible. There is no lightning in this area to cause fires, so all damage is caused by humans. The trees are not fire dependent, so do not propagate naturally after being burned.  

Nothofagus Forest

While the burnt areas allow one to see distances that might not have been visible before, this view with the forest still intact represents the way it has been for millennia. There are efforts in place to re-nourish the burnt areas, and penalties for violating fire prevention rules have increased steeply. Camping areas have wind-protected areas for the use of camp stoves, and smoking on trails is prohibited. 

Grey Glacier Path

If you look carefully at this photo, you will see six, very small people, walking across the beach below. They are close to those yellow patches about a third of the way from the bottom left corner. This is our path to view the Grey Glacier. Like the people you can see here, we will walk across the gravel beach to the peninsula on the other side and then travel to the far left to see the glacier.

Grey Glacier

When we got there, we were still quite distant from the glacier. Ice floes were barely discernable, but I had no complaints about the view!

Zooming in to see Grey Glacier

The Grey Glacier is one of the biggest in this national park. The wall you see is about 90 feet high, and the ice behind it is about four miles wide and 17 miles long. It is retreating. 

Change in the Weather?

That night, we went out to find the Southern Cross constellation, in spite of the almost full moon. Indeed it was there, but it looked much smaller than I remember from the many times I saw it as a child in Australia. We noticed the streaks of cloud coming in, so I wondered what the morning might bring.

Grey Glacier at Dawn

Of course, I had to get out early to check! I even set up my tripod and used my 12-24mm wide angle lens in the dawn light. All was good with the sky.

The Horns

I spent a long time looking at this collection of peaks, and I can't say I ever figured out their complexity. Before we leave this area, I want you to see these wonderful horns closer than we have yet. They are formed from granite forcing its way between layers of sedimentary rocks. I'm sorry, you can't see the gradually sloping shale at the base of the granite, but I wanted you to clearly see the dark metamorphic layer on top, which this photo shows. This was a layer of sedimentary rock - probably shale - that got 'cooked' when the granite intruded, creating a hard, hornfels rock. Their resistance to erosion has helped shape this wonderful and unique landscape.

Just in case you want to see a map of the peaks and more photos, here is a link.

https://www.ecocamp.travel/en/geography-and-geology

A Last Glimpse From the Bus

It was tough for me to stop looking and photographing the landscape as the bus drove away. I'm also  having a hard time not showing you yet another image, but all good things must come to an end, so this is it! We are off - back to Argentina now.

Next blog will share some aspects of that journey, before we finish up with El Calafate and the Perito Merino Glacier.

Thursday, April 10th, to Saturday April 12th, 2025 - Chiloe Island, Chile - But When DO we Get to Patagonia?!

 

Punihill Wildlife Reserve, Chiloe Island

Chiloe Island means 'land of seagulls' in the language of the original Huilliche inhabitants. We had driven several hours south of Puerto Varas, taken a ferry near Puerto Montt, and arrived at the Punihill Wildlife Reserve. 

Human habitation on Chiloe has been recorded from 7,000 years ago, which is impressive, but we are just 70 miles south of a significant archeological site called Monte Verde II, which has been dated back to at least 14,000 years ago. The reason I mention this, is because its discovery in the 1970's turned theories of human migration to the Americas on its head. Prior to the discovery of Monte Verde II, the accepted theory was that humans had crossed the Bering Strait from Asia as hunter gatherers, following herds as they travelled south. The oldest North American site, in Clovis, New Mexico is dated at 13,000 years, which is 1,000 years after this South American site. The Monte Verde II discovery suggests that the 20 to 30 people who lived here were maritime-adapted hunter-gatherer fisher people and it is proposed that they had followed the coastline from the north, travelling by boat, which the theorists suggest would be faster than on foot.

Punihill Wildlife Reserve, Chiloe Island

Those early seafaring humans must have been rugged mariners. There is nothing between here and New Zealand, 5,200 miles to the west. The moisture coming off the ocean drops 63" of rain per year and the internet says that visitors should expect grey skies and drizzle. Our itinerary said 'if the weather permits we'll sail out to search for Humbolt and Magellanic penguins as well as sea otters, sea lions, seals and a variety of marine birds'.

Punihill Wildlife Reserve, Chiloe Island

As you see, the ocean conditions were pretty rough, even in this sheltered cove. In addition to the grey skies and occasional drizzle, we had an invigorating wind, blowing along the beach. 

Punihill Wildlife Reserve, Chiloe Island

The boats were beached!

Peruvian Pelican & Black Cormorants

There was some disappointment that our outing on the boat would not take place. 

We also learned that the penguins have left this area already and will return in the spring.

Juvenile Brown Hooded Gull

Oh, but the birds were happy, soaring on the uplifts or hanging out on the rocks.

Dark-Bellied Cinclodes

I had a lot of fun looking for birds and sometimes managing to gat a decent photograph. I generally don't seek out birds, as they move so quickly. Nature photographers have my admiration, as they must exercise great patience and tolerate lots of mistakes! This was one of the few times on the trip I had my rain gear on, but more for the wind than the rain. Every now and then there were sprinkles, so I had a plastic bag to protect my camera.

Kelp Geese Male (White) and Female (Dark)

We could see the white male kelp goose off in the distance, but my 250mm leans was not quite sufficient to get a decent photo. When I processed it in my laptop, I was able to see the female (same level to the right of the male), but the real fun was to find there were also two flightless steamer ducks on the lower level.

Flightless Steamer Ducks

As their name suggests, these ducks can't fly. As they move through the water, they move their wings as well as their feet, looking like a paddle steamer to the people who named them. I really enjoyed seeing them move around the beach and felt sorry for their inability to fly.

Castro - First Stop, Laundry

After lunch, we had to fly on - an hour or more to the capital of Chiloe, Castro. Out first stop was the laundry. This one had a sense of humor. In addition to this clothesline painted on the wall, there was a sign saying that the only thing they don't clean is the conscience! The sign then said 'don't insist'. I'm not sure what was meant by that, but I liked the idea that a customer's conscience can not be cleaned there!

Church of San Francisco, Castro

One of Chiloe Island's claims to fame is the wooden churches that have been recognized by UNESCO world heritage for representing an outstanding form of ecclesiastical wooden architecture. They total 70 structures in all throughout the island, and are said to represent a fusion of indigenous and European cultural traditions, along with a clear example of the early settlers skillfully utilizing the resource which was abundantly available - wood. 

Ceiling Above the Chancel, Church of San Francisco, Castro

Europeans first arrived here from north-east Spain - a region called Galicia on the Atlantic ocean. Castro, the capital, was founded in 1567. The Galicians are famous for their fishing, boat building and seafaring culture. Like the first indigenous settlers 6,500 years prior, it was a good match and these maritime skills were applied when they were joined by the Jesuits in 1608 to build the churches for evangelizing the indigenous people of the area.

Church of San Francisco, Castro

This particular structure, Church of San Francisco in Castro, was built in 1912. The original church was built shortly after Castro was founded in the 1500's, but that church and many others burned down through the years. This final ne-classical iteration is built of wood, but is clad with galvanized iron. Because of the salty winds that frequent the area, it must be painted frequently. It was painted yellow and purple for Pope Frances's visit in 2018. Our guide said the 'powers that be' had chosen the ecclesiastical purple, but the people didn't like it, so they added the yellow.

Madonna & Child, Church of San Francisco, Castro

Another feature inside the church, apart from the beautiful woodwork, was that many of the statues were clothed. This was not a lenten practice, but is always present. It was something I had not seen before and I found it fascinating. Googling the 'why' suggested it's just local custom and may have a traditional folk art element.

Priest & Child, Church of San Francisco, Castro

 There were a n umber of statues of Christ being held  by priests - in this one, Christ was clothed in a knitted romper. (At least I presumed it was Christ - perhaps it's just a regular child, but I found it charming, especially with the peace lilies in the priest's other hand.)

Nercon Church, Castro

The other UNESCO recognized church that we visited was about four miles away, and represents a more traditional style of architecture than the other one we saw. I like its simplicity of style and unpainted exterior. This is also a structure that was rebuilt around 1890 of larch and cypress. Due to the unfavorable weather, additional restoration was undertaken, in 2012, which has led to difficulties and controversies about sourcing the wood.

Nercon Church - An Upside Down Boat?

The inside showed very clearly the connection to he maritime heritage of this are. The ceiling of the nave was constructed pretty much like the hull of an  upside down boat!

Nercon Church - Ribs of the 'Boat' Ceiling

A walk through the belfry allowed us to see how the ceiling had been built. You can see the ribs of he 'boat' that makes the ceiling.

Nercon Church - Clothed Statuary

In addition to the same clothed statuary we had seen before, we also saw another distinguishing feature of this church - that the pillars had been painted to resemble marble.

Nercon Church - Archangel Michael Slays the Devil

Both churches had rather spectacular statues of the archangel Saint Michael slaying the devil. This one is carved out of a single piece of wood.

View From My Hotel Room

That evening I developed a scratchy throat, and by morning knew that I had lost the battle of zinc & Vitamin C vs. the cold. Our itinerary that day was to experience life as lived by a local couple in a small town called Rilan. I knew we would be in their home and I thought it would be rather rude to share my germs with them, so I had a day of rest in which to contemplate the changing skies and water levels through the window.

Fall Colors Across the Bay - Castro

Of course, I worked on processing photos while staying in, ordered room service and although I was disappointed to miss the day's outing, had time for contemplation also. Which takes us to the question of Patagonia, which had been my desired destination on this trip. The image I had in my mind of what that meant was that I would be seeing towering snow clad mountains, fiords, glaciers and remoteness. Where have we been on this journey so far?

Patagonia

In fact, as you see from the map, Patagonia extends from north of Bariloche, all the way to the end of Tierra del Fuego to the south. Thus far we have been in the northern part of Patagonia, but my patience will soon pay off, as we will be flying south to Punta Arenas next, to experience whatever it is that southern Patagonia has to offer.

Supercontinent Gondwanaland - Broke up 200 million Years Ago

I was intrigued to discover that Patagonia is an 'add on' to South America. It had been part of the supercontinent Gondwanaland, which broke up 200 million years ago. The piece of Gondwanaland marked with the red 'X' had been part of the Antarctic, and ended up as part of South America. It is no wonder that the area has a history of volcanos and earthquakes. In 1960, one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded occurred 400 miles north. Chiloe received a tsunami that killed 200. We were told that earthquakes are common, so I was pleased that we didn't get to experience one.

Palafitos - Stilt Houses - Castro

I was glad that I could see from my window some of the stilt houses, or palafitos, that Castro is also known for. This makes great sense for a fishing community, allowing people to have a boat parked in their 'front yard'. I did note, that it is a 'big' tide - the fisherman would have to time their comings and goings carefully. It seems that they now also serve as accommodation for tourists, so there might be less functionality to their design.

We had learned that salmon is a major export from Chile and there are salmon farms here. Our guide said that the Chileans are concerned about the 10% tariff that has recently been applied to their salmon exports to the US. Other major experts are copper and lithium from further north in Chile, which she said have been spared the tariffs as of now.

Palafitos - Stilt Houses - Castro

The following day, my rest had paid off....my cold was short-lived. We stopped and looked at another group of stilt houses as we left town.

Ferry Back to the Mainland Across Chacao Channel

We headed north again, taking the ferry back to the mainland for the Puerto Montt airport. There were many large vehicles on the boat - the white truck you see on the right with the funny round bumps on top was transporting salmon.

Salmon Truck

In order to preserve freshness, the water must be aerated and cooled  before the product is processed in Puerto  Montt.

Chacao Channel Bridge - Come Back to se it in 2028

Transporting salmon and other products and merchandise will be much easier in 2028, when the Chacao Channel Bridge will be completed. When finished, it will be the longest suspension bridge in South America. While it might help commerce, many of the locals are concerned about the challenge it is expected to present to preserving the island's unique cultural identity.

Caracara Hitches a Ride

We were able to see dolphins and an occasional seal or sea lion, but my lens wasn't fast enough to catch those distant and brief sightings. Instead, we got a caracara hitching a ride and snacking on something it had scavenged!

Jellyfish

My best marine photo was this lovely jellyfish that was floating close to the surface of the water.

Next, instead of floating through water like the jellyfish, we will float through the clouds as we head south to Punta Arenas! 

Don't miss it!