Adventures with Niko and Kaia: January 2013

Can you believe that this little stretch (the blue line) took two days?

Leaving Puerto Chacabuco, our first stop was the city of Coyhaique. It took us by surprise as we weren't expecting much, and it turned out to be a really nice afternoon in a city with walking streets, an interesting plaza, and one of the best artisan markets we've seen in Chile. Loaded up with good food, gas, and money, we headed for the Carretera Austral. First stop: Cerro Castillo

The Carretera Austral of Legend...days...and days of it...

Potty break #54 in Cerro Castillo

FIRST NIGHT OF CAMPING ON THE CARRETERA AUSTRAL

Our first night was spent in our tent on a farm just past Cerro Castillo, complete with (ornery) horses, llamas, sheep, and most impressive, a very hard working sheep dog who methodically spent the better part of 40 minutes, searching a vast hillside above us for one lost sheep. Just 15 minutes before, there were 30+ sheep milling around; How did the dog know to locate THAT particular scent and find THAT particular sheep on such a huge mountainside? After finally reaching the wayward member of the flock, she (the dog) impatiently ushered the stubborn sheep around cliffs, boulders and trees, down a steep path and through a forest before the sheep was finally close enough to sprint down to the flock in the pasture before us.

Dogs are cool.

Classic symptoms of CTW (Chronic Toy Withdrawl).
Often mistaken for FRS (Feral Road Syndrome).

Sometimes it's easy to over look the teeny-tiny marvels...

OUR FIRST HIKE

The following day we spent hiking above Rio Ibañez, near the town of Villa Cerro Castillo. Can you find Kaia, Niko and Yvonne in the picture below?

in case you didn't find them, here is the hint:

Could the hike get any better for an 8 year old?

I guess only if you find the mother lode of quartz crystals

...a well earned lunch...

Our first view of Chile's Northern Ice Fields in the background.

The road to Puerto Rio Tranquilo ...

... pretty bumpy at times

A spontaneous hike in a river bed

After many dusty hours and multiple rock collecting stops, we arrived at the

electric blue waters of Lago General Carrera; truly this blue.

After a week exploring Chiloé, it was time to board the overnight ferry bringing us from Quellón at the southern end of Chiloé, to Puerto Chacabuco along the Carretera Austral. Our fellow passengers provided a fascinating anthropological study: Stocky toothless fisherman disembarking at ports with nothing more than a salmon fishery in the middle of nowhere, sitting next to families from Santiago sporting the newest gortex and sunglasses, or even a German family cycling their way through S. America with their 2 and 5 year old girls in tow. Never the twain shall meet..... except on deck of the Naviera Austral!

Needless to say, this leg of the trip is all about the scenery. Fjord country starts behind Chiloé where the glacier-formed gouges of the Lakes District (where we live) get so deep, steep, and long that they actually reach the Pacific. This is a landscape where the monsterous peaks of the Andies fragment as the ocean builds huge glaciers that carve their way back down to the coast. Gradually, the Andes - the longest mountain range in the world - disintegrate as they approach the southern-most point of all the inhabited continents.

Around each turn of the fjord lay yet another breathtaking view of a summit, or glacier, or porpoises or just lunch on deck. We couldn't believe the scenery, or the fact that we were so lucky to have sunny weather for this segment of the trip!

The ship was supposed to make only a quick stop in Puerto Cisnes, but a little delay, a little too much freight, and unusually low tide meant we would not have made it through one section of the fjord. So, we were fortunate to spend several hours in town instead, along with one more night on the boat.

heading into Puerto Cisnes

It certainly seems to be an interesting time for libraries in Chile. While Chile enjoys one of the highest literacy rates in S. America, unfortunately studies have found that very few people actually spend any of their free time reading for pleasure--strange in the land of Neruda, Mistral and Allende. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that books are incredibly expensive, with (we've been told) a hefty printing tax levied on top of other existing import taxes. As if that's not enough, many libraries are still old school: instead of peacefully perusing the stacks for inspiration, you approach a front desk and humbly request a specific book (assuming you know it exists there). If you're lucky, she finds it for you and brings it to the counter where you exchange it for whatever valuables you have in your possession and sign your name in blood before receiving the book--which then must be read on site. OK, maybe not always that bad, but friends of ours have described similar stories which leads to a general aversion towards libraries. Anyway, the Chilean Dept of Ed is trying hard to change this relationship to books and reading, and they have some great new libraries under development, including one in Santiago which is more of a community center model offering classes and events similar to what we have come to expect of our libraries in the U.S. So as we wandered around this remote little port town, far away from civilization, we were so thrilled to stumble into this great little library off the main plaza. The doors stood propped open, and gorgeous books stood on display with cozy reading nooks, and friendly welcoming librarians. We could have spent the whole day there. As we left we noticed a plaque stating the library was generously supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation. What a treat to see good money put to good work!