This weekend I went on my first big trip away from Santiago and it was absolutely amazing. When leaving for Chile, I told myself that I should try to more or less stay in the city for a couple of weeks to really get a feel for the city and establish myself. I’m so glad I did this, because I’ve been able to really learn my way around the city and make some great friends. I didn’t realize, however, just how much I really needed some time away from the city. Thankfully, I was able to spend 3 days exploring the beautiful nature of Chiloe, the big island of the archipelago in the southern part of Chile. I spent the weekend as far away from home and as far south as I had ever been, enjoying some beautiful nature walks and meeting many local residents.
The weekend began with a 5:45 am bus ride to the airport with other students from my program. We flew to Puerto Montt, a port city in southern Chile, where we hopped on a bus to a ferry to take us to Isla Grande de Chiloe. The ferry ride was pretty windy and cloudy, but we were excited to see some sea lions in the water and see a new part of this beautiful country.
The weekend began with a 5:45 am bus ride to the airport with other students from my program. We flew to Puerto Montt, a port city in southern Chile, where we hopped on a bus to a ferry to take us to Isla Grande de Chiloe. The ferry ride was pretty windy and cloudy, but we were excited to see some sea lions in the water and see a new part of this beautiful country.
Our first stop was Punihuil in the northeastern corner of the island, which is known for its penguins. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to take the boat out to see the penguins because of the wind (and apparently there weren’t many penguins to see) but after a great lunch and a speech about ecotourism, we made our way to a beach for a short trek. It was absolutely beautiful, with mountains in the background and a wonderful rocky beach. The wind was really intense but we managed to take some wonderful pictures and enjoy seeing the water crash against all the rocks. The rest of the first day was spent driving to Castro, a city farther South where we had a delicious dinner and settled in at our Hotel – Unicornio Azul (blue unicorn).
We left early the next morning to head out to our workshops. Our group of 16 split into two workshops, one working with women at a wood/ceramic shop and the other visiting a farm and learning about textiles. I chose to go to the first workshop to learn more about women’s work here in Chiloe, though it was a very difficult decision… The workshop started off with a nature walk through the forest to learn about the different kinds of wood and herbs they use. It was so nice to walk around the forest because it reminded me so much of Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina, where I spent a few weeks hiking a few summers ago. The smells and sounds and sights were all so similar, and I was a happy camper. After the hike, we had a delicious lunch made by the women, which included some great vegetarian options :) We spent some time working in the shop, where we got to make our own pieces out of the wood. I made a little keychain to put on my beloved UNC water bottle and a plaque that says “CL” for Chile on one side and “Confianza” [Confidence] on the other. The women were so nice and willing to help us create our own pieces,
Our group lucked out because we also got to spend some time at the farm when we picked up the other group. We watched the spin some of the wool and begin to weave it into a placemat. We also got a short demonstration from the farm’s owner, Don Luis, about how to herd the sheep. Veroneque and I even got to go into the sheep pen and help with the herding process. When I went up to the group and asked the sheep, “Como estan ustedes?” [How are you all?] they quickly ran away from me – success! Don Luis also introduced us to his beautiful llama and the other animals on the farm, like horses and chickens.
We stopped at a beach close to our second hotel to watch the sunset, which was such an amazing surprise. The gigantic beach was unlike anything I had ever seen, with mountains in the background and no sign of commercialization like all of the beaches in the US. We spent some time exploring the beach, taking pictures and taking in the beauty of the sunset. On our way out, we even got to see some of the wild horses that inhabit the area.
When we got to our next hotel, we hung out for a bit before having a late dinner. The hotel is right on a lake, with a nice patio outside with places to sit and watch the water. It was almost a full moon and we all sat outside enjoying how bright the moon was and how much it illuminated the water. It was the perfect end to a really great day.
Day three was a bit rainier, which affected our plans for a long hike. We still managed to go on a nice nature walk through Parque Nacional de Chiloe with a local tour guide, learning about the different types of trees in the area. After the hike, we hopped in the car to drive back up north to the ferry, stopping at a artisan market before leaving so that we could pick up some souvenirs (like handmade socks and sweaters from the local farms, took my shoes off so that I could put the socks on while I typed this…) The rest of the day was spent traveling back to Puerto Montt on the ferry and driving back to the airport for our flight back, so it was a long afternoon of traveling. It was well worth the trip, though, because a trip to Chiloe was exactly what I needed after spending 7 weeks in the city.
Day three was a bit rainier, which affected our plans for a long hike. We still managed to go on a nice nature walk through Parque Nacional de Chiloe with a local tour guide, learning about the different types of trees in the area. After the hike, we hopped in the car to drive back up north to the ferry, stopping at a artisan market before leaving so that we could pick up some souvenirs (like handmade socks and sweaters from the local farms, took my shoes off so that I could put the socks on while I typed this…) The rest of the day was spent traveling back to Puerto Montt on the ferry and driving back to the airport for our flight back, so it was a long afternoon of traveling. It was well worth the trip, though, because a trip to Chiloe was exactly what I needed after spending 7 weeks in the city.