After our one night in Puerto Varas which included a visit to The Garage, the hangout for backpackers around the corner from our hostel, we hopped on bus bound for the city of Ancud on the island of Chiloé. The bus ride included the ferry across the channel; the bus just drove right on! Chiloé is the largest island in South America apart from Tierra del Fuego in far southern Patagonia.
Chiloé has been preserved from its fast-growing surroundings quite well. The inhabitants, called the Chilote, have a richh culture rooted in pagan traditions. They have many spirits that inhabit the island who are responsible for everything from unwanted pregnancies to the quantity of fish harvested in a year.
Speaking of fish, the island relies heavily on fishing for its economy. The fresh seafood here is unreal. Our first meal consisted of seafood empanadas. Shrimp, razor clams, salmon, clams, crab, and oysters are just a few of the goodies they bathe in cheese and fry. It's very easy to be a Catholic on a Friday here.
On the bus we called an audible and decided to cancel our hostel in Ancud. I read about a self-sustaining campground/cabin complex on the coast in a tiny village called Chepu that sounded very much away from the normal tourism of Chiloé so I called, talked with the owner, and we booked a dorm. We were on a rural bus packed with locals. I liked where things were headed.
Among the first things we noticed were apiaries everywhere. The abundance of flowers in Chepu results in lots of pollen which attracts lots of bees. They sold local honey everywhere.
We took a short hike just to see the ocean after we arrived. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Chepu was going to have its Custombista on Saturday, a local fair with food and music of Chiloé. It isn't every day you see a tractor pulling a food stand on logs. It reminded me of the town of Hibbing, MN which rolled all of its buildings a few miles away so they could mine the iron ore under its original location.
One of the main reasons I wanted to stay in Chepu was the Kayaking at Dawn expedition. Here I am at 5:45 a.m. outfitted for a rainy paddle through the wetlands created by the tsunami in 1960.
The kayak was spectacular. The sunrise was beautiful, the river completely calm, and the wildlife abundant. It was a very memorable experience.
After kayaking Caitlin decided to go to Castro, the largest city in Chiloé, to catch a bus to the national park. I decided to spend another night in tranquility away from all the tourists. Plus I wanted to check out the festival! I started the day by going for a hike to the beach. It was a little more adventurous than I'd planned for, but the views were excellent. The surf was wild--I definitely wouldn't swim here.
The weather in Chiloé is unpredictable and changes every 10 minutes. This picture was taken immediately after the prior one looking in the other direction. The rain comes fast and furious without warning. I was also hailed on once. It makes for beautiful skylines though.
After my hike I went to the chapel to check it out (Chiloé is known for its wooden chapels although this one was simple). I met a couple of native Chilotes who told me fascinating stories about the landscape and the sea. They told me I should take a boat tour of the river since they were so cheap on account of the festival. I went for it and saw the beach again from the water (a much quicker trip than the hike). It was so unique to see ocean waves come into the river and melt away into a current.
After the boat trip I dug into the local fare called Curanto. The Chilotes are very serious about their food, and it's unbelievable. There were maybe 15 shellfish that I watched them pull out of the river that morning before cooking (talk about fresh), a giant chicken leg, a purple potato, smoked pork, sausage, and two tortillas made of potato accompanied with a cup of pevre, a tomato/onion/cilantro mix that's good with everything. I ate it all in a matter of minutes, possibly my best meal yet in South America.
The Curanto has a very specific cooking procedure similar to what I saw in Bora Bora (apparently they only cook like this in the polynesian islands and here in Chiloé). They start with very hot volcanic rocks, then line the bottom with shellfish right out of the river. They then layer the pork, chicken, potatoes, sausage, and tortillas on top of the shellfish. Giant leaves top it all off. The shells underneath crack open from the heat releasing their juice which hits the hot rocks, turns into steam, and cooks the meat and tortillas with a flavor I've never experienced before. So good.
I took this picture because the Chilote people are just so happy to be living their content, simple lives. This guy was just sipping on Pisco enjoying the atmosphere. I think we North Americans have a lot to learn from such a simple, substantive lifestyle. I really enjoyed my time in Chiloé, it was a great break from the normal tourist bustle.
And now we've caught up to today! This morning I took a taxi to a bus to another bus to the Puerto Montt airport where I met Caitlin for our flight to Rio de Janeiro via Santiago. This picture is out the plane window as the sun set over Santiago. We just checked into our hostel and it is delightfully hot and humid--a nice change from all the rain! I'm definitely looking forward to a week of fun and sun in Brazil. Watch for posts all week! Chau for now.
Best meal yet and there were potatoes involved? I'm shocked!
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