In Patagonia Day 34
In Patagonia Day 34 Puerto Varas—Valdivia In 1960, Valdivia experiences a 9.6 earthquake—the strongest ever recorded. This is all part of my 2018 world tour of unstable geology.
In Patagonia Day 33
In Patagonia Day 33 Puerto Varas (rain) Today, as promised by the folks who predict such matters, the skies dumped rain a constant heavy rate. In the hostel where I am staying, there are people of many nationalities, and each has a different relationship to time. One, a Canadian who works as a police officer, […]
In Patagonia Day 32
In Patagonia Day 32 Puerto Varas —Mt Osorno—Puerto Varas In November of 1832 Darwin was on Chiloé, but he could see off to the northeast a sight: “26th.—The day rose splendidly clear. The volcano of Orsono was spouting out volumes of smoke. This most beautiful mountain, formed like a perfect cone, and white with snow, […]
In Patagonia Day 31
In Patagonia Day 31 Castro—Puerto Varas The bus to Puerto Varas was long but uneventful, except a marker buoy mid-channel on the ferry ride covered with seals sunning themselves. I am glad I visited Punta Arenas, Puerto Natales, Puerto Montt, and Castro before coming here as I would have gotten a completely different sense of […]
In Patagonia Day 30
In Patagonia Day 30 Cucao—Castro Ramshackle—without design, out of square, loosely connected, out of kilter. Buildings in Chiloé, particularly out in the country, ramble with a certain insouciance. Additions jut at angles making impossible rooflines. The Hospedaje Paloma in Cucao is one such establishment. I ended up with a newly added small (unheated) room all […]
In Patagonia Day 29
In Patagonia Day 29 Castro—Cucao Today I crossed Chiloé from Castro to the village of Cucao, following the footsteps of Darwin and Chatwin, though they both chose to avoid difficult roads by taking a boat across the lakes. As Chatwin notes, the island is nearly bisected by two long narrow lakes starting a few kilometers […]
In Patagonia Day 28
In Patagonia Day 28 Castro—Nercón—Castro Castro has real charm but only after some wandering. Yesterday, while hurrying down a sidewalk in the rain while the street venders pulled their wares under the buildings’ overhangs, I passed a round, pudgy boy no more than two, perched on a ledge eating sushi with clear gusto. Later, when […]
In Patagonia Day 27
In Patagonia Day 27 The Eden—Puerto Montt—Castro Woke to the sound of trucks rolling out from deep in the ship’s hold. Some time early in the morning the Eden made port at Puerto Montt, so all the passengers packed up seabags and headed down for one last breakfast. I got coffee and went to the […]
In Patagonia Day 26
In Patagonia Day 26 Chilean coast on The Eden Early on in Moby-Dick, Ishmael is speaking with Peleg and Bildad about shipping on the Pequod. After some slapstick humor about Ishmael’s time in the “marchant service,” Peleg asks him to go aft and tell him what he sees. As I recall Ishmael’s answer is just […]
In Patagonia Day 25
In Patagonia Day 25 Chilean coast on The Eden At some point in the night, The Eden dropped cargo at Port Eden, the only human habitation of this long route. The village of 60 souls doesn’t have a proper pier, so transfer of goods and people is done by lowering the stern ramp (where the […]