Chaitén -> Futaleufú -> Ezquel -> Bariloche
After my tent pole snapped in Chaitén, it was clear to me that I wouldn't be able to repair it on the carretera austral, because quite frankly, there really isn't anything there. So instead of sulking about the tent and my rapidly disappearing money, I decided to make a move for the border and get my rear over the cordillera and into Argentina, which at the very least has to be cheaper then Chile, right? So I spent the following morning checking out the local museum - dedicated to the construction of the carretera and local settlement, and based on the army base that is responsible for road maintenance and construction - and a nearby waterfall before taking the one daily bus to Futaleufú which serves as the border. I'd already realized that I lack the equipment to undertake Torres del Paine, so I know I'll be back to Chile. (Christoph und Steph, falls ihr das hier liesst ist das der direkte Aufruf, mit mir naechsten Dezember/Januar in Suedamerika Wandern und Bergsteigen zu gehen.)
The ride from Chaitén to Futa is amazing. The dirt track winds its way through pristine temperate rain forests/pine forests, which are crowned by glowing blue glaciers on the mountains above - and shimmering blue lakes below. The ride takes about 6 hours for the 100 or so km, and of course, it gets dusty in the bus. By the time I reached Futa it was too late to cross the border, so I had to find a boarding house, which I was able to do. The following morning I caught an 8 am ride to the Chilean border post, and then on to the Argentine border post. I have been told that crossing this border can be very stressful - stressful to the tune of 3-4 hours between Santiago and Mendoza, where every piece of luggage is x-rayed and hand luggage searched by hand. However, at the Futa crossing, you drop your backpack on the lawn in front of the border post, walk in, and get your passport stamped. They don't even give you the little piece of paper you need to leave the country again! When I asked them about it, they said they didn't do that there, and none of the other extranjeros (because most people crossing there were) hadn't received one either, so I figured I wasn't being picked on more than others, and didn't aggravate the guards any more. For people who have extremely little to do, they seemed quite irritable about their low workload. As for luggage being stolen, it's really not possible: although I wouldn't trust the guards standing outside to stop theft, everyone there is waiting on the bus (and by everyone, I mean all 20 people) so it's not like the thief could make off with your stuff.
As soon as the passport is stamped, one realizes that one is in Argentina. How, you probably are asking? Well, the bus is late..... very argentino. About 45 minutes late, which is impressive for a bus that only has to go about 2 hours total. So everyone lounges around on the front lawn, waiting for the bus, with a number of people drinking mate.
Once on the bus, it turns out each passenger needs to pay either a) 10 pesos to get to Trevelin, which is useless or 15 pesos to get to Ezquel, from where buses run north and south. Oh, and they don't accept payment in Chilean pesos. This presented a considerable challenge to me, as the only arg. pesos I had remaining were the change I had left in my wallet when I left the country after studying abroad there more than 2 years ago. Basically, I had 10 pesos, but getting stuck in Trevelin was not an option as far as I was concerned, particularly as I did not know whether they have cash machines there (probability: fair, desire to be stuck if wrong: zero). So I figured I'd do what probably every other mochilero (backpacker) in my position would do: I hit up the other mochileros for help. And indeed, the first group, two Israeli girls) were willing to spot me a 5er, and I promised them to go straight to the ATM in Ezquel in order to pay them back.
Eventually, I arrived in Bariloche that night after an unexpectedly long lay over in Ezquel. However, during that time I was able to get replacement/fixing parts for my tent pole, as Prachee had kindly been in touch with the tent makers and gotten instructions on how to get around the problem. I walked to a nearby hardware store, and about 20 minutes later I not only had what I needed to fix the break, but 4 additional pieces of the same piping in order to repair any future breaks, should they occur. When I asked the guy what I owed him, he just shrugged and laughed. The way he saw it, the 20 cm of copper piping weren't even ringing up, since they usually sell by the dozen meters to construction companies. Sweet, already the argentines were living up to another stereotype, that of the friendly outgoing middle class. And also, the stereotype of disorganization/general nonsensical organization, which I will elaborate on at another point.
Finally, I caught the 5 hour bus to Bariloche, where I arrived exhausted at about midnight, as 5 hours in Argentina actually means that the bus will leave 30 minutes late, and it will take five and a half hours to arrive. Arriving in Bariloche at night at the height of the tourist season really isn't a problem - if you have a reservation. I of course did not have a reservation. Normally when you arrive at a bus station, there are people standing around offering you alojamiento (housing) in any number of hostels, hotels, and home stays. Unfortunately, at Bariloche there wasn't a single offer, which generally means everything is full. Faced by this unexpectedly bad situation, I swung my heavy pack on my back and began the 4 km walk into the town center. As usual, my luck held and the first place I asked at actually had one bed remaining, though by that time I'd already spend 45 minutes walking, sweating, through some good and some less-than spectacular neighborhoods worrying about the prospect of being on the street for the night, because although I had the replacement pieces for the tent, I had not yet had the opportunity to make the repairs. It was called Bolsa de Deportes, and I would seriously recommend that hostel. However, I was exhausted, went out for a quick lomito, and hit the hay.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Sovereignty, Electricity, and the North Face - Parque Pumalin
Well, as most of you are probably aware of, not everyone thinks that nature parks are a great thing. In the West, this seems to be primarily the misguided notion of extraction industry idiots who would like to drill, mine, and clear-cut every possible part of the earth in order to enrich themselves without regard for the loss of natural environment which may or may not be permanent and affects everyone, generation for generation int the future. I think there is little validity to these people's arguments, as they are overwhelmingly selfish. However, in the developing world, there are oftentimes other arguments against preserving land and environmental habitats from human interference. On the one hand, amost always when LDCs (lesser developed countries) consider creating such environmental sanctuaries, they must also consider the impact on indigenous populations that have lived there for hundreds of years, if not longer. Moreover, politicians argue that the West developed due to its exttractionist use of its environmental resources, so it is unfair to expect LDCs to remain in poverty just because the rich want some nature preserveed - after all, they've already destroyed all of theirs. So it might be fair to say that poor countries are at times unwilling or financially unable to create nature parks.
Well thank God for the Washington consensus and the spread of capitalism - or maybe not, you'll have to make up your own opinion:
In South America, there remain a lot of natural environments that are still predominantly intact, though under constant threat of human destruction. With all the corruption and political popularism, it is also unlikely that governments will step in to effetively preserve what reamins of the often unique natural splendor placed under their care. Then there are immensely rich Westerners who are environmentalists. Now I'm sure you've all been asked by an organization, friend, or chain email at one point or another to support the purchase of an acre or two of threatened Amazon rainforest. Maybe you participated; maybe you didn't. Maybe you saw that call for action and thought to yourself "I won't do that, but I'll buy hundreds of thousands of acres of equally threatened land in order to prevent human exploitation. I'll pay for the park rangers and prosecute anyone who dares operate on my land by using my highly paid lawyers. In effect, I'll do what the government can't or won't do." If that quote sounds like you, youmight be called Douglas Tompkins.
Douglas Tompkins first made a name for himself by co-founding an outdoor gear company called the North Face. As you can imagine, he made a pretty penny from that when he sold his stake. He then went on to found Esprit du Corps, netting him some more cash. And then he dicided he would start buying land in order to preserve it. In the early 90s, his now wife - the former manager of Patagonia outerwear, and not too cash strapped herself - joined him in the quest. They have purchased huge tracts of land in Argentina and Chile, some of which they have turned over to the respective governement in return for promises of conservation.
One of the most controversial land purchases Tompkins has been involved in is now the Parque Pumalin, just to the north of Chaiten, Chile (and several hours south of the much larger Puerto Montt). This park sits at the northern end of Chilean patagonia. It is also a contentious issue for the local and national governments: Because the park stretches from the border with Argentina to the ocean, some argue that it represents a threat to sovereignty; because locals are no longer permitted access to the resources within the park, some argue it is a threat to the local way of life; because a huge power company wants to build a massive hydroelectric plant on the Futaleufú river to the south of the park but most the target population lies to the north of it, some argue that it impedes development as Tompkins will not allow power lines to be built across the park. At the same time, the park protects remote mountain peaks down to ragged coastline, in a cold, inhospitable climate where even the summer is rainy and, for the most art, pretty cool as I experienced myself. Nonetheless, this temperate rainforest is full of living creatures and beautiful plants, and no other park exists in this part of Chile. However, the Chilean government, which in principle seems to agree that the preservation of its natural treasures is a worthwhile cause, recently refused the sale of a large tract of land to the Parque Pumalin Foundation, instead selling it for less money to a different bidder. I think this is an interesting case where local, regional, national, and personal interests clash. It is also the conflict between human expansion and environmental protection. Below I will take a look at some of the arguments that are made about this park.
The argument of sovreignty:
Because Parque Pumalin goes from the border with Argentina to the ocean, critics argue that the country has been sliced in two, and that in case of armed emergency (say, a war with Argentina) troop movements would be impossible. I personally think this argument is bogus. While I can understand the sentiment, in an armed emergency martial law would certainly provide the military with the legal authority to cross the area. Moreover, the Carretera Austral, which I've already mentioned, runs through the park already, which means there is the means of crossing from north to south, and vice versa. The weak point in the link is the ferry system, because from the north of the park one must take a ferry to the main part of Chile. I think this argument is just plain xenophobic and has little validity as clearly, it is possible to traverse the park.
The argument of local custom:
Some people say the park has affected locals' abilities to take advantage of resources in the area and has changed the way of life. Once again, I think this argument is somewhat faulty. For one, you need to consider that 15 years ago, when the carretera austral first connected the town of Chaiten to the north, only a few hundred people lived there (now it's somewhere between 6000 and 10,000, people's opinions differed on that matter). Basically, the people would only have been able to access whatever resources for about 2-3 years before the park was opened. Moreover, the same people who argue against the park do not argue against the carretera austral, which had a far more profound influence on the life in Chaiten and surrounding areas than the opening of the park. The only people I can imagine being affected are fishermen, but I don't think that the park includes the ocean-based resources.
The argument of development:
A large power company wants to build a dam on the Futaleufú river and run the power north to Puerto Varas and surrounding areas, some of the fastest growing parts of Chile. I think this idea is flawed in two major ways: For one, the Futaleufú (or Futa) is considered South America's best rating, and already supports a solid economy based on that, although it remains small compared to other places because it is so remote. To undermine this local economy - which is environmentally sustainable - in order to help an already quickly growing area grow even faster seems unjust to those who have invested in the Futa. Secondly, even if the company were to build the dam, it could run the electricity through Argentina: Futa is only a few miles from the border, and there are ample crossings further north between the Bariloche area and Puerto Varas area. Once again, the only argument against this is sovreignty, because the Chileans don't feel they can trust the Argentines due to their history of animosity. I think they should both just get over themselves and sign a long-term peace deal, demilitarize their countries (seriously, who's going to give them trouble? Evo Morales or Chavez? The US has tons of "military advisors" a.k.a. special forces units in Bolivia and Colombia, and would love a reason to intervene in either country...) and invest in their human capital.
As you can probably tell, I side with Tompkins, although I don't think I'd particularly like him in person. I think he has every right to invest in property and manage it as a nature reserve if he wants. That's the result of opening the local markets to capitalism and foreign investment - foreigners have the same rights as locals. Chile chose this path for itself, and I don't think Tompkins should be treated any differnetly than foreign franchisees of fast food chains which are ubiquitos in downtown Santiago. And here's the real clicher for me: He has offered to turn the property over to the Chilean government if they recognize it as a national park and protect it as such. They don't want to do that, so the property stays in Tompkins hands. When they are ready, he'll return it to Chileans, but if they don't want to protect it, don't fault him for trying to do so.
Well, as most of you are probably aware of, not everyone thinks that nature parks are a great thing. In the West, this seems to be primarily the misguided notion of extraction industry idiots who would like to drill, mine, and clear-cut every possible part of the earth in order to enrich themselves without regard for the loss of natural environment which may or may not be permanent and affects everyone, generation for generation int the future. I think there is little validity to these people's arguments, as they are overwhelmingly selfish. However, in the developing world, there are oftentimes other arguments against preserving land and environmental habitats from human interference. On the one hand, amost always when LDCs (lesser developed countries) consider creating such environmental sanctuaries, they must also consider the impact on indigenous populations that have lived there for hundreds of years, if not longer. Moreover, politicians argue that the West developed due to its exttractionist use of its environmental resources, so it is unfair to expect LDCs to remain in poverty just because the rich want some nature preserveed - after all, they've already destroyed all of theirs. So it might be fair to say that poor countries are at times unwilling or financially unable to create nature parks.
Well thank God for the Washington consensus and the spread of capitalism - or maybe not, you'll have to make up your own opinion:
In South America, there remain a lot of natural environments that are still predominantly intact, though under constant threat of human destruction. With all the corruption and political popularism, it is also unlikely that governments will step in to effetively preserve what reamins of the often unique natural splendor placed under their care. Then there are immensely rich Westerners who are environmentalists. Now I'm sure you've all been asked by an organization, friend, or chain email at one point or another to support the purchase of an acre or two of threatened Amazon rainforest. Maybe you participated; maybe you didn't. Maybe you saw that call for action and thought to yourself "I won't do that, but I'll buy hundreds of thousands of acres of equally threatened land in order to prevent human exploitation. I'll pay for the park rangers and prosecute anyone who dares operate on my land by using my highly paid lawyers. In effect, I'll do what the government can't or won't do." If that quote sounds like you, youmight be called Douglas Tompkins.
Douglas Tompkins first made a name for himself by co-founding an outdoor gear company called the North Face. As you can imagine, he made a pretty penny from that when he sold his stake. He then went on to found Esprit du Corps, netting him some more cash. And then he dicided he would start buying land in order to preserve it. In the early 90s, his now wife - the former manager of Patagonia outerwear, and not too cash strapped herself - joined him in the quest. They have purchased huge tracts of land in Argentina and Chile, some of which they have turned over to the respective governement in return for promises of conservation.
One of the most controversial land purchases Tompkins has been involved in is now the Parque Pumalin, just to the north of Chaiten, Chile (and several hours south of the much larger Puerto Montt). This park sits at the northern end of Chilean patagonia. It is also a contentious issue for the local and national governments: Because the park stretches from the border with Argentina to the ocean, some argue that it represents a threat to sovereignty; because locals are no longer permitted access to the resources within the park, some argue it is a threat to the local way of life; because a huge power company wants to build a massive hydroelectric plant on the Futaleufú river to the south of the park but most the target population lies to the north of it, some argue that it impedes development as Tompkins will not allow power lines to be built across the park. At the same time, the park protects remote mountain peaks down to ragged coastline, in a cold, inhospitable climate where even the summer is rainy and, for the most art, pretty cool as I experienced myself. Nonetheless, this temperate rainforest is full of living creatures and beautiful plants, and no other park exists in this part of Chile. However, the Chilean government, which in principle seems to agree that the preservation of its natural treasures is a worthwhile cause, recently refused the sale of a large tract of land to the Parque Pumalin Foundation, instead selling it for less money to a different bidder. I think this is an interesting case where local, regional, national, and personal interests clash. It is also the conflict between human expansion and environmental protection. Below I will take a look at some of the arguments that are made about this park.
The argument of sovreignty:
Because Parque Pumalin goes from the border with Argentina to the ocean, critics argue that the country has been sliced in two, and that in case of armed emergency (say, a war with Argentina) troop movements would be impossible. I personally think this argument is bogus. While I can understand the sentiment, in an armed emergency martial law would certainly provide the military with the legal authority to cross the area. Moreover, the Carretera Austral, which I've already mentioned, runs through the park already, which means there is the means of crossing from north to south, and vice versa. The weak point in the link is the ferry system, because from the north of the park one must take a ferry to the main part of Chile. I think this argument is just plain xenophobic and has little validity as clearly, it is possible to traverse the park.
The argument of local custom:
Some people say the park has affected locals' abilities to take advantage of resources in the area and has changed the way of life. Once again, I think this argument is somewhat faulty. For one, you need to consider that 15 years ago, when the carretera austral first connected the town of Chaiten to the north, only a few hundred people lived there (now it's somewhere between 6000 and 10,000, people's opinions differed on that matter). Basically, the people would only have been able to access whatever resources for about 2-3 years before the park was opened. Moreover, the same people who argue against the park do not argue against the carretera austral, which had a far more profound influence on the life in Chaiten and surrounding areas than the opening of the park. The only people I can imagine being affected are fishermen, but I don't think that the park includes the ocean-based resources.
The argument of development:
A large power company wants to build a dam on the Futaleufú river and run the power north to Puerto Varas and surrounding areas, some of the fastest growing parts of Chile. I think this idea is flawed in two major ways: For one, the Futaleufú (or Futa) is considered South America's best rating, and already supports a solid economy based on that, although it remains small compared to other places because it is so remote. To undermine this local economy - which is environmentally sustainable - in order to help an already quickly growing area grow even faster seems unjust to those who have invested in the Futa. Secondly, even if the company were to build the dam, it could run the electricity through Argentina: Futa is only a few miles from the border, and there are ample crossings further north between the Bariloche area and Puerto Varas area. Once again, the only argument against this is sovreignty, because the Chileans don't feel they can trust the Argentines due to their history of animosity. I think they should both just get over themselves and sign a long-term peace deal, demilitarize their countries (seriously, who's going to give them trouble? Evo Morales or Chavez? The US has tons of "military advisors" a.k.a. special forces units in Bolivia and Colombia, and would love a reason to intervene in either country...) and invest in their human capital.
As you can probably tell, I side with Tompkins, although I don't think I'd particularly like him in person. I think he has every right to invest in property and manage it as a nature reserve if he wants. That's the result of opening the local markets to capitalism and foreign investment - foreigners have the same rights as locals. Chile chose this path for itself, and I don't think Tompkins should be treated any differnetly than foreign franchisees of fast food chains which are ubiquitos in downtown Santiago. And here's the real clicher for me: He has offered to turn the property over to the Chilean government if they recognize it as a national park and protect it as such. They don't want to do that, so the property stays in Tompkins hands. When they are ready, he'll return it to Chileans, but if they don't want to protect it, don't fault him for trying to do so.
Hi, Aunt Flo
And it wasn't the visitor from South Park.... but the appearance is just as unnerving as the disappearance.
Sometimes the flow of events isn't what you want it to be, and it just comes up and jumps you. This happened in Chaitén. I was there to camp and hike in the controversial Parque Pumalin (and I will give a more detailed discussion of the issues involved in another post). The night I arrived my tent pole snapped, leaving me about as super-homeless as someone who doesn't live in any one place can be. That was a huge downer. And being on the Carretera Austral meant I couldn't get the replacement pieces I needed.
And it wasn't the visitor from South Park.... but the appearance is just as unnerving as the disappearance.
Sometimes the flow of events isn't what you want it to be, and it just comes up and jumps you. This happened in Chaitén. I was there to camp and hike in the controversial Parque Pumalin (and I will give a more detailed discussion of the issues involved in another post). The night I arrived my tent pole snapped, leaving me about as super-homeless as someone who doesn't live in any one place can be. That was a huge downer. And being on the Carretera Austral meant I couldn't get the replacement pieces I needed.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Chilly Chiloe to Chaitén
So I went to the special southern island of Chiloe (Chile), which is supposed to be "remarkably different" from the rest of the country. Now, if this were from the guide book once again, I wouldn't really be surprised to find that this is untrue. However, everywhere I met Chileans, they confirmed this, usually be pointing out that `si no has visto a Chiloe, no fuiste en Chile´ (if you haven't seen chiloe, you haven't been to Chile). Well, you know what.... it's just like the rest of Chile. Really no big difference from the other parts of the country, except that it rains more than elsewhere.
However, Chiloe wasn't all bad. For one thing, I ran into Ed - a real cool English cat I met in Pucón - on the street. We laughed ourselves stupid when we realized later that night that we'd just bought a bottle of Pisco and two liters of Coke for 3 quid, then engaged in some excellent conversation while the owner of my hostel kept referring to us as her hijos (sons).
I also went camping on the beach of Parque Nacional Chiloe. It rained intermittently all night (in fact, it seemed to rain every two hours 24 hours a day there) and camped in some massive sand dunes near a huge beach. I thought it was freezing cold, but someone else I was travelling with decided to go swimming, and by swimming I mean dip in the freezing water. It generally was quite cool/cold in Chiloe, I might add, and once I get all my photos and videos posted, you'll all see what I mean.
Eventually, I decided to head towards the Carretera Austral. The C.A. has to be pretty unique in the world. It's a 1200 km road - mostly dirt and gravel - that runs South from Puerto Montt to Villa O'Higgins. Throughout the journey, the road winds through ageless temperate rainforests and beteen huge glaciers, and even during summer months can become impassable due to it's high rainfall. As the military museum at Chaitén regarding this massive undertaking points out, there really wasn't much economic justification for the decades and dollars spent on the project - it pretty much was just something Pinochet really wanted to do. And as dictators are wanton to do, he did.
In order to get to Chaitén, I took a ferry from Chaiten. now, ever since I had started travelling with Breanne a week earlier, she had been a big proponent of going to see penguins. I've already had massive penguin exposure in Ushuia, the pictures from which should be up on facebook. Anyway, I wasn't really that keen on the feathery little fellows, so I maged to defer any specific trips to see them. However, sitting on the ferry, talking to this German guy I'd met at the hostel the night before, I looked over the side of the ship and casualy asked "aren't those penguins?" And indeed, in those lattitudes penguins simply raom around, trying to find some grub. Anyway, we both started getting up so we'd have a better look when this little Chilean girl figuered out what we were talking about. She thus started a full sprint towards the side of the ship. While this may not sound alarming, I'd like to point out at this point that the ship lacked true railings - all they had were two thin chains, with plenty of space for a little child to slip through and fall into the cold, cold water. Luckily, her father intercepted her before anything happened, and she certainly enjoyed the sight of the penguins - I think she was still laughing and shrieking a full 30 minutes after we saw the last of them. I, in the mean time, vowed to keep all comments about so-called "adorible animals" to a minimum from then on.
So I went to the special southern island of Chiloe (Chile), which is supposed to be "remarkably different" from the rest of the country. Now, if this were from the guide book once again, I wouldn't really be surprised to find that this is untrue. However, everywhere I met Chileans, they confirmed this, usually be pointing out that `si no has visto a Chiloe, no fuiste en Chile´ (if you haven't seen chiloe, you haven't been to Chile). Well, you know what.... it's just like the rest of Chile. Really no big difference from the other parts of the country, except that it rains more than elsewhere.
However, Chiloe wasn't all bad. For one thing, I ran into Ed - a real cool English cat I met in Pucón - on the street. We laughed ourselves stupid when we realized later that night that we'd just bought a bottle of Pisco and two liters of Coke for 3 quid, then engaged in some excellent conversation while the owner of my hostel kept referring to us as her hijos (sons).
I also went camping on the beach of Parque Nacional Chiloe. It rained intermittently all night (in fact, it seemed to rain every two hours 24 hours a day there) and camped in some massive sand dunes near a huge beach. I thought it was freezing cold, but someone else I was travelling with decided to go swimming, and by swimming I mean dip in the freezing water. It generally was quite cool/cold in Chiloe, I might add, and once I get all my photos and videos posted, you'll all see what I mean.
Eventually, I decided to head towards the Carretera Austral. The C.A. has to be pretty unique in the world. It's a 1200 km road - mostly dirt and gravel - that runs South from Puerto Montt to Villa O'Higgins. Throughout the journey, the road winds through ageless temperate rainforests and beteen huge glaciers, and even during summer months can become impassable due to it's high rainfall. As the military museum at Chaitén regarding this massive undertaking points out, there really wasn't much economic justification for the decades and dollars spent on the project - it pretty much was just something Pinochet really wanted to do. And as dictators are wanton to do, he did.
In order to get to Chaitén, I took a ferry from Chaiten. now, ever since I had started travelling with Breanne a week earlier, she had been a big proponent of going to see penguins. I've already had massive penguin exposure in Ushuia, the pictures from which should be up on facebook. Anyway, I wasn't really that keen on the feathery little fellows, so I maged to defer any specific trips to see them. However, sitting on the ferry, talking to this German guy I'd met at the hostel the night before, I looked over the side of the ship and casualy asked "aren't those penguins?" And indeed, in those lattitudes penguins simply raom around, trying to find some grub. Anyway, we both started getting up so we'd have a better look when this little Chilean girl figuered out what we were talking about. She thus started a full sprint towards the side of the ship. While this may not sound alarming, I'd like to point out at this point that the ship lacked true railings - all they had were two thin chains, with plenty of space for a little child to slip through and fall into the cold, cold water. Luckily, her father intercepted her before anything happened, and she certainly enjoyed the sight of the penguins - I think she was still laughing and shrieking a full 30 minutes after we saw the last of them. I, in the mean time, vowed to keep all comments about so-called "adorible animals" to a minimum from then on.
This isn't what I signed up for
All the guide books agree. I will paraphrase, but basically, they all say: "Chile's lake district is probably the most beautiful place you'll ever visit. And it's totally unique."
Well, I disagree, and because I went to the area based on that description, I feel cheated. Imagine going to watch agent Zero and him putting up a big zero for the game. Or worse, getting married and finding your now-husband aseep next to Q.P. Livingston before the night is out. But before you file this away as a random rant, let me explain myself.
Beyond doubt the lake district is amazingly beautiful. However, as I and a number of other (German) travellers have agreed upon, it is not that different from the Alpenvorland in southwestern Germany. However, there is one remarble difference: There are active volanos here! I guess I shouldn't really belittle that difference, since, you know, they can kill you. And indeed, as more time passes betwen my having been there and my thinking about it, I do realize how spectuacular that region was, especially compared to dry browns that constitute most of Argentina.
All the guide books agree. I will paraphrase, but basically, they all say: "Chile's lake district is probably the most beautiful place you'll ever visit. And it's totally unique."
Well, I disagree, and because I went to the area based on that description, I feel cheated. Imagine going to watch agent Zero and him putting up a big zero for the game. Or worse, getting married and finding your now-husband aseep next to Q.P. Livingston before the night is out. But before you file this away as a random rant, let me explain myself.
Beyond doubt the lake district is amazingly beautiful. However, as I and a number of other (German) travellers have agreed upon, it is not that different from the Alpenvorland in southwestern Germany. However, there is one remarble difference: There are active volanos here! I guess I shouldn't really belittle that difference, since, you know, they can kill you. And indeed, as more time passes betwen my having been there and my thinking about it, I do realize how spectuacular that region was, especially compared to dry browns that constitute most of Argentina.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Pucón: Worse than fly tape
You know that double sided fly tape you can hang from above, but is really easy to get stuck to? And then once you're stuck to it, it's really hard to free yourself, and you'll definitly be left with some of that sticky residue on your skin, clothes, and hair? Well, maybe you aren't as physically inept as I am, but that's how it is for me.
Anyway, I went to a place in the Chilean Lake District called Pucón, a town that exists because and for tourism, and serves as a base for a number of outdoor activities. Located on the shores of the lake Villarrica and immediately beneath the smoking cone of the volcano Villarrica, it is set amongst mountain, lush fields and verdant forests of ancient Auracacia trees. It is without doubt a beautiful place, with low houses, many made of wood and a semaforo del vulcán - a volcano traffic light that indecates how soon you might die a.k.a. if it's safe to climb the volcano.
Well, Lonely Planet and all the other guides warn that this town in "easy to get stuck in," and they definitely aren't lying. I originally planned on staying only 2 nights, but I think I ended up staying 5 and ended up just leaving out of fear that I'd end up there for another week. At the same time, because it is a tourist town, the cost of living there is about the same as in the US - NYC not included. In return, it offers a lot however: many day trips into the surounding area, climbing the volcano (more on that at another time), a black rock beach on a gorgeous lake, and an incredible nightlife.
Definitely woth a visit, but be warmed of the flytape - I'm still being drawn back there weeks and thousands of kilometers later.
You know that double sided fly tape you can hang from above, but is really easy to get stuck to? And then once you're stuck to it, it's really hard to free yourself, and you'll definitly be left with some of that sticky residue on your skin, clothes, and hair? Well, maybe you aren't as physically inept as I am, but that's how it is for me.
Anyway, I went to a place in the Chilean Lake District called Pucón, a town that exists because and for tourism, and serves as a base for a number of outdoor activities. Located on the shores of the lake Villarrica and immediately beneath the smoking cone of the volcano Villarrica, it is set amongst mountain, lush fields and verdant forests of ancient Auracacia trees. It is without doubt a beautiful place, with low houses, many made of wood and a semaforo del vulcán - a volcano traffic light that indecates how soon you might die a.k.a. if it's safe to climb the volcano.
Well, Lonely Planet and all the other guides warn that this town in "easy to get stuck in," and they definitely aren't lying. I originally planned on staying only 2 nights, but I think I ended up staying 5 and ended up just leaving out of fear that I'd end up there for another week. At the same time, because it is a tourist town, the cost of living there is about the same as in the US - NYC not included. In return, it offers a lot however: many day trips into the surounding area, climbing the volcano (more on that at another time), a black rock beach on a gorgeous lake, and an incredible nightlife.
Definitely woth a visit, but be warmed of the flytape - I'm still being drawn back there weeks and thousands of kilometers later.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Reflections on Chile
Well, I was going to call this post "reflections on Pinochet's legacy" but I think that's a little over the top and unnecessary. Nonetheless, the results of Pinochet's rule are visible everywhere in Chile today.
For those of you who are less politically inclined, Pinochet was the one-time military dictator of Chile who took power in a bloody putsch in 1973, supported, among others, by the Central Intelligence Agency - yet another example of the "home of the free" doing all it can to deny others freedom. He deposed the democratically elected Salvador Allende, a Socialist. But you don't need to get your history lesson here, there are plenty of places you can find this information if you're more interested. (Pinochet also is an interesting example of international human rights justice. During his dirty war, many thousands disappeared or left the country. He was later granted immunity for life in Chile, but a Spanish judge was able to get him arrested in London on a Spanish warrant for abuses against Spanish citizens. It was a big deal.)
Anyway, Pinochet pushed through some very pro-business, pro-US reforms that sparked the economic upturn in his country that is now among the wealthiest in Latin America, although there as elsewhere people feel that the middle class is being squeezed out. As a result, Chile today is strongly reminiscent of Spain, among other places. Whereas the ownership of a digital camera in Argentina two years ago was definitely something that drew attention, it sees that in Chile everyone has one, and some kind of mp3 player, to boot. In reality, the country hardly feels Latin American: despite the at times appalling infrastructure (lots of dirt roads, and weak septic systems, for instance) the appearance of people, and even more shockingly to me, the costs, were extremely high, close to US levels even. This was particularly true in Santiago as well as a number of tourist destinations around the country.
Another aspect of Chile that differentiates it from everything else I've experienced or heard about South America is A) the general safety of the country and B) the low level of police corruption; I don't think these two factors are arbitrary. While Isabel Allende's "House of Spirits" suggests that police corruption in Chile was minor even before Pinochet's regime, it now it virtually unheard of. I spoke to a lot of Chileans and asked them about it, as my experiences in Argentina have prepared me for bribing, if necessary. All of the Chileans strongly recommended that in Chile, of confronted by an officer, it is better to just go to jail - according to them, an attempt at bribery will only land you in a ton more trouble. It also is clear that Chileans take great pride in this. However, they understand that "western" attitudes about Latin America are such that they really aren't that upset when you ask about it. I thought it was interesting that they were so accustomed to the prejudice towards their law enforcement, but it probably comes from their own experiences in the countries to the North and East of them....
Well, I was going to call this post "reflections on Pinochet's legacy" but I think that's a little over the top and unnecessary. Nonetheless, the results of Pinochet's rule are visible everywhere in Chile today.
For those of you who are less politically inclined, Pinochet was the one-time military dictator of Chile who took power in a bloody putsch in 1973, supported, among others, by the Central Intelligence Agency - yet another example of the "home of the free" doing all it can to deny others freedom. He deposed the democratically elected Salvador Allende, a Socialist. But you don't need to get your history lesson here, there are plenty of places you can find this information if you're more interested. (Pinochet also is an interesting example of international human rights justice. During his dirty war, many thousands disappeared or left the country. He was later granted immunity for life in Chile, but a Spanish judge was able to get him arrested in London on a Spanish warrant for abuses against Spanish citizens. It was a big deal.)
Anyway, Pinochet pushed through some very pro-business, pro-US reforms that sparked the economic upturn in his country that is now among the wealthiest in Latin America, although there as elsewhere people feel that the middle class is being squeezed out. As a result, Chile today is strongly reminiscent of Spain, among other places. Whereas the ownership of a digital camera in Argentina two years ago was definitely something that drew attention, it sees that in Chile everyone has one, and some kind of mp3 player, to boot. In reality, the country hardly feels Latin American: despite the at times appalling infrastructure (lots of dirt roads, and weak septic systems, for instance) the appearance of people, and even more shockingly to me, the costs, were extremely high, close to US levels even. This was particularly true in Santiago as well as a number of tourist destinations around the country.
Another aspect of Chile that differentiates it from everything else I've experienced or heard about South America is A) the general safety of the country and B) the low level of police corruption; I don't think these two factors are arbitrary. While Isabel Allende's "House of Spirits" suggests that police corruption in Chile was minor even before Pinochet's regime, it now it virtually unheard of. I spoke to a lot of Chileans and asked them about it, as my experiences in Argentina have prepared me for bribing, if necessary. All of the Chileans strongly recommended that in Chile, of confronted by an officer, it is better to just go to jail - according to them, an attempt at bribery will only land you in a ton more trouble. It also is clear that Chileans take great pride in this. However, they understand that "western" attitudes about Latin America are such that they really aren't that upset when you ask about it. I thought it was interesting that they were so accustomed to the prejudice towards their law enforcement, but it probably comes from their own experiences in the countries to the North and East of them....
As for general safety, I'd say Chile was definitely, 100% safer than Washington, DC. Not that that's really saying much, but it's also safer than any other place I can think of in Europe or North America. In a lot of towns, people just leave their hiking backpacks sitting on the street, sometimes for hours; I don't really think I saw many bikes locked up; and there's tons of teenage girls travelling alone, camping. In general, although there were a lot foreigners travelling in the country, their numbers were dwarfed by the number of Chileans on the road. Of course, it was summer vacation, but nonetheless, there were many groups of 2 or 3 14/15 year-olds going across the country with a sleeping bags and a tent, including a group of 4 totally clueless kids trying to hitchhike on the Carretera Austral, a 1200km road that winds itself through some truly inhospitable but absolutely beautiful lanscape in the south of the country. You definitely wouldn't see that kind of behaviour in the US, at least not with the same frequency, or so it seems to me.
¡Bienvenidos a la locura!
Welcome, one and all, speakers of all different languages to my blog about my experiences travelling once around the world. I will assume for practicality's sake that most people reading this know me in one form or another and will spare you - the reader - a self indulging soliloquy. If you don't but would like to know more, holler via email.
I've decided that the format here will be less focused on sequential storytelling than on the relating of various observations or anecdotes of experiences that have occurred and will occur to me over the next few months.
Just to give you an idea of the path of my travels, here is a rough outline:
December 18, 2006 - January 23, 2007; USA
January 23, 2007 - June 15, 2006; South America
June 17, 2007 - June 25, 2007; New Zealand
June 26, 2007 - August 8; Thailand to Moscow overland via Beijing
Obviously, it's still early in my trip, and plans are plans....they can easily change, either intentionally or due to circumstance, some of which I've already experienced since I arrived in Chile.
Well, I'll stop boring you with logistics and get to narrating.
Welcome, one and all, speakers of all different languages to my blog about my experiences travelling once around the world. I will assume for practicality's sake that most people reading this know me in one form or another and will spare you - the reader - a self indulging soliloquy. If you don't but would like to know more, holler via email.
I've decided that the format here will be less focused on sequential storytelling than on the relating of various observations or anecdotes of experiences that have occurred and will occur to me over the next few months.
Just to give you an idea of the path of my travels, here is a rough outline:
December 18, 2006 - January 23, 2007; USA
January 23, 2007 - June 15, 2006; South America
June 17, 2007 - June 25, 2007; New Zealand
June 26, 2007 - August 8; Thailand to Moscow overland via Beijing
Obviously, it's still early in my trip, and plans are plans....they can easily change, either intentionally or due to circumstance, some of which I've already experienced since I arrived in Chile.
Well, I'll stop boring you with logistics and get to narrating.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
