Punta Arenas
Arrived early in Punta Arenas and it feels very like the Orkney/Shetland Islands wild, windy and desolate, when checking into my wonderful hotel Jose Nogueria used by Shackleton,
The reception asked where my pink PDI was, I had been asked a couple of times previously but just ignored the request, Thomas indicated that if I didn’t have it I wouldn’t be able to leave the country and I should brush up on my Spanish and start looking for a Chilean wife [tongue in cheek] or I will have to pay $200 at the airport or he suggested I could go and ask the local PDI for a copy…….that was interesting dealing with the PDI and no one spoke English…but all done, just smiled a lot,
Its still snowing hard, so I decided on a pub crawl as the best social event. Missed the drumming, but heard it from the pub
Another early pick up on my itinerary said 6.00am, agent’s guide note said 6.30, turned up 6.15. Are you early or late he shrugged his shoulders and said – both
Departure signage interesting – my flight is BOARDING now. No, it’s not, the LATAM app says it been delayed and hasn’t even landed. Sign still flashing – BOARDING all the customers up and wandering around concerned / no staff. My gate says 280 to Santiago, no my 280 goes to Puerto Montt boarding boarding. Wander over and in the smallest print via PMC. Does it stop or do I get a parachute and jump out as we fly over- ahh the joys of travel
Goody, staff turned up – now everyone seems relaxes – flight delayed by an hour, sign still flashing BOARDING
Puerto Varas
Arrived in Puerto Varas, the lakes district [Chile and Argentina].Just realised it is surrounded by active volcanoes and has had 8 earthquakes in the last 365 days
Really strong German influence from the immigration in the 1850s, they were provided parcels of land which were cleared and now provides 20% of Chile’s beef and milk, it is also interesting to note that it was one of only two regions of the 13 to vote yes in favour of Pinochet after the 16 years of military dictatorship
The largest building in the region is the German School! Very unusual, when I went out for dinner on the first night all the men/boys were wearing reefer jackets with a couple of badges [eagles/lion] on the lapel, I felt quite out of place
Only one tour locked in, so, one day planned to do some cycling and the other off to the top of the volcanoes!!!
I was very excited about the trip to Chiloe, after the local uprising against the Spanish it maintained its separation from Spanish rule and South America influence and it was only incorporated into the independent Chile some 8 years after their independence
Even though the Spanish left, the Jesuits evangelized and build almost a 150 wooden churches from the early 17thCentury
The tour was disappointing as the guide decided to only speak in Spanish, as I was the only English speaker on the bus except for, here is you lunch voucher and don’t forget your seat belt, at the end of the 8 hours he did make mention of the names of the volcanoes
This town is very neat and wealthy and the police keep the indigenous out of the main square with not a lot of subtly
It did show a spotlight on another little piece of Chile, it is the only South American country that doesn’t recognize its native people, currently only 1% speak native languages and 5% according to the census make up one of the 5 major tribes. Their only noticeable presence is at the Artesan markets and begging on the steps of churches
Socially they are excluded, with a poverty level of 40%, the reason that it is of interest is that there is limited indigenous interpretation of the local areas unlike Peru and Bolivia
The tourism is primarily post Spanish 1500 and post independence. Both Argentina and Chile have been accused of social genocide of their native population and as recently as 2017 the Terrorist Act was applied to tribes who refused to move from their villages and historic pastures to allow mining
Puerto Varas is all about the German immigration of the 1800s and the Spanish arrival in the 1500s, which is quite disappointing as there is evidence that the region may have been populated as early as 12,000 to 11,800 BC
I had a long day bike riding in the hinterland which was beautiful and once again reinforced the wealth of the region. The roads were rough and I finished up on an old railway line which had been destroyed in the last major earthquake
After having looked up at the volcanoes for the past few days now was time to climb up and look down, that was amazing
My travel companions were all English speakers for the first time this trip, a Welsh couple and an Australian who described himself as a digital nomad – he wanders around the world and builds web pages using technical support in the Philippines
Interesting lifestyle, he will spend 6 months in South America and he has travelled through Argentina, Chile and is heading for Ecuador, he has a budget of $100 per day, accommodation in Puerto Varas was $15, the rest was spent on beer and testing his luck on Tinder
Normally he has a weekly teleconfence on Monday and if there is a job he parks himself in a hostel and gets it done…
Interesting fact is when the volcanoes erupt in South America, of the 300 active volcanoes only 3 spew lava the other eruptions result in ash, our guide said Chile is very lucky because the prevailing winds from the west means all the volcanic ash goes to Argentina !!!
The food here is quite amazing, fresh salmon most nights or lamb ribs, beside the proximity of three large active volcanoes it is a very beautiful place
In rating Patagonia and the Lakes, there is something quite significant missing in the traveler experience
- Scenery 10/10
History information and interpretation
- Post Spanish 7/10
- Pre Spanish 0/10
I’m not sure how many Chiloe natives had a piano accordion to practice their music in the 1400’s
As with all good stories when you think it is finished it is not, I was going to flow chart this event but ran out of time
Arrived at the airport in Puerto Montt in plenty of time, then this is what unfolded
- Tried to check in on line no luck, tried booth at airport no luck, this is a linked flight Puerto Montt to Santiago to Melbourne, I have the itinerary and bookings on the LATAM app
- Check In – perplexed look by LATAM staff after 20 mins of plugging away at the keyboard, then asked me to go to the “special” counter
- He said my luggage would have to be picked up in Santiago, so I stuck my overnight travel pack in the big bag, all good
- Two staff and multiple calls couldn’t get me a boarding pass, another half hour past, and no boarding pass but my luggage is going all the way to MEL, there goes my plan to turn up in MEL all fresh and clean
- Now boarding has commenced and I still have no seat allocation, but I’m told to go to the gate with a pass with seat YTB
- Groupo 1,2,3,4,5 and 6 all loaded and still me with no seat – my YTB is scrubbed out and 11L hand written on the ticket, I am the last one in the door ……oh no 11L is occupied
- The cabin boss is now instructing me firmly to take my seat in Spanish, I explain to the steward next to me I would but there is someone sitting in it…….. next statement both amused and perplexed me, if I don’t sit down I will have to leave the plane, I then whispered to the other staff member that –
- My luggage would have it be unloaded and someone would need to rebook my flight to MEL as I would miss the connection
- The large turd was rolling down the hill to the fast moving fan …… the steward at the rear oblivious to the kerfuffle intervened and found a spare seat at the rear
- LATAM are now dealing with a complaint where I have had time to list 10 failures beautifully packaged under Systems ,IT customer interface and customer service
- Anyway plane left on time – luggage on the way home
30 mins shopping at the airport then across to the hotel for a drink, early dinner, snooze, shower and home we go …
That was pretty stressful – I think I need a holiday!!