Placed in the very fortunate position of having a two month summer holiday period (one of the many perks of teaching!) I was eager to make my first trip south of Santiago and experience life “en el campo” (the countryside). A good friend of mine named Carolina kindly invited me to visit her family who live in a small town called Victoria in Chile’s fourth region. Thrilled by the prospect of discovering the south, I caught a bus 2 days later making the trip a rather spontaneous one! With Carolina’s beautiful garden and wooden country style house, I felt a strange sense of nostalgia for home; it was not all that different to the English countryside of East Sussex. A proud and enthusiastic gardener, Carolina’s father was eager for me to try every variety of fruit in his orchard at once, an offer I was not going to refuse! It felt wonderful to be back in the countryside.
Our first day trip was to the Cordillera, to the east of Chile, near the Andes. Along the way we stopped of at the “Salto Del Indio y de la Princesa”, two waterfalls, one belonging to an Indian and the other to a princess. The legend behind these waterfalls relates to love triangle between an Indian, an Indian princess and a Spanish Conquistador. As the story goes, the Indian fell in love with the princess; however her heart belonged to the Spaniard. Faced by the tragedy and humiliation of unrequited love, the Indian decided to end his life by jumping off a rock, which in turn created a very turbulent and aggressive waterfall, reflective of his shame and enraged sentiments. The princess’s romance with the Spaniard was unfortunately forbidden, so they too decided to jump off another rock however the princess’ waterfall is both peaceful and tranquil, a strong contrast to the Indian’s. Whether or not the legend is true, this romantic tale is certainly entertaining and I really enjoyed my visit to the waterfalls. We continued our journey through the “Tunel de los raices”, which up until recently was Latin America’s longest tunnel until we reached an area called Lonquimay.
Although about 90% of Chile’s population is of European descent, Chile does have an indigenous people who are called the Mapuche. “Mapuche” which means “people of the land” are famous for their long and hard battle against the Spanish Conquistadores in particular Pedro Valdivia, who led the conquest against the Mapuche . For many generations, the Mapuche have struggled to keep hold of their land which they consider vital to their rural way of life. The Mapuche conflict continues up until this day and with Chile’s current right wing government eager to use its land in the most financially productive way, the relationship between the state and the Mapuche is far from harmonious. The Mapuche feel that there land is unjustly being taken away from them and that the government is consequently failing to recognize their rights as citizens. This has lead to car burning and various protests, while Chile was celebrating its 200 year anniversary since Independence last September the Mapuche were performing hunger strikes, evidently not all the population were in a period of festivity.
The reason I mention the Mapuche is because this particular region is home to many of Chile’s indigenous people. Walking along the Reserva nacional Malalcahuello, I managed to get a glimpse of both an old fashioned and relatively more modern Mapuche home. Having done some research on the Mapuche people, part of me was eager to talk to them and discuss their current situation. Whether it was fate or not, the family was not home, but perhaps it was better that way, after all I think more than anything the Mapuche’s strongest desire is to be left in peace, not all are necessarily political minded.
Ascending the hill by car, we finally reached the top of the reserve where we enjoyed spectacular views of the Lonquimay volcano, a magnificent snow capped volcano. Surrounded by nature in all its most wonderful forms it became apparent how very different the south is to the barren desert of northern Chile. I know I have already mentioned how varied Chile is in terms of geography but I really must stress that Chile is so unique in this aspect. Standing at a hill top in southern Chile encircled by greenery, it was almost impossible to believe that I was still in the same country. In contrast to the north, the southern countryside has a distinct European feel, most probably due to a relatively strong German influence which has had an impact on southern architecture.
The following day, Carolina and I made a day trip to Temuco, a commercial town nearby where we enjoyed a few hours shopping and a visit to an art gallery. Our journey by train was particularly enjoyable; the train as a form of transport is quite a rarity in South America, it seems that most trains here carry goods rather than people, most Latins prefer to take the bus which they consider more reliable. Travelling along the southern countryside, the passing images composed of mountains, volcanoes and country life all made a beautiful impression on me.
Before leaving, Carolina’s father insisted that I joined their family camping trip to a place called Lago Lanalhue, ( Lanalhue Lake) to the east of Victoria. Along the way we passed the town of Puren where we visited “el Fuerte de Puren” a Mapuche fortress hidden deep the forest which was used to fight against the Spanish Conquistadores. This was particularly special for me as at the time I was reading Isabelle Allende’s novel “Inés of my Soul” which recounts the conquest of Chile from the eyes of Inez Suarez, one of the first Spanish women to live in Chile. The books makes a reference to this particular fort and I found it a very rewarding experience when what you are seeing reflects what you are reading; it really brings history to life in the most remarkable way.
Lake Lanalhue was very beautiful and tranquil camping spot set against the backdrop of the mountains. For the first time since arriving in Chile I was able to enjoy fresh milk, something I had badly missed in Antofagasta! We quickly set up our “fuegon” ( camp fire) and in typical Chilean style, enjoyed a delicious asado (bbq).The next day was spent relaxing, reading, swimming and simply enjoying each other’s company. Unfortunately as the afternoon went on the weather took a bad spell, faced by strong rain and wind, we decided to head back to Victoria. The following evening, the family kindly prepared me a depedida dinner, a special meal to say goodbye and that bring me to my final point which is to point out how wonderful the southern people are.
I have been told by northern Chileans that the people of the south are famous for their warm, generous and friendly nature and nothing could be more accurate. Carolina’s relatives welcomed me like family, thanks to them I have come back with many wonderful memories of my trip down to the charming south.
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| Carolina's home |
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| Indian's Waterfall |
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| Volcano Lonquimay |
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| Old fashioned Mapuche Home |
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| Carolina's family |
