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| The End of the Road....Southern end of the 16,000 mile long Pan American Highway |
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| Wonderful rail beds - but no railway service. Stop signs at each level crossing are enforced, although no train has rolled by in years. Effective radar traps for local cops, which collect hefty fines from unsuspecting drivers for disregarding stop signs.... |
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| Wooden Church in Puerto Varas on Lake Llanquihue |
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| Local knitted handicrafts |
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| Huaso, Chilean Gaucho on his Chilean purebred horse |
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| The Huaso is wearing huge iron spurs. Iron - because it makes a nicer ringing sound. The many spikes are not sharp, but are pressed sideways against the horse to increase the area of contact with the flanks, not to injure the horse with pricks of sharpened objects. |
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| Cueca, the Chilean Chacarena equivalent |
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| hand carved wooden stirrups, closed at the toe are used by all Huasos - they also serve as great depositories to keep their Lucky Strike Cigarettes stored somewhere handy |
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| Pinning the steer, Huaso on left gallops sideways, the one on the right forward.... |
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| Racing Barrels, in the muck.... |
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| The rodeo ring was on huge puddle.... |
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| Puerto Montt, Chile, on mid left of map, and Bariloche, Argentina on upper right side....many beautiful Lakes, and the Andes in the middle... |
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| An artist version of the area around Puerto Montt, showing the many volcanic peaks in the area. |
We made it to Puerto Montt, catching up to our original itinerary. The town is named after Manuel Montt, Chilean President at the time of its founding.
Puerto Montt is 'just over the Andes' on the western side almost opposite to Bariloche, the popular ski resort in Argentina. Both towns benefit from the famed Lake District of Southern Chile and Argentina.
It was founded in 1853, by 1912 its importance increased, as it was then connected by rail to the rest of the south. It claims to be 'the end of the line' of the continental portion of the Pan American Highway. Alaska claims to own the other end of this 16,000 mile long highway - however, I suppose Lund in British Columbia really deserves that honour, as it is the last stop of the highway hugging the ocean shore all the way from 'down there'. After that - no more coastal scenic highways...To get to the northern outpost in Alaska, one has to detour inland for quite a loooong way- and the true connection to the Pan American is lost ...
Close to town is Lake Llanquihue (pronounced: Yankee-who? Eh?), which is edged by a number of popular tourists oriented towns such as Puerto Varas, Frutillar, Petrohue...some of the most visited sites in Chile. No wonder, there are wild rivers to raft, fly fishing, trekking to volcanoes or skiing down some of them, cruising on the many lakes etc etc. German settlers left a legacy of Teutonic influenced cuisine, such as kuchen and torte.
Some time ago, the most picturesque volcano in the area, Osorno, spewed ashes. Villarica, however, is the highest volcano of the area, reaching 2,745 meters altitude.
Four passes to the east breach the otherwise impassable chains of the Andes Mountains.
I had chosen to 'go on tour' and get a taste of rural Chile , meaning I would revisit one of the haciendas I had seen a few years ago.
We headed into the hills surrounding Puerto Montt, as the town centre was blocked to traffic - the citizens were out protesting against 'everything', as the driver explained, and we would circumvent it. We headed to the famous Lake Yankee-Who-Eh? (Llanquihue) and took advantage of almost spring like temperatures and brilliant blue skies walking around Puerto Varas.
Onward to the Hacienda Los Alerces
(www.fogonlosalerces.cl),
which is a few minutes from town but surrounded by extensive grazing land with a backdrop of far away mountains and conical volcanoes. One of the largest 'corraleros' breeding farms of Chilean Horses, is also offers a great venue for watching Chilean Rodeo and enjoying a generous Chilean lunch.
(www.fogonlosalerces.cl),
which is a few minutes from town but surrounded by extensive grazing land with a backdrop of far away mountains and conical volcanoes. One of the largest 'corraleros' breeding farms of Chilean Horses, is also offers a great venue for watching Chilean Rodeo and enjoying a generous Chilean lunch.
It had rained heavily the night before, and the Rodeo Ring (called a crescent moon due to its shape) was a field of mud and puddles. However, the reception barn was dry, and we all found a comfortable seat on long rows of baled straw.
Out came the Pisco, a potent local liquor, and empanadas - the usual Chilean welcome fare. A small band played unusual instruments, such as local harps, something that looked like a wooden carved wash board, and mini guitar. A young couple, dressed in local costume, danced a Cueca, which is something like an Argentinean Chacarena - lively, happy, spurs ringing, legs stomping, skirts flying and handkerchiefs weaving high in the air.
Wandering through the stables, one could admire the equine stars - mares, stallions and foals - of the local Chilean Horse breed, most of them bred right on the hacienda. These horses are smaller than Criollos, and are allegedly a pure blooded breed, very stocky, with a roman - meaning convex - nose. Agile and intelligent, just like their Criollo relatives.
The Huasos (Chilean gauchos) warmed up their mounts in the mud field of the rodeo ring, a couple of steers awaited their turn 'on deck' in a small fenced of section of the ring. We spectators enjoyed another pisco with a BBQ kebab, and got ready for the action.
First out of the gate, one horse slipped in the muck, and both horse and rider went down. Apart from being totally muddied up, no further problem and the Huaso climbed right back on, somewhat looking like a mud empanada himself. His beautiful white short jacket was wet and muddy, his short poncho stained - but, neither his glasses nor his flat sombrero had not fallen off.
All back in order, the steer was let loose and two horses 'pinned' him between them, one galloped parallel to the steer, the other galloped sideways with the chest of the horse pressing the steer against the flanks of the opposing horse - all at flat out gallop in the muck. A short barrel race followed and all, riders and guests, repaired to the lodge for lunch.
Nelson Garcia, the two meter tall owner of the hacienda led the procession into the rustic restaurant building, made with large windows and noble woods. Small wood stoves gave a cosy glow of warmth, flowers and numerous of trophies adorned the rooms. On closer inspection, the wall mounted rewards, medals etc testified to past victories on Chile's national sport, the rodeo.
About 10% of the entire population earns a living either performing, holding, supporting or supplying this sport, and the economic impact is impressive; saddlery, horses, auctions, events, food concessions, animal feed and supplies, veterinary services, venues, farriers, construction, fencing materials, riding clothes, bits, spurs and wooden stirrup makers - all share in the bounty.
Nelson, the stately owner, is around a well preserved and well enhanced sixty or so years, but he is a proud father of a two year old girl, which already is quite used to sharing the back of a horse with a helpful Guaso...
Tonight, back out into the open ocean again, one expects a bit more of the far reaching effects of the southern storms we left behind, swells are long and high, and the ship rolls and rolls and rolls, back and forth. We expect this to last all day tomorrow - sea day - and shall only abate during the night before reaching Valparaise, two days hence.
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| See through gang plank from shore to tender in Puerto Montt |
