Postcards from Chile, January 2002
My four-week trip started in Puerto Montt (latitude 41º
28'), and continued south about 1,500 kilometers on the Carretera
Austral, which extends to about two-thirds of the distance to Punta
Arenas. That would be considered northern and central Chilean
Patagonia. Almost the entire road is a one-track gravel surface.
There are many villages along the road. The main industries are
fishing and timber, though tourism is the future of Patagonia. On
this trip I did not visit southern Patagonia, which is accessed from
Punta Arenas. The most southern point visited was Caleta Tortel
(latitude 47º 49'), 100 kms. short of the total existing
road.
The Carretera Austral (in red)
Postcard #1
Tuesday, January 8
Puerto Montt, looking from Isla Tenglo, with volcanos
Osorno and Calbuco
Angelmó, colorful and lively market, great
food
Isla Tenglo
curanto at Isla Tenglo
Dear family & friends,
It is wonderful to visit the south of Chile once again. I flew to
Puerto Montt, arriving on Jan. 2, and immediately found a cozy place
to stay. Pto. Montt is the gateway to the Lake District and
Patagonia. The seafood and shellfish are remarkable both in quantity
and freshness. My first meal was a curanto, food cooked in a hole in
the ground, in the way of the indigenous people of the south,
containing clams, mussels, sausage, chicken, potato bread (milcao and
chapalele) and more. That alone is worth a trip here.
The main purpose of this trip is to explore the relatively new
southern road, the Carretera Austral. But first, I wanted to visit
Cochamó, on the Reloncaví Estuary. Ever since viewing
George Munroe's photography of the region, I had wanted to explore
the area. A local bus took me first to Puerto Varas, 15 minutes north
of Pto. Montt, then east and south to Cochamó.
Puerto Varas, Lake Llanquihue
La Junta , above Cochamó
I joined a horse pack trip to the "Yosemite of Chile", up the
Cochamó Valley. The 5-hour, 17-km trip was breathtaking as we
entered the temperate rain forest and then arrived in a large valley
surrounded by high granite mountains, some with snow still clinging.
And this is the middle of summer! The horses were incredible
machines, picking their way across rivers and creeks with care. The
weather was unusually clear, so I extended my stay to 3 nights in the
mountain lodge. Very few tourists come up there, and one day I was
all alone, taking meals on the porch with views of the mountains. A
condor was sighted in the late afternoon, hovering over the distant
peaks, which then soared to the east, toward Argentina.
It is rumored that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid drove their
cattle over this mountain pass to a slaughterhouse in Cochamó.
They soon tired of this life and returned to banditry.
La Junta , above Cochamó
The trip down was something else, as the rain began slowly and
became quite strong during the ride. The trail was a wet and sloppy
mess. When the horses were not walking over boulders and planks and
fallen trees, it was mud and more mud. The river was swollen and my
horse (La Luna) appeared to have difficulty midstream. We made it
across, but in my attempt to keep my balance, I forgot to lift my
legs and my boots were full of water. It was a thrilling day. We were
greeted below with tea and pastry. Then a 2-3 hour bus ride back to
Puerto Varas for a great fish meal and a warm bed.
La Junta , above Cochamó
© 2002 Roger Emanuels