Correos de Chile, April 2013
4/2
We arrived in Santiago to brilliant, late summer sunlight. The balcony of our 1 BR
11th floor flat looks out on the Belle Vista neighborhood and Cerro San Cristobal. The
summit statue is the Virgin Mary.
Looking right, we see snowcapped Andes. Belle Vista is packed with shops, restaurants,
and for some reason, universities. It has pleasant tree-lined streets and charming street
art. We'll probably blend in about as well this tiger does.
Correos de Chile, April 2013
4/3
The immediacy of ecards is great, but the Send Button lacks grandeur.
Off to Santiago's Central Post Office to supply it! Located where
Conquistador Pedro de Valdivia founded Santiago in 1541, it was
built (later) on the foundation of his house. It has stamps
from around the world, scales and even a hand-cranked cancelation
machine
-- input on left, output on right. The map shows the PO's 1886
attempt to deal with long-and-skinny. Check out inset of a claimed slice of Antarctica.
Correos de Chile, April 2013
4/4
The Catedral Metropolitana watches over Santiago from the main square; its 3 huge doors
literally inviting us in to its beauty. Though
cavernous, it is warm and comforting, helped
by the heavenly voice of the priest singing the mass. Having just listened to Chile's most recent,
we were delighted to see the "Depiction of the First Mass in Chile" [1904] by
Pedro León Maximiano María Subercaseaux Errázuriz in the National Museum. Five hundred years of
Chilean Catholicism in 2 hours flat!
Correos de Chile, April 2013
4/5
Today we watched a vinette that plays out worldwide. Unlicensed street vendors
do a brisk business in cell phone cases (L), socks (R) and belts (Far). Then, boom!
They're gone. We don't even see them go.
Then, we see why: These men and dogs
are across the street. The cops move on. In 2 minutes we
see the sock lady. Wait! Was she caring for a baby? In 1 more minute
territory is claimed. And before the
merchandise can be arranged, it's business as usual
. . . but for how long?
Correos de Chile, April 2013
4/6
With help from the woolly animals of the Andes -- alpacas, vicuñas, llamas --
Chile's indigenous people created a weaving tradition spanning millennia.
The Chilean Cultural Center's current exhibit, "Original Textiles," blew us away:
Men's ponchos
[D],
women's tops
{D],
blankets
[D],
straps and belts. Even a
lady's top with fringe falling over her shoulders. There were rugs, too! Check
the detail on this Mapuche
double-weave, which you can see for yourself at our house in a few weeks!
Correos de Chile, April 2013
4/7
We spent Sunday walking our neighborhood. Besides universities,
quiet residential streets, parks, and a farmers market, we're near the
Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes.
It has free admission EVERY Sunday, and despite the
sunny 70's weather outside, it was packed! Bravo Chile! Shows included
Surrealism, drawings by Chilean
Paula Lynch, and the installation
Dialogues by
Kaarina Kaikkonen, a Finnish artist. Can you tell the men's and women's conversations apart?
Correos de Chile, April 2013
4/8
Almost every day we pass through the Plaza de Armas as do thousands of others.
We have the luxury of sitting and enjoying the space. It is
a typical plaza with stately buildings, a cathedral, buskers, and many
pigeons. In other ways it's
unique: the chess men occupy the
performance space, it's especially tidy, and the
union protesters sing opera selections.
It centers Santiago.
Correos de Chile, April 2013
4/9
We visited the home of Pablo Neruda, one of Chile's great poets. (He wasn't home.) He died
September 23, 1973, but yesterday the government
dug him up. One of 3, this home is built at base of
Cerro San Cristobal, and it's wild: mountain
stream flowing through, rooms not all connected and at 4-5 different levels, trees used as pillars, nautical themes
throughout, kitch everywhere. Remarkably, it's quite tasteful. His buddies Picasso,
Rivera, Léger, etc. gave him lovely art. The home reflects his personality and
charm; we could live there.
Correos de Chile, April 2013
4/10
Chile's signature wine grape is Carménère, one of the six red grapes of Bordeaux. The name comes from
the French carmin for crimson, its leaf color in the fall. Honored for centuries, Carménère was wiped
out of Europe during the 1867 phylloxera plague, and thought to be extinct. Mon dieu! But, it had
been brought from Spain in the 1500s, and mistaken as a variant of Merlot. In Chile's isolation and dry climate,
it flourished. In 1994 French oenologist Jean-Michel Boursiquot confirmed that Chile's best grape is the lost Carménère.
Case closed! Here's to Carménère!
Correos de Chile, April 2013
4/11
The countries of the Americas are interesting in how each has accommodated the
integration of the indigenous people and immigrants from (mainly) Europe.
In Chile, with intermarriage a reality for centuries, over half of the population
claims heritage that includes both indigenous and foreign ancestry. These beautiful
Chilean portraits, painted for a public art project, are "typical" of the people
we meet.
*
*
*
(We've been unsuccessful at identifying the artist.)
Correos de Chile, April 2013
4/12
We're in Puerto Varas in the southern 1/3 of Chile.
At sunset last night we knew two great subduction volcanoes were
out there somewhere in the clouds. At sunrise (8:20!) it was clear.
Calbuco was visible across the lake.
We needed to move fast. Volcano chasing! Whoops! The chase slows when the river takes a
shortcut across the road (looking L &
R). When we found
Calbuco,
it looked a lot like Rainier, and Osorno,
looked a lot like Fuji. The Chilean two-fer!
Correos de Chile, April 2013
4/13
Chiloé Island off the coast of Chile, is a chilly, rainy place. We felt right at home!
Seattlites warm up with clam chowder, but Chiloéans have curanto. Traditionally
cooked in a pit with hot stones, now it is most often done in a covered pot.
Contents: assorted shellfish, sausage, smoked ham, chicken, potato, two kinds
of potato cake. The broth is served as a dip and beverage. Take it from us, it
warms you up!
Correos de Chile, April 2013
4/14
Perhaps it's getting older ... one wants to tie up a few of life's loose ends. Long ago we
drove the first 1500 miles of the Pan-American Highway in Alaska and Canada. And over the years we've added
a few dashes in MX and EQ. Now the south end is only a 100 km down the road: the Pan-American Highway ends
outside Quellón, CL. A life goal? A big
achievement? Really, it's how to kill a rainy Saturday afternoon.
Correos de Chile, April 2013
4/15
Termas Geometricas!
The bad news: it is up 18 km of steep, deeply rutted, large rock strewn, single lane road with
livestock and an occasional on-coming vehicle. The good news: it
is totally worth it. You will never find a more wonderful hot springs! Ever! There
are 17 slate lined pools of
varying temps in a narrow, verdant, waterfall lined canyon.
Even the camera relaxed to the
point of being unable to focus.
Correos de Chile, April 2013
4/16
Bernardo O'Higgins (1778-1842), the man, the myth, the legend ... Our favorite Chilean patriot!
A gentleman farmer, like Washington, he fought for independence with San Martín.
Trapped by Spanish in Rancagua, he busted out with,
"Those who can ride, ride!
We will break through the enemy!" His give-me-liberty quote:
"Lads! Live with honor, or die with glory! He who is brave, follow me!"
O'Higgins signed Chile's declaration
of independence in Talca (1818). Every town has an Avenue BDO O'Higgins.
Correos de Chile, April 2013
4/17
Here we think about earthquakes more than at home or even in Japan:
Valdivia's 1960 quake was the largest ever at 9.5. Of the largest 35 quakes
known or estimated [Wikipedia] 13 occurred here. The Nazca Plate is subducting
below the South American Plate at 88 mm/yr (3 in). The
2010 Maule quake of 8.8 sent
Santiago WSW 28 cm (11 in), and moved Concepción W 3 m (10 ft)! Many sites remain closed due to the
Maule quake -- e.g. yesterday's "Independence Hall."
Correos de Chile, April 2013
4/18
Chile and Peru argue over the potato's origin; we're too busy eating to
care. Peru claims the original spud, which evolved near Lake Titicaca.
Chile notes that ALL cultivated potatoes are descendants of
Chiloé Island spuds. At left, gold = Michuñe Blanca, burgundy = Michuñe Roja,
both grown on Chiloé; round = Papalisa of Peru. Our dinner time tasting: Blanca was
light, fluffy; Roja also fluffy, purple streaked, veggie flavor; Papalisa waxy, intense fruity flavor.
Three down, 997 to go. Back to the markets.
Correos de Chile, April 2013
4/19
It's fall and the farmers' markets are bursting with harvest goodies.
Huge squash
are popular. Sellers
slice to order, and they
sell briskly to happy
customers.
A popular sweet corn, called choclo,
has twice the diameter of their "Americano" corn. We've also tried
pinoñes, the seed of the native
monkey puzzle tree, Araucaria araucana.
These nuts must be heated and peeled. They taste like chestnuts. Whether
they're worth it is something of a puzzle.
[Photos not color enhanced!]
Correos de Chile, April 2013
4/20
Bread, like other aspects of life here, is uniquely Chilean.
Our favorites: the crusty, rustic marraqueta, always divisible by 4;
the dense chewy pan amasado, which always has a
pattern on top, even if it's just the tines of a fork; and their wonderful
sopaipillas that have a rich yellow color from the "secret" ingredient, squash.
Sopaipillas come ready to cook
in lots of 10! Bread also wraps
empanadas, enclosing meat, or cheese, or whatever.
Great bread. Great wine. What a country!
Correos de Chile, April 2013
4/21
We noted from the crest that light at Pontifical Catholic University of Chile
comes from above. Founded in 1888, this impressive school offers
one of South America's best educations to 22K students. But limited access to college
sparked huge protest marches recently.
At afternoon class change, we saw
one prof engage her students, answering questions for 10 minutes;
another ancient prof required a 35mm carousel slide projector for his lecture --
he seemed like the guy who would do the pontificating.
Correos de Chile, April 2013
4/24
Even the mountains here have warm hearts.
Hasta luego, Chile!
