A trip to the south of Chile: during and after. (Osorno, Puerto Varas, Frutillar, Puerto Godoy)

15th September
                                     

After already having spent two days here in Osorno, I couldn't be more in love with the south, the people and their culture. The German influence on the South makes parts feel so German like. It's incredible. I feel as though I'm in Bonne all over again. Restaurants and houses are adorned with German antiques, breweries are far from scarce and their attention to detail is impeccable. 

Within 3 days, I've managed to accomplish most of the things I wanted to do in the South.

 1. Visit a national park  that lies at the foot of a volcano and admire the beauty of some major waterfalls. 

2. Take a trip to Puerto Varas and enjoy a lovely Chilean meal. 

3. Spend an evening in a cute, artisan-type coffee shop overlooking the Lake District and volcanoes. 

4. (this I didn't expect) Enjoy an in-car picnic whilst overlooking  El lago de todos los Santos (All Saints lake) which lies between the south of Chile and Argentina. 

If I had to choose my favourite destination, it would probably be number 4. All these places are equally beautiful but places that seem of little interest to tourists, that many miss and only locals know about always seem to have the biggest impact on me because of their serenity and beauty. El lago de todos los Santos despite the cold weather was beautiful with its metallic blue ocean, grey sand and mountainous terrain. Definitely a must see! It is said if you drink the water of the lake, you will accomplish anything in life (I'm not really sure how much of that is true). 

*****

22nd September

Imagine waking up everyday to the sound of waves rushing elegantly towards the coast, gazing out a panoramic window with a view of the mysterious Isla Chiloe, quad biking on a deserted beach, spotting a single bird gliding and dipping into the Pacific Ocean whilst encountering dolphins dwindling ashore, swinging away with a full breeze blowing into your face whilst looking out into the ocean and watching the sun set over a hot cuppa in one hand and a good book in the other. 

After the week I had in Quillagua, Puerto Godoy, I have to admit, I found it quite hard to return to the hustle and bustle of city life. I knew I was visiting the beach when I accepted an invitation to join Nickolle and her family for the fiestas patrias. What I didn't know was that they had a beach house which sat on top of a hill that overlooked the coast and that despite the cold weather, the beach couldn't be more enticing. So what if it rained nearly everyday, that didn't stop us from BBQ-ing away, paddling and enjoying our sultrous surroundings. Quillagua's beauty surpassed my expectations and its secret location helped to add that little bit extra. 

Quillagua was a real representation of how magical nature can be. And I thank Nick for giving me a quad bike experience of the coast otherwise I would've never been able to fully appreciate my surroundings. Even my photos will not be able to do this place justice. It is beyond beautiful and beyond serene. It's paradise! A hot sunny paradise is overrated anyways. The breeze does it for me :)

11/09/13: Pinochet protests and mournings.

September 11^th marks a day of history. A day of terror, trauma, death and despair not only for U.S.A but for Chile too. In the midst of all things american, some may have forgotten or, are oblivious to this. As I roam the streets of Santiago, bursts of little but powerful signs and objects shed some light on just how traumatic this day was for some.

In 1973 this very same day, a coup d’etat by the Chilean Junta Militar overthrew the government of President Salvador Allende. Thereafter Augusto Pinochet was anointed as the new head of state. Some people ignore his wrong doings and call him a saviour, helping Chile to achieve a miracle along the path of economic liberalism. Others despise his ideology and constant bashing against human rights and believe a flourishing economy would have been achieved with or without him.

Above all, today is a day of mourning, to all those that were murdered and repressed by his regime. 

For an outsider like me to be living in Chile and witness something like this for the first time is not so much daunting and petrifying but exciting and interesting. My knowledge on Pinochet is not great but it’s ample. (My degree helps!) And what I have been told is that Santiago GOES LOCA! (crazy) People protest throughout the night, violence increases, bottles are thrown, fights are bound - you get the gist! People have already boarded up their houses and shops, children are not in school and the whole Chilean population seems to be emphasizing how imperative it is that I stay home. And although, I haven’t witnessed anything yet, I can see the affects of this event already. We’re just approaching 2pm here and everything is pretty normal except for the decrease of people roaming the streets, memorabilia of lost loved ones everywhere and of course los carabineros (police) & huge tsumo police vehicles at every corner of a street.

I guess I’ll just have to wait till the evening to see the real affects Pinochet has had on the people of this country..

An array of people outside los carabineros building. 

I wonder where they're heading to..?