Peregrin Took

Dearest Perrigrin,

It has been a mere couple of hours since I last was graced with your presence, and already I feel the loss. You were a huge piece of my experience down here in Chile, and now I am realligning myself with myself to see where to go next. I hope you travel well on your future journeys, and I look forward to the day we meet again. Thank you for being the best comrade out there, and may your Poncho carry you to the ends of the earth, and warm you where you lay.

These past few days with you have been some of the best. You´ve got a spirit made of gold and a heart of fire. I will miss the sweet canter of your voice bouncing off of every mountain top. You are wonderful. Drink coffee for me back in the real world. This post is for you.

Salud,
Merry

This was my treat today in honor of you

Senda Darwin; Penguins, Biologists, and Big Dinners

AaThis time we hired a private bus to transport us to the small town of Piñihuil, which is a bustling ecotourism center for penguins. The irony of conserving an area for a species that is exploited for tourist purposes made me laugh almost as hard as the way the tours are run. There must be some burgeouise people who go on these tours, because you begin them in a cart. It would be a shame to get your feet wet, so Chileans have come up with an ingeneous human cart that they push 10 passengers at a time up to the boats which are parked in the sand.

Notice that the boat is named titanic...

The tour takes you up close to the penguins.We saw a plethora of other birds, including the flightless steamer duck and the red-legged cormorant. The penguins don´t do much other than sit there absorbing sunshine on the rocks. Some of them are mottled grays and browns, caught in the midst of molting, while others display distinct lines across their chests. Twenty minutes later we were shuttled off of the boats and back onto the beach where we had a plethora of dining and tourist opportunities. I declined, and boarded our bus.

Shopping for 15 people for 3 dinners was the next order of business, and the hyper-organized grocery stores threw me for a loop. An hour later, I stood in line with a shopping cart full to the brim exhibiting the epitome of American consumption. Granted, the majority of the food was fresh veggies that we had been lacking while backpacking, but still I had to laugh at the quantity of food we were about to consume.

Carrying the three full boxes with our overly filled backpacks on an unanticipated mile long hike was a challenge we met with grace, and arriving at the research center to smiling faces and warm showers and beds filled me with another kind of joy. We unpacked and sprawled out for class. Dinner for the first night was pasta and Salad. Our salad exhibited more vegetables than we could eat, and the extras went to the researchers. It felt like a good first step to cultivating friendship.

The next couple days we spent exploring this wonderful land, finishing up our school work, and taking our final. At nights we would eat dinner with the whole group like a family, and then I would try to talk with the people of the place and laugh our way through the language barriers. Sunshine, science, and friendship pulsed happiness through me. The grattitude I feel for being able to be a part of this program in immense and the self-learning is occuring constantly.

One of the most special experiences I got a chance to experience was going out with the biologists to the Monito Del Monte study site. The site is set up like a clock, with a center point from which 12 lines stretch out and along each of the lines are 12 traps. They are monitoring the habits, diets, home-ranges... etc of a near-threatened marsupial. The thought of seeing one thrilled me as I jumped up, over, and through the tangled jungle."We got one!" I hurried up to see the little creature in the cage, with big bulbous eyes and a tail which stores fat for hibernation. Woohoo! Again, I was met with reverence and respect for the secrets of this forest, and felt honored to be in the knowing presence of such a special creature.

This visit was wrapped up by an invitation to a wedding. The wedding had lasted for 3 days, and was practiced in a very ancient traditional style. Fifteen gringos were crashing this wedding. At first, the crowd tried to comprehend what was happening, but soon we were welcomed. The dish, Curranto, was obtained by crawling on your hands and knees to a pile of seafood that had been steamed under Nalca leaves. Boy oh boy, I ate more seafood than I knew I could handle that night, followed by melon wine and pisco sours. My spanish took an entirely new form, and I felt confident conversing with these strangers.

The warmth I felt that night from the welcome of strangers to their wedding gave me hope for humanity. We are all the same, and love is the ultimate form of friendship. I was sad to leave the Senda Darwin, but grateful for the new friendships and experiences. We parted with hugs to our final goodbye to each other in Puerto Varas. The safety net of the group was about to be lifted, and the excitement and anciousness began to settle in as we drove away on the bus.

The workload was finished, and relief flooded through me. A new adventure awaits.

Amor y Feliz,
Hannah

Chiloe Island; Sol y Pudu Pudas

After a week of staving off the rain, dread danced along the edge of our physches in the fear of doing a coastal backpacking trip with more storms. The last post I posted was followed by an enjoyable stay in Castro, and an entertaining bus ride. We had reserved 15 tickets in advance, yet some entitled Chileans sat proudly,with no signs of moving, in our seats. We obliged and stuffed ourselves, along with our 17 backpacks on the bus. Yes, there were 15 of us, but we had 17 backpacks. Our instructors´son required a backpack to be carried in, along with an additional bag for all of his ammenities. Squished like sardines, I buckled down next to a very kind Chilean woman and proceeded to try to talk about her job as a dentist, and the rain, and that I study while travelling and have no classroom. 

We landed in the National Park of Cucao, and were treated to a camping site with flush toilets, paved paths, and a cafe with wifi. It was an absurd feeling to be tucked into nature with so much access to the front country. I had no complaints, however, and even treated myself to an empanada sold by one of 3 portly Chilean woman who were blasting music throughout the camp. 

It was a challenge to hear the birds, but we had class anyway and wandered through this camp, stopping at the visitors center to learn about the history. Sunshine slowly stretched her limbs and shyly came into view, filling up the sky with a blue so bright I could barely believe it! The elation that comes from sun after days of a storm is unprecedented and wonderfully exciting. I felt ready for our final hike.

That was topped with the excitement I had for getting into field quarter, which I discovered, via e-mail. 

Morning rattled life back into our bones, and we packed up hurriedly, then threw our too heavy packs on our bodies and got to moving. My legs questioned my intention as I pushed them down a rocky road where cars drove past us, and then they accepted my movement, and fell into a rhythm. We walked down onto the beach where you can see for miles, and set ourselves north for a 25 km. hike. The sand is hard packed, the land is flat, and the walk was incredible. My eyes filled with tears at the sight of the Pacific Ocean. One month is the longest I have gone in my life without seeing the ocean! 

After our lunch break, we reluctantly beganto walk again. Our stomachs complained, but not for long. Perri exclaimed  "look!" and the entire group fell silent and hurried up to the edge. To our complete disbelief, a Pudu Puda, Chiles tiny deer, was swimming towards us. People come from around the world to see this animal, and here we were with a full view. I felt honored to be blessed with the sight of this animal and amazed at the power it held over our group. We have never been that quiet. 

A bowl of coffee with my cup of breakfast.

We ended up in a local persons front yard, where they essentially rent out their lawn to campers, and offer a toilet. It was a bizarre setting, and I felt like an intruder. It was a way for the rural people to make profits, yet I have a feeling that it isn´t their primary choice. Luckily, the next day we jumped up and over a hill to drop down into the Cole Cole National park. Blue skies, green trees, warm wind, pacific ocean; I had reached paradise!

Tents were assembled, and I swiftly stripped down to my bathing suit and ran to the water. OCEAN! EL MAR! OLAS! Ahhh salty water is one of the most essential things in life for me. I imagined my ripples riding the Humboldt Current all the way up to my friends and family who get to see this beautiful body of water every day. Staying here for a week recharged my batteries and got me ready for the final week of the program. I felt enthusiastic to be learning the secrets of this place. Chile is a puzzle, slowly revealing his mysteries to me.

Con Amor,

Hannah

Mojado, pero Feliz

Rain is natures way of reminding you how  lucky you are to have a warm house and dry bed. It complicates daily life in the backcountry by coating everything with an inescapable dampness that permeates through your tent, clothes, and socks, all the way down to your soul.   It is a melancholy beauty that blends the sky with the earth and desaturates the color from flowers, food, and our skin. I admit I thought summer here would be full of sunshine and warm wind, but I neglected the fact I was headed for a temperate RAINforest. Oops. For a Santa Barbara girl, I must admit that I have romanticized rain to walk hand in hand with the warm dry place. This past week has been humbling and now, from a warm cafe, I look back amazed that my body can withstand 5 days of being more wrinkled than a soggy raisin. 

When we arrived in Cochamo after 2 hours in a yellow bus, rain greeted us with open arms. I giggled with excitement  as I felt the earth around me being nourished. It still held rank for being my favorite weather at this point. We huddled up for the night in an old work shed and hurriedly set up camp when the rain lifted momentarily. The one thing about rain that I will never get tired of is the sound on the canvas of my tent. I managed to stay semi dry as I snuggled into bed for the night. 

The next morning was a race against the rain, again, and we packed up and hiked up an insanely muddy horse trail. It is a challenge to hike in a group where some people like to run with their 50 pound packs and others prefer to absorb the world around them with a slow and steady pace. We made it, however, and even through my wet and tired self, La Junta managed to melt my heart wih all of its grandeur and beauty. 

We set up camp and played a game of soccer with the other campers. Somehow all of the girls in my group ended up on one team and provided entertainment for the bystanders. I enjoy playing a sport I am absolutely horrible at. A well deserved dinner was made under a tarp at base camp. Rain certainly brings us closer together.

Luckily we hiked in fresh veggies.

The next couple days rolled out the same. It was a constant battle to maintain dryness when the world around you is doing everything in its power to soak you. I don't mean to sound like I am complaining, rather I am just emphasizing how much of a struggle I faced with this new climate. Anyways, I followed some climbers up to a Pareda seco, or dry wall where an overhang protects a wall to climb. One of them was kind enough to set up a route to top rope but wild lands protocol prohibits climbing on course. I shed a tear and sucked up the sadness while I wishfully watched others play on the wall.

Warmth was found at a cozy Refugio set up by an American man and his wife. It is a climber princesa paradise.

The only words flowing through my mind to sum up the feelings of that trip are wet and gray and soggy and damp, so I will wrap up this blog with pictures. Thanks again for spending time to learn about my life. I hope wherever you are, adventure is finding you in good health.

Towels are good for everything.

Chef Morgan 

Staying dry! Joe and lily!

Night life with Perri and Jose Antonio. New friends and broken Spanish. 

Why not visit waterfalls when the sky is a waterfall?

Tea for tired hikers

Sour moods made better by warm smoke and appropriate towels.

This is school work.

Fresh baked bread from the Refugio with Manjar (Chilean caramel sauce). It has an alarm trumpet at 4:00 to which hungry campers run to buy a loaf. 

Rain rain go away.

Then this outfit showed up in my life...

Happy campers with treasure hats. 

Dinner is my second favorite time of the day right after breakfast.

My cook group! Yuling and Kate :)

Mate is making its way into my life. 

After a warm shower, a bottle of wine is necessary in our hostal in Castro.

This morning has been sunny off and on. I felt like a cat when I curled up on the window seat with my sleeping bag absorbing as much sun as possible.

And why not put a giant yellow cathedral made out of tin in the middle of the city?

It reminds me of laffy taffy, what do you think?

We are a funny bunch, enjoying good coffee is a rare opportunity.

And to sum it all up a shot of espresso to kick off a day of catching up on studies and school work. 

As coffee infiltrated my system, my post became scattered with it. I send my love and happiness your way all the way from Castro. 

Amor y Besos,

Hannah bangs