The Road to Chile

Sometimes it seems like the world is spinning out of control. Lately it often feels that way, probably because I am paying attention to the news again. So today would be a good day to go to Chilè, to visit Patagonia, to touch base with Mother Earth.

We boarded the bus for Chilè early in the morning before the break of dawn. Our Fearless Leader and #1 guide, Santiago, was anxious to reach the border crossing in good time so as to not be caught in a long line of tour buses waiting to get through customs and immigration.

Santiago had a big responsibility shepherding 14 itinerant veterinarians safely and efficiently across the international border. He needed the instincts of a border collie, and fortunately for us he was up to the task, (all bark and no bite!)

I am just old enough to remember when Chile was neither safe nor hospitable. I have vague memories of news stories about communist plots and violence and people disappearing off the streets, never to be seen again. Recently we rented the movie called “Colonia”, a dark film starring Emma Watson based on a true story about a secret enclave where the (CIA-backed) authoritarian government of Augusto Pinochet stashed political prisoners and unspeakable things happened. Now I was about to cross the border into this country.

I had read the notes in the guidebook several times before we left, and it sounded easy enough. There was no mention of the possibility of incarceration or torture, or how to avoid arousing suspicion of secret police. The biggest concern was to be sure to declare any large purchases like alcohol or jewelry, and not to have any fruit with you. Fruit was subject to confiscation. If they decided to search your pockets and found undeclared fruit they might decide to search all of your luggage to see what else you might be hiding. They might even search the whole bus. I had a bag of dried raisins and ginger I’d brought from home to help settle my stomach on the airplane and the bus. I was nervous.

While the rest of my group was lulled back to sleep by the gentle motion of the dark cozy bus, I watched the dawn light breaking in the eastern sky, camera in hand. It looked like it was going to be a beautiful day for a road trip across southwestern Argentina. I still could hardly believe I was actually in South America, and I didn’t want to miss a thing! This is what I saw: snow capped mountains, rolling gold and brown hills, fences, power lines, occasional cows and horses, and occasional herds of wild guanacos. Guanacos are one of the four species of the camel family native to South America. The other three are vicunas, alpacas and llamas. Guanacos and vicuna are wild; alpacas and llamas are domesticated.

We are on the way to Chile. Such a strange and interesting country, a big long skinny ribbon of land tacked onto the west side of South America. In Chile, the landscape is in charge. Geography rules. The surface of the Earth is raw and infused with power, scoured clean of the dust and rubble of human activity. To the north, Chile has huge dry deserts- the Atacama- the driest and most desolate desert on Earth. It also happens to be full of copper mines, which are a great source of prosperity for the nation. Chile stretches all the way to Antarctica in the south.

It has miles and miles of coastline, including Fjordlands and the Straits of Magellan in the South, the discovery of which in 1520 opened the Pacific Ocean and Asia to European explorers and traders and changed the course of human history. Despite being a long skinny ribbon of land, Chile has two mountain ranges, the coast range in the west and the Andes Mountains along the eastern border. The first people who claimed Chile for their homeland were tough and resourceful- they fought off the ferocious Inca Empire and maintain a cultural and political presence as a force to be reckoned with today. The value of environmental protection seems more deeply ingrained in Chilean culture than it is in the United States. Our local Chilean guides and hosts were understandably passionate about their love for the land. It is a landscape that both inspires and demands awe and respect.

The border between Argentina and Chile is not just a line, it’s a zone. The location of the actual border has been a matter of dispute ever since Europeans came along and decided to draw lines on the land, so now they simply agree to disagree on the exact location. Instead there is a ribbon of land between the two countries referred to as “No-Man’s Land.”

Travelers crossing the Zone are required to stop twice. The first stop is to officially leave Argentina. They scowl at your passport, give it a very official stamping and print you out a receipt which you must save on your person and present back to them when you re-enter the country. Check. Then you drive across the disputed ribbon of No Man’s Land. I was glued to the window watching as carefully as I could- there were no men to be seen (or women, in fact). I  only saw one lone buzzard cruising the sky, but I can’t tell you whether she spotted anything either.

By the time we reached the port of entry for Chile I had happily managed to consume every last raisin in my stash. I was fruit free. Again there was the official scowling and stamping of the passport, plus an additional requirement of passing all of our luggage through some sort of machine. I’m not clear on exactly what they were looking for, but none of the members of my group were carrying any of it. Phew. Welcome to Chilè! Then there was one more stop to switch buses. When in Argentina we rode on an Argentinean licensed bus. In Chile we had to ride on a Chilean licensed bus. The switching of the buses was held adjacent to a very handy and interesting business featuring a huge assortment of Chilean books, souvenirs, crafts, sweaters, blankets, ponchos, hats, flags, plus a coffee shop and a money changing station. I was

sorely tempted by the colorful sweaters and woolen items but I needed to be careful to keep my luggage on the light side. We still had a lot of traveling to do. So I just took a lot of pictures.

In the process of acquiring the new bus we also acquired a new set of Chilean guides, Pablo and Enrique. I listened closely while they gave us a little orientation briefing about where we were headed. They started off by presenting us with lunch bags stuffed with a sandwich, snack bars and, (suspiciously), fresh fruit. But Pablo and Enrique were irresistible. They were kind, friendly, warm-hearted, knowledgeable, and bursting with enthusiasm for Patagonia and the Torres del Paine National Park.

Soon I stopped worrying about contraband produce, and laid aside altogether any thoughts of kidnapping.

Before long we began to glimpse craggy snow-capped peaks, and our bus driver stopped at Lake Sarmiento to allow us to get a first good look at the famous Torres of Paine. Or rather, a good look at the clouds surrounding them. Enrique held up a $1000 bill with the imprint of the famous towers, evidence of the Chilean people’s pride in their land. The clouds lifted just enough for us to see the base of the towers.

“Don’t worry,” Enrique assured us. “The weather in Patagonia is constantly changing- you will see plenty of the Towers!”

Finally we arrived at Ecocamp, our digs for the next 3 days. Ecocamp is a place like no other, in a land like no other, in a country like no other, on a day like no other. It combines equal parts of artistry, fine craftsmanship, environmental awareness, warm hospitality, and 5 star-comfort and cuisine, all in a tiny enclave of sturdy green geodesic domes.

Each dome housed two people or a small family group, and was equipped with a small woodstove, a hot shower, composting toilet, warm cozy beds, and a small back deck carefully situated with an unobstructed view of the Torres del Paine.

Over-whelmed by it all, I wandered around in a daze, trying hard to reconcile the miracle of my being present and alive in such a place with the humble ordinariness of my life. Then I remembered- I had been given this opportunity was because of my Mom and Dad- they gave me the resources and the passion to see places like this. I didn’t get there all by myself- I had help. We all need help sometimes. The world needs help for sure these days. Sometimes you have to go to Chile to find it.

Have a good hike,

Shirléy