Week 9

Another week in Chile gone: I can’t believe how fast it’s all passing! I’ve spent my first weekend needing a winter jacket, and the Andes are snow-capped and gorgeous, as always. Unfortunately I didn’t have a huge amount of time to enjoy these natural wonders during the week, as I had three different tests, but the weekend was a much-needed break on the island of Chiloé, in Southern Chile.

To get to the island itself we were required to take a plane, and then a ferry. Neither of these passages was very eventful.

The first day, we got a tour of the countryside by bus, as we were driven to the beach on the Northwest side of the island. There we ate a delicious lunch next to a breathtaking view of the beach and the ocean. Following this we were taken out in a small motorboat to view the local wildlife and rocky monuments of the national park we were in. Getting onto the boat was an interesting experience, as they didn’t have a dock: rather, we were piled onto a cart with high wheels, and pushed out to the boat manually! (The boat wasn’t very far offshore, but they didn’t want to have to make the tourists get their feet wet!) Following the boat tour we were given a talk about the ecotourism practices of the region, and how they had developed into the thriving businesses they are today.

Saturday we were given the option between two ‘talleres’: one was to work on a sheep farm, the other to work with local women artisans. Seeing as I’m not particularly fond of animals, I went to the artisan workshop, and learned of the independence these women gained from being able to make their own products, all with minimal environmental impact, and sell them to make a living. We also got to try our own hand at woodworking, and I made a tree cookie coaster.

Sunday we enjoyed an extra hour of sleep, as daylight savings was pushed to April 28^th. Upon rising we got a brief tour of Castro, a larger town in Chiloé where our hostel was, and then continued on to some artisan markets. Though not a particularly eventful day, I got to see even more of the scenery and get to know the other students in my program better.