A peaceful place, a destroyed place, a cultural place

I found a Couchsurfing host who lives in the countryside between Pucon and Villarrica. The place was so tranquil and the air was so fresh there! Walking in the surroundings eating blackberries, snapping photos and admiring volcano Villarrica was better than travelling to any national park. At the end of the road I sat down on the ground and realised I didn't have any thoughts, any stress, in my head. That walk was like meditation! The next day I went to relax in the natural thermal baths of Termas Los Pozones. On my last day at Pablo's place I lied in a hammock on his backyard reading my guidebook and watching the leaves fall and the sheep graze in the meadow nearby.
As I'm travelling now in Chile, sure I'm interested in the big issue, "el terremoto", the earthquake. It seems that people here are so used to earthquakes that they don't mind if their house is shaking a bit. Even if things fell on the floor, it's not such a big deal. I haven't talked to anyone who lost his/her child at the earthquake or the tsunami. That must be another story. Before my trip I was warned that this might not be a good time to visit Chile. But now, three months after the earthquake, I haven't had any problems. It's not like the country would have totally stopped. Life goes on, and except for some roadworks I really had to make an effort to see the destruction caused by the earthquake. So, my curiosity took me to Talcahuano, a coastal town hit by the tsunami near Conception. Watching the calm sea on a sunny day, it was hard to imagine the mass of water approaching with a big roar. Near the harbour there was a boat in the middle of a park. The empty streets and damaged houses giving the impression of a ghost town definitely made me silent. I also felt a bit quilty, just going there as a tourist. Several people lost their loved ones, and I just go there to take photos. I had the feeling of quilt especially because I know there's a possibility to volunteer and, through an organisation, help to build houses for the people who lost their homes.Chillan was my base for doing the daytrip to the more severely damaged areas, mostly Talcahuano. From Chillan I took a nightbus to Valparaíso. Every now and then I woke up because my knee was aching a lot. (It's a repetitive strain injury from my hike in Torres del Paine.) I didn't cry out of pain, but it was so painful that I decided: "I've had enough, I'll go to see a doctor". So I did. Nothing seriously bad; with a supportive stretch tube, anti-inflammatory pills and some cream it should get better in ten days. In the evening I filled in the web form of my travel insurance company for getting back the money I had paid to the clinic. The next morning I had a reply in my email saying that they've prosessed my case and the money (which anyways was only about 40 EUR) will be on my bank account in three days. Wow! Today I also had a reiki session. I don't think the insurance company would pay for that...

I skipped Santiago, the capital, and came straight here in Valparaíso, "Pispala" of Chile. (Although Pispala is only a small part of Tampere and this is a big city.) One cannot but like this bohemian port town with its colourful houses on hillsides! From my hostel bed I have a view to the bay! The first night I was again the only customer, like in Pucon. The hostel owner made some delicious lasagne and we enjoyed it with redwine on the rooftop terrace wathing the city lights on the hillsides in the distance. I must admit it was a romantic setting, but - for those of you with dirty minds - that's where the story ends.
I've visited two of the houses of the great Chilean poet and Nobel prize winner Pablo Neruda. La Sebastiana has marvellous views over Valparaíso and the bay whereas his house in Isla Negra is close to the wide open sea. Neruda certainly had a lot of creativity and a good taste as well as sense of humour. And his collections of glass bottles, figureheads of old ships, shells etc. are impressive!

Tonight I did a cultural tour to visit an urban Mapuche (= indigenous people of Chile) community. I found it very interesting to see and hear how they are trying to preserve their culture. Sometimes they can give lectures and shows at schools, but that depends a lot on the attitude and personal interest of the headmaster and the teachers. I remember from my trip to New Zealand how all the school children were taught the maori language and dances. All this made me think about the situation in Finland. Did I actually learn anything about the life and culture of the sami people at school? Not much. Concerning the Mapuche culture, I was impressed to learn how their culture is based on sharing, unlike our modern culture based on gathering possessions.

Time. There's never enough of it. I've now been on the road for two months and what I have left is a bit more than that. But when I look at the map and my calendar I start to panic: so many places to see and so little time! Back home I never had enough time to read all the books I wanted, go to all the courses and events, meet all my friends, white emails... I left it all behind, cut all the routines and came here free as a bird. And now I'm making myself stressed with the ideas that I should see, experience and learn here more things than I actually can...

Travelling alone again

The hugs of goodbye with Felix and Amelia were full of warm feelings. But I wasn't sad, because I knew it was time to take our own roads and I just had to accept it. After two weeks of staying at hostels I changed back to Couchsurfing. And got what Couchsurfing is at its best: having the locals taking me to places I otherwise couldn't go to and enjoying local food and drinks with them. I had just arrived in Valdivia Friday night, and Saturday morning my host Rodrigo presented me his plan: we could go to Las Cascadas for the weekend to visit his friend. My decision was quick: "Sure, why not?! Let's go!" So I went back to lake Llanquihue and saw volcano Osorno again. Las Cascadas is on the northeastern shore of the lake, I had been to Puerto Varas on the southern shore. But I didn't mind at all. I had just arrived in Valdivia, but was happy to get out, to a place so peaceful and beautiful. I had a nice weekend at a holiday house close to a beautiful black sand beach with Rodrigo and his friends Annelisse and Carlos. I had my first Chilean asado (= barbeque) and drank some pisco (= Chilean alcohol) with them. I also tasted 'piñones de araucaria', nut-like seeds of araucaria tree - and developed an addiction! The seeds were the basic nutrition of the native Mapuche people. I liked the piñones so much that I'm cooking them right now, leaving them to boil in water with sugar for two hours, before letting out my inner squirrel.

Visiting a weekend house made me think about sauna. In Finland it's such an essential part of a summer cottage - as well as residential houses. Despite the lack of sauna I desided to be faithful to my roots and traditions and dipped in the lake. I've read that there's already been some warm, summery days in Finland. I'm sure my family has started the season of going to the summertime sauna by the river. And here I am, wearing thermal underwear and a warm jacket! When can I walk around in flip-flops and T-shirts again?! Well, it was my own decision to come here, I'm not complaining and I'm still enjoying the trip.

Sunday evening it was time to leave the holiday house. I wanted to continue straigt to Pucon, but there were no buses, so I had to return to Valdivia. I decided to give the city a chance to show its beauty, so on Monday I chose the midday bus instead of the first one in the morning, allowing me to walk around for two hours. And here's my conclusion: If you want to see sealions, go to Valdivia. Otherwise... don't bother! The river in the city-centre is nothing compared to the lakes and volcanoes in other places.

It's great to be travelling outside the tourist season: I have the whole hostel for myself now! There hadn't been any guests for ten days. The owner left for Santiago last night and since then I've been 'babysitted' by her friend, mountain guide called Rodrigo. It's been raining the whole day today and I've been inside reading my book. I'm trying to give my knee a rest; it's been stiff since hiking in Torres del Paine. It worries me a bit, as I love hiking and would like to visit a lot of national parks. Here in Pucon you can climb an active volcano and see some boiling lava inside the crater. But I need to save my knee and money...

Thoughts on a rest day

I consider myself lucky. Lucky to have this opportunity to be here seeing new, amazing places and gaining a lot of unforgettable experiences. I'm lucky that my boss and colleagues said 'yes' and allowed me to leave my job for 5 months. I'm lucky that everything worked out and I could leave my family, friends, home and job without worries. Lucky that I wasn't escaping anything and have a nice place to return to. I'm fortunate that I had the money to fulfill my dream of travelling to South America. Money was the easiest part; I guess I'm good at saving, I don't need a lot of luxuries in my normal life in Finland. I feel extremely lucky also because this trip has gone so well. I've mostly had good weather, hitchhiking has been relatively easy and I've always found what I've needed. Along the way people have been nice to me. Maybe this feeling partly comes from being positive. I emphasize the good things that have happened to me and try to forget the bad ones, like going to an ugly hostel when I first arrived in Puerto Natales. It may sound a cliché, but "your attitude will change your reality". I hope this good feeling lasts throughout my trip.

Today I needed yet another downday. I recently had one last Sunday. I don't know if it's the cold I've had for a week, or if it's the first signs of getting tired of travelling. I felt almost guilty when I didn't go for a hike to the slopes of volcano Osorno with Felix and Amelia today. (I guess it's quite typical for us Finns to feel guilt; we've been brought up to feel that.) It's our last day together... But I must admit that I enjoyed having a tea with strawberries and chocolate at the hostel and then reading a book and having a short nap in a hammock. What's the point in rushing from a sight or a hiking trail to another if you're too tired to enjoy it? On the other hand, what's the point in travelling to the other side of the world to lie in a hammock and reading a book if I can do that at home? Just before I left for this trip I wrote myself ten commandments and they were something like "Remember that you're on holiday. Take it easy, you don't have to see and do everything". Sometimes it's hard to accept that we are not machines and won't feel energetic all the time. Today I remembered how my friend Arto told me that he spent a week in a big city in Asia without seeing any of the official sights.

Maybe I should also give you an update of what I've done after my last update. Well, just after writing Amelia's immortal worlds "I physically can't buy anything", the following day I bought a new pullover - which I didn't need, but really liked - and got a pair of pants from Amelia. I still have space in my backpack, but I shouldn't make it any heavier. After relaxing on Sunday, on Monday I went to the national park of Chiloé with Felix. We walked a bit, saw some dense forest, took a lot of photos and sat down on the beach to enjoy the peace and the soothing sound of the waves. The white, foaming waves of the Pacific Ocean hit the beach crashing and then rolling further on the sand. The horizon was hidden behind a greyish white curtain of fog silhouetting the sun shine behind it. On Tuesday we all left the island of Chiloé and took a bus to Puerto Varas. Yesterday we travelled to see the waterfalls of Saltos de Petrohué and kayaked on the lake Todos los Santos. Floating on the water, enjoying the blue colour of the lake and the mountains behind it, admiring the snowcapped volcano Osorno... I really enjoyed it.

Tomorrow is my nameday. (In Finland we celebrate namedays in addition to birthdays, although they are not as important.) I just learned that my name - spelled with only one U, tula - in Chilean slang means an enormous penis. Maybe I should start using my second name, Anneli, or just carry my name with pride as all the Dutch guys called Dick do.

Hitchhiking, boat trip, new travel mates...

I wonder which is worst; feeling like cattle in a bus (it's my personal problem after getting the taste of hitchhiking, there's nothing wrong with the buses here) or freezing outside in the wind waiting for a lift and having a sore throat the following week. Last weekend I put myself into a challenging situation: hitchhiking a long way from Tolhuin, Argentinian Tierra del Fuego to Puerto Natales, Chile on a Sunday, when traffic is sparse. I got up at 6 am - just to wait for an hour at a petrol station, because there was no traffic. But I thought I should start early because I knew it would be a long day. In Rio Grande there were no trucks leaving - the following day there would have been a hundred. I got some lifts that helped me out of the city, to a very windy spot, where I started to question if I should have spent the day at a hostel in Rio Grande instead of wasting my time on the roadside... But I really wanted to get to Puerto Natales that day. I got a lift to the border and found a young trucker who agreed to help me. There was an error in the computer of the truck and the ride on the gravel road was slow, but at least I was advancing. It started to get dark and I got a bit worried if I'd have to get off in dark and cold when our routes would separate. And maybe change my destination, too. I was so happy on the ferry (between Tierra del Fuego and the mainland you have to take a ferry) when I found 3 guys from Puerto Natales returning from a mountain bike competition. I begged them to take me in their car and arrived at my hostel at 10 pm. What did I learn that day? Never hitchhike again? No. I learned that you should never give up. If you really want to do something and are determined, things will work out.

On Monday night I took Navimag company's ferry called Evangelistas from Puerto Natales to Puerto Montt. It's about 1400 km i.e. Finland from one end to the other - and only a third of the length of Chile. It's good to be travelling outside the peak season: I managed to bargain the ticket price and got a cabin just for myself. There were only 20-30 people on the ferry that can take 300 passengers. That was enough for always having someone to chat with, especially during the meals. I met e.g. Sam (New Zealand) who had travelled the Pan-American highway with his motorbike, Amelia (Australia) who had visited her sister in Mexico and was going to travel much more, Andrew (USA) who had been a Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia and Paraguay and Felix (Germany) who had been a volunteer at a national park in Chile and stayed with a local family. Talking with the last two made me realise how different it is to stay in one place for a long time instead of constantly moving on, how much better you see the culture and the society. Felix had experienced a lot of talking at work - the action always came later, seen the values: church, family, and the other things only after these first two and witnessed guys taking their engagement/wedding rings off when going out and scoring other girls.

The boat ride took 3 days. Do you think I got bored? No, I didn't. The first day I admired the landscapes with beautiful, steeply rising islands on both sides, was reading a book and listened to a lecture on glaciers. The next day the boat started to rock when the sea was more open and I spent several hours lying on my bed. During the cruise I finally got my diary written. At the bar they showed us some movies. No Chilean ones, but "international" movies, which all happened to be American. The boat was also transporting some cattle. I could see the poor cows, or actually young bulls, packed so tightly in the containers on the car deck that they could hardly move, let alone lie down. Hearing their mooing from my cabin made me feel pity.

After arriving in Puerto Montt, I took a bus to Castro, on the island of Chiloé, with two people I met on the ferry. I've really enjoyed their company; we've had a lot of fun. We - Amelia 44, me 31 and Felix 20 - make a good team and you couldn't tell we have so much age difference. We're staying at the best hostel so far. I really like the architecture: there's a lot of wood, a lot of light, a balcony on the waterfront... It's such a beautiful and peaceful place that today I decided just to stay here, relax and cure my cold.

And the sentence of the weekend is: "I just physically can't buy anything." It means that a traveller has to carry all the new shoes, clothes or souvenirs in her backpack, so one just can't buy much. Amelia managed to put it in such a good - and funny - way.

Photo of the sunrise taken from the boat at the harbour of Puerto Montt (such a beautiful photo, but the city was so ugly that we escaped as soon as we could):

Below a photo of the palafitos (houses on stilts) in Castro, Chiloé. Our hostel is the one with brown and yellow paint. The level of the water depends on the tides.

End of the world

I came back to Argentina for a week before taking a ferry boat in Chile (which leaves on Mondays only). I went to the end of the world, Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, situated in Tierra del Fuego. It's a beautiful place with colourful houses, between the sea and the mountains.

In addition to breathing fresh air on a tour to the nearby national park, I saw some exhibitions of the native Yaghan (Yamana) people. The Yaghan were nomads who traveled by canoes between islands to collect food. The men hunted sea lions while the women dived to collect shellfish. Surprisingly, despite the cold and rainy weather, they did not wear clothes. They covered their bodies with animal grease and used the fires for drying themselves and getting warm. The Europeans made them wear clothes, live in houses and - just like in other parts of the world - tried to convert them to Christianity. Unfortunately the Yaghan could not survive contact with white man's diseases. The people who had lived in the area for thousands of years died out in a few decades. Or well, there is still one full-blooded grandmother living...

In Ushuaia I finally went to a yoga class. I wanted to do a lot of yoga on this trip and after lying in bed with a fever two weeks ago, I really felt like my body needed yoga. I was happy to hear the lesson would be integral yoga containing elements of hatha and kundalini yoga, because I do the latter in Finland. After the practise the teacher gave a small lecture, too. She raised interesting questions about freedom and made us think what we really need and want. We are influenced by our parents, friends, the media... But we should find our own path, write our own story.

I feel very free and calm on this trip. I am lucky and thankful for the chance to be here, to walk my own paths. But are they always my own? I have visited a lot places, because they are mentioned in my guidebook or other travellers have told me about them. For sure I have seen some amazing places! But now, instead of rushing to take photos of Perito Moreno glacier, I decided to stop in the small town of Tolhuin, norht of Ushuaia, to have interesting conversations with a shop-keeper and journalist who has a small studio for radio broadcasting at the backroom of his shop.

My time in Argentina is coming to an end. I will return in August, to the northern part of the country. It's time to summarize what I've seen and experienced in a month. I've seen gorgeous views, met friendly people and greeted them with a 'beso' (a kiss on the cheek), danced tango, tasted the wines, meat, thick caramel sauce called dulce de leche... I've been offered mate (traditional drink, a bit like strong green tea) and more than the taste, I enjoy being part of the social ritual. Mate is drunk through a silver straw from a gourd that is passed around and everyone uses the same straw.

A lot of people seem to be surprised that I am travelling alone. "Aren't you afraid?" Well, if I'm able to live alone, why wouldn't I be able to travel alone?