Chiloé
We did get to Chiloé in the end, but it was something of a marathon.
First a7am bus to Caleta Gonzales, a beautiful town under impressive vertical cliffs, everything covered in fog. As we waited on the cargo ferry we saw dolphins in the distance. They seemed big, with large dorsal fins - could it be ... orcas? I think not. As we got under way a little dinghy turned up to deliver a woman plus suitcase. The enthusiastic white poodle looked keen to come aboard too but was left in the boat where it stood with front paws on the front seat, as if captaining the boat.
Most of the trip was passed in fog, so having found some space in the one crowded room for passengers we stayed put almost until we reached Hornopirén, another attractively located settlement with nice cliffs and snowy mountains. Our connecting bus gave us just enough time to stock up on delicious sea food empanadas before we were headed for Puerto Montt.
When we got there we were happy to find it much more welcoming than expected. Despite its reputation as an ugly commercial centre, it actually has a reasonable looking waterfront complete with a giant concrete sculpture of a couple canoodling. It was probably quite daring when it was commissioned. But we stayed here less than an hour.
And in Puerto Montt we had plenty of options, but we took the earliest bus we could. One plus about the timing was that the ferry crossing to Chiloé was at sunset and we had a beautiful view of the island silhouetted against the sunset, while dolphins and seals splashed around in the twilight.
We arrived in Castro a little after 11pm, a good 16 hours of traveling and we were ready to crash. But we got sidetracked. We found a nice hostage and decided a hot drink would be nice, and then the free internet had the best connection of any on the trip so far, and there was so much catching up to do ... so it wasn't an early night at all.
Chiloé is apparently the most culturally distinct region in Chile, presumably because of its isolation. That isolation has allowed a number of strange myths to develop, and left the island dependent on locally sourced timber, leading to attractive wooden buildings distinctively shingled. The churches remain Chiloé's main tourist attraction, but that should surely be eclipsed in an instant if the island ever got some decent tourist infrastructure around its blue whale nursery grounds.
Chiloé doesn't really make too much of its history, but it has seen plenty. It was first settled by hunter gatherers about 6000 years ago, and separately by agriculturalist Mapuche about 1000 years ago. The Spanish settlers brought diseases that much reduced the population,and in turn survived Dutch assaults in 1600 and1643 although I am not sure that these were 'official' efforts. The1600 episode involved the Dutch changing sides three times (Mapuche, Spanish, Mapuche), according the museum, before heading home empty handed. In 1826 it was the last Spanish-held area in Chile (and one of the last in the Americas) before the fort at Ancud was taken following a five day battle, and in May1843 residents set off south to claim the Magallanes region for Chile. They arrived four months later, one day ahead of the French.
Disappointingly, I never got an account of the myths that make Chiloé memorable, although there are some nice statues depicting the mythical beings in Ancud. I particularly liked the malevolent gnome who is apparently responsible for all illegitimate children on the island. Sounds like a scheme to avoid child support payments to me ...
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