Chile and Argentina

We have never traveled south of the equator. However, after hearing a speech by Michel Bachelet, president of Chile, we thought any country that would elect such a sensible (woman) president deserved a closer look, so we decided that this year's Grand Circle tour (see Grand Circle site) should be to Chile and Argentina.

The histories of both countries exhibit cycles of democratic freedom alternating with military dictatorship. Both have recently emerged from years of civil rights abuses, supported, at least in the case of Chile, by the U.S. (see recent archives). Both are showing signs of an economic recovery one hopes will last. A Grand Circle tour promised some insight into the history and the future of these countries.

We landed in Santiago, Chile, where we were met by our program director, Graciela. After a short walk near the hotel, the group had dinner at a restaurant overlooking Santiago. The meal was excellent, and we were entertained by musicians dressed in the traditional Chilean huaso outfits, a promising introduction to our visit.

Next day we took a more complete tour of Santiago with our local guide Max. We passed by the Moneda Palace, notorious as the scene of bombing that occurred during the overthrow of the Allende regime. In the central square, Plaza de Armas, the cathedral, reflected in a modern office building, symbolizes Chile's history and its future - traditional architecture reflected by modern development. A classically sculpted fountain stands nearby a more recent sculpture representing Chile's indigenous peoples.

Remember that May in the southern hemisphere is late fall. Nevertheless, flowers were abundant, and flower stalls can be found on most corners.

We sampled an old Chilean tradition, the cafe con piernas (sorry - no piernas here), and took a trip on the subway, which is modern and highly efficient. Of course, we had to visit elegant shops in order to support the local economy.

In Plaza de Armas an art fair was in progress, where artists demonstrated their talents. Here and in the city parks one encounters young men doing what young men usually do, old men playing checkers, and kids exploring or playing football (aka soccer).

Young people find a number of ways to make a living. Subway entrances provide great acoustics for aspiring sopranos. Wherever there is a traffic jam, an enterprising juggler finds a way to entertain the drivers. We encountered a one man band and his family with youngster in training. A pair of clowns had fun with the traffic. In the park an entertainer amused his audience of children and parents. In a portico a break dancer practiced his routines.

The city is full of stray dogs, most of which are very friendly. Not all the dogs were strays, however.

The Santiago river, not very wide at this time of year, and too often a repository for trash, brings water from the Andes. Across the river lies the Bellavista barrio. Here are oddly designed houses, many painted in bright colors or decorated with murals. We visited La Chascona, a house built by Pablo Neruda for his third wife, with an appropriate mural decorating the street leading to the house.

At the Mercado Central we found excellent fish, sometimes presented in interesting arrangements, and a good place for lunch. A great place for walks is the park that lies between the river and Avenida Bernardo O'Higgins (O'Higgins - Chile's beloved liberator with the unlikely name).

We took a day trip to Viña del Mar, where can be found a moai from Easter Island, and to Valparaíso. In addition to being a busy port, Valparaíso is a UNESCO world heritage site. Built on several hills overlooking the Pacific, the older houses are typically painted in contrasting pastel colors. The tin walls use material that may have been abandoned in the docks.

A funicular railway leads to a magnificent house built by a Croatian immigrant - notice the design incorporating the Croatian flag.

Almost any blank piece of wall is likely to be covered with murals, some of which reflect the views of hills that appear at every corner. One ingenious mural is almost hidden in the alley between two houses. Where murals have not yet appeared, one finds a variety of expressive graffiti.

After a few days in Santiago, we flew south to the Chilean lake district. Landing in Puerto Montt, we drove to Puerto Varas on the shores of Lake Llanquihue. This region of Chile is known for its heavy rainfall, especially in late fall and winter, so we were not too disappointed to find grey skies.

The hotel has a great view of Orsono, the local volcano - or would if the weather cleared. Otherwise there's not a lot to be seen in the town - an elegant church and some interesting houses. We also encountered this center for kid yoga (maybe of interest to our daughter-in-law Marsha).

We spent an afternoon at a fundo, or ranch, where we were treated to a display of horsemanship by two huasos, Chilean cowboys. An explanation was provided by the ranch owner and our local guide Patricio, assisted by a very friendly dog.

Apart from the poncho, the most noticeable feature of the huaso's outfit is the large spur on his boot. They demonstrated how to gallop in tight circles, and move the horse sideways at a high rate of speed. These skills are needed in the Chilean rodeo, where teams of two huasos attempt to trap a steer. One interested spectator at the demonstration was the same friendly Saint Bernard. The huasos had little trouble trapping this steer in the manner required to score points in competition.

Afterwards we had a chance to meet some of the horses up close and personal, and we were treated to an excellent lunch. One surprise at the lunch was the appearance of a guest chef, who found that the hat offered to her was somewhat on the large side. Under the watchful eye of a knowledgeable supervisor, she fixed the bread and crab meat appetizer. You can expect that to be served at our next dinner party.

On the last evening in Puerto Varas the clouds broke for long enough to provide a good view of Orsono.

Next day we began a long trek from Puerto Varas to the Argentinean lake district - four bus trips and three boat rides across three lakes. This was probably the most spectacular trip we have ever taken - well worth the 10 or 12 hours it takes.

As we left Puerto Varas, its second volcano, Calbuco, came into view. The first bus ride ended at Petrohue, where we had time for a brief walk through the rain forest to look at the rapids on the Petrohue river. We paused beside a wind-swept tree, symbol perhaps of the twisting and wrinkling that come with age.

We took a catamaran across Lago Todos Los Santos. The further east we traveled, the more the blue sky appeared, offering views of volcanos, small islands, and snowcapped mountains. So we left Chile behind us. We landed at a broad river valley with view of neighboring peaks. This was the town of Peulla, where we stopped for lunch.

After clearing customs in Peulla, we took a bus ride up a steep, narrow road to the border with Argentina. Argentinean customs and immigration were handled in Purto Frias, at the end of the road, where the only feature of note seemed to be a monkey puzzle tree.

A short boat trip across Lago Frias and a bus ride to Puerto Blest, and now we flew an Argentinean flag on the third and final boat ride on Lago Nahuel Huapi. A favorite pastime of the passengers on this trip was feeding the seagulls. Behind us we could see the mountains that mark the border with Chile. We passed through a broad, deep fjord, leaving the mountains in our wake.

In the east the moon rose over the Andes, while the setting sun illuminated the distant peaks. As the sun disappeared we reached Puerto Pañuelo, just a short bus ride from the end of our memorable journey.

Sunrise the next morning found us in the town of San Carlos de Bariloche. On the shores of Lake Nahuel Huapi, the area is reminiscent Switzerland, though much wilder.

We toured the area while it was still quite foggy, which rather spoiled the view from the local chairlift. Nevertheless, we enjoyed the experience. Nearby Lake Moreno is a very pretty lake. A local church illustrates the Swiss architectural style.

We took a morning walk to admire the view and explore the town. In front of the town hall are several St. Bernards that entertain the tourists. We came across a celebration of May 25, an important date in Argentinean independence, marked by speeches and bands. Further on was the local market.

Gordon took an extended walk through a small park and up into the hills to enjoy the fall colors. Here's a typical house, and the kind of view that can be enjoyed from the upper part of the town.

Just a few kilometers east of Bariloche, the vegetation changes suddenly, turning into the dry steppes of Patagonia. Here we visited an estancia or sheep farm owned by a couple who came from Manchester 40 years ago. Their son Alistair explained the complexities of the sheep farming business, and the differences between the sheep and the rams. (No, it's more complicated than that - it has to do with the cross breeding) The farm house and an old sheep bell belie the highly technical aspects of sheep farming today.

We drove further into the steppes, pausing to exchange admiring glances with a guanaco (one of the four camelids native to Argentina). We noted how the glaciers had left behind a moraine, through which the river had carved a deep valley, leaving sheer cliffs.

And so to our final destination, the capital city of Argentina, Buenos Aires.

Our first tour of the city took us by government house (Casa Rosada), the balconies of which were used by Juan and Eva Peron in their speeches to the population. The palace is situated in Plaza de Mayo, where the May Mothers (memorialized by the white head scarves painted on the stones) kept their vigils to protest the "disappearances".

Adjacent to Plaza do Mayo is the Cabildo, used as a government house during colonial times. Nearby is a building that could well pass for a palace, the central post office (Bill Clinton, on his visit here, was feted with a state dinner held at the post office!). Just around the corner, but somewhat overwhelmed by the post office, is the Catedral Metropolitana.

Not far from Plaza do Mayo is Puerto Madero, site of the oldest city docks, once abandoned but now a site for upscale shops and restaurants. Across the docks runs a very modern bridge, Puente de la Mujer, designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.

Somewhat further away is the widest street in the world, Avenida 9 Julio, which celebrates the other important date in Argentinean independence. Throughout the city one can find memorials to José de San Martin, the person most responsible for freeing the country from Spanish rule.

The arts are well represented in Buenos Aires. The fine arts museum is handsome. Nearby is the Floralis Genérica, donated to the city by architect Eduardo Catalano. Perhaps a greater emotional impact is effected by Canto al Trabajo, a sculpture by Rogelio Irurtia dedicated to the workers. More commercial is the Buenos Aires design center.

At the end of the 19th century, Argentina was a very, very wealthy country. The architecture from that time reflects the wealth - elegant plazas and Spanish-style balconies. Somewhat out of place are the occasional London-style phone booths!

There are not many stray dogs in Buenos Aires. Instead, many elegant dogs, most of them cared for by young people who hire themselves out as dog walkers (or perhaps dog sitters).

As in Santiago, we took a ride on the subway. The subway here is much older than in Santiago, and some of the trains are quite elegant.

In the barrio San Telmo is a weekly flea market, a good place to do a little shopping for antiques. Throughout the city there are pedestrian areas that are lively with animated conversations, with the sound of music everywhere. We arrived in the middle of a local election campaign - we enjoyed this creative ad featuring a thoroughly bald candidate for mayor.

At a little distance from the city center is La Boca once a thriving port, now a haven for artists. The well-known street Caminito features sculptures of local heroes - Carlos Gardel (tango singer), Eva Peron, and Diego Maradona (La Boca's world-famous football star).

In contrast, we visited Recoleta where, just beyond an enormous rubber tree, one finds the cemetery where are buried the most wealthy Porteños, and one woman who does not quite seem to fit in - Evita.

You can't visit Buenos Aires without trying out the tango. We had one lesson. Two arthritic seniors trying to match these moves* was good for a laugh. Then we took in a tango show to see how the experts do it.

On a bitterly cold morning we toured the Paraná delta, a network of rivers and creeks. We stopped to visit a school for local children* that is supported by Grand Circle, where we were greeted with enthusiasm by the kids*. There we learned a lot about the difficulties encountered by poor families in the region.

Regretful as we always are at the end of a trip, we left for the airport, with fond farewells to our program director, helpful and cheerful as always. We returned home with a clearer understanding of the problems that have beset these countries, and some cautious optimism for their future.

* Photos courtesy of Bill Whitaker, George Rosenberg and Don Mabry

"If I could live my life again,
in my next one I would try to make more mistakes
...
I would take more risks, travel some more, admire more sunsets
...
But I am old and I know that I am dying..."

Jorge Luis Borges

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