Chile is a really long (muy largo) and incredibly slender (muy delgado) country that has over 6000 kilometers of coastline along the Pacific and borders both Argentina on the east and Bolivia and Peru on the north. It has arguably the driest desert in the world (en el mundo), Atacama, in the north as well as the wettest lands in the land regions to the south. It has the coldest areas in Antarctica and has rugged mountains (montañas escarpadas) to the east and beautiful coasts to the west. It has parts of 3 continents, the South American continent, The Antarctic continent and the Australian continent, with Easter Island, making it the only country that has parts of 3 continents (tres continentes). The saying (el dicho) in Chile is that when God was making the world, he took art of what was left over from everywhere else, put it all together, and called it Chile.
So, there is a lot to do and a lot to explore (explorar) here in Chile, and recently, with the help of our friends, Marcus and Trish, who were visiting from Colorado, we took it upon ourselves to head south to explore some of the Lakes region (la region de los lagos), beginning in Valdivia. This city was named after the Spanish explorer, Pedro de Valdivia, who also founded the city of Santiago. It sits some distance (mucha distancia) from Santiago, and in order to get there, we had to undertake a new method of travel, the overnight bus ride. We did some research and bought our tickets (nuestros billetes) at the bus terminal, opting for the recline-able seats (semi-cama) in the upper level of the bus, and after a 10 hour ride at night, we arrived at the bus terminal in Valdivia.
We checked our bags (nuestras maletas) at the bus terminal and set out to explore the city of Valdivia, and that meant heading toward the area near the Valdivia River. Here, there is a wonderful seafood market (un mercado) that hops to live with all kinds of fresh foods from the sea, such as oysters (las ostras), mussel (los mejillones), clams (las almejas), and fresh fish (pescado fresco), including salmon. The activity in the market is also enhanced by the numerous sea lions (lobos del mar) which sit nearby waiting for some delicacy to fall their way. Seagulls (las gaviotas) and other birds dot the area and make it for a wonderfully fun diversion for the day.
We also went across the bride and make our way to the University Austral of Chile, which has a wonderful Botanical Garden (una jardín botánica) that makes for a comfortable stroll and beautifully peaceful commune with nature. It came in stark contrast to my university experience in Santiago, which is dominated by activity including numerous students and people coming and going on the streets as well as on the campus. Here, there was a gentle stroll (un camino sencillo) along the campus, with students enjoying the day and a sense of calm all round. The feel of the area reminded me of other places I have visited that have a strong sense of history and a beautiful location (un lugar hermoso), such as James Madison University in the mountains of Virginia or Vanderbilt University in the river valleys of Tennessee.
The town and area has so much to offer and as it sits at the joining of the Calle-Calle, Valdivia and Cau-Cau Rivers before entering into the Pacific. With its strategic position and natural beauty (belleza natural), you can understand why the Spanish settlers of the past, the residents of today and the visitors from all over, continue to flock and flourish in Valdivia.
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