Some months ago, I was invited to a dinner (una cena) that featured the sights, sounds and flavors of an area called Chiloé here in Chile. What I remembered was colorful costumes made of sheep’s wool (lana de oveja), lots of seafood in a dish called Curanto and a spiced wine that was quite tasty, like Sangria with a spicy kick. I also remember that when I first got here to Chile, my friend Juan, who has lived in Chile all his life (toda su vida), suggested 2 places that I needed to be sure to visit and the first one was Chiloé. With all that in mind, as I found myself at the area below Valdivia, I turned my sights south (al sur) and set out for Chiloé.Chiloé is really a large island (una isla grande) that is set within the lakes region of Chile and the only road that runs through it is Route Five. In reality (en realidad), as you drive south, you come to a crossing where you have to drive your car onto a ferry and travel some miles across the channel until you get to the island of Chiloé. Once you enter the island, you sense that you are truly in another world (un otro mundo), as the sights turned a brilliant green laden with bright yellow flowers (las flores amarillas) in bloom. The colors and scenery so unlike anything I had seen in Chile thus far, I knew that I was entering into an area both magical and serene.
As we moved down the road, I struggled to relate the scenery (el paisaje) of my past, it was like the rolling hills (los ceros adulados) of Appalachia, the river valleys (las valles del río) of the South and the fertile farmlands of the upper Midwest all rolled into one. The areas were dotted with homes, like small farms (las estancias pequeñas), set back off dirt roads and with pigs, sheep and cows grazing on the ever green grass. The rain began to fall, first soft and then with greater impact, and this signaled a change (un cambio) that would be ever present in this region. If El Paso is known as the Sun City for its 300 plus days of sunshine, Chiloé is known as the rain capital of the world, arguably one of the wettest regions known on the planet.
As we entered the town (el pueblo) of Castro in Chiloé, which is the capital of the region, we were taken aback by the wonderful architecture and brilliant colors of the homes. A number of houses were built on stilts (los zancos) and surrounded the inlet, where boats lay docked below, the fisherman nature of the region woven into the fabric of the history of today. After finding a place to stay and heading out across the beautiful plaza in downtown (el centro), we found our way to a dinner spot for a traditional seafood feast. The Curanto we had had some sausage, a pork rib and so many mussels and clams that I could not fathom how I was going to eat it all. The mussels were so large and mature that I swear some of them had beards (unas barbas), and I ate until I was full and then I ate some more.
Chiloé has a magical feel (un sentido mágico) that transcends description and as we headed out to the north, the gentle rain bid us farewell. I can understand why this area is so special for long time residents (los chilotes) and new found visitors, as the magic of its location, the beauty of its setting and the mystery of its ways are still waiting to be discovered.
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