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In 1961 this merchant vessel ran into some bad luck, not to mention an underwater rock formation.  Thirty-five souls went down or drowned in this unfortunate event.  If you look closely you are able to see its hull gradually being taken back to the sea.  There have many such incidents in the fjords over the years.  Just thought it was interesting.

This morning I find myself in the Chilean Fjords and will be for several more days. These places are only accessible from the sea. There are no airports, nor any roadways connecting to the mainland. Only a very few of the fjords are inhabited. Moreover, there is very little wildlife. The only wildlife found here either swims or flies.

The tiny port village is called Chacabuco and is ringed by snowcapped mountains. Being this at an extreme southern latitude on the planet, snow falls almost all year long. You’ll notice the fresh snow in many of the pics attached.

Patagonian ice sheets plunge to the sea and that area provided me the opportunity to see the Giant Condor (although not lucky enough to get a pic). This bird is endangered.

I took the day off here in order to enjoy some white water river rafting. Just an outstandingly clear day to raft. From this area, otherwise known as the gateway to the Andes you could see three volcanos; one of which is active with periodic lava flows. The one pictured below happens to be dormant at this moment. Its name is Villerica and rises over 9,000 feet. Only 60 miles to the east is the Argentinian border and the Agentinian Andes.

The Lake District has many rivers as well. The one we were rafting on is called the Petrohue. Since it is now the end of summer here the river was running low. Consequently, the rapids were in the 3-4 category. Earlier in the beginning of summer they range in the 4-5 category. The 3-4 were perfect. Only one dude in our raft was ejected and had to be pulled back in.

This region is named for its 12 biggest glacially carve lakes. There are dozens of smaller ones as well. Stream fishing is awesome here.

Since I was unable to have my camera in my hands while rafting (because of the paddle) I missed some very amazing photo opportunities.  That was the only bummer of this incredible experience.

Not much room between the high cliffs and the sea, but Valparaiso does qualify as Chile’s third largest city with a population of 200,000 people. The only two larger metropolitan areas are Santiago and Concepcion. There are two very different and distinct sections to this city. The first is the modern coastal stretch that skirts the bay, and the other is much larger. This area is much older and comprises most of the neighborhoods and residences. This area is known as Valpo. Valpo and these neighborhoods cling delicately to the cliffs and hills, which rise abruptly just a few hundred yards from the shoreline. This is where I spent most of my time. Each hill is like an individual neighborhood laced with beguiling twisted streets and loads of commissioned and non-commissioned graffiti. (see pics)
There are 16 operating funiculars. A funicular is a very steep cable car. These take people from the seaside almost straight up the mountainside to the neighborhoods. Some are at such a steep incline that they are more like elevators. (See pics) Up in these charming neighborhoods I found great little restaurants and cafes. The graffiti is also quite remarkable. (See pics) Once at the top there are commanding views of the coastline.
Since much of the land around this city is very fertile, the fruits and vegetables are plentiful. The open air market is evidence of the bountiful land surrounding this area. (See pics)
Santiago, Chile’s capital city is approximately 2 hours east by automobile.

Iquique (pronounced ee-KEE-kay) is a port city in northern Chile. It lies on the Pacific coast and is part of the Atacama Desert. This area receives less than 2 inches of annual rainfall. The city developed in the heyday of the saltpeter mining in the Atacama desert in the 19th century. Interesting enough, it was a Peruvian city with a large Chilean population. It was ceded to Chile as a result of the War of the Pacific in 1879.
Today it plays home to surfers, hotels, resorts and casinos. Located in a golden crescent of coastline, it is among the best beach resorts in Chile. The big draw is the surfing. Consistently large swells are enjoyed be many surfers year round.

This is the most enigmatic giant ground drawings (geoglyphs) in South America.  It is best seen from a several miles out at sea.  I saw it fairly close (about a few miles to a few hundred yards.)  It is etched into a sloping mountainside at Pisco Bay on the Peruvian coast.  The figure resembles a candlestick; thus its name “The Candelabra of the Andes.”  It is about 600 feet long and is visible from 12 miles out at sea.  It also is located in a place that receives less then one-half and inch (or 1 cm) of rain annually.  The prevailing winds come from behind (the south).  Thus it is protected from wind and rain.  It remains today pretty much the way it was over 2 millenia ago.

Archeologists have found pottery nearby which has been carbon dated to 200 BC and part of the Paracas Culture. Its purpose and symbology are in doubt, however one theory is that is was dug as a marker of some sort.  Some archeologists say it is merely a trident.  It was discovered in 1860.  There is also a theory that it is related to a similar symbol found in California’s Cleveland National Forest.  The archeologist associates the two candelabras in this way: The ancient inhabitants of Peru voyaged to California to collect Jimson Weed and other hallucinatory drugs.  The archeologist believes the symbol resembles the Jimson Weed itself and served as a navigational aid.  Hallucinatory drugs were widely used by these peoples in ceremonies and rituals. Please note that the hallucinagens were not used as navigational aids, just the symbol of course.

This experience was as though I was in a live National Geographic Magazine. So many varieties of birds. The ones I was lucky enough to see (and in great numbers) included the Peruvian Booby, Red Legged Cormorant, Turkey Vulture, Peruvian Pelican, Guanay Cormorant, and the Humboldt Penguin. I also witnessed an amazing sea lion habitat. There were beaches where the sea lion give birth. There were rocky beaches where the older (male only) sea lions hang, and plenty of young sea lions on the rocks.
This place is the Galapagos Islands of Peru. Totally protected to the point where no humans are permitted to step foot on the island or the surrounding rocks. I took all my pics obviously from my launch.
The sea lions were the most fascinating. Here’s some info of which I was unaware.  Their gestation period is 11 months and all sea lions are born from January to March. Since I am here in March I was able to see many babies. (see pics) The female usually gives birth to only one baby per gestation period.  In the rare event that two are born, the mother must kill the weaker one since she can only feed one per birth. So rather than have the one unfed baby suffer she will kill the weaker baby.  I found this fascinating.
All the wildlife here feeds from the sea. There are no Orcas of sharks in these waters. Thus, these sea lions usually die of old age.

 

This place was literally crushed by an earthquake in 2007. It destroyed its infrastructure and killed over 600 people. But the spirit here lives on. Pisco is a town on the rebound. It seems to be reinventing itself too; almost as though it has the resilience of some kind of phoenix. In spite of the substantial damage the town remains open. Street venders are almost everywhere. The nearby beach resort is called El Chaco (Paracas). This place, while having several hotels and beaches is more importantly known as the base from which you can motorboat to the Islas Ballestas. Islas Ballestas is an amazing sanctuary for many birds, penguins and sea lions. (See seaparate post and pics)
Pisco shares its name with the national beverage, a brandy like drink made through the region. The area is of historical and archaeological importance as having hosted one of the most highly developed pre-Inca civilizations, the Paracas culture from 700 BC to 400 AD.

As we approach the port fog shrouds the entire place. It takes a little imagination to get beyond the grit of Lima’s first impression. This place is only second after Cairo as a sprawling metropolis. There are over 10 million people living here. The area has, like most cities of this size, areas that are desirable to visit and many that are not. This is Lima.  Shrouded in history, gloriously messy and full of aesthetic delights.  Lima is the capital city of Peru.  Interesting enough however is the fact that there is very little litter present anywhere, however lots of graffiti may be seen all around.
Street venders are ubiquitous; hocking everything from religious stuff to candy to clothes to balloons.  Peruvian people have unmistakable features. Check out the pic of the guard. The people seem friendly even in the rough areas of town.
The food here is awesome. This place has over 3,000 varieties of potatoes, as well as many varieties of fruits and vegetables.  The Amazon is also a source for spices and other esoteric fruits and vegetables.  The fish and ocean sourced items are plentiful. They also boast a substantial cattle industry. The land is very fertile.  So as you can see the sources of food are as varied as they are plentiful. The ceviche with slivers of fiery chili and corn is amazing. Sushi as all around. No surprise that the famous Chef Nobu is from Peru.  The spaniards came here in the 1500s.  But before that Peru’s civilization dates back millennia.  The Incas had a thriving civilization here for thousands of years, prior to the Spanish conquest.

 

 

Also known as Papa Nui, this is quite a mystical island. This place is as distinct as any place on earth; it is as if the island appeared from somewhere out of this world. Easter Island is located approximately 2,000 miles from the western coast of Chile. It is quite hard to reach. This isolation is why the mo’ai
(pronounced mo i) giant rock sculptures made of volcanic rock, survived. These mo’ai statues are between 1,250 and 1,500 years old. Some weigh as much as 85 tons and stand 30 feet tall. There are 887 such statues on the island.

Today much of the island is a protected UNESCO World Heritage site. The Polynesian people settled here in the first millennium. They estimate that at one time the tiny island sustained nearly 15,000 people. However, overpopulation and the introduction of the Polynesian Rat resulted in the gradual and complete deforestation of the entire island. This event then led to the decline of the Rapa Nui civilization.

In 1722 when european explorers came to the island there were only 2,000 inhabitants. The population suffered further decline until 1877 where only 111 people remained. The name Easter Island was given to is because it was discovered by the Dutch on Easter in 1722. Wild horses roam freely all over the island (see pictures).