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ISLANDS:
EASTER ISLAND, JUAN FERNANDEZ AND CHILOE
Everything is mysterious on exotic Easter
Island, or Rapa Nui, as its people call it: where did the first settlers
come from and what took them there? How did they erect the 50-ton moais
and carry them from the hills to the seashore? What was the manu-tara
legend really like? Will it be possible someday to decipher the rongo
rongo tablets, a form of written language now forgotten that contains
much of the island's history?
Natives call their island Te Pito e
Te Henua or the "navel of Earth". To visit Easter Island is
to walk on rocks of lava and ash colonised by vegetation and interspersed
by dozens of small lagoons and the open craters of the island's three
volcanoes. Like a dot in the immensity of the ocean, this portion of land
-the most isolated on Earth- was discovered on Easter Day in 1722 by Dutch
navigator Jacob Roggeveenen. Today, when seen from the air, its solitude
and smallness impress the observer and even more so when they realise
that the landing strip crosses the whole south-western side of this triangular
island. The airport lies near the town of Hanga Roa where most of the
population lives. Here, to the sound of Polynesian music, the visitor
receives unforgettable welcome on being given a flowered garland. In contrast
when the visitor leaves they receive another garland this time of seashells
for as the tradition goes this is the way to secure the visitor's return.
To become immersed in the mystery of
the moais, you must start in the Rano Raraku volcano on the northern tip
of the island. The great stone statue workshop was located there, and
even today the statues can be seen in their various degrees of completion.
About 80 half-finished statues can be found and around 200 that are almost
finished. Numerous theories abound on how these 21 meter-high idols were
transported to be set on their altars or ahu. At first glance the moais
faces seem very similar but the careful observer soon realises that they
different. It is believed that they are the portraits of the great family
chiefs, set on their platforms so that they could continue to watch over
their tribe.
Many moais were deliberately brought
down during the course of local wars, while others were swept over by
a tidal wave that struck the island in 1960. Nevertheless, there are still
more than 400 scattered around this mysterious place. A famous restoration
was undertaken a few years ago -fully respecting the island's traditions-
in which a row of moais were put back on their feet, had their hats put
on and had their eyes painted in as was done in the past.
Amid its landscape of palm trees, beaches
and crystal clear waters through which you see the coral reefs, Rapa Nui
has kept intact its stone built ceremonial city of Orongo. Traditionally,
every year a ritual was celebrated there to elect the tribe that would
rule the island. In the first months of the spring, each tribe sent a
delegation to take part in a competition that consisted of climbing down
a steep slope, swimming to the small barren island of Mutu Nui, grabbing
the first egg of the manu tara bird and coming back to deliver it unbroken
to the chief.
Nowadays life in Easter Island is more
pleasant and less risky. The main activity its people are engaged in is
tourism. The island has several hotels to choose from and some families
also offer lodging in their houses. Those islanders not involved in providing
accommodation are artisans, fishermen or simply spend their time mingling
with the island's visitors telling stories and recounting the island's
way of life. As well as archaeological tours, the visitor can enjoy horse
rides and barbecues in forests by the beaches with warm waters and abundant
fishing. The temperate climate means these activities can be enjoyed all
year round, with May being the rainiest month and February the hottest
one. There are flights from Santiago three times a week and the journey
takes five hours.
The islands of the Juan Fernández
Archipelago are famous for their history, the exuberance of their vegetation,
their seals and their incomparable lobsters. To many navigators and bold
adventurers of the South Pacific, anchoring there must have been the equivalent
of finding an oasis after a long and exhausting walk through the desert.
There they found a safe shelter against the storms, abundant drinking
water, fishing and dense forests within which to take refuge.
Sevillian navigator Juan Fernández
was the first to discover the archipelago on November 22nd 1574. He called
them Más a Tierra (nowadays Robinson Crusoe Island), Más
Afuera (Alejandro Selkirk Island) and the barren island of Santa Clara.
Fernandez disembarked on the islands with 60 indians and mercilessly killed
the sea lions he found to make use of their blubber. Later, and perhaps
as a punishment by the spirit of the sea, the ship in which he loaded
the cargo sank and Fernández lost all his possessions.
More than a century later, a young sailor brought the world's attention
to this solitary archipelago. His name was Alexander Selkirk and he was
only 24 years old in 1704 when he was abandoned on the Más a Tierra
island. Selkirk survived alone on the Island for four years and four months
until an English ship rescued him. His incredible and unusual story inspired
Daniel Defoe to write "Robinson Crusoe", a novel that has become
famous the world over, enrapturing people of all ages and latitudes with
the thrilling adventure and cleverness of this young sailor.
Along with the islands' stirring history,
the beauty of its exotic flora and fauna adds to its attractiveness. On
the rocks near the main pier, a few "two-hair" seals can still
be seen, a native mammal that is a now a protected species after having
been over-exploited in the 19th century. From time to time, "bottle
nose" dolphins swim by, and hundreds of birds live in the lush jungle
of ferns, palms and green oranges. Among such birds is the red hummingbird,
unique in the world. However, the archipelago's most famous specimen is
the Juan Fernández lobster, a most valued crustacean that supports
the archipelago's inhabitants. Declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO
in 1977, the Juan Fernández archipelago has also been a national
park since 1935. The archipelago's 600 inhabitants live in San Juan Bautista,
a small town that has a modern dock, inns and guesthouses, phone, post
office, first aid services, police, television, tourism information office
and even a House of Culture. Basically, the essential services for those
seeking to enjoy a natural paradise surrounded by a cobalt blue sea that
invites diving and sport fishing in an underwater world of unparalleled
beauty.
The Chiloé Archipelago is known
for having its own magical world. Its historic and cultural life mainly
takes place in the coves and inlets facing the sea channel, which runs
between the island and the continent. On this side the island the sea
is calmer and more hospitable than that of the Pacific coast. The men
of Chiloé inherited from the "chono" indians their liking
for fishing and from the "huilliche" indians their agricultural
tradition. The land and the sea are the basis of their livelihood and
the two great forces that govern their lives. For the "chilote",
his boat is a travelling house and he learns to live in it in childhood.
The tides are the clock regulating his days and it is the tides which
have dictated the construction of his house or palafitte, built on the
seashore. During the high tide the boats practically reach his door, while
in the low tide, the ground beneath is covered with a variety of molluscs
("choros", "navajuelas", "cholgas" and "machas")
that the women and children hasten to gather. These molluscs form are
part of the daily diet and of the typical gastronomy of Chiloé.
They are used in soups, "pailas marinas", "pulmai"
and above all the "curanto", a mixture of shellfish, meat, fish,
potatoes and vegetables that is prepared over heated stones set in a hole
in the ground.
Along with the palafittes and houses
with wooden-tile roofs to protect them from the rain, Chiloé exhibits
a religious architecture in the form of a hundred beautiful churches made
entirely of wood. These churches can be found in every corner of the island.
Their towers serve as lighthouses for navigators and although many were
built more than three centuries ago, they still preserve their porches
and their polychrome altarpieces with painted star-filled skies.
The city of Castro -in the center of
Isla Grande (Large Island) and the provincial capital- was founded in
1567 and is the ideal place to begin a journey that must include Chonchi,
Dalcahue, Achao, Mechuque, Cucao and Ancud. In these beautiful, old and
friendly towns with their marketplaces and churches there is always the
right place to have a meal. And you will never fail to find a house with
its doors open, where people tell stories around a log fire that is always
burning to smoke the apples, meat and shellfish hanging over it. Sitting
close to the fire, the people relive the myths that have made Chiloé
famous. They talk about strange creatures hiding in the forests, warlocks,
ghost ships and curses. They may say there was a full moon rainbow that
night or they may be gathered to organise a "minga". The minga
is a collective task in which the whole community takes part, one not
unusual example would be the dragging a wooden house with the help of
yoked oxen from one location to another, sometimes this may even include
a short sea voyage between islands.
The women of these islands work the
land and weave sheep's wool, while the men "go off to sea" to
work in the salmon fisheries that have recently turned Chile into the
world's largest salmon producer. Chiloé is an ideal place for young
people to go backpacking, and anyone that visits the island will be able
to enjoy horse and bicycle rides, as well as take boats to visit the more
distant islands. Chiloé's main feature is that it is a place where
there is much to learn and hear, without the rush of the big city. A group
of islands where there's always time to wait for the cooking of the "curanto",
to drink apple liquor or chicha as well as Golden Liquor while remembering
the mythological characters ("Trauco", "Pincoya",
"Invunche", "Fiura" and "Caleuche") that
hide in the green nature of hills and forests, sea and rains that are
such an integral part of this fascinating archipelago.
Antarctica
The territory can be reached by sea and air from Punta Arenas, a city
located near the Magellan Straits. The best time to visit is during the
Austral Summer (December to February), when the days are long and daylight
stretches well into what should be night. Then there is enough light and
time then to admire the colonies of the seven species of penguins; to
observe the flight of the migratory birds and to glimpse the whales on
their journeys through Austral waters. It is also possible to tour Villa
Las Estrellas on Rey Jorge island, where a handful of Chilean families
reside permanently and where there is an inn, a school, a post office,
a bank and a small hospital.
Having the appearance of a finger pointing
north towards the famous Cape Horn - the most fearsome pass to ships sailing
these waters - the Antarctic Peninsula harbours the scientific bases of
nine countries. These bases study the great mineral and biologic resources
of this vast ice-capped region. The research centres located in the Chilean
bases of Presidente Frei and Rey Jorge Island can be visited.
The region's unique features make the
inhabited territory of the South Pole an especially attractive destiny
for those who have travelled extensively. Only here will the experienced
traveller and those with the spirit of exploration have the privilege
of experiencing first-hand what has been described as the coldest, driest
and windiest place on Earth. It is worth remembering that in 1966 a temperature
of minus 88.3º Celsius was recorded at the Vostok base - this has
proved to be the lowest temperature so far recorded anywhere in the world.
Antarctica is the only place on Earth
where there are more penguins than people. It is a place where sea lions
and seals relax on floating ice whilst whales swim in their midst. Without
a doubt, one of the biggest attractions of Antarctica is to see the blue
whale up close, the world's largest animal, while it feeds on the enormous
krill production of the Austral waters. The movement of the whales among
the icebergs and the rhythmic sound of their water jets will forever fix
this white and lonely landscape in the visitor's memory.
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