Chile

Chile, with a population of over 19.2 million, extends 2,700 miles from its norther border with Peru and Bolivia to its southern tip at Cape Horn. It also shares control of Tierra del Fuego with Argentina and has sole sovereignty over Easter Island. It is bordered by the Andes and Argentina on the east and the Pacific Ocean on the west. Its climate ranges from dessert in the north to the cold and windy southern tip. Like most South American countries, it was originally a Spanish colony but declared its independence in 1810. Santiago, originally called Santiago del Nuevo Extremo during its colonial period, is the capital of Chile. Santiago's Plaza de Armas was the heart of the city in colonial times, surrounded by the cathedral and government buildings that still stand today, converted to other uses. This photo shows the top of the Palacio de la Real Audiencia which has been converted to a Natural History Museum.

Chile

Palacio de la Moneda or simply La Moneda was opened as a coin mint in 1805. It became the governor's residence in 1885 and is today the seat of the government and several ministries. The palace also contains a Cultural Center which displays the works of Chilean artists. There is also a cafe, restaurant and gift shop.

Chiloe

After leaving Santiago, we began our trek to Patagonia, the principal reason for our Chilean visit. Our first stop was Chiloe where we took a boat tour to see the Humboldt and the Magellanic penguins' breeding grounds on the cliffs. Both species are listed as vulnerable, due in part to climate change. We had hoped to see the famed palafitos, colorful wooden houses built over the water on stilts. But a day trip was too short.

Puerto Montt

Our second stop in Patagonia was Puerto Montt where we stayed in the only hotel during our trip. We found a thriving artisan market downtown where we spent a good deal of time. In one of the coffee shops, we bought a beautiful, colorful handmade wall-hanging which now graces one of our living room walls. Puerto Montt is also the place where we boarded the Navimag for a four days and three nights ferry trip to Puerto Natales. This is a photo of one of the artisans we meet in Puerto Montt.

Puerto Montt

Small boat for artisanal fishing.

Patagonia

We boarded the Navimag around 9 in the morning along with a group of varying nationalities: Swiss, German, British, American and Spanish. During the voyage, everyone ate meals in the dining room, sharing group tables. During and between meals passengers mingled freely using English as the lingua franca of the trip. Sometimes we assembled on deck to marvel at the ever- changing Andes. At night the captain entertained us with talks and short movies about Torres del Paine National Park, the destination of most. All went smoothly until we were awakened on the last night by the rolling ship that later made it difficult to carry our breakfast trays. Still, it was a very captivating and enjoyable trip. This photo is one of the dozens I took along the way.

Patagonia

This is another photo I shot during our ferry boat trip to Puerto Natales.

Patagonia

We arrived at night in Puerto Natales and with some difficulty found a taxi that took us to our Airbnb. The next morning, we sat out to explore. It is difficult to describe the awesome feeling we had as we seemed almost surrounded by the snow-capped mountains of the Andes. We were excited to embark on a tour of Torres del Paine National Park. The park is a hiker's dream and is known for its diversity of animals and birds. In 2013, UNESCO declared it a Biosphere Reserve and the eighth wonder of the world. Three huge rock towers give the park its name; Torres means towers and Paine is the word for blue in the native Tehueiche/Aonikenk language. This a photo of the two most iconic of the three towers.

Patagonia

Another shot of Torres del Paine from a slightly different angle.

Patagonia

This photo also gives a glimpse of the immensity of the Andes mountains.

Patagonia

Torres del Paine, 37 miles from Puerto Natales, is best reached by car or tour bus. By chance we encountered Jose, the Spaniard on the ferry, and together rented a taxi for the trip. There we booked a boat tour that took us past many of the glaciers in the park. This photo shows part of one of the very long glaciers. The general area of Puerto Natales and Torres del Paine is very windy and even during the summer requires a sweater.

Patagonia

Another photo of a different part of a larger glacier in Torres del Paine. This was our first time seeing a glacier up close.

Patagonia

Guanacos, the wild cousin of the domesticated llama, are one of the most visible animals in Torres del Paine. They often can be seen in large groups. Guanacos, llamas, alpacas and vicunas are four species of the camel family, Camelidae. While all four species are found in many South American countries, it is the wild guanaco that is seen in Torres del Paine. They are hunted by pumas in the park.

Patagonia

Another view of a guanaco in Torres del Paine.

Tierra del Fuego

From Puerto Natales we took a bus to Punta Arenas, partly because we were going to fly back to Santiago from there and partly because Punta Arenas is the gateway to Tierra del Fuego. Tierra del Fuego is the southernmost inhabited part of South America. Argentina and Chile share control of the island. Tierra del Fuego had been occupied by indigenous tribes for 12,000 years when Ferdinand Magellan came across the island in 1520. He called the island Tierra del Fuego (land of fire) because of the enormous fires set by native groups, and the name has remained. Magellan was followed by Spanish ranchers and settlers in the 19th century. Some sought gold while others became sheep farmers. In addition to bringing diseases to the indigenous population, both groups engaged in the genocide of native groups. Bounties were placed on the heads of men, women and children. In a short time, the Selk'nam and other tribes were annihilated. This is a photo of Selk'nam statues in downtown Tierra del Fuego.

Tierra del Fuego

At one stop on our tour of the island, we were delighted to see the Porvenir colony of King Penguins which archeological findings trace back 6,000 years. The colony is gradually growing even though King Penguins have the longest breeding cycle of any bird. They have a maximum of two chicks every three years and fledging lasts 14 to 16 months. King Penguins are the second largest of penguin species in the world. On land, penguins mostly stand around for hours; in the sea they are remarkably, swift swimmers and fishers.

La Serena

Upon our return to Santiago by plane from Punta Arenas, we set our sight north. We would have liked to travel as far as the Atacama Desert, but lacking time we chose La Serena, 294 miles north of Santiago, instead. La Serena, founded in 1544, is the second oldest city in Chile after Santiago and has a population of about 206,000. The region around La Serena is known for the exceptional transparency of its skies. For this reason it has been chosen by a number of countries for their observatories. We were able to tour one observatory where an astronomer gave a lecture and allowed us to view the sky through their telescope. Fishing, both commercial and artisan, is the lifeblood of La Serena, although over-fishing has become a problem. Still, fresh seafood in restaurants is easy to find. This is a photo of the small boats used in artisan fishing.

La Serena

An artisan fisherman cleaning a fish on the beach among sea gulls.

La Serena

Artisan fishermen caring for their boat. Their livelihood depends upon well-maintained boats. Their life has become more difficult since the Fisheries Act of 2013 (La Ley de Pesca) which shrank their fishing zone by four miles.

La Serena

I took this photo in the same area as those of the fishermen. Sea gulls are ubiquitous on beaches around the world.

La Serena

Another photo of sea gulls and a pelican on the beach with turquoise water in the background.

La Serena

This statue standing in a boat is of Saint Peter the Apostle, the patron saint of fishermen. I took this photo on the same beach where the fishermen were repairing their boat.