What a fantastic day! We were up early for breakfast before embarking on our shore excursion, Ancient Forest Eco Walk & German Colonization Museum with a couple extra stops thrown in for good measure. Our guide, Thomas, hales originally from Austria but has been here over twenty years. He very possibly may be more opinionated than I. Difference being, he is getting paid for his opinions and express them he did. Really quite funny, too. After about a half hour coach ride and approximately as many opinions later we arrived at the Lahuen Nadi Forest. “Here tucked away in this natural setting…” were ancient Alcerce trees. To my untrained eye they seem to be in the California redwood family only more beautiful. They have become almost extinct because they take 500 years to grow sufficiently to harvest. They were very popular for masts on sailing ships, furniture, boats, houses, you name it as they grow straight up. Waaay UP! And the wood is beautiful. Absolutely breathtaking. Got several really good pics, but you will just have to take my word for how tall they are. The entire forest was magnificent and thankfully the government is now protecting the trees remaining. The oldest we saw was 1,600 years old. Simply beautiful.
From the forest and nature walk we drove maybe half an hour to an actual working farm operated by the descendants of German settlers from the mid to late 1800s. On the way Thomas informed us of just how Germans came to be in Southern Chile. Seems this area was more or less unpopulated so the Chilean government recruited settlers by going to Germany and enticing people to improve their situation, come to Chile and we will give you land and the necessary tools and supplies to make a homestead. What they didn’t tell them was that the land they were being given was dense forest land in the beautiful foothills of the Andes with a few volcanoes relatively close by just to make it challenging. The government then had the southern part of their country populated so other countries couldn ‘t say, “you are not using this land so we will just take it.” According to Thomas, that is. The Germans were more or less stuck as they had invested everything they had to get over here. Oh, one more requirement of them, they must learn to speak Spanish. Think he said they also lost their German citizenship.
The museum was very interesting. Took a picture for Kelli of the typical wedding dress of that period. Black. You see white was not practical don’t you know. This they could marry in and wear to funerals. How handy. The flowers surrounding the museum were striking. Had a lily pond. A water wheel, you name it even a zip line. We did not try the zip line. Within the museum shop they had some knitted garments for sale as well as nurishment. A good ole US Coca Cola was $3, a hand knitted child’s sweater was $10. Please explain the logic in that to me.
From the museum we were driven to Puerto Varas on the banks of the largest lake entirely in Chile. It too was magnificent. Very picturesque with a snow capped volcanic mountain on the other side of the lake. This scene will join my other newly acquired fridge magnets once I return home. Definitely will need a larger refridge. Puerto Varas is a popular tourist area. It was here that I found my first yarn shop. Much to my dismay, it was stocked ENTIRELY with 100% acrylic. What the . . . .
Chile has enjoyed a very healthy economy for some 30 years (to my eye the most affluent country we have visited thus far) but alas it is now suffering somewhat. Many social injustices here, per Thomas, due to the greed, corruption and incompetence of the current President, thus students for the most part are protesting. Once again according to Thomas, the current President is too stupid and/or stubborn to solve the problem. According to Dr. Sherry who has served as foreign advisor to two US Presidents, the real problem is that a disproportionate portion of their exports are to China and China is not buying now. Visible results are defaced statutes in parks and the burning of a luxury hotel/casino in Coquimbo.
Personal note. Tommy finally was successful in purchasing the seemingly world famous Pisco. After a single sip, he threatened to go back and purchase more. Haven’t tried it yet and since he did not purchase more, doubt that I will get much of a taste.
Most interesting day all around. We pull up anchor about 5 this afternoon and are off to Puerto Chacabuco, Chile tomorrow. The tender ride back to our ship was not unlike something at an amusement park. All arrived safely if not entirely calm.
2020 Around the World Tour 
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