As the weather forecast for the entire Lake District predicts a steady 90-100% chance of rain for at least a couple of days, we leave our "base" in Las Cascadas and seek the sun somewhere else... The weather map directs us to the mysterious archipelago of Chiloé, part of a mountain range that sank below the waves following the last Ice Age, and (despite ambitious plans for a bridge connecting the archipelago with the mainland) to date only reachable by ferry.
On the other side of the Chacao Channel we find, besides the sun (!), "a distinct enclave, linked more to the sea than the continent” (as poetically described by Chilean historian Renato Cárdenas); a real haven of rural tranquillity, dotted with colourful palafitos (traditional wooden fisherman's dwellings perched on stilts above the water) and 18-19th century wooden churches, many of them listed as UNESCO World Heritage.
“I got that sunshine in my pocket, got that good soul in my feet... :)”
We thoroughly enjoy ourselves, trying local craft beers in the gritty capital Castro, and savouring the Chilote specialty dish curanto (a mishmash of shellfish, meat and potatoes, originally cooked in a hole in the ground) in the lovely fisherman's port of Ancud. Having lost track of time (something that happens to us rather frequently! :), we need to speed through the amazing hills of the Chepu valley (heavily honking because of the numerous blind corner turns!), not to miss the departure of the last boat at Puñihuil... allegedly the only place on earth where both Magellanic and Humboldt penguins live happily together.
In true James Bond style - and to the delight of our boatman Fernando (who kindly agreed to delay his last departure with five minutes) - we arrive onto the beach from where the boats depart (did I already mention how much fun it is to drive Rodrigo's 4WD Land Rover?!). Jorg, who had anxiously been holding on to his door knob during our speedy joy ride, is visibly relieved he will see penguins after all (I promised we would make it! :), and we cannot believe our ears (and first blame it on our sketchy Spanish) when Fernando asks: "Do you only want to see penguins, or also whales?" WHALES!!! OF COURSE WE WANT TO SEE WHALES! :)
What started as an impromptu escape in search of the sun, turned into the most incredible day trip ever! Chiloé, we will most definitely be back!
“The whales do not sing because they have an answer, they sing because they have a song. ”
