Hello from Puerto Montt Chile.

Tomorrow I head south, first to see the island of Chiloe and then on to who knows where... island hopping by ferry and bus down the archipelago. But, we need to pick up the tale where we left it on leave Easter Island. 

Since my last Easter Island postcard I have been on my way to Puerto Montt at the northern end of the Chilean archipelago. First the return to Santiago, then a two night stint in Chillan followed by a one night stop over in Valdivia. Puerto Mont is even more delightful than I recall from my visit fifteen years ago, albeit dramatically more developed and unseasonably cold for this time of year. It is the middle of their summer! The old fisherman's wharf area is still much as I remember it, but further to the east is a modern new area with a lot of major construction projects underway. It is the best of both worlds as far as I am concerned.  

This is the start of the main tourist season in much of Latin America. The tower that houses my $82 Holiday Inn Express hotel on the 7th to 11th floors also contains the huge Mall Costanera shopping center; most convenient. The Full Fresh Supermarket in the mall features an imaginative deli where I learned to select excellent lunches during my stay. The fisherman's wharf and adjacent mom-and-pop restaurants serving delicious sopa de marisco fish soup is about three kilometers away. A good bus system makes the journey simple and fast.  

I've spent a week here planning the most challenging part of my escapee. You may recall my original objective this year to be island hopping down the Chilean archipelago. The first six months segment really has been foreplay with most of the major stops added at the urging of helpful friends. Well, now I'm here and the real fun is soon to begin. In the next postcard I'll add more links to sites that describe what challenges one can expect traveling in this remote part of the world.

Peace,
Fred L Bellomy

PS: Art, truth and politics. In his video-taped Nobel acceptance speech, Harold Pinter excoriated a 'brutal, scornful and ruthless' United States. After seeing my reference to visiting the home of Chile's renowned poet, Pablo Neruda and knowing of my great anguish over my government's current foreign policies, Gladys Robinson in Santa Barbara California sent me this powerful indictment by the 2005 winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature. In it he quotes an extract from a poem by Pablo Neruda, 'I'm Explaining a Few Things' I recommend it to anyone not grieving for our country. It is important to remember that being a Christian does not guarantee attitudes that promote world peace and justice, something never more important in our leaders than in this age. FB 

 

Puerto Montt Chile: Part of a sculpture group between the Plaza de Armas and the breakwater.

Puerto Montt Chile: Nautical monument near the harbor.

Puerto Montt Chile: Scenes around the Puerto Angelmo Fisherman's harbor and fish market.

Puerto Montt Chile: Scenes around the Puerto Angelmo Fisherman's harbor and fish market.

Puerto Montt Chile: Scenes around the Puerto Angelmo Fisherman's harbor and fish market.

Puerto Montt Chile: Sidewalk mosaic near the government building.

Puerto Montt Chile: Shoreline breakwater along the newer part of Puerto Montt. In the far upper right is the new structure housing the Holiday Inn Express hotel on the 7-11th floors. The lower floors house the city's newest partially completed shopping mall... big.

Puerto Montt Chile: Some old railroad equipment in the park near the breakwater.

Puerto Montt Chile: Sunset from my hotel room.

Puerto Varas Chile: Looking across Lago Llanguihue at one of the glacier covered volcanoes in the middle of January-Summer.

Puerto Varas Chile: Looking across Lago Llauguihue toward the town center.

Puerto Varas Chile: Distinctive Sacred Heart of Jesus Church on the outskirts of the little lake village.

Puerto Montt Chile: Colorful Gran Hotel building across the street from the breakwater.

 

 

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