Cerro Quilán

I am very enthusiastic about city and country alike in my travels. There is just something so wonderful about being on a trail (preferably totally alone) with my binoculars and all my senses—just walking and absorbing. Perhaps this and using my languages are my two greatest pleasures in life.

So I first indulged myself to a guided hike to Parque Tantauco, a private park, made available to the people of Chile by the current president, Sebastian Piñera. It is a rain forest, with rare and wonderful trees that store water in their roots, which in turn are set in lush moss a foot or more deep. It is a magical place, endangered as all places are in Chile, by cutting cutting cutting trees for firewood. Even virgin old-growth forests are fair game. If you expand the map above to see the rest of the island, this will be more than evident. I weep to think of it. My guide, Felipe, was first-rate, and he and his historian brother became my friends.

I also hiked in the wetlands section of Chiloé National Park, on well-made trails on many boardwalks. I saw birds of many kinds, and ate a great many “murta” berries, which resemble a cross between a blueberry and a sweetened cranberry, but with an acidic bite. A berry with character. The park is bordered by the Pacific Ocean, which was a thrilling sight, what with the breakers rolling in. I unfortunately remembered that some disastrous tsunamis covered the exact place where I sat to have my lunch, which wasn´t pleasant. Never mind, I’m OK.

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