Mendoza, Argentina

My adventure has taken an unexpected but exciting turn! I decided that I am not picking up Spanish like I was hoping to and I think the reason is because I don’t have any glue to hold the pieces together. I learn words but I have no idea how to form sentences and so I speak in poor broken Spanish. My solution was to enroll in an intense four week school, but not in Chile that is for my WWOOFing experience, I decided to experience another type of culture in Argentina. So for the the next four weeks I will be learning all the Spanish I can as well as exploring what great things Mendoza and the surrounding area has to offer!

Chiloe Island

My farm after Carmen and Andy’s was in Chepu, Chiloe, an island a little further south from Valdivia and the furthest south I will travel in Chile...this trip. Just like my previous travels from one farm to the next, of course I have a story! So, Juan and I are up and ready to go on time, mostly due to my persistence and repeated statements of how important my 8 o’clock bus is, but he decides to be very Chilean and takes just a few extra moments in the morning to talk to his mother. Those few extra moments cost me my 8 o’clock bus and I was quite upset. The reason the 8 o’clock bus was so important was due to my connecting bus in Ancud to go out to the country side, it left at 4 and only ran Monday, Wednesday, and Friday if I missed it I would have to spend not one but two nights in Ancud. I got on the next bus that gave me 20 minutes to change terminals and be on my way, I don’t think I would have made it if I hadn’t made the mistake of getting off earlier than I was supposed to. I saw a rural bus terminal just as the bus pulled into Ancud and thought that was the one I needed to go to, I was wrong, but ended up taking a taxi to the correct terminal and made it with 10 minutes to spare! I am not sure how I end up getting so lucky but I sure am happy it happens!

            My next farm, called Alihuen is mostly tree restoration and the fruits and vegetables are fairly new.  The owner, Jeroen Beuckels, came from Belgium and started building his house 6 years ago.  He used to be a chef, also WWOOFed in Australia and Romania, and is a tour guide 9 months of the year.  He lives with very little and the farm is still in the process of becoming self sufficient.  However, I was so happy to work on this farm, not because the work was amazing, but because I found a friend! There was another WWOOFer there and we got along great! Her name is Emma and she is from New York, she started her travels in Argentina learning Spanish then decided to WWOOF a little in Chile and we have plans to meet up in the future.

             At the farm we harvested potatoes and seeds from trees, picked seeds from a native fruit, planted seeds, and picked apples. You might say that is not a lot of work, but harvesting potatoes is a lot of work when the only tools you have are your hands, but we always seemed to laugh and make the best of our potato harvesting time (and yes, we both appreciate our potatoes now).    

            Senor Beuckels strongly advised Emma and I to go somewhere for the weekend and suggested we stay at a Bed and Breakfast just up the hill and go on a horse ride Saturday morning. We took his advice and stayed at the Bed and Breakfast for Friday night and went on a ride Saturday morning. The ride, was the scariest thing I have ever experienced in my life. My horse was not a friendly horse, he did not like Emma’s horse and there was a young wild horse that somehow found its way to us and my horse did not like him either. There were two scary experiences for me: first, we were riding along the beach and my horse just started galloping away and racing Emma’s horse going faster and faster until he decided to stop by going up a hill that just dropped off; second, was when the mysterious wild horse stopped in front of him and started to kick him, my horse raised up and started to buck, and yes I will say that I didn’t even realize the tears of fear until Emma asked if I was alright. Even though the ride itself was not fun it was my first horse ride along the beach and the views I saw were amazing but I will not be getting on any horse in the near future. The rest of our weekend was relaxed and very nice and we were able to explore Castro, a town close by. To sum it up, the experience was great and I was so happy to see Chiloe, it truly is a beautiful island.

Farming with Andy and Carmen

I spent a total of two weeks with Andy and Carmen, one week at Puquelehue and one week at their place in Valdivia named Nanihue. During my time at Puquelehue I arrived just at the end of season but the beginning of preserving time, so I became quite familiar with the kitchen, a nice change from working outside. I can now say that I am a pro at peeling and cutting peaches and tomatoes! I made some amazing peach marmalade and the great thing is it’s so easy I don’t think I will be buying any store bought jams in the future! I also learned how to make chutney but I wasn’t a huge fan so I won’t be making it in the states. I milked my first cow and it was thrilling but a little tiring at the same time. I enjoyed the milk with my coffee that morning and I am a little relieved I don’t have to milk a cow every morning. I also helped with picking raspberries and tomatoes, and watering the plants. One afternoon Carmen took my on a walk around her property and on top of on of their hills they have an amazing view of the valley they live in, the surrounding farms, and the Bio Bio River; a gorgeous view and a great walk!

            Nanihue is located just outside of Valdivia, a place south of Puquelehue.  Andy and Carmen have just started living in the house and planting trees and crops. So at this place I helped their hired help, Don Victor, clear land for the fruit and vegetables and then planted strawberries.  They also have ducks and chickens so I helped with feeding them as well. It was also at Nanihue I witnessed many stages of a Chicken’s life: feeding time, wing clipping time, killing time, and feather plucking time. I did not kill the chicken, Don Victor was given that mighty job, but I did pluck the feathers and ate the chicken!  The weather in Valdivia is similar to the weather in Seattle, but with a little more sunshine. I really enjoyed Valdivia and felt very comfortable walking around and exploring the town a little.

            Carmen’s brother and sister live in Valdivia and I was able to meet them during which Carmen’s nephew invited to show me around town. I accepted and we set up the afternoon before I was to leave for my next farm. The nephew’s name is Juan and he should me the university he attends, the Valdivia River, took me to a nice little place for dinner, and then I experienced my first bar in Chile! There is a type of liquor called pisco that is specific to Chile and maybe one or two other South American countries and so my first drink in Chile was Pisco and it was not bad at all! We had to call it a night early by Chilean standards so I could catch my 8 o’clock bus the next morning.

           To sum it up I had a fun time and enjoy staying with Andy and Carmen, so much so to make my travels easier I have left a suitcase full of unnecessary belongs at their house to pick up before I leave Chile and to ensure I get to see them one more time before departing back to the states.

Farm 3

From farm number 2 there are only two times the bus goes to the city, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. I had to get the morning bus in order to make it to my next farm in time. I made the first bus and was in Linares city by 9 and off to Concepcion to make my connecting bus. During the bus ride the landscape changes were beautiful; I went from somewhat treeless desert climate to beautiful mountain scenery. I also received a call from the next farm saying they had someone to meet me in Concepcion and to wait for him (lets call him Fernando because I cannot remember his name). I was thrilled because this meant I wasn’t traveling alone! I waited about an hour for Fernando to pick me up, we got on the bus and started our trip! I thought I would be at the house in an hour time frame...it was another 3 hour leg. We were in this small bus, packed with people, driving up hills and around rivers and mountains when we finally arrived at the location we were to get off we had to walk up a mountain. I thought we only had to go a few hundred yards until we were there and was very confused as to why we were waiting for someone to drive us up the road. I thought to myself, this guy knows what he’s doing and I don’t mind not lugging my bags up another mountain. We pack my bags into the truck and start our drive up the mountain, more than just a few hundred yards later (around a mile) we are dropped off in front of a fence. I thought “perfect, we’re here!” and when the Fernando told me we still had to walk I was worried, my bags are heavy and the road was very rocky. We go through a fence and I see a house and think, oh not far at all and of course find out that is not the house we are going to...we have to haul my two bags up a hill, back down, and up the steep steps of Carmen and Andy’s house. Exhausted from my 7 hour trip and 45 minutes hauling workout I am relieved to find out we made it just in time, it starts to rain and doesn’t stop until the morning. It is safe to say that I always have an adventure when moving from one place to another!

Now, a little bit of information about Carmen, Andy, and their farm. The farm’s name is Puquelehue, which literally means “how far is this fucking place” (seriously). It is about a 45 minute drive to the nearest town by car or 2 hours bus ride (including a 45 minute walk to the bus stop). Carmen is Chilean, Andy is British, and they met in the early 80‘s when Carmen was living in England. They lived there until 8 years ago when Carmen decided to take an early retirement due to illness. They built their three bedroom, two bath house, planted their farm and are fully organic and self-sufficient. I was sad to learn they are moving due to the up keep of a farm, Andy’s job, and being so far from the city. They grow peaches, pears, the world’s largest apples, grapes, raspberries, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, plums, potatoes, cucumbers, and the list continues. They also have a few cows. Andy teaches English at one of the Universities here in Chile and this means he is away during the week. So, I am here with Carmen and absolutely love this place, it is by far the best!   Carmen was a sociologist in England and, a drum role please, a Spanish instructor for a university in England! How perfect, I cannot believe my luck with this farm! She is helping me with my Spanish, teaching me about what it really means to be organic, and telling me all her life stories. I was told I was expected to work 5 hours a day and the jobs are pretty easy here. The scenery is breath taking and I enjoy waking up to the cool, foggy, mountain mornings and going to sleep with the B-E-A-UTIFUL sunsets.

                

End of Farm 2

Well, the time came to leave my second farm and I decided I wasn’t ready and I would stay through the weekend. The days are relaxed, breakfast and dinner are on your own but lunch is always the biggest meal and with the family. The food here is delicious and I have tried to pay attention to how and what they do, but I doubt I will be able to recreate their recipes.  My work here at this farm is mostly “yard work”. I have pulled weeds, cut mora (a very bad plant that grows ALL over), hoed the land, covered it with compost, and watered the land. I have grown found of watering plants, maybe because it’s low manual labor, or because it is a type of meditation....haha! 

In my time here the youngest had his 15th birthday. It was celebrated by homemade cakes, wines, and the “Happy Birthday” song sung in four different languages! I have also found out they are famous! They were in a very popular magazine last August, of course I couldn’t read the article but I will look it up on the internet and translate it later, but I am pretty sure they were in it because they make their own wine and liquor, they grow their own food, and make natural medicines.

I went into town a few days ago to call my brother, he turned 25 on the 10th and had a small adventure on my travel “home”! I went with a WWOOFer named Marco, from Switzerland and on the way back the bus was pulled over, the driver arrested, and the bus left in the hands of a 17 year old boy (the legal driving age in Chile is 18). It is still unsure why the driver was arrested but the family said that he is a very bad man wanted for everything you can think of.  Finally, between the two farms there are 5 WWOOFers and to say farewell to our farms (4 of us are leaving 03/14) we decided to have a fiesta! The night was full of laughter, drinks, dancing, and was a fantastic closure to farm number 2.

Farm number 2

My time at Jorge’s farm ended on the 3rd of March. I had my bags packed, did a few jobs in the morning and started to read the book I had picked up at his house to pass the time until my friend Angelia (Jorge’s nanny) came to get me. Well, the time I thought we arranged came and went and I was still at Jorge’s house. This, was not pleasing to Jorge, he did not recommend that I go with Angelia because she was not part of the WWOOF organization, but I decided (after considering his concerns) that this was my trip and I will do what I want. Jorge was in and out of the house doing errands. When he came back at 3 and I was still at the house he decided that I go to his friends farm in the mountains. He called the friend, told her I would be calling soon, and told me to call when he got off the phone with her. I call, she only speaks Spanish, and I ask if I can stay one week on her farm. She tells me yes; so 20 minutes later Jorge and I are at the bus terminal. I asked if he would go with me to the farm and he said of course!  Well, that was a lie. He just took me to the bus terminal, waited with me until the bus was there and asked a few people if they would help me. Luckily the people on the bus knew where I was going because I had no idea. Jorge wasn’t very clear with where to get off and the bus system in Chile just stops wherever...there are no “designated” stops. The man that helps me tells the driver to stop, helps me off, gets my bags, then boards the bus while I pay. I am left with my two huge suitcases, my backpack, and computer bag on this dirt road in the middle of the mountains. I pull out my cell to call Cintilla and I have no service, great, just great, I have no idea where I am supposed to go! I decide to start walking and after a few minutes pull my bags to the side to walk without dragging them over the rocks, dirt, and mud. I see no one...I see a house but there is no one inside. I walk back to my bags and think what I should, I try one more time to find people. This time I walk up to one of the houses and ask if they know Cintilla; my friends I have walked straight into the house I am supposed to be at! I am SO relieved and tell them my bags are by the main road.

            So, I am at my unexpected farm number 2 and I absolutely love it! The farm has grapes (red and green), ducks, chickens, pears, apples, peaches, and so much more! The family is from the Canary Islands and moved to Chile about 8 years ago. There are four children and the farm next door has WWOOFers that I have been able to spend some time with. This was the type of farm I was expecting when I signed up for WWOOF. I shower, eat, and work at the house but sleep in a friends unfinished cabin on an air mattress just on the other side of the property. The nights are cool and quite unlike the nights at Jorge’s where cars and buses were passing by at all hours of the night. I know I will enjoy my one week here and I wish I could spend one more!

Farm 1

Well folks, I have been here one week! Crazy to think about; it doesn’t feel that long. To be honest the first couple of days were extremely hard for me, I couldn’t believe that I was in a foreign country alone, unable to speak the language, and to top it off Jorge  didn’t seem too impressed with me. Thankfully the first weekend there was a family here  learning about organic permaculture and they knew a little English, this helped a little. They would ask me how to say words in English and I in Spanish, it was lovely!

A little bit about the family I am living with! They moved to Chile from Colombia 4 years ago and I am still trying to figure out why they moved...to farm, better job, they like Chile better, not sure. Jorge stays at home and takes care of the house and farm while Ellos (Jorge’s wife), travels to Talca, a city one hour away, to work as a physical therapist.  I was able to watch her in action with a patient here in town and she seems great at her job! They have a 3 yr old girl named Gabbie who is adorable, I just wish I could actually talk to her. 

Now, I bet you are all curious what I am actually doing here in Chile. My work varies from day to day and the first few days I didn’t do much of anything except hang out with the family. This past week I have: moved plies of wood from one location to another, sifted dirt, potted the sifted dirt, mowed the lawn (with a non-motorized mower and pruning scissors), collected the worlds smallest seeds from the ground, and I am currently helping Jorge build an ecobathroom. I have also built a future garden for Jorge. The hopeful garden is an experiment: Jorge thinks that if he puts dirt/wood/rocks in a space covered with dry grass in a year the soil will be perfect for a garden. I hope it works, because it has been work to get it there!

Working on a farm where people only speak Spanish gives a person a lot of time to think, and that’s exactly what I’ve been doing! I decided that I would like to see different parts of Chile and I am currently emailing farms to visit over the next few months!

    

On Sunday, 02/20/2011 I helped Jorge with an Exposition in Yerbas Buenas, a town 12km away. At this exposition Jorge and I sold humus (the organic component of soil, formed by the decomposition of leaves and other plant material by soil microorganism, dictionary.com) both in solid and liquid form, aloe vera, as well as CD’s Jorge made about how to be more green. Jorge was very popular with the crowd and could not be more delighted to share his philosophy on living with everyone that stopped to ask questions. Many people were impressed that Jorge had built a solar run light and it always caught peoples attention. I was lucky enough to wander around and take a look at want Chile expositions offer! There were games, food, and entertainment! I of course had to try some Chilean food, it was different and I am still not sure if I really liked it but the churros were delicious!

This past week I have helped Jorge clear more land for his future rustic house and more plants. It will take many years for all of his projects in his head to actually happen but with the help of volunteers it will one day happen! But it sure is a lot of work to prepare the land for his plans. 

Today was the first day that I actually went into Linares City and walked around accompanied by Jorge and Gabbie (his 3yr old daughter). It is not very big but a typical city with street venders, food, and people carrying on with their day!