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!