Adventures of YB125 in Chile, part 15

It is priceless to walk along moraine ridges and glacier outcrops. Walking along moraine ridges and glacier outcrops is priceless. Let there is nothing intelligible there, the very awareness is precious, it's the dust of millennia, that these stones have made an incredible journey from somewhere from there, from above, they were chewed and spit out with ice, crunching now under our feet.

This glacier is also hopelessly disappearing.

This is the border between Chile and Argentina in the 11th region, near the village Cochrane

It is Douglas Tompkins. His film "180 degrees to the south" once impressed us both very much. This film (and later the very story of life) laid the dream in our hearts like a seed. And maybe, in part, due to the fact that this seed began to germinate, we were in Patagonia. Our dream before the start of this round-the-world was to find a way to meet this great man. But, unfortunately, we did not have time ... In December 2015, at the age of 72 he died. While walking on Lake General Carrera, his kayak overturned, and a few hours later at the hospital in Koyayake Douglas Tompkins left this world. The world, in which he managed to do so much. The photo, unfortunately, is not ours, we took it from the Internet.

Christina and Douglas Tompkins (photo from the Internet)
And so, when we were in the Cochran, we saw in the news the following: Christina, as well as members of the Tompkins Conservation Group (which also includes Yvon Shuinara, a friend with whom Doug did the same journey of 180 degrees to the south, environmental activist and founder of another well-known brand Patagonia) handed over 4 million hectares, bought 25 years ago, transformed into national parks – to Chileans. Have presented. And this is a gift not only for the Chileans. And for the whole world ... For us.

The sound of autumn in the Chilean Patagonia is the sound of saws and firewood thrown. Everyone prepares for winter. And this is undoubtedly the time when large families gather under one roof. This is a great time for us :) Everyone is busy and we are becoming invisible, summer was good, there are some holidays every week, everyone has a good mood. Women cook all day at all and half the Chilean cuisine is being created right before our eyes. Seniors willingly, with conspiratorial views, share secrets.

Traditional Chilean bread can be found from the northern border to the south. Probably, in every house the hostess here not only cooks well, but also makes bread. The store is in large cities. In small towns and villages, the sign "Pan amasado" can be found on every second or third house. Each hostess, of course, has her own recipe, and therefore, two identical loaves in different places can not be found. Staying in the villages for a bit longer, we are used to making the rating of the most delicious recipe)))

The return to Lake General Karera was not planned. But the opportunity to be on its new shores turned out to be a gift. No, probably the second such lake or similar to it ... Incredibly beautiful, in a crown of snowy mountains.

We, by the way, conducted an experiment, and during the day the roads were asked all the people we met on the way (there were few meetings), whether they know Tomkins. So, each of the respondents, knew or knows them personally. Someone worked with them, someone studied or participated in projects. And some, as the inhabitants of the communes participated in all sorts of ceremonies - for example, the opening ceremony of the rehabilitation center for condors and the release of the first three wards, ready to live in freedom.

To be continued....