Saturday, we drove down to the end of Ruta 5, about 1 1/2 hrs, and drove onto the ferry to Chiloe. pronounce chill-oh-way. This island was settled by a tribe of mapuche indians and then the spanish arrived in 1567. The spanish and indians intermarried and developed their own culture separate from Chile. The Jesuits arrived in 1608 and built many churches all over the archipelago. Many of the churches are still standing and there is a tour you can make of the most popular ones. People farm & fish and cater to tourists here. Not much else to do! There are some towns and shopping.
You can click on the map and zoom in. the beaches we went to are northwest of Ancud.



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Here is the ferry - 4 of them were going back and forth all day and its not even the busy season. No waiting, you just drive right on- pay the ferrymaster $20 and relax.

There is an outside viewing deck for tourists. The trip is around 1/2 hr. across the Chanel de Chacao. All these heavy trucks and buses make me nervous! but this is the only way to the island.

Our first stop was the penguin beach. Boats go out to the small islands off the coast to view the magellanic & humboldt penguin breeding grounds. I think this is the farthest north they go. Look hard because they blend in well with the rocks. Lots of chicks but most parents are out fishing to feed all the hungry mouths!

This rock split in the 2010 earthquake Voila! now 2 islands!

Thomas is having a great time! as we all did

Cool caves all along this rocky coast

Beautiful rolling hills and farmland

This is the most awesome beach ever! Miles and miles of sand - just a few houses and we only saw one guy on the beach. he was scuba diving for kelp. We drove down on the beach and explored several caves, one of which is in this big rock Lots of shells and interesting rocky areas

Lots of flowers blooming like this thistle

You can bet we'll be back! Next time - the church tour and the capital of Castro.

Yesterday 12 December 2013 was the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe which is celebrated by the Catholic Church. As some of you who follow this blog are not Catholic I thought that this was a miracle that transcends all Christian faiths. Indeed the miracle covers all humanity and is as important for this fact, since the Virgin Of Guadalupe first appeared to a pagan who had little or no knowledge of the Catholic Church. The Mother of God appeared to and for all of us. Even if you are not a Christian (and I hope you are) then this extraordinary event, which can still be seen today 500 years later, can not be explained by modern science. Indeed the miracle continues every day since it first happened as the "Tilma" is like a living apparition.

There are some unusual and different things about Chile. Here is a list of a few things, some quite puzzling and humorous.

1. Don't ever go into the bathroom stall at a public restroom without checking the toilet paper first. Either there is none or it may be stationed outside the stall?!
2. Lots of people hitchhike - young and old! it is common and safe. many people can't afford cars and though buses are very common and go everywhere sometimes it is just more convenient to hitch a ride. Also it is considered good Christian form to pick some one up and snobby not to. Of course you use your own discretion. Use your emergency blinkers when you pick them up.
3.Milk comes in boxes unrefrigerated and jam comes in bags (very messy!)
4. Many chilean products are poorly designed and constructed - the weeny easybake oven (it is neither) that seems to be the standard stove for most chileans that can't fit 4 pots on the top and you need 3 arms and the patience of a saint to light the oven. The washing machine where the clothes come out dirtier than when you put them in and the dryer that sounds like 100 squeaking rats are inside turning the drum and it takes 2 hours to dry a load of clothing. I have grown to love my clothesline with all that nice fresh Patagonian air and a good torrential downpour gets most of the dirt out!
5.Dirt / Gravel roads are common but well maintained though a little dusty when it's dry and it's not uncommon to see oxen pulled carts on the side of the highway or what we would call the interstate. You will also see bicyclists and pedestrians on the interstate.
6. It is good form when you enter someones house to say "permisso" or permission. It is like the Irish saying bless all in this house! Chileans are very polite and just saying hola to someone you don't know is too casual for chileans. You should say "Buenos Dias, hola" especially to someone you don't know
7. Chileanos are real big on receipts. They must give you a receipt even for the most simple purchase and they are real insistent that you take it. This has to do with the tax laws. Also if you do a credit card or debit purchase they will ask you to hit enter on the machine to verify the amount that they put into the machine. This is to prove that they are honest.
8. They love bags or bolsas. If they were selling you bags they would put them in a bag and that in a bag and so on.But the bags are so holey you have to use 2 at the grocery store.
9. You get to kiss your banker. It is common to kiss someone on the cheek when you say hello (opposite sex). Like the frenchies.
10. Chileanos do not like BBQ sauce or sweet meat like chinese or americans.
11. They love bubbly water or carbonated water.......... actually I have come to prefer it as well. You can't get just a free glass of water at a restaurant. It is always bottled and you have a choice- con or sin gas. with or without carbonation. Samuel & Andrew still get confused by this.
12. There are many little roadside shrines a symbol of the catholic heritage of this country.
13. The language is always good for a laugh. Like when Jim asked the ladies at Kuchenladen for a Bodega de galletas which is a barnful of cookies instead of a bagful or when Jim wanted to grill a cerro instead of a cerdo - a hill instead of a pig. Our friend told us his ancestors came from germany on sheep instead of ships. I have been teaching the ladies at our favorite cafe some english so they can help the american tourists. We have a good laugh as they try to pronounce some of the sounds that are difficult for a spanish tongue.
14. Tipping - the waiter tips are only 10% but it is customary to tip many others including the bag boy at the grocery who only makes $2.50 per hour, the guy who helps you park your car and then makes sure it isn't broken into (you hope!) and the juggler who entertains you while waiting for the light change.
15 which brings up another topic on parking- there are no meters on city streets but there is usually a guy with an official orange vest who will put a ticket on your car and then conveniently take your money when you are ready to leave which is only a $1 or 2 depending on how long you are parked.
I assume they are city employees?
16. The roads are pretty well maintained - in town they paint the street lines with hand brushes and weed the roadsides with weedeaters- both very time consuming and though seemingly inefficient I guess it does provide jobs for the locals!
17. Though i must admit chileans are ingenious and learn to make do when they can't afford an item or it just isn't available for example - workers pouring concrete on the roadside are using a smoother with homemade stick handles and if you don't have a ladder tall enough you just build it with scrap wood!
You fill up your car with firewood if you don't have a trailer and if you don't have a car you use a wheelbarrow and if you don't have a car, your back is just as good!

Holidays are a bit different here. They have some obscure catholic/saint holidays when all the stores & banks are closed but no one goes to church. Of course, they don't have Thanksgiving but we did celebrate that special day with our American friends as we have so much to be thankful for!

We also celebrated All Saint's/All Souls day with our American host family who came down from Santiago to spend the weekend with us. We had a dress up as your favorite saint plus some games and fun!

The donut game

Bobbing for apples

Birds in the tree

Now we are getting ready for Advent and Christmas. And I can't believe I have done 2 things I've never done before- first I bought a fake tree. they just don't sell live trees here. and second I put it up Thanksgiving weekend. Thomas was just too excited.

Here is the Advent wreath I made from scratch- You'd be proud of me, Mom! Just some branches Thomas cut from the yard and some electrical wire

Not bad for $10 - Thomas put it together and decorated it plus he's even been making some gifts for Emily Won't she be surprised! Thomas is very industrious!

The people are friendly and welcoming This picture was taken at our first BBQ when we hosted the Mennonite church of 30+ people at our home with dinner on  Jim's new grill - a real southern BBQ Chilean people are generally reserved, quiet, genial people Not as outwardly friendly as southerners but always generous and helpful Overall, Chileans are happy and simple people Number 5 The country life

We love the farms and the animals and look forward to having our own someday We love the wide open pastures and all that fresh Patagonian air!

View from Ski Slopes on Volcan Orsono

Carabineros or Chilean Police on Parade at Founders day Parade. Many Carabineros were killed in the 1970s coup

Chilean Navy on parade for founders day in Frutillar

Dirt Track Car Race in Frutillar Alto

Our sea worthy container being delivered 16 Feb 2013 in the rain in Boiling Springs, South Carolina

There have been a lot of requests for more information on the container / shipping process. Since this is an ongoing process for us, and since the process like so many other things here in Chile is always changing, I thought it was best to make several posts. So, for those of you who are getting your move in order, you will want to book mark this first post on shipping containers.

To ship or not to ship? I have read other blogs that have stated SELL EVERYTHING! Ok, if you want to sell then sell. I found that Norte Americanos like their stuff,,,, alot! I remember a wonderful line from the movie "Quiet Man" where Maureen O'Hara says (my para phrase)

"..... there are 300 years of love and dreaming in my things and.... I need them.... I want them and I'll have them" .   STUFF!

As a family, for us every day we have been here one of us will say I just wish I  had my "what ever" from the container. I would be so much happier if I just had that one thing and I could get this done or be able to move on to another task. It comes to the fact that we are comfortable with what makes us comfortable and in many cases that is what gives us a feeling of permanence and home. The feeling of having your things about you is very comforting and it helps to make your new house a home. I think it is important to be as comfortable as you can in your new country, so I say ship it all as much as you can and then some. It will make your life easier and your transition less painful and stressful.

NOW TO THE FACTS
1. It is almost as cheap to ship a 40 foot container as it is a 20 foot container. +/-$1,000 difference in pricing, and when you are talking about your stuff and a once in a life time event $1,000 might as well be $1.00 so get a 40 foot HIGH BOY container which is 40 foot long by 9 foot tall. They sell 8 foot tall containers and you do NOT want one of these as that extra foot in height is cheap and it lets you bring taller house hold items with no problem. It is well worth the extra $300 to $500 for the TALL BOY at 9 foot.

2. Renting a container is more expensive than buying a container. There is one exception and that is if you are moving to the city and you do not want to have an empty container hanging around after you have emptied out all your stuff. We have friends who have rented, and they paid more for the rental and storage then they would have for the purchase of the container out right.

3. Where to buy and particulars: In the upstate of South Carolina I went to L&L container on White Horse Road at I-85.

ADDRESS: 22 Burty Rd
Greenville, SC 29605 (864) 295-7103

Ask for "Van" the owner. He will try to "UP SELL" you so barter hard. You are not a shipper so just buy a container that will make one more trip. It will need the "Inter-modal Stamp" and the updated inspection on the door. DO NOT LOSE THE PAPER WORK THAT HE GIVES YOU OR YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SHIP YOUR CONTAINER!!
If you are not in the Greenville, SC area then look up on the internet shipping containers and you will find lots of choices. You will want one that is close to where you live so that your delivery expense is not as high because they charge a per hour (there and back) for delivery.

4. How much did JIM and LORI pay? $4,300 for a 40 foot X 9 foot tall sea worthy container. It was beat up but was still sea worthy and had to pass the inspection which was placed on the door. The boys and I bought some oil based paint and now it looks like new. Van offered to paint the container for $500, and we chose to save the $$$. Remember it only needs to make one more trip. So a few spots where holes were welded is no big deal. The price we got was tax, title, and delivered with Inter-modal paperwork and sea worthy stamp on the door.  Van does the inspection and will give you the paper work when the container is delivered.

5. What to look for when buying? Good doors and seals. The doors should close tightly and easily. There should be minimal rust around the doors. The roof should be solid and with out any holes. It must be water tight. I climbed on top of the container to see how bad the rust was on the top. You can not see the top from the ground. Van did not expect me to do this but was accommodating, and he had a ladder available. You can bet your shoes that Van looks at the roof of a container before he buys them, so shouldn't you? The roof is the easiest spot to get ripped off. If you are too scared to climb a 9 foot ladder, give Van your cell phone and ask him to climb up and get a picture for you. He will do it if he wants to sell the container and......... HE DOES WANT TO SELL ONE! On the inside look for solid flooring. Containers are wood floored, which is good because then you can screw straps and such into the flooring to tie down furniture. So the floor should not have ANY, ANY rot at all. The walls should have welded loops at the tops and bottoms at the ceiling and floor which need to be in good order so that you can use straps and chains and such to tie down your stuff. Remember your stuff will be slogging around at sea for 3 to 4 weeks and likely in rough seas so strap it down and stack it high all the way to the roof so it will not move.

6. To drop or not to drop? You can have your container dropped in your yard or it can be delivered on a chassis, basically on the ground or on wheels. Of course you will have to pay for the wheels (you knew that was coming I can tell). We decided to have it dropped in the yard and had them set it on some WOOD BLOCKS(not concrete, do not use concrete they break over time). Van can deliver your container on a chassis and rent the chassis to you for around $75/month (this price may have gone up I do not know). We wanted a good long while to load our container before and after we left the USA, so we opted for the dropped in the yard option. We could have bought a chassis for $3,000, and then we would have had to sell it when the container is loaded at the port in Charleston, SC. For us it was smarter money to pay $1,050 to have the container picked up by a LAND DOLL tractor trailer and hauled to the port.

7.  What can I put into the Container? Well the quickest answer is what can't you put into the container! Hard and fast:
No chemicals, no gas or diesel engine operated equipment (anything with an engine is not allowed), No tires (I think they mean new or used on the rim), NO VEHICLES without it costing you a tax of 60% of the vehicle, no raw wood, no food or vegetables, no grains or rice, NO NEW ITEMS!
If you have a new item then use it and mark it USED and put it in a box! No construction materials (but if you can hide it,,,,, and you did not hear it from me,,,, bring a nice big, double basin kitchen sink! no lie they have terrible kitchen sinks here. They look like camper sinks, and it is all that they have to offer. Also bring the drain trap and flange for it as well!)

8. THE LIST: Here is some more work for you..... because you do not have enough already! As you load your items in your boxes you need to make a list of what is inside them. This is for you and for the Aduanas or Customs here in Chile. They will need a complete list of everything in your container. This list will have to be translated before you give it to them and anyone can translate it down here for you once your list is complete. ALL ITEMS ON THE LIST MUST BE MARKED USED OR IN SPANISH USEDO! They do not want you to bring in NEW anything! They think that you will sell it. One of our friends had a computer that he brought in the original box and they made him prove it was used.

Do not sweat this as you will want to know as well what is in each box, and with just a little more work you will be able to give the customs people here in Chile a list of what is in your container. Lori and I used an excel spread sheet to make our list and every box or item has a corresponding number on the outside. You can be as detailed or as vague as you like, and there are obvious advantages to each approach which I will let you use your imagination to figure out.

Some people even make two lists. I would mess this one up and give the wrong list to the right people at the wrong time. So I am very vague as to what is in some boxes. Some of these vague boxes are at the vvvveeeerrrryyy front of the container and are very difficult to get to, if you know what I mean.

8. What to bring or NOT Bring that you already have (besides what was already mentioned above:
You do not want to bring your appliances. The electricity is 220/50 htz here and 110/60 in the USA. Yes, you can bring converters and the like and you can easily buy converters here but it is not worth it because they wear out quickly on the converters. So just do not bring them.
DO BRING: All Furniture, Equipment; anything that is 220/60 and you can almost be assured that it will work fine here in Chile. Radial Saws, Drill presses, Planers, Joiners, welders, air compressors. Anything with a 220 ELECTRICAL motor is good to bring and you will not need a converter. Our Mennonite friend has been running 220/60 htz equipment on Chileano 220/50 htz power now for the past two years with no problems at all, NONE! As a side note if you use these things they are about 3 times cheaper in the USA. So if you need or want them, buy them, use them and put them in the container and save big $$$$$. Also do not be afraid to bring consumables for your equipment like welding rods or saw blades or nails for your nail gun which are hard to buy here and costly. Just mark them used and put them in one of the vague boxes we talked about above.

9. BUT JIM HOW DO YOU KNOW ALL THIS IS RIGHT?

Land Doll Trailer used to drop container on ground

It is not a hot steamy jungle here like the Amazon as most think of it in the USA. Here it is a temperate rain forest. Cool and rainy are the typical winter days. In the low 40s. Rarely do we go a day with out a little sun shine, but rare is the day we do not have rain as well. Also the north wind is warm, and the south wind is cool, fresh, clean air that has come from Antarctica that has never been breathed by man! Well, maybe a little...

This is the highest point on our road right next to the gate at our house.

This is our neighbor next to us - nice entrance gate and the house behind the bushes They must live in Santiago because they are rarely around

Here is a view into the ravine towards the lake It's very jungly and instead of kudzu we have a vining bamboo

This is the tasty Nalca plant - the flower is on the left and you can see how big the leaves get in the next picture It adds to the jungle effect We have seen this plant offered for eating at the feria so we tried some The main stalk is eaten after peeling and it has the same feel as celery though with a more astringent flavor

The sides of the ravine are rock in some places and there are lots of small waterfalls that come down and follow the creek that runs along the side of the road

This tree has small red tubular flowers which the hummingbirds love It is blossoming heavily now  though there are flowers all winter

Here is Thomas creating a "little boy dam" in the road ditch. The water runs this fast all winter long here in the ditches. It is more like a creek than a ditch and the water is coooooolllllllldddd. The average rain fall for this part of Chile is 90 inches a year, and most of that falls in the winter.

This is the lowest point in the road though we are still quite a ways above the bottom of the ravine

Now we are headed up to the ridge

By now your legs are really aching and you are breathing hard but it's not much farther and the view is really worth it!

Almost there!

Volcan Calbuco

Volcan Punitagudo

Volcan Osorno

Looking back where we came from is our neighbor's huge house! Otto & Christel Kusch - a german immigrant family from the 1860's. They own 2000+ acres of land and have 400+ polled herefords. Jim went and introduced himself and Christel speaks english so she took us on a tour of her farm.

As we come down the other side, there are 3 houses tucked into the hillside One belongs to the General of the Chilean Air Force and the other to his Colonel friend

In this cove is a fish farm - the baby salmon swim in cages here in the lake until they reach a couple of inches long and then they are transported to the ocean in tanker trucks to reach a mature size for harvesting

One of the homes. Our friend said it was on the market a few years ago for under $250,000. Not bad for nice large house with incredible views in a private gated community!

Glad I bought those galoshes! We head up another smaller ridge before heading down to the lake

This part of the road reminds me of the farm I grew up on in Connecticut

Our final descent to the lake

A glimpse of the lake through the trees

We are finally here! A view back towards the ravine

The lagoon faces south but no mountain views here

There is a dock here but someone stole the floats from it so it sank :( Wow, thanks for holding out with us. That was a long post!