Isla Quehui, part 2

Getting to know the island is easy by foot and by horse.
(Click on any photo to enlarge)

The countryside is typical of so much of this part of Chile, both insular and continental. Low rolling hills of volcanic soil are bathed in quantities of rain, producing a lush vegetation that must be constantly cleared for agricultural use.

One of the main roads on Quehui.

Below you can see the two parts of the island with Estero Pindo almost dividing it into two islands. The community of Los Angeles is in the distance. Further on is Lemuy Island, another in this archipelago.

Another view of Los Angeles, this on a walk with Lorena in the San Miguel district.

Don Pedro offered to show me much of the island by horse. Problem was, there were no stirrups on the saddle, so my legs went numb after the first of five hours.

We passed by Peldehue district, an area where most people are a shade darker, closer to their Huilliche ancestors. Every district has a church.





This next photo is Imelev Island, owned by the Torres family, descendants of John Yates, an English sailor on the ship Beagle that carried Charles Darwin around the continent. The locals tell me he settled on Quehui Island in 1834 and married into the Torres family. He died in 1900.

Patricio thinks he is buried here next to his granddaughter Lavinia (1916-2008). There are some blue eyed citizens on the island. The family is a large landholder here.

The eroding cliff is a colorful sight. We rode along the beach for a few miles.

Now and then I had to dismount and stretch my legs for ten minutes at a time. First steps were difficult. The absence of stirrups reminded me how much they are needed for balance.

Chiloé Island, Castro and Quemchi

This is how you get to the big island of Chiloé from the Chilean mainland. The crossing takes about 20 minutes and about 3 of these ships are in constant use. I take a bus from Puerto Montt, arriving in Castro about 3-4 hours later, depending on the weather conditions.



Downtown Castro, not much to look at, but it has great charm. It mostly serves as a jumping off point to visit interesting places on the big island.

Here is the cathedral in Castro, built 1910-12 of native alerce wood.

Good food too. Those that know me have heard much about my gastronomic experiences in Chile. Here is a serving of pulmay, or curanto a la olla. It is served in one of the palafito restaurants on the waterfront.



Corn and watermelon are offered on the street in Castro, though are grown further north.

About one hour north of Castro is the town of Quemchi, birthplace of Francisco Coloane (1910-2002), one of Chile's great writers. He often returned to his home town to organize writing workshops for school children.



The church in Quemchi. The churches of Chiloé all represent an architecture introduced by Jesuits in previous centuries. All are made of native wood.

A kilo (2.2 lbs.) of fresh clams here cost about one US dollar. A splash of fresh lemon juice is all that is needed.



Heaven is a bowl of fresh clams.

Running a close second is a steaming bowl of carbonada, meat and vegetable stew.

Quehui Island

The big island of Chiloé lies south of Puerto Montt, opposite the Chilean mainland of northern Patagonia. I was here last in 2007, so it was time to return and see new sights. The island has always been populated by indigenous Chono and Huilliche people. Jesuit priests arrived in the early 17th century and tried their best to organize the people into communities. Their wooden churches have become famous as an architectural style, visited by people from around the world. Here is the simple church at San Miguel, one of the four communities on Quehui Island.

As Dutch pirates passed through the archipelago and Spanish settlers arrived, they mixed with the local people, creating a type of native Chilote, generally short in stature. Besides its famous churches, Chile is known as the last outpost of the Spanish empire in South America. They held on to Chiloé until 1826.

Today, the big island and the surrounding 100 or so smaller islands are all populated by farmers who work the land to produce the native potatoes and some livestock. Others collect the numerous shellfish and seaweed. The local staple is mussels, clams, and oysters. Many have left their homes to work on the salmon farms established by foreign companies, mostly from the USA and Norway. Click here to learn more (in Spanish) about the famous potato from Chiloé.

I found a simple bed and breakfast on Quehui, one of the smaller islands. Patricio Alarcón was my generous host at Turismo Quehui, about three hours by boat from the city of Castro on Chiloé. Friend Lorena took this one:

This boat was loaded to the gunwale with locals and tourists alike, traveling to Quehui for the annual Fiesta del Mar.

This is the view in front of Patricio's B&B as sunset approaches. (Click on any photo to enlarge.)



For the next two days local women prepared typical food for the curanto, while the men butchered hogs and sheep which they cook over flames. The fiesta takes place on Saturday and Sunday on the village green in front of the church. Each of the four communities on the island has its own concession.



Musical and theatrical events take place on the outdoor stage, many of them with children participating.



The music continued into the night, until 2am both days. It's difficult to sleep even in the villages of Chile. More on Quehui in future posts.