Piedra Azul, Los Lagos, Chile: gateway to northern Patagonia

The small community of Piedra Azul includes several families who live along the shore of Relconcaví Sound near Puerto Montt in southern Chile. I spent a lovely afternoon with friends Gabriela and Javier at Gabriela's home. We first purchased two large fish fresh from the water.

The main house, just across the road near the shore

Our lunch will be a merluza (hake). Javier is an enthusiastic and experienced cook who will soon open his new cafe - restaurant in Puerto Montt.

Canela, about the happiest dog I have met in southern Chile

The beautiful countryside of Piedra Azul 

After lunch we set off to explore the property

Spectacular views of Seno de Reloncaví on the last day of summer 2014

Angelmó

Angelmó is a small community at the west end of Puerto Montt where there is a lot of activity relating to boats and ships and where fish and shellfish are delivered from surrounding areas. It has always been a colorful place that draws many tourists. I often enjoy taking a walk around the market and waterfront. Here are people coming and going across the narrow channel to Tenglo Island. Calbuco volcano is in the background, less than 20 miles to the east. In 1893 there were several prolonged eruptions that caused the volcano to collapse, changing the course of rivers. The most recent eruption was in 1996.

The Navimag ship arrived from the south today. It travels through the spectacular Patagonia channels to Puerto Natales, near the Straits of Magellan, carrying trucks, cars, and people.

Several Monicas are lashed together, having completed their day of tourist excursions to nearby islands. To the left is the two-tiered "cocinerías," tiny dining rooms that serve fresh fish and shellfish. The market is nearby. Navimag is in the background

At about 6pm there was a flurry of activity as people await the daily delivery of products from the area. These boats have sacks of mussels and clams. The people on shore are haggling for their share to sell in the market. There is a lot of joking, laughter, and arguments. Most have cash in hand, vying for the next sack of clams off the boat.

The delivery draws quite a crowd of onlookers. The products are delivered to the market below and one can order them at the tables in the dining rooms above, each one with a different owner. I couldn't resist, so took a seat at the window on the far right for a big plate of clams with onion, parsley and lemon juice. A glass of house wine helps with digestion.

There is only one way to offload the sacks, on people's backs.

Puerto Montt - favorite places

Hostal Vista Hermosa, a friendly and clean B&B with very reasonable rates. It is close to the bus station and next door to the police station, so it is quite safe here. Owner Señora Patricia is a very warm and welcoming host.

The view from Hostal Vista Hermosa lives up to its name: "Beautiful View."

Most tourists visit the fish market and restaurants at Angelmó

I didn't even get to the small restaurants that abound. I just chose a tray of freshly-steamed centolla (king crab) and a tray of raw machas (razor clams), bought a lemon, a roll and a glass of wine. Perfect.

I recommend having a coffee after a fish lunch at Angelmó. Nearby is the tiny coffee shop/gallery Café Angelmó. Javier Mansilla is often working on a new painting while his wife Cecilia serves coffee and homemade kuchen, among other delights. Javier's paintings fill the walls of the café. I treasure one of his paintings in my home in California.



Another favorite lodging is Hostal Trén del Sur, owned and operated by Mario Orellana. The building is constructed from recycled wood and contains antiques with train themes and historic photos of Puerto Montt.



Joanna is a capable and helpful person at the front desk.

The Hostal recently opened a new restaurant that features a unique menu of "slow food." Chef Paula has created dishes that will put this restaurant on the map as the most innovative in Patagonia. Prices are very reasonable. Here is Carlos preparing the tables while I work on this blog.

But my favorite place of all is on a friendly horse far from town. Calbuco Volcano is in the background. Juan was my guide for a 20-kilometer ride near Puerto Montt.

Ilque

February 7, 2009
February is a midsummer time in Chile when each village and town has a Festival costumbrista, a weekend of celebration of typical Chilean life in the country. It usually takes place in an empty pasture or fairground area, and consists of selling traditional foods and playing and dancing traditional music. Every weekend in January and February there are festivals throughout the country.

I took a bus out of Puerto Montt to the south along the waterfront. In an hour the bus let me off in Ilque, not a village, but rather an area where people live on small farms. The people here share the festival with neighbors in Huelmo, and each year they trade locations between the two communities.

I arrived much too early for the festivities, so took a walk down the road for two hours. The first photo above is of a lake filled with birds creating quite a lot of shrieking. They are mostly gulls, plus some bandurrias (ibis) and a solitary white egret. They all seemed quite happy with this lake. Further down the road I had a choice to make. A playa (beach) always sounds good to me. Of course it was a couple of miles away. Fortunately I had no other schedule today.


Then I saw this cara-cara (carancho), a carrion-eating bird. He honored me with a quiet pose on a fence post. This cow and two calves were spending the lunch hour quietly chewing, unfazed by my presence. This is a beautiful pastoral area and the kind of countryside I can walk in for hours.




I soon came to the the shore near Huelmo, a community of small farmers and summer houses, one of the most picturesque areas I have seen along the coast. Here people are unloading sacks, probably grain or flour, from the delivery boat. Some people are camping along the beach. The day is mild and beautiful.


Fortunately a small bus passed by and I didn't have to retrace the few miles I had walked. I got off in Ilque again just as the party was getting started. After the playing of the national anthem, the mayor of Puerto Montt, Rabindranath Quinteros, gives the opening welcome speech, giving praise to the people of the area for their efforts in promoting progress and solidarity.


Next, these young teenagers in traditional costume dance a few cuecas, the national dance of Chile.


These women are preparing empanadas de carne, meat pies filled with beef, raisens and egg. They are a nice, though filling, appetizer while the lamb is cooking on the barbeque.


The asado al palo is almost ready. This is the most Chilean food in the south, lamb cooked over a fire on an iron skewer. I got in line early for mine, a big hunk of lamb served with potato, tomato and cucumber. A liter of chicha de manzana quenched my thirst. I was glad it hadn't fermented yet. I was thirsty. It was sold in recycled plastic Coke bottles. It is a hard apple cider, fresh from the farm.


Here are the folks in the desert booth serving lemon pie and kuchen, the typical German pastry. You don't have to be of German descent to be an expert kuchen cook.


Meanwhile, the curanto is being prepared, the traditional indigenous method of cooking. A fire is built in a hole in the ground. When the fire burns down and hot stones are placed, the first level is a bushel of mussels, which will provide the steam to cook everything else place on top. Then a cover of ferns is placed, and then they place chicken, sausage, and two kinds of potato bread. More ferns cover all, then sod is placed and it is sealed with plastic. It will all be ready in an hour. I passed on this one.


Very satisfied with food and sun, I said goodbye to the family I had shared a table with, took the afternoon bus back to town and had a cup of tea for dinner. Another wonderful day in southern Chile.