Isla Chiloé,Chile

Day 22, 27 January Isla Chiloé,Chile

Port of Castro

We crept up the channel from the coast and must have anchored for awhile. By dawn we had breakfast come to the cabin and watched the daylight come to the city of Castro. We dropped the hook in the channel and for awhile our side of the ship was toward the town. Small coastal freighters and many fishing boats lay at anchor or beached with the low tide. The brightly yellow and grape colored Iglesia de San Francisco (1906) dominates the skyline. This is the second longest island in South America and is another UNESCO World Heritage site.

View of Puerto Castro from our cabin

At 0830 we caught a boat ashore and began our tour of the day. First off we rode to the town of Dalcahue where we caught a ferry for a five minute transfer to the next island, Isla Quinchao. We stopped in a small fishing town of Curaco de Velez. This was once a thriving port but is now a sleepy small village. We were expecting the museum to be open and locals to be there selling their wool items, but it is Sunday morning and the streets were empty. (Except 2 bus loads of tourists.) So we walked the town waterfront and chatted with a few residents, who were quite friendly and welcoming. One lady opened her woolen goods shop just before our departure and I was able to buy a fine Chilean wool cap for the upcoming visit to the colder climate.

After a 10 mile ride through the countryside we got off in the town of Achao, which was founded about 1743. It's church, dating from 1730, was an interesting visit, being made of wood and still standing. Crude and simple but most interesting. Here there is no gilt and glitz of the wealthier churches in Latin America. We found an open market with more local goods of wool. Before we could hit the grocery store (a favorite stop in every country we visit) we detoured to a local restaurant for a libation of Pisco Sour (again), freshly made snacks, a lively local band and traditional dancing. The Pisco made the lively event even more lively. The band played traditional music on accordion, guitar, drum and horse jaws while a couple of children danced. Pretty soon the whole family was dancing and a few of our group joined in also. (Remember Pisco)

Back to the road again and at 1245 were were crossing via ferry back to Dalcahue to find the town had come alive for Sunday market. The square along the waterfront was packed with vendors and locals and tourists. Shops were open, restaurants were churning out seafood lunches and the sounds and smells against the backdrop of the channel was exciting. We visited the local church here as another historical site; this one also of wood and built in the mid 18thy century. Plain and old and stately. I loved it.

Once we rounded up our shipmates we made it back on-board without mishap. A quick lunch, a short snooze then departure came at 1700. We didn't get far. The Captain reported on the PA that we had snagged a cable with our anchor and would have a slight delay in departure. Actually it did not take long for the port authority sent a boat out to collect the junk hanging from our hook and we proceeded on our way down the channel. This area is a maze of islands and the channels between them are heavy with mussel works and various nets and traps. We got through just fine and took up a southerly course to head down this “inland waterway” toward our next adventure.

buoys for mussle farming

We have had on-board for two days now, in preparation for the upcoming waters, both a Fjord Pilot and and Ice Pilot. That suggests something interesting awaits. There is a likelihood that posts to this commentary may be irregular in the coming week and we get deeper South.