Pewkayal chaltumay– Mapundungun for goodbye and thank you. I’ve been procrastinating writing a closing blog post as it signals the official end of such an incredible summer (winter). As the normalcy of home has fully set in after a few weeks back in the states, I can’t help but echo earlier thoughts of sedentary as a foreign concept and familiarity has uncomfortable. Our DukeEngage Chile experience was one of newness, firsts, and trailblazing. A life on the road is certainly calling. For our last day in the sleepy town of Neltume ended much the same way it began– rain falling, fireplaces roaring, blankets scattered about, and Radio Neltume calmly playing in the background. We walked the same worn paths we had meandered a thousand times down to the falls and to nearby markets, overshadowed by the towering hill we had now climbed. Our neighbourhood dogs fell in our path. The town we now knew was clear and distinct, as the wandering roads which were once the great unknown had transformed into streets lined with homes we had been welcomed into. Sipping mate on a July morning, the sky had transformed from the bright blue of May to the foreboding grey it held as winter had set in. Beneath the rainy and hailing skies of Neltume, we witnessed our efforts come to fruition as the charts and data of neighbourhood demographics and the transitory state of the community were displayed before us. Yet so much of Neltume was more than the frequently walked paths, well-visited waterfalls, and worn in fireside couches, but rather the people along the way. We have gone and conquered volcanoes, rafted down rivers, traversed Patagonia, sat calmly on the rocks beneath pounding falls, visited countless homes within the community, delved into social science in the fullest, and completed our surveying efforts. We have traveled and ventured and explored and laughed and gotten lost and been poured on by the seemingly relentless rains of Puerto Varas along the way. So thank you all. Chile would be nothing without you. - Micaela Enjoy a video that Ashley, our go pro expert, put together!
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With a week left, why not climb the most active volcano in Chile? 5,403 ft and six hours later, we made it to the summit of Volcán Villarica, also referred to as Pillan's House in Mapudungun. Within Mapuche culture, Pillan serves as the powerful male spirit of which men can become after death if one follows the laws of ademapu. Pillan live within the spiritual world of the good, known as Wenumapu, accompanied by the female spirits of Wangulen.
After weekend trip to Pucón and a treacherous climb to the top, equipped with crampons, ice picks, gas masks, and unwelcome sunburns, we reached the peak. Quite the finale. Silica, dissolved oxygen, ph, nitrate, phosphate, and carbon dioxide testing used to measure Lago Quilmo and Lago Los Mellizos Secchi disk used for water transparency Titration for silica testing on Lago Quilmo Connie looking studious
Upon arrival in Puerto Varas, we were exposed to the official region of Patagonia, and with such a trip came four volcanos- Volcán Osorno, Volcán Calbuco, Volcán Puntagudo, and Cerro Tronador. Following a weekend adventure in Valdivia, the Duke Engage group said a temporary goodbye to Jose and Connie and headed south to Puerto Varas to take in the sights of the gateway to Patagonia. Surrounded by the beauty and wild nature of Neltume and the Huilo Huilo reserve, one often forgets that the true boundaries of Patagonia begin a few hours south of where we currently call home.
Valdivian harbor front While surveying in Neltume, we found the question surrounding the importance of naturaleza to solicit answers of the environment as the “pulmón de oxígeno para el mundo” and “sin vida natural, no tiene nada.” The community resoundingly valued the surrounding land and the same held true once we arrived in Valdivia. Described with every word from wondrous to dangerous to awe-inspiring to ominous, the perception of nature has transformed and evolved, with such an evolution accredited to prominent naturalists. Names of Humboldt, Darwin, and in the present day Tompkins, fill the pages of documents of famous South American conservationists and writers. But in venturing to Valdivia, a new name crossed our paths– Rudolph Amandus Philippi. And as one could say we are mildly ambitious travelers eager to cover as much as possible, we used every spare second to take in the sights. So when we arrived in Valdivia, there was a long list of museums to check off the list and sights to meander about. Alongside the river, an aroma of fresh fish and baked goods filled the air. Sea lions, or lobos de marinos, lined the market walls, eagerly waiting for any spare fish to be thrown their way. Across the bridge, stood the Museo Historico y Antropologico and the Museo de la Exploración R.A. Philippi. Philippi was one of several scientists, including Charles Darwin, Mary Graham, and Claudio Gay, who starting in the early 19th century set out to explore Chile with scientific purposes. German scientist turned South American adventurer and naturalist, Philippi left Kassel to travel for over 135 days to reach the southern region of Chile. He wound up working in the Botanical Gardens and as a natural history professor at the University of Chile. Following this work, he traveled to the north end of Chile and conducted an exploration of the Atacama desert, cataloguing and publishing botany, ornithology, and mineralogy expedition notes. Quoted in the museum, he wrote, “I left the animals with my fellows and continued by foot. I walked along the railroad extension to Tierra amarilla, between orchards and houses. The air was imbued with an abundance of grapes, peaches, pears, pomegranates, and Floripondio flowers.” As we moved on from one museum to the next, we found ourselves amongst words of Neruda, a famous Chilean poet. Crafting a vision of the Chilean landscape, he writes “El follaje palpitante se due volando verde y vivo, cada wrote aprendió a volar, y el árbol se quedó desnudo, llorando en la alluvia de invierno.” In English, this translates to- “The throbbing foliage flew green and alive, every bud learned to fly, and the tree lay naked crying in the winter rain.” Mercado Municipal along Valdivian harbor DukeEngage Students listening to lecture by Marius Schaefer at Universidad Austral de Chile on Mass Balance of Mocho Glacier The next day, we took a group trip to the university within Valdivia to hear from a local glaciologist who specifically researched the mass balance and snow accumulation on top of our very own Volcan Mocho. DukeEngage group in Reserva Costera Valdiviana in front of Fitzroya cupressoides, or lahuán in Mapuche - four meters in diameter, 2,600 years old
Following a trip to the university, it was straight across the bay to the nearby coastal reserve of Valdivia to grab a glimpse of the Valdivian forests and towering trees that fill the reserve. Celebration of southern hemisphere Christmas- June 25th The last few days have been met with sentimentality creeping in and nostalgia bursting through like an unannounced visitor– unwelcome, but nevertheless embraced. As calendar days are checked off and projects come to a close, what better way to drown out the sounds of a perpetual ticking clock than indulge in one of Chile’s popular desserts. Complete with one cup of sugar and an entire bag of manjar, leche nevado is a concoction of dulce de leche, milk, vanilla, and egg whites, drowned in a healthy topping of cream as the cherry on top. We welcomed it with open arms (and open mouth). Leche nevado shown above
Abandoned cabin amidst bosque in Huilo Huilo Reserve Mirror lake on Sendero Botanico Road along lago just outside Coñaripe
With more than half of us hailing from states where temperatures are currently over 100 degrees, we are only occasionally dreaming of tropical islands and summer sun (mostly me.) But with snow days comes fireplace s'mores, snowball fights, and an endless stream of mate. Beyond our Spanish skills steadily improving, we have also become well versed in fire making and baking– cookies, banana bread and brownies are now ubiquitous.
As the winter solstice hits, today marks the first day of a new season. Within Chile the winter solstice also coincides with the celebration of We Tripantu, a Mapuche holiday where communities welcome the birth of the new sun. We too are also celebrating as it also marks our half way point and almost completion of our surveying efforts. Throughout our time in Neltume, our primary work has focused on surveying the communities on the transition from a logging based economy to one founded on eco- tourism. Yet beyond collecting data on perceptions of naturaleza, we have had the chance to meet countless faces of the community and not only collect answers to our surveys, but also gather stories. Speaking with Sam, she mentioned if anything, we can provide an outlet for voices to share and experiences to be heard. Thus, as we finish up our surveys, we head to Valdivia come Tuesday to visit and venture into different regions of Chile and begin the next steps of our project- water testing, camera traps, data analysis, (and climb a volcano). Getting lost is the best way to become found. I've heard this expression used many times before, but I also know it to be true. For perhaps our favorite experiences in Chile thus far have been the days where we have wandered the streets and met the incredible faces of Neltume on a whim. Taking part in surveying efforts if nothing else does an incredible job of introducing you to the people of the community we have come to call home. Women describing their job as nothing more than to simply live have brought fresh perspectives and a dose of laughter to the tedious but rewarding job of social science surveying efforts. Forked trails have led to overlooked sights and new waterfalls to be hiked. The quest for new food has led to cooking experimentation and an adoption of culture. Waking up each morning to a view of the nearby volcano and the passing of mate has become a routine we gladly welcome. Intense games of Cuarenta, Hearts, and Gin Rummy have become our nighttime rituals. The hogging of merquen and manjar at every meal has become the norm. So Bienvenidos a Neltume– it's officially starting to feel like home. Shallow waters for water quality testing along Lago Patos View from ruins along Lago Pirihueco Chile team exploring Lago Pirihueco lakeside
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