Curiosity brought me to Chiloe. I hadn´t intended to visit, but the more I heard about its unique culture and its particular way of life, the more my interest grew. I had painted an image in my mind before I arrived on the island. Seafood, old churches, and rain. My expectations were far-surpassed, to say the least, and the image I painted fell far short of the vibrant reality that I experienced. And yet, I can easily sum up my reaction with one simple word: water.
Water is everywhere on Chiloe. It has impacted the history of this mystical place and it infultrates every possible element of present life. Water is omnipresent, and you cannot escape its influence. Chiloe, a large network of islands off the southern coast of Chile, is only accesable by ferry. There is no bridge leading to and from the mainland, and there are no roads connecting the main island with its smaller surrounding plots of land. The large majority of its 150,000 inhabitants live on the large island, which is scattered with large villages that are connected by an impressive network of roads. Public transporation can get you everywhere you need to go, and the bus system is well integrated with the ferry system that transports people, goods, and vehicles between the other islands. The houses are built on stilts to withstand the rain, the flooding, and the tides. Their diet depends on the fish of the ocean and the potatoes of the ground. Both, of course, dependent on water. The men work on the docks or on the boats; the women work in the fields or harvesting clams. The economy, the livelihood, the mentality, everything. Water.
Never before have I experienced this kind of lifestyle. It`s all-encompassing and it is fascinating. All I can say...good thing I like seafood and don`t mind the rain.
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