Twice Coral on two weekends

The past few weeks have been very eventful and have flown by quickly. Life is so colorful here, time flies by. I learn so much every day, see new things, talk to people, try strange foods, or just immerse myself in my research project. I can't tell you everything, I need to take the time to process my new experiences.

But still, being in South America is a rare opportunity, so I decided to spend the last two weekends in Valdivia, taking it easy. One day for a half-day trip, the other day at home. (because strangely enough, it always rained on Sundays)

Last weekend, I enjoyed my time alone and took the ferry to Coral. It's a small fishing village on the other side of the river mouth from Valdivia. The highlight there is the ruins of a historic castle, which used to protect against attackers.

Beautiful delicate flowers are currently blooming out of the walls there.

After visiting the castle, I wanted to go to the city center to have a coffee.. and stumbled right into the art school in Coral. I was warmly welcomed and everything was explained to me about what can be done here creatively, and I even had the opportunity to participate in a workshop.

They have ceramics, printmaking on paper, and on the first floor, young girls were painting impressive oil paintings. Coral received funding for the materials, so the residents are free to be creative there. I think it's really beautiful and important that such opportunities exist. And I'm very grateful that I had the chance to be part of this project.

Of course, I was immediately excited, so after my coffee, I returned to print on my sweater. The wife of the director spent two hours with me alone, patiently explaining the process. And I think the result speaks for itself.

For the second weekend, I made plans with a German friend who is studying tourism here. We were going to Chaihuin. It's a breathtaking beach where another small river flows into the Pacific.

After a few difficulties, because my friend thought he knew a direct bus that would take us to a street called "Chaihuin" in Valdivia, we finally got to where we wanted to go. This time, we took the large car ferry (I didn't even know it existed) back to Coral, and from there, there should be a bus. But on weekends, transportation there is almost nonexistent. After traveling a few kilometers in a van, we finally caught a bus. We were alone with the bus driver and his wife, having the usual friendly small talk.

Finally arrived in Chaihuin, the beach was practically deserted, which unfortunately meant that no snack bar was open. But it was fine, I shared my carrots with Arlean ;).

We walked over the dunes to a small botanical garden by the coast. It felt like being in a rainforest, with rugged rock formations along a one-hour hike, incredible.

On the way back, Arlean spontaneously asked a fisherman if he would row us to the other side. And of course, this is possible in Chile.

Back to Coral, we hitchhiked and took a small ferry (which Arlean didn't know about :D) back to Neblia. There, at the "Feria," we had fresh salmon and empanadas, making the day perfect.

It was funny that we used almost every mode of transportation that day. We took a bus, a van, and a collectivo (a type of taxi in Valdivia that runs on specific routes) for public transportation. Car ferry, small boat, and rowboat allowed us to cross the water. And of course, we also rode in a pickup truck and a family car with other people. One should remain flexible and let the day unfold, then everything will work out somehow. Because as Arlean says, "I booked an adventure!"

Frieda (24.11)