Island flair and dogs

The island of Chiloe is said to be something very special, as I have heard from many people. To be honest, it took until the departure for me to understand what is meant.

The journey in the luxurious bus and by ferry went as always punctually and effortlessly. I stayed in the 'capital' of the island, Castro, with its brightly colored houses. The palafitos, houses standing on stilts at the shore, and the freshly caught fish on the plate are the highlights of the little town.

At first, the weather was not favorable to me. It rained all day on the first day and it was bitterly cold. The hostel was poorly insulated, let alone heated, so it didn't matter whether the door was open or not. At 9 p.m. I was so cold that I couldn't help but go to bed. Even the good atmosphere in the hostel didn't help.

When the first felt frost was over and the sun appeared again, the spirit of adventure returned. Together with my hiking Frenchwoman from Pucon, we actively explored the national park and a historic pier on the island. The hike to the pier, which according to the legend of the indigenous people enables the return of the souls of the deceased to the sea, was not long, but we experienced all four seasons in 1.5 hours. The weather changes quickly here on the coast. My waterproof and rainproof clothing was put to the test. It bravely withstood all the efforts of the weather. The pier itself was not very spectacular apart from the photogenic ramp shape, but the view of the sea during the walk was all the more impressive.

The second day of the excursion lured us onto a boat. We saw dolphins, penguins, and lots of birds that like to frolic undisturbed near the coast or on one of the small islands. Since mussels are farmed on a large scale here, they were available for tasting on the way back. Even though I didn't try them, I could see happy faces of my fellow travelers, which may have been due to the mussels as well as the wine. The large buoys of the mussel nets also serve as sun loungers for the sea lions.

Life on the island seems very idyllic overall. Everything is in order here, it's not so easy to be thrown off track. As a backpacker who relies on public transportation because he doesn't want to pay the expensive tours offered by agencies, you need to bring plenty of time. The island is not very big with its 180 km x 50 km, but if buses only run 5 times a day and stop at every watering can, a 40 km distance can easily take two hours. It is probably more individual and intensive to travel on the island with a car. I really liked what I saw, but it was fine for the few days.

For connection reasons, the next destination had to be reached via Puerto Montt, which gave me an overnight stay and a single afternoon here due to the timetable. The afternoon walk to the harbor and to the fishing district of Angelmo was surprisingly appealing and impressive with the mountain backdrop. I was completely delighted when three sea lions appeared next to a fish waste container, which was 10 meters away from the harbor basin, and wanted their share in daily routine alongside the stray dogs and cats.

Speaking of dogs. In the past few weeks, both in Chile and Argentina, I have noticed how many dogs roam freely on the streets here. Only a part of them seems to be without an owner. Many have a collar, but also casually and according to their own plan, roam the streets. All, really all, are well-fed. You often see bowls made from former plastic bottles filled with water and food leftovers. The animals often lie around. No matter what weather or place is chosen. In the park, on the sidewalk, next to or on the street, whether it's strong wind or drizzling rain, you can find something furry and adorable everywhere. The four-legged friend comes to you with a beaming, wagging tail when you leave a building or lies down at your feet when you order a coffee. I suspect that if you don't have much to do with dogs or even have a dog hair allergy, you will have a hard time in western South America. I just always find it amusing how the funniest and most different dogs casually roam the streets.