Jessica Cabrera is one of the many Chilean women who make their way through life by being incredibly resourceful with the natural bounty of Chile’s coastline. Jessica is the marine diver and…
Category: People
Sebastian Piñera
There was something enigmatic, a bit disconcerting, about the two-time President of Chile, Sebastian Piñera, tragically killed recently in a helicopter accident in Lago Ranco in southern Chile. He was certainly a…
From Roble & Coigue
De Pellin y Coihue ! the sign says atop the entrance to a most well-placed restaurant overlooking the shimmering waters of Lago Ranco in southern Chile. The name highlights the noblest…
Chanco; Between La Candelaria and Guadalupe del Carmen
Within a period of ten days in early February, the spirits of two magical figures, La Candelaria and Guadalupe del Carmen, turn the small village of Chanco into “Celebration Center”, filling its…
Pichi Newen
One night several years ago Luz Celia Lienqueo Castillo had a peuma…a type of dream the Mapuche believe is not just a vision but a type of premonition that must come…
Chilean Artisans
IMG_20131130_125106_897 Wool, clay, wood, metal, stone, and horse hair, all materials that are readily available in Chile, and hence they are the basis for most of traditional Chilean artisan products. Late last…
Finding “Jauja”
When I was a young man, serving with the Peace Corps in Chile, I discovered “Jauja”! I remember once standing on the rocky shore of Lago Villarrica in southern Chile, looking out…
TIOS
[ NOTE: At times a blog becomes quite personal as it is being written even though it may not have started out that way. This is one of those. DJ] I grew…
“Viva Chile” Part 1: The 18th of September
Dave Celebrates Dave Celebrates “Viva Chile!!” has filled the air these days, punctuating with an emphatic exclamation point what that stoic country has been through during 2010. The massive earthquake in the…
“Viva Chile” Part 2: Bicentennial “18”
Chile and Chileans have modernized a huge amount in the past 40 years, but what persists with characteristic Chilean determination is their strong link back to a time when rural life was…