Blackbirds and berries and beavers, oh my!

April 7, 2005, Puerto Williams CHILE

The blackbirds appeared the other day, and all of Puerto Williams was abuzz with the news. Nobody seemed to know where the birds usually spend their time, but everyone assured me that their arrival could mean only one thing: imminent snow. The birds are never seen otherwise. Sure enough, that same night, Puerto Williams got its first snow. We’ve had several days of it now, and it’s beautiful. It’s that kind of snow that makes you feel like you’re in a snowglobe, with fat wet flakes swirling around in every direction. It’s about the only thing around here that has arrived as anticipated.

It’s been a while since I’ve been able to update my blog. After it took me eight hours to post my last entry, I shifted my expectations of what I could realistically achieve. Things just don’t move quickly here, and I’ve made my peace with it. To all of you who have written in the past month, thank you. I’m making my way through your messages and will write back as soon as I can. There may be some way to sign up for an automatic update every time I file a new post, although I have yet to figure this out.

Life continues to plod along here in Puerto Williams. Nelson’s working at a five-star hotel, which is where we have been living. As the hotel is not officially open yet, there have been few guests. Usually it’s only us, the hotel staff of 5, and the laborers who are finishing up construction. It’s like a reverse ghost town in a way, and we get to enjoy it for free. We also have a house in ‘the city’, which is about a 12-minute bike ride away. It has a wonderful view out the front and has provided us with a place of our own as well as a kitchen to cook in. I’ve spent lazy afternoons looking out onto the Beagle Channel, watching the ever-changing Patagonian weather patterns as I make my way through my web design course (on cd) or the children’s book that I’m writing. The only interruptions are pouring another cup of mate or adding firewood (unfortunately, the island’s preferred wood source is the native lenga) to the stove that heats the home.

Among Nelson’s responsibilities as Outdoor Recreation Director for the hotel is the evaluation and mapping of potential trekking routes around the island. This has translated into several 4-day backpacking trips, which have been spectacular and taken us across Antarctic beech forests, glacial lakes, craggy wind-whipped mountain passes, stark lunar-landscape valleys, and spongey pink peat bogs. Route indicators range from non-existent to plastic bags tied on trees, and we’ve relied a lot on compasses and GPS coordinates to find our way and plot new routes. I’ve also been learning to identify regional flora and fauna and distinguish the various species of beech trees, whose muted fall foliage and wind-twisted trunks are especially beautiful this time of year.

My favorite flora are the edible kind, which include the calafate (box-leafed barberry, which resembles the blueberry), chaura (which I think might be related to the cranberry; its scientific name is Pernettya mucronata, for those who have speedier internet access than I and are interested in investigating further) and the Magellanic strawberry, which has the color and taste of North American strawberries but the shape of a raspberry. The forest floor is carpeted with these various berries, which have made for tasty snacks along the route.

In terms of fauna, the most evident species is the non-native beaver population, which was introduced last century in hopes of generating a lucrative fur industry. The beavers have been quite industrious in chewing up the island’s forests, and the innumerable beaver dams and felled trunks add an additional challenge to hiking. As there are no natural predators of the beaver on the island, the population has spiralled out of control, prompting the government to encourage hunting of the species. Beaver dishes are a frequent item on the menus of Puerto Williams’ restauarants.

Puerto Williams is a unique place. It feels more like a settlement than a town, as it’s essentially populated and subsidized by the Chilean government. Aside from the fishing industry, there is no locally-initiated economy, and the ferry from Punta Arenas supplies close to 100% of the island’s provisions. It’s quite a change of pace from anywhere else I’ve ever lived. The town’s one taxi manages to stay in business despite the fact that it takes less than 10 minutes to cross town by foot. The only places to check email are the governor’s office, the town hall, and the library—that is, if there are no “solar interferences” that day. Speaking of which, the UV index is updated on a daily basis to indicate the level of sun exposure. What else distinguishes Puerto Williams? There’s no need to lock your bike, and there aren’t many cars as there’s not really anywhere to go (the maximum speed possible on the one road that runs along the northern coast of the island is about 30mph, thanks to the potholes and mud). I’ve gotten so used to biking around without much car traffic that I was annoyed when the 6th car passed us in the course of the day the other day.

That’s the update from down here. In stateside news, I’ve decided to go to Yale’s School of Foresty & Environmental Studies next year. Through a combination of scholarships, my tuition as well as living expenses will be fully covered, which is a big financial relief. I feel incredibly fortunate and am looking forward to being back in school again, although to be honest, that feels so far away from where I am right now.