IN THE EXTREME SOUTHERN

 

PORTION OF THE AMERICAS,

SPANIARDS FOUND ON THE

 

PACIFIC COAST A LAND

OF STEAMING VOLCANOES, POUNDING

 

RIVERS, ALIEN TREES AND MAPUCHE

INDIANS WHO RESISTED

 

THEIR ADVANCE.

SEVERAL HUNDRED YEARS LATER,

CHILEANS INVITED OTHER

 

EUROPEANS TO SETTLE

AND STAMP THE LANDSCAPE

 

WITH THEIR CULTURE.

 

FUNDING FOR IN THE

 

AMERICAS WITH DAVID YETMAN

WAS PROVIDED

 

BY AGNES HAURY.

 

♪ MUSIC ♪

 

THE REPUBLIC OF CHILE IS OVER

 

3, 000 MILES LONG

AND SELDOM MORE THAN ABOUT

 

A HUNDRED MILES WIDE.

THE CAPITAL CITY OF SANTIAGO

 

LIES ROUGHLY IN THE CENTER.

TO THE NORTH THE COUNTRY

 

IS SEMI ARID TO HYPER ARID

WITH THE DRIEST

 

DESERTS IN THE WORLD.

TO THE SOUTH THE CLIMATE

 

BECOMES MORE AND MORE MOIST

AND GRADUALLY YOU ENCOUNTER A

 

LAND OF VOLCANOES,

GLACIERS, SNOW PACKS, WILD

 

RIVERS AND RAINFORESTS.

IT IS ONE OF THE WONDERS

 

OF THE AMERICAS.

IT'S A GOOD REASON THAT THIS IS

 

CALLED THE BAJA DE LA LUNA,

THE VALLEY OF THE MOON.

IT'S A MOONSCAPE AND IT'S

 

ALL THE RESULT OF

THE WORK OF THE LLAIMA

 

VOLCANO UP HERE.

FOR THE LAST 7,000 YEARS OR SO

 

IT'S BEEN BLASTING THIS VALLEY.

IN SOME PLACES THE VEGETATION,

 

WHICH IS PRETTY RICH,

HAS BEEN PRESERVED.

IT'S OUT OF THE WAY OF THE LAVA

 

FLOWS BUT NOTHING

WILL PRESERVE ANY VEGETATION

 

FROM SOMETHING LIKE THIS

WHICH IS A VOLCANIC BOMB.

ONE OF THE IRONIES OF

 

VOLCANIC EXPLOSIONS IS

THAT THEY KILL EVERYTHING

 

AROUND BUT THEY ALSO GIVE BIRTH.

THESE SOILS THEY LEAVE ARE

 

VERY RICH AND HERE WE SEE

A LITTLE CONIFER THAT WILL

 

ONE DAY BE 90 TO 100 FEET TALL,

JUST LIKE THOSE

 

UP ON THE HILLSIDE.

THIS LAVA BED'S PRETTY

 

EASY TO WALK ON.

IT'S KIND OF NICE.

THE LAVA IS CALLED AA,

 

HAWAIIAN TERM FOR

THE REALLY ROUGH CRUNCHY STUFF

 

THAT CAME OUT OF THE VOLCANO

UP THERE AND FLOWED DOWN AND

 

PLUGGED UP THE CANYON

AND MADE THE LAKE.

BUT AFTERWARDS THERE WAS A

 

HUGE MASSIVE ERUPTION OF ASH

AND IT BLEW DOWN HERE

 

AND THE WIND BLEW IT

AND IT SETTLED IN

 

ALL THE CRACKS.

HEY, THERE'S A PLANT.

THERE'S EVEN PLANTS

 

GROWING IN THIS LAVA

WHICH MEANS PLANTS CAN

 

GROW IN ANYTHING,

EVEN IN THE VALLEY

 

OF THE MOON.

THE TOWERING FEATURE OF THE PARK

 

OF COURSE IS THE LLAIMA VOLCANO.

BUT EVEN IF IT

 

WEREN'T THERE,

IT HAS SOME FORESTS THAT

 

ARE THE BEGINNING PART OF

THE SOUTHERN FORESTS OF

 

CHILE THAT ARE UNLIKE

ANY OTHERS IN THE WORLD.

THEY HAVE A VERY, VERY

 

OLD SPECIES OF CONIFERS,

TREES THAT ARE 4,000

 

OR 5,000 YEARS OLD,

STRANGE AND WONDERFUL

 

FORESTS AND THERE ARE LAKES

ALSO DUE TO THE MOUNTAINS

 

BUT LAKES OF VARIOUS COLORS.

THERE'S ONE CALLED LAGUNA

 

VERDE THAT IS SORT OF A

GREENISH COLOR WHICH IS

 

WHAT THE NAME MEANS.

 

SO IT'S QUITE A CLIMB UP,

 

OUT OF LAKE CONGUILLÍO.

BUT TO GET TO THE PLACE WHERE

 

YOU CAN GET THE BIG PICTURE,

SEE WHAT'S REALLY

 

GOING ON IN THE PARK,

YOU HAVE TO DO A LOT OF

 

CLIMBING SO UP THE TRAIL

WE GO INTO THE

 

DENSE BLACK FOREST.

 

EVEN MORE UNUSUAL THAN THE

 

VOLCANOES IS THIS TREE.

IT'S CALLED THE

 

PEWEN LOCALLY.

IT'S SCIENTIFIC

 

NAME IS ARAUCARIA.

IT'S ALSO CALLED THE

 

MONKEY PUZZLE TREE.

IT'S FOUND ONLY IN THE

 

SOUTHERN PART OF THE ANDES

IN CHILE AND

 

IN NEW ZEALAND.

IT DOESN'T HAVE NEEDLES.

IT IS OLDER THAN THE

 

TREES THAT HAVE NEEDLES.

IT'S FROM JURASSIC TIMES.

IT'S A LIVING FOSSIL.

THESE LITTLE PRECURSORS

 

TO NEEDLES ARE VERY,

VERY SHARP BUT THE LOCAL

 

MAPUCHE PEOPLE HAVE LEARNED

TO HARVEST THE CONES THAT ARE

 

FULL OF A VERY NUTRITIOUS NUT.

THE MONKEY PUZZLE TREES

HAVE A NUMBER OF UNUSUAL

 

CHARACTERISTICS.

THEY'RE DIOECIOUS, THAT

 

MEANS THEY HAVE BOTH MALE

AND FEMALE TREES AND THE

 

FEMALES DON'T BECOME

SEXUALLY ACTIVE UNTIL

 

THEY'RE 350 YEARS OLD.

UP ON TOP OF THE RIDGE THE

 

WIND'S BLOWING ABOUT

30 MILES AN HOUR AND

 

IT DOESN'T MATTER.

THERE'S A WATERFALL OVER

 

THERE WITH A RAINBOW,

A GLACIER UP ABOVE AND

 

THESE ARAUCARIA TREES

THAT LOOK LIKE NOTHING MORE

 

THAN INVERTED PARSNIPS

COMING OUT OF THE GROUND,

 

A HUNDRED MILLION OF THEM.

I'M NOT SURE WHERE I AM.

HAD TO CLIMB UP

 

ABOUT OVER 1, 000 FEET

TO GET THIS VIEW

 

AND WHAT A PRIVILEGE

TO BE ABLE TO STAND UP

 

HERE AND TAKE IT.

THE VOLCANO HAS CREATED

 

ALL THESE LAVA FLOWS

WHICH PLUG UP THE VALLEYS AND

 

CREATE THESE LAKES.

IT'S JUST A WONDERFUL

 

THING TO SEE HAPPENING.

AND THE LEVELS RISE AND

 

FALL DEPENDING ON

HOW MUCH SNOW MELT THERE IS.

THEN UP ABOVE US

 

THERE IS A GLACIER,

SMALL ONE BUT A

 

GLACIER NEVERTHELESS.

THIS RIDGE REALLY

 

IS A KNIFE EDGE.

ON ONE SIDE THERE'S A DEEP

 

CANYON AND ON THIS SIDE

IS THE BASIN OR THE LAKE IN IT

 

AND I THINK I'M FAR ENOUGH AWAY

FROM LLAIMA VOLCANO THAT IF IT

 

DOES ERUPT IT WON'T GET ME.

IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S A

 

LITTLE STUFF

COMING OUT OF THE SIDE THERE.

NEAR THE COAST IN THE

 

SOUTH CENTRAL PART OF THE

COUNTRY IS THE LARGEST SALT LAKE

 

IN ALL OF SOUTH AMERICA.

AROUND IT AND INLAND

 

LIVE THE MAPUCHE PEOPLE.

THIS DRUM IS ACTUALLY A

 

REPRODUCTION OF WHERE

THEY ARE IN THE UNIVERSE.

THE MAPUCHE FROM RIGHT

 

HERE ARE IN THE CENTER.

WHEN HE'S

 

BEATING THE DRUM,

THAT'S AN

 

INDICATION OF THEM.

EACH DIRECTION REFERS

 

TO FOUR OTHER DIFFERENT PEOPLES.

ONE IN THE DIRECTION

 

OF THE SEA,

ONE IN THE DIRECTION OF

 

THE ANDES TO THE EAST,

ONE OF ANOTHER PEOPLE

 

TO THE NORTH

AND ANOTHER PEOPLE TO THE SOUTH.

EVEN WITH THE WIND AND THE

 

FOG THE HARVEST MUST GO ON.

SO THEY BROUGHT ALL THESE

 

SHEAVES OF WHEAT UP HERE

AND WITH THE HELP OF THE

 

PATIENT AND LOVING OXEN.

AND THEY WILL LEAVE THIS

 

HERE AND A MECHANICAL THRESHER

WILL COME IN AND

 

STOMP THIS DOWN AND THEY CAN

ONLY PRAY THAT IT DOESN'T

 

RAIN AND THE GRAIN GET WET

BECAUSE THE WINNOWING WON'T

 

WORK AT ALL ONCE IT'S WET.

SO THE WHEAT, IT DOESN'T TAKE

 

MUCH TO REMOVE IT FROM THE HUSK

AND THERE YOU HAVE THE

 

LOVELY KERNELS OF WHEAT.

IF YOU THROW IT

 

UP IN THE AIR,

YOU GET MORE WHEAT COMING

 

DOWN AND IF YOU DO IT AGAIN,

BETTER THAN I DO,

 

YOU GET MOST OF THE

CHAFF BLOWN AWAY AND YOU WIND

 

UP WITH PURE KERNELS OF WHEAT.

 

THE TRADITIONAL MAPUCHE

 

CEREMONY CONSISTS OF

A BEGINNING BY A YOUNGER

 

PERSON INTRODUCING

AN ELDER WHO THEN INTRODUCES

 

AN OLD WOMAN WHO TELLS

A STORY IN MAPUCHE LANGUAGE.

AND THAT'S FOLLOWED BY A

 

CEREMONY OF THE HARVEST

AND THAT ULTIMATELY THEN

 

IS FOLLOWED BY A DANCE

ALL THE WAY AROUND THE PLAZA

 

TO DRUMS AND FLUTES

AND HORNS AND

 

WHATEVER TRADITIONAL

 

INSTRUMENTS

HAVE BEEN ASSEMBLED,

MUCH TO THE GREAT DELIGHT OF

 

EVERYBODY HERE.

 

THE FLAGS HAVE A SPECIAL

 

SIGNIFICANCE HERE.

YOU HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND

 

THAT THEY HAVE SIX MONTHS

OF VERY TOUGH WEATHER HERE

 

IN THE SOUTHERN PART

OF CHILE WHEN IT'S RAINING

 

ALMOST ALL THE TIME SO

THEY LOVE IT WHEN IT CLEARS UP

AND THE WHITE PART OF THE

 

FLAG IS FOR GOOD WEATHER,

THE BLACK IS FOR THE OTHER

 

KIND OF WEATHER THAT MAY

BRING RAIN BUT THEY

 

NEED AN EQUILIBRIUM

AND SO THE WHITE AND BLACK

 

ARE A BALANCE OF NATURE.

THE BLUE

 

REPRESENTS THE SKY.

SO ALL THOSE ARE VERY SYMBOLIC

 

FOR THE CHANGE OF SEASONS,

THE CONTROL OF HARVEST.

THIS OBVIOUSLY ISN'T

 

A HUGE CEREMONY.

IT'S AN ATTEMPT TO BUY THE

 

LEADERS OF THIS COMMUNITY

TO BRING BACK SOME OF THE

 

TRADITIONS BECAUSE THEY'RE

VERY AWARE THAT THEY

 

ARE LOSING THEM

AND UNLESS THEY DO

 

SOMETHING TO RESCUE THEM,

IT WILL BE LOST FOR THEIR

 

CHILDREN AND THEN FOREVER.

I WASN'T TOO EAGER TO JOIN

 

IN ON THE DANCING

AND PROCESSION BUT WHEN IT

 

COMES TO FERMENTED BEVERAGES,

I'M ALWAYS WILLING

 

TO BE A GUINEA PIG

AND PARTICIPATE IN THE

 

HIGHEST SPIRITUALITY OFFERED.

HERE IT COMES.

I'M IN.

 

THIS MAPUCHE FEAST IS

 

BASED MOSTLY ON WHEAT.

THIS IS HORSE MEAT AND I

 

THINK I'LL FOREGO THAT

BUT THIS IS ALGAE

 

FROM THE NEARBY SEA.

WE'LL TRY THAT AND I'LL

 

PUT A LITTLE BIT OF THIS

SORT OF BARLEY WHICH HAS

 

BEEN TOASTED IN ASHES,

SHOULD BE A GOOD COMBINATION.

LET'S SEE IF I CAN DO IT WITHOUT

 

SPILLING IT ALL OVER EVERYTHING.

MMM.

IT'S REALLY QUITE TASTY.

IT HAS A GOOD

 

MIXTURE OF FLAVORS,

PARTICULARLY THE ALGAE HAS

 

A NICE FEEL AND TASTE TO IT.

THE MAPUCHE WERE

 

THE MOST RESISTANT,

THE FIERCEST OPPONENTS OF

 

THE SPANISH BUT TODAY

THEY HAVE INCORPORATED

 

FOOD BROUGHT FROM EUROPE

BY THE SPANIARDS INTO

 

THEIR BASIC DIET.

ONE OF THE MOST UNUSUAL

 

ASPECTS OF THE CULTURE

OF THE MAPUCHE IS

 

THEIR CHICKENS.

THEY LAY BLUE EGGS.

THE PURE STRAINS ARE NOT

 

RELATED TO OTHER STRAINS

OF CHICKENS THAT

 

CAME FROM EUROPE.

GENETIC STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT

 

THEIR ORIGIN IS IN POLYNESIA

AND SOMEHOW THEY MADE IT HERE

 

ACROSS THE PACIFIC.

THIS MEANS THAT THE MAPUCHE MAY

 

HAVE HISTORICAL CONNECTIONS

TO OTHER PEOPLES UNLIKE

 

ANY OTHER PEOPLE

IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE.

I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO

 

SEEING THE BOAT THAT

HERNÁN HAS MADE,

 

THE DUGOUT.

HE TELLS ME IT'S...AH,

 

THERE IT IS.

HE SAYS IT'S THREE

 

METERS LONG, 10 FEET.

IT'S MADE OF OAK.

OH, MY GOSH!

YES, IT'S MADE OUT OF OAK.

BOY, THAT'S BEAUTIFUL!

WAMPO.

ALL RIGHT, THIS

 

IS CALLED A WAMPO.

 

THE WAY THEY FISH HERE IS

 

NOT WITH A NET OR WITH

A FISHING LINE BUT THEY

 

LITERALLY SPEAR THEM.

I GET THE FEELING THAT

 

HERNÁN HAS DONE THIS BEFORE

AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT

 

HE STAYS UPRIGHT IN THAT.

I'M GLAD I'M NOT THERE.

THE IDEA OF THESE BOATS

 

WAS NOT ONLY TO FISH,

THAT WAS IMPORTANT, BUT

 

TO TRANSPORT PEOPLE

AND GOODS ACROSS THE RIVER.

THAT'S A LONG WAY AND IF THEY

 

HAD STUFF TO BRING TO TOWN,

THERE'S NO WAY

 

THEY COULD GET ACROSS.

THAT WAS BEFORE THE BRIDGE

 

WAS MADE BUT EVEN NOW

IT'S IDEAL FOR FISHING.

AND HOW HE KEEPS

 

HIS BALANCE,

I THINK IT TAKES PRACTICE.

THE MAPUCHE NOW OCCUPY

 

ONLY A TINY PORTION OF

THE LAND THAT WAS

 

PREVIOUSLY THEIRS,

A VAST TERRITORY OF

 

RIVERS, LAKES AND FORESTS.

I GET THE FEELING THAT

 

I'M IN A PRIMEVAL FOREST,

SEEING FOR THE FIRST

 

TIME AN UNEXPLORED

AND UNKNOWN WATERFALL BUT I

 

HAVE TO REMIND MYSELF THAT

THERE HAVE BEEN PEOPLE IN THIS

 

AREA FOR OVER 13, 000 YEARS

AND SPANIARDS TRYING TO COLONIZE

 

ARRIVED HERE 450 YEARS AGO

AND THAT'S 60 YEARS BEFORE

 

THE PILGRIMS ARRIVED

AT PLYMOUTH ROCK SO I'M

 

REALLY A LATECOMER.

SO I CAN NOW SEE THE

 

FALLS IN THE DISTANCE

AND IF I CAN MAKE IT

 

ACROSS THESE LOGS,

I'LL ACTUALLY BE

 

ABLE TO GET THERE.

EVERYTHING'S SLICK HERE

 

BECAUSE OF THE SPRAY

THAT REACHES THIS FAR DOWN.

THIS IS THE LION FALLS.

IT'S ONE OF DOZENS

 

THAT COME OVER

THE SIDE OF THE

 

VILLARRICA VOLCANO.

IT NEVER DRIES OUT HERE.

THIS IS IN A LOW FLOW

 

SEASON SO WE CAN IMAGINE

HOW ENORMOUS IT MUST BE

 

WHEN IT'S REALLY ROARING.

 

AND THE MONKEY FLOWER

 

I SAW AT THE FALLS,

THEY ALL BENEFIT BY

 

HAVING PERMANENT SPRAY.

IT WOULDN'T BE A GOOD

 

PLACE FOR THE CACTI THAT

I'M USED TO IN ARIZONA.

IT'S A PERMANENTLY WET OASIS

 

WITHIN AN OASIS WITHIN AN OASIS.

THE ONE I'M LOOKING FOR

 

IS WHAT THEY CALL COIHUE,

WHICH IS A HUGE TREE RELATED

 

TO THE OAKS AND HERE IS ONE.

THIS IS HUGE.

I DON'T KNOW HOW BIG

 

AROUND IT IS BUT, OKAY,

MY FINGERTIPS ARE ABOUT, A

 

LITTLE OVER SIX FEET SO IF

WE CAN MULTIPLY THAT

 

BY FOUR OR FIVE,

THAT'S FIVE

 

YETMAN WINGTIPS,

IT'S GOT TO BE AT LEAST 25

 

FEET IN CIRCUMFERENCE BUT

IT'S GOT TO BE AT LEAST

 

150 FEET TALL, MAYBE MORE.

AND THEY TELL ME THAT THESE LIVE

 

BETWEEN 250 AND 300 YEARS.

IN SOUTH AMERICA THEY HAVE

 

GOBS OF FLOWERS THAT

I CAN'T EVEN COME

 

CLOSE TO IDENTIFYING.

I DO KNOW THAT THIS ONE

 

IS LIKE A DANDELION.

IT'S A DASTARDLY

 

YELLOW COMPOSITE.

AND THIS ONE

 

MIGHT BE A ROSE.

THEY CALL IT ARRAYAN HERE.

IT DOESN'T HAVE ANY

 

SMELL AND THIS ONE I CAN

GUARANTEE YOU IS A FUCHSIA

 

WITH PURPLE FLOWERS AND

THESE WONDERFUL

 

SEPALS OF RED.

WHAT A GORGEOUS

 

COMBINATION.

THE BUMBLEBEES AREN'T

 

LOOKING FOR POLLEN.

THEY'RE LOOKING FOR NECTAR AND

 

THEY FIND IT BEST AT THE BASE.

THEY CAN'T GET INSIDE

 

THERE SO THEY CHEW HOLES

RIGHT AT THE VERY

 

BOTTOM OF THE FLOWER

AND THEY SUCK THE NECTAR

 

OUT OF THOSE HOLES.

 

THIS IS THE FORT THE

 

SPANIARDS CALLED NIEBLA.

THEY COULDN'T VERY

 

WELL PROTECT THEMSELVES

FROM THE MAPUCHE COMING

 

FROM THE INLAND BUT THEY

JOLLY WELL WERE ABLE TO

 

PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM

PIRATES AS THEY CALL THEM FROM

 

ENGLAND, FRANCE AND HOLLAND.

SO THEY BUILT

 

THIS FORT HERE,

ONE ON AN ISLAND OVER THERE

 

AND ONE ACROSS THE WAY

THAT GAVE AN IMPREGNABLE

 

FORTRESS QUALITY,

THE VALDIVIA, AND LASTED THEM

 

FOR OVER 150 YEARS

AND THEN CHILE WELL AFTER THAT.

WHEN THIS AREA ACHIEVED

 

INDEPENDENCE IN 1820,

THE NEW GOVERNMENT WANTED

 

TO DEVELOP THE AREA.

AN IMMIGRATION TREATY

 

WAS SIGNED IN 1848.

IMMIGRANTS

 

STARTED TO COME.

THEY CAME AND

 

SETTLED IN VALDIVIA

AND LLANQUIHUE AND FRUTILLAR.

SOME INTERMARRIED WITH

 

SOME OF THE LOCALS BUT

THE GERMANS ARE THE PRINCIPLE

 

GROUP OF IMMIGRANTS FOUND HERE.

GERMAN IMMIGRANTS FOUNDED

 

THE TOWN OF FRUTILLAR AT

THE END OF THE

 

19TH CENTURY.

THEY BROUGHT WITH THEM

 

FROM GERMANY THEIR

ARCHITECTURAL STYLES WHICH

 

INCLUDED THE SORT OF

GINGERBREAD HOUSE STYLE THAT

 

MIGHT HAVE COME FROM BAVARIA.

I NEVER DID EXPECT TO

 

SEE A CHESS MATCH

HERE IN SOUTHERN CHILE.

AND NOT JUST AN ORDINARY CHESS

 

BOARD BUT A KIND OF BIG ONE.

THIS SIGN SAYS THAT THE

 

COLONEL VICENTE PEREZ ROSALES

WHO WAS CHILEAN

 

SAID TO THE FIRST GERMAN

 

SETTLERS,

'BE ACTIVE, PRUDENT

 

AND HONORABLE

AND THE SKY WILL BLESS

 

YOUR WORK, '

AND THEY TOOK

 

HIM SERIOUSLY.

IN THE MIDDLE OF THE 19TH

 

CENTURY THE CHILEAN GOVERNMENT

OFFERED GERMANS

 

VIRTUALLY FREE LAND IF

THEY WOULD COME SETTLE HERE IN

 

THE SOUTHERN PART OF CHILE

AND THEY BROUGHT WITH THEM THEIR

 

MOST IMPORTANT INDUSTRIES.

THE MOST IMPORTANT

 

OF ALL WAS BEER.

SO HERE I AM IN HEIDELBERG

 

AT THE OKTOBERFEST.

OH, I'M SORRY,

 

I'M IN CHILE.

I'M IN VALDIVIA.

GRACIAS, LAS TRAVESA.

I INITIALLY WANTED TO

 

ORDER TWO OR THREE OF

THESE BUT I'M GOING TO

 

DRINK THIS ONE FIRST

BEFORE I START ON THE

 

SECOND AND THIRD ONES,

BUT TO THE GERMANS FOR

 

IMPROVING THE INDUSTRY OF

SOUTHERN CHILE 100

 

YEARS OR SO AGO.

THIS IS NOT TYPICAL

 

CHILEAN FOOD.

THIS IS GERMAN FOOD.

FORTUNATELY YOU CAN GET IT HERE

 

AND IT'S VERY, VERY GOOD.

THANKS TO THE IMMIGRANTS.

WOW, THAT WAS GREAT.

I HOPE THAT COME

 

THE WORLD CUP,

THE FINAL MATCH IS BETWEEN CHILE

 

AND GERMANY AND CHILE WINS.

ONE MORE OF THESE,

 

AS WE SAY IN SPANISH,

UNO MAS Y NOS VAMOS, ONE

 

MORE, I'LL BE OUT OF HERE.

AH!

GERMANS BROUGHT BEER

 

BUT ITALIANS BROUGHT

THEIR OWN TREASURE, PROSCIUTTO.

THE SMALL TOWN OF CAPITÁN

 

PASTENE SITS IN SPLENDID

ISOLATION A COUPLE HUNDRED

 

MILES TO THE NORTH.

WE BELIEVE THAT 60 TO 70

 

PERCENT OF THE POPULATION

HERE ARE ITALIAN DESCENDENTS.

SOME INTERMARRIED WITH NATIVES

BUT THEIR RELATIVES

 

COME FROM ITALY.

WE ARE GRANDCHILDREN OF

 

ITALIANS WHICH MAKES US

SECOND GENERATION ITALIANS.

THE ART OF MAKING

 

PROSCIUTTO,

SALAMI AND CURING HAM

 

IS ONE WE LEARNED AS

WE WERE GROWING UP AS KIDS.

IT WAS PASSED ON THROUGH

 

THE GENERATIONS,

TRANSPLANTED

 

HERE FROM ITALY.

THIS TOWN IS A RESULT OF

 

A COLONIZATION PROJECT

BETWEEN CHILEAN AND

 

ITALIAN GOVERNMENTS.

CHILE WANTED TO

 

FOSTER DEVELOPMENT

IN FALLOW COUNTRYSIDE.

THE INITIAL IDEA WAS TO

 

BRING OVER 100 FARMERS

FROM THE NORTHERN PART OF ITALY.

WHEN THE MILL WAS BUILT,

 

IT MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE

IN THE LIVES OF THE

 

FAMILIES HERE BECAUSE THEY

NO LONGER HAD TO GRIND

 

THEIR OWN WHEAT,

THEY COULD BRING IT HERE

 

AND EVEN NOWADAYS $3.50

TO GRIND 100 POUNDS OF

 

WHEAT INTO FLOUR,

IT MAKES AN ENORMOUS

 

DIFFERENCE IN THE ABILITY

OF FAMILIES TO PROVIDE

 

FOR THEMSELVES.

IN 1904 35 FAMILIES

 

EMBARKED ON A BOAT FROM A

PORT IN FRANCE AND UPON

 

ARRIVING ON THE CHILEAN

COAST THEY TRAVELED

 

INLAND BY CART, ON FOOT,

ON HORSEBACK UNTIL THEY

 

ARRIVED HERE IN CAPITÁN PASTENE.

 

THEY FOUND ABSOLUTELY NOTHING

 

HERE WHEN THEY ARRIVED.

HOWEVER, THEY WERE HIGHLY

 

MOTIVATED AND TENACIOUS.

THEIR OBJECTIVE WAS TO BETTER

 

THE LIVES OF THEIR FAMILIES.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE

 

ITALIANS BROUGHT WITH THEM

WAS CERTAINLY GRAPES AND

 

GRAPES HAVE MORPHED INTO

THE FINEST OF WINES HERE

 

IN CHILE AS WELL AS TABLE

GRAPES AND THE ITALIANS

 

HAVE LEFT THEIR CULINARY

FINESSE WITH THE ENTIRE

 

COUNTRY AND NOWHERE IN ALL

OF CHILE CAN YOU GET

 

BETTER FOOD THAN HERE.

53 FAMILIES STAYED AND

 

ACHIEVED THEIR GOAL.

HERE COMES THEIR

 

LIVING PROOF.

AH.

THIS IS JUST A SAMPLE OF

 

THE PRODUCTS MADE HERE.

OH, MY GOODNESS,

 

LOOK AT THAT.

I'VE BEEN INSTRUCTED

 

TO USE MY FINGERS.

PROSCIUTTO FOR EVERYTHING.

OH, MY GOODNESS!

I HAVE NEVER HAD

 

PROSCIUTTO SO GOOD.

IF THE OTHERS ARE

 

AS GOOD AS THIS,

I'M GOING TO STAY HERE AND

 

LET THE REST OF THE WORLD GO ON.

ITALIA Y CHILE!

SALUTE.

WHETHER YOU ARE

 

ITALIAN, GERMAN, MAPUCHE

OR OF MIXED ORIGIN

 

THE LAKE COUNTRY STILL BECKONS.

IT'S A RECREATIONAL

 

PARADISE EVEN WITH

RUMBLINGS FROM

 

THE RING OF FIRE.

THIS IS A SUNDAY AFTERNOON AT

 

THE END OF SUMMER

IN LAKE LLANQUIHUE.

PEOPLE ARE HAVING A

 

MARVELOUS TIME THINKING

OF THE RAIN THAT

 

SOON WILL COME.

THEY DON'T SEEM TO BE

 

BOTHERED BY THE FACT THAT

30 MILES TO THE EAST

 

LIES THE SLUMBERING

VOLCANO CALLED OSORNO.

 

OSORNO IS ONLY A LITTLE

 

OVER 9,000 FEET HIGH, BUT ,

IT IS SO DOMINATING OF THE

 

LANDSCAPE THAT FROM OUT TO

SEA TO THE SOUTH 100 MILES

 

AWAY YOU CAN STILL SEE IT.

THE SNOW, THE PERFECTION

 

OF THE CONE JUST STAND OUT

ON A CLEAR DAY.

IT'S PART OF

 

CHILE'S RIM OF FIRE,

A SERIES OF VOLCANOES THAT BEGAN

 

3, 000 MILES TO THE NORTH

AND MAKE BOTH FOR

 

VOLCANIC INSTABILITY

HERE AS WELL AS PROVIDING

 

FERTILIZING ASH

FLOWS FOR ALL THIS

 

GREENERY THAT WE SEE OUT

HERE SO THE VOLCANOES

 

DESTROY AND THEN THEY GIVE.

 

THE WATERFALLS HERE AT

 

PICHIHUE HAVE BECOME ONE

OF CHILE'S TOP TOURIST

 

ATTRACTIONS FOR GOOD REASON.

CHILEANS AND FOREIGNERS

 

ALIKE JUST FLOCK HERE

AND THANKS TO THE VOLCANIC

 

ACTIVITY IN THIS VALLEY

WE HAD A MASSIVE LAVA FLOW

 

A FEW THOUSAND YEARS AGO

THAT PLUGGED UP THE BOTTOM

 

OF THE RIVER AND GRADUALLY

THE WATER BROKE THROUGH

 

AND CREATED THIS CRAZY

NETWORK OF CHANNELS,

 

UNDERGROUND FLOWS,

COLUMNAR BASALTS AND

 

HUGE POOLS THAT

BOATS CAN ACTUALLY GET INTO.

 

THE TOWN OF CONCÓN IN

 

SOUTHERN CHILE NOW

ATTRACTS MORE OUTDOOR

 

ADVENTURISTS THAN ANY

OTHER PLACE IN SOUTH

 

AMERICA AND VOLCANO WATCHING.

 

IT'S BEEN OVER 450 YEARS

 

SINCE SPANIARDS FIRST

ARRIVED HERE IN SOUTHERN CHILE

AND ATTEMPTED TO

 

ESTABLISH THEIR CULTURE.

AFTER ALL THESE CENTURIES,

 

SEVERAL GROUPS STILL

RETAIN THEIR IDENTITY

 

AND MAKE CHILE INTO THE

ETHNICALLY DIVERSE

 

COUNTRY THAT IT IS TODAY.

 

COLONIES OF EXPATRIATE

 

JAPANESE CAN BE FOUND IN

MANY CITIES OF THE WORLD

INCLUDING THE MEGOPOLIS OF SAN

 

PAULO, BRAZIL.

ONE SMALL TOWN OF

 

JAPANESE IMMIGRANTS

IN THE HEART OF THE AMAZON

 

FLOURISHES TODAY.

ITS FORTUNES ARE

 

BASED ON BLACK PEPPER,

FRUIT PULP AND AN ENDURING

 

SENSE OF COMMUNITY.

JOIN US NEXT TIME IN

 

THE AMERICAS WITH ME,

DAVID YETMAN.

 

SO THE RIVER STARTS

 

OFF REAL PLACID.

IT LOOKS LIKE NOTHING.

BUT THEN WE GO THROUGH A

 

PRETTY GOOD RAPID

AND THEN A REAL ONE, THE

 

DEVIL'S THROAT.

OKAY, HERE GOES.

[SCREAMING]

 

FUNDING FOR IN THE AMERICAS

 

WITH DAVID YETMAN

WAS PROVIDED BY AGNES HAURY.

 

COPIES OF THIS AND OTHER

 

EPISODES OF IN THE AMERICAS WITH

DAVID YETMAN ARE AVAILABLE FROM

 

THE SOUTHWEST CENTER.

TO ORDER CALL

 

1-800-937-8632.

PLEASE MENTION THE EPISODE

 

NUMBER AND PROGRAM TITLE.

 

AND PLEASE BE SURE

 

TO VISIT US AT

INTHEAMERICAS.COM OR

 

INTHEAMERICAS.ORG.