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.
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