Back in Argentina, we're getting hitched!

We finished what we had wanted to see in the Southern Patagonia Chile. Sure, there's lots more we could do, but where do you stop? (I know, never!)

We decided to skip going back to Coyhaique for the parcel we'd had sent to the post office, it was just cheap parts and we can get them later... And we crossed the border at Futalufu back into Argentina. 

We first visited the welsh community of Trevelin, and a lovely working flour mill based on original plans from a very long time ago. Then we went to Esquel. 

Esquel is a sizeable town, I'd read a population estimate of 30,000 and another of 40,000, so it's big enough for all the services. Most importantly, we thought we could buy flight tickets there from a local travel agent. 

Why? Well buying them locally supports local small town business and by utilising the exchange rates of the 'dolar blue', we figured we'd save some money (basically, the dolar blue is where you can sell USD for about 30-35% more pesos than the official exchange rate because Argentines want USD but their governments puts a lot of restrictions on them buying them... So they buy them unofficially and pay more.)

But, our plan didn't work. The Argentine government puts a surcharge of 35% on Argentine residents purchases of international air tickets and anything else they buy overseas or online from overseas (banks add on the tax to savings accounts withdrawals from foreign ATMs and credit card statements where purchases have been made overseas). There's a lot more to it, but I'm not the one to explain it. 

As foreigners trying to buy return tickets from Brazil to Australia, we definitely aren't subject to paying this tax, however the travel agents had no way of putting through the transaction without it. We tried 2 without success. 

In the end, we bought the tickets online, directly from Delta. They were 35% cheaper.... And we didn't need to go through the whole thing of converting dollars to pesos. 

The reason why we are going to Australia? We're going to get married! When H asked me, I was totally shocked and surprised, but I eventually said I would. 

This doesn't mean we are 'settling down' .... Nope, it means we are keeping on travelling, together. 

The making of shingles: Alerce

I've already done 2 posts about the shingled buildings on Chiloe Island and in Chile's Southern Patagonia, so here's some pictures of the trees that the shingles were traditionally made from.  It's called Alerce.

These old trees can be 4000 years old,  and they aren't so renewable. The Alerce trees are now protected, it's illegal to harvest them.  New shingled homes are made with cypress or fabricated shingles.

The old Alerce singles are said to be virtually indestructible,  so there's still lots of buildings with those to be seen.

On the Alerce walk in Pumalin National Park they had constructed parts of the walk using fallen Alerce trees,  sometimes you just walked on the big old tree that they had carved tred into.

An interesting meeting

On Chiloe Island, H and I had a project of photographing as many different shingle types as possible.  We stopped outside one house in a tiny village to photograph the following shingle that we hadn't seen before.  I jumped out of the car to get the photo and was startled by a man sitting on the front step.

He explained that he was the man from next door and that I should get a photo of his house. He led me to his house, this is it, with him now sitting on its front step.  I think it only fair that I publish it, since he was so determined to have me take the photo.  He also wanted a chat,  about politics, but I couldn't stay for the smell!

Fortunately most houses on Chiloe are in better condition than this,  but,  when I had seen them like this I had assumed they were abandoned, and this proves I was sometimes wrong.

Also, I must mention that houses in southern Chile, when not shingled timber constructions were most often made with corrugated iron. Sometimes they looked very nice.

Enjoying free fruit in Patagonia

We hardly buy any fruit anymore.... Patagonia has fruit trees everywhere with fruits falling off them. 

This week it's apples and blackberries (okay, not a tree but wild), 10 days ago it was plums, 10 days before that it was cherries (not so great for eating, but we made wonderful jam). 

The trees are planted on public and private property (we don't enter to take from private property, but fruit falls beside the road). The fruit is generally smaller than what is in the shops, and might be stung (bitten by insects), but mostly it's good eating, and I'm enjoying my free snacks. 

I still buy bananas and feel guilty about how far they've travelled, but it's my number one fruit of choice, the one I can't live without.... Although I like them a bit green. 

Chiloe's shingled buildings

Chiloe is particularly famous for its shingled churches, but it's not just the churches that are shingled, the houses are too. The timber (Alerce if it's old) shingles come in many different styles, and we took many photos of them.. These are just a few.