Chaiten, El Distritico de los Lagos, Chile 28-5-2010

Odometer: 5,321.3 miles

Chaiten is a stepping stone into or out of Patagonia. The road ends here and you either ferry in or ferry out of Patagonia. It should be a thriving community. But, it looks like a ghost town. 2 years and 2 months ago the local volcano erupted and the flow of ash and debris down the volcano changed the course of the river. The river now flows through town. This cut off electricity and water to the town. Everyone is still without. The federal government will not help. The state government will not help. The local government brings non-drinkable water once or twice a week to fill your tank if you have one. Drinking water is bottled. Electricity is by generator if you have one. The majority of those who have stayed go without. The real majority have already given up and left. It is really quite sad.

However, in this town there was one restaurant open. I went in. The family that runs the restaurant was sitting in a circle around the wood stove. The grandmother, the mom, and the 9 year old daughter were all sitting on a couch with a quilt spread on their laps. Grandma and mom working needles, Maria Jose sitting between them, holding balls of thread. The grandfather had his own chair and was tending the fire. They invited me in and had me sit down at the table closest to the fire, closing the circle. Grandma, the head cook, insisted I have the steak dinner, as she just butchered the cow yesterday. I agreed. Mom and grandma went to the kitchen to prepare the food, leaving Grandpa, Maria Jose and I to chat.

At first Grandpa and I did all the talking. It centered on the towns destruction. Maria Jose just sat quiet and listened, eager to talk, but never did. Finally I got around to asking her a question or two and she really took off. She didn’t stop for about 45 minutes. Grandpa never corrected her and I just encouraged her. The subjects ran from the fish to the dolphins to whales she had seen in the bay out the window, to her class, her friends, her grades {6.8 out of 7, second highest in her class, here grandpa nodded with a big smile}, to wild plants she finds in the hills outside of town. The entire time grandpa just listened and said nothing. Then the subject touched a chord that got grandpa involved, Maria Jose’s boyfriends, all 3.

The conversation went something like this:

UW-- Cuantos novios tienes?
MJ-- No tengo.
UW—Es un nombre raro.
MJ—Ninguno.
UW—Entiendo. Tienes dos. Uno se llama Notengo y el otro se llama Ninguno.
MJ—No. Cero.

And here she shows me the “ok” sign, index finger and thumb making the “o” and her last three digits flared upward and spread outward.
I count them for her, touching each finger as I count.

UW—Uno, dos, tres. Notengo, Ninguno, Cerro. Si, entiendo. Tres Novios. Wow!
MJ—Nooooooo.
GP—Estas muy joven para tener un novio y ya tienes tres! Espero que to mama’ no lo sepa.
MJ. Nooooooo.
GP—Por suerte.
MJ—Noooooooo.
UW—Cuales de estos le gusta jugar fut?
MJ—Ninguno.
UW—Solo Ninguno?
MJ—Cero.
UW—Y Notengo?
MJ—Noooooo.
GP—Quien es el mas gaupo?

With the last question MJ pulls the quilt over her head, just like the peanuts character Linus. Grandpa and I had a good laugh. After a bit MJ pulled the quilt back smiling.

Uncle Walter

PS. The steak was delicious. Oh yah, Syd and Beeser, now that school is out and you have nothing better to do, can you get that translated quick? People are waiting. Thanks! Love you both. UW