Chiloe: in pictures!

3 July 2012

And now for something completely different: a photo entry!

I teased with one photo in the last entry, and really, who wants to just read read read. I thought I'd mix it up for everyone involved and churn out thousands of words... in pictures.

I also thought I'd do something different and relay one of my weekend excursions. Considering I've been exploring different corners of Chile each weekend, it's about time I shared a journey. Without further ado, I present to you the southern island of - this is not a typo - Chiloe, Chile.

Don't ask me why; this repainted and repurposed hulk of concrete housing a radio station and cafes seemed to perfectly capture the small town of Ancud which welcomed me onto the island of Chiloe

More hours were probably spent on the bus than off this trip, so appropriately here's a shot through the driver's windshield. There's a rainbow in the distance, but if you have trouble seeing past the duffle bag stored on the dashboard (!) or the condensation on the windshield (the wiper apparently was about to fall off!!), I don't blame you.

One of the many varied landscapes in the Chiloe National Park, feeling like of cross between coastal desert and bog

Still in the Chiloe National Park, only here a lush and scary fern-filled woods

The bad news about visiting Chiloe in the winter is that a lot of the animals have migrated or are in hiding. The good news is that there are still a ton of awesome birds regardless, and this was just one of many I snapped a shot of.

One of the breaktaking stops a taxi tour of the northwest corner of the island revealed to me, here on a sand dune.

If you look close, you should be able to see some pink flamingos stalking about in the shallow water

Just a few miles from the sandy dunes further north, a completely different black pebble beach on Chiloe's west coast

All-wood interior of one of Chiloe's famous UNESCO churches, in Castro

Rectory attached to Castro's central church, featuring Chiloe's famous shingles - "tejuelas"

Classic "palafito" architecture of Chiloe, with a building sticking out into Castro's harbor

Just to mix it up - Castro, Chiloe has some modern architecture too