Chile: a week through history

"...Trabajadores de mi patria: tengo fe en Chile y su destino. Superarán otros hombres este momento gris y amargo, donde la traición pretende imponerse. Sigan ustedes sabiendo que, mucho más temprano que tarde, de nuevo abrirán las grandes alamedas por donde pase el hombre libre para construir una sociedad mejor..."

"...Workers of my country, I have faith in Chile and its destiny. Other men will overcome this dark and bitter moment when treason seeks to prevail. Keep in mind that, much sooner than later, the great avenues will again be opened through which will pass free men to construct a better society..."

- Salvador Allende, Santiago de Chile, 11 of September 1973.

When "democracy" was restored in Chile in 1991, so too was a portion of her history - however, for the interests of some, portions of the history of the dictatorship still remains protected. The general cemetery of la Recoleta, Santiago de Chile, was not exempt from this process. During the 90's, Salvador Allende's body - Chile's fallen president to the dictatorship - was given a proper burial in la Recoleta. Over 1 million people lined the roads in a guard of honor. The above citation of Allende's "farewell speech" is chiseled into a marble stone at his mausoleum.

On Sunday, April 12, I took a trip to la Recoleta, with my Tio Victor and Tia Emilia (Uncle and Aunty). Tio Victor was quite the knowledgeable tour guide. La Recoleta is the resting place to many famous chileans, who have played historic roles in shaping chilean society, politics, and culture* It is also the depressing end for those that were disappeared by the dictatorship. There was an area, that had hundreds of graves with rusted crucifixes with the insignia "nn" - Ningun Nombre (No Name) - they never bothered to identify the bodies. Since the restoration of democracy, an enormous wall, with thousands of names inscribed, is now the monument to those fallen victim; we paid our tributes.

The last week I would like to title "the week of Museums". Historical, Nature, and Interactive museums were on the menu; and I feasted on them. Every second day I would travel to one. The odd days I would stay at home, to mainly write and research for an article I wrote on the political situation in Argentina - check it out, if you want (My new blogspot for my political articles that I write along the way)

The first on the list was the museum of national history. Located in Plaza de Armas, in central Santiago, the museum occupies an ancient building that was once the headquarters of the Spanish viceroy, way back in the 17th century. It was a fantastic, and educational experience. Unfortunately, for the gringo, there is no English descriptions of the item. As I'm not the speed reader in Spanish I took my time in wandering through. I transcended time and lunch to spend my day there. The museum presents the historical development of Chile from the indigenous people, Spanish conquerors, colonisation, Independence, national development, to the death of Allende (There was a display of his real glasses that were broken). Once again, I was frustrated that no photos were allowed to be taken inside.

The museum of nature was interesting, but once Ive seen one, you could expect to find the same things: dinosaur bones, various stuffed animals, etc. But the main thing to go to, as I have discovered, is the section on the national fauna, which is slightly more interesting. More fascinating was the display on indigenous culture - artifacts, clothing, tools - both before and after the colonisation. The Spanish conquest was influential on the culture of the indigenous peoples; for example, pottery now had certain styles that was European. A mummified indigenous boy, from the early 10th century, was also display. Frozen in the mountain top, known as the grey mountain, that has a permanent snow top, he was discovered in 1952.

The Interactive museum was my last one for the week. It is just around the corner from where I'm staying - not too far, until you make a wrong turn, but I got there in the end. As the title suggests it is an interactive, hands-on museum. While it is designed for kids (great place to bring my nephews), adults can have a heap of fun, as I discovered. The museum is divided into various sections, each having a speciality - physics, sound, visual tricks, human body. Within each section there are displays that you can interact with to learn about something. When I arrived, the museum was quiet empty; however, all of a sudden, hundreds of little kids rush the place. It must have been the end of school. The kids went crazy. They would just run around playing with a display for a few seconds, laugh hysterically, then run away, it was hilarious.

During the week, my uncle, a football fanatic, and I have been playing futsol. It has been great to get back into playing some football. There is no shortage of games, he plays 3 times a week - a fanatic! Surprisingly I am fairly fit. I put it down to walking around forever around the cities I've visited.

I'm planning on travelling to the coast for a few nights, re-visiting Valpariso, and then heading back here. The plan is to continue on to Bolivia in early May; but I'm considering incorporating Paraguay into this trip, at least for a few weeks. As always, I'll keep you posted.

Con amor, desde Santiago de Chile.

Gonzalo

P.S here are some links to some photos:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=35117&l=c13e3&id=732774973
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=35810&l=12097&id=732774973

* Comrades of la Recoleta: Salvador Allende, murdered president; Gladys Marin, secretary-general of the Chilean Communist Party, she was the first to file a case against the former dictator, Augusto Pinochet, for genocide, kidnapping, illicit association and illegal inhumation, her funeral attracted a guard of honor of 1 million people; Violetta Parra, an inspiring Chilean folk singer, whos "New Song" movement would develop and reinvent chilean folk; Victor Jara, a poet, singer-song writer, and part of the "new song" movement, he was tortured, and then killed by the dictatorship, he would later personify those fallen; Miguel Enriquez, secretary-general of the Revolutionary Left Movement (MIR), a leader and combatant, he was killed by the dictatorship in a raid, and is a symbolic figure of the activist left; Toledo brothers, commemorated in the day of the young combatant, March 20, they were three brothers that were assassinated by the dictatorship, two on the same day.

Chile: I've returned

"Vuelvo a casa, vuelvo compañera
Vuelvo mar, montaña, vuelvo puerto
Vuelvo sur, saludo mi desierto
Vuelvo a renacer amado pueblo

Vuelvo , amor vuelvo
A saciar mi sed de ti
Vuelvo, vida vuelvo
A vivir en ti país"

"I've returned home, my companion
I've returned to the sea, the mountains, I've returned to the harbour
I've returned to the south, greetings desert
I've returned reborn for a loved people

I've returned, my love I've returned
To quench my thirst for you
I've returned, life I've returned
To live in your country"

- Illapu: Vuelvo

I've returned to my historical home, Chile. I arrived on Sunday, April 06, and was greeted by my Tio Victor and Tia Emilia (Uncle and Aunty), who I am currently staying with, and will be for most of my time in Chile, which is only a few weeks. Argentina had been a wonder, a stopover, but Chile was my destination. A culture, a people, and history, of who I know only through anecdotes, through text, through music. I have returned to embrace her.

On Friday I travelled to the port city of Valparaiso, Chile, to attend a free, outdoor concert. The line-up featured the A-list of Chile's classic artists: Inti-Illimani, El Concierto, Sol y Riesa. These musicians embody a history of Chile. Most are relics from the 70's, if not earlier. What makes a classic is that it never loses its appeal, that it transcends generations: this is the above. One of the surprise bands was Illapu. They sang the above song, and it was momentous. For a classic, everyone knows the words, and here everyone sang along (as was the case for all these bands).

Of course this wouldn't be an event if it didn't have politics to it. The concert was organised predominately by the Communist Party, and titled "For Democracy, an end to the exclusion!" This was a focused campaign against the Bi-nominal system - one of the dictatorships legacies - a web of electoral processes that ensures a two-party system, and has kept smaller parties, such as the Communist Party out of parliamentary representation. Hence the above concert, and the current campaign to force the administration to reform this exclusionary practice.

Earlier in the week I had travelled around Santiago to visit the lookout points. This tour took me to Cerro (Hill) Santa Lucia. Here Don Pedro de Valdivia founded Santiago de Chile in 1540. It was a spectacular sight with panoramic views of Santiago. The cerro still retains the relics of a fortress. Later in the week I also had the opportunity to ascend to a higher hill, el Cerro San Cristobal, for an even more breath-taking view (literally! by the time you reach the top you are catching your breath)

The Andes mountains dominate the skyline; unfortunately, the contamination has created a permanent cloud of smog, reminiscent to a storm cloud, only brown. The view of the Andes is slowly fading away. As the city was built in a valley, and surrounded by mountains, the industrial pollution, traffic, and anything else that smokes, is trapped by the hot air, with no escape. Some days are better than others. Regardless, the view is impressive, and one can't help but be captured by it.

One of the other highlights of the week was to visit the houses of Pablo Neruda, a chilean poet, who is internationally acclaimed. He won a Nobel prize for literature in 1971. His writings vary on love, surrealism, history and politics. One of his houses is La Chascona, situated by Cerro San Cristobal. To my disappointment, they don't allow visitors to take photos inside the house - but, if your really that curious, I'm sure there are some photos on the net. I also had the opportunity to visit his seaside residence at Isla Negra. The view from Isla Negra is very inspiring, I could have been a poet there.

The houses are an architectural wonder, built in sections throughout many years, they were designed to have the feel of a ship. Pablo Neruda was an admirer of the sea, and boats, but, I believe, was afraid of the ocean! The houses contained boat-loads (pardon the pun) of a random collections. Not only a poet, he was a cultural ambassador for Chile, so you can imagine the things he collected on his journeys. He avoided calling himself a collector though, rather a "thing-o-lector" (translation does not compliment this).

Unfortunately, for the poor traveler, Chile is expensive. It is practically the same cost as things in Australia. Even more unfortunate for the local who does not earn the same as an Australian worker. Given this, I'm reluctant to make my way to Bolivia through the coast of Chile. Instead, I'm considering traveling on the otherside of the Andes, through inland Argentina. I'm in Chile for another few weeks, so I'm in not rush to make a decision.

Chile is becoming cooler, some of the mountain peaks already have snow. I'm both looking forward to, and dreading, the winter of South America. If my fingers do not freeze and snap off, I'll be writing to you in the not to distant future.

Con amor, desde Santiago de Chile.

Gonzalo

Links to Photos:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=35117&l=c13e3&id=732774973
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=35069&l=b4ef5&id=732774973

Argentina photos:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=33550&l=9fbfb&id=732774973

Argentina: Hasta luego

Saturday, April 5
20:10pm
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Cheeee

As of tomorrow I leave Argentina, and fly over the Andes for at least two hours to arrive in Santiago, Chile. What seems like a short time in Argentina - 14 days - feels like a months-long journey. Reflecting on the events, I have experienced quite a bit, however, I can only wish to stay longer as I have a one-way ticket out of here. But perhaps not too far in the distant I future I will be returning here. The political situation has stablised, but I did say along the way that if things were to escalate I would be back quick - this may still happen.

Last weekend I took a stroll to the famous San Telmo markets, in the heart of the city. These markets were incredibly huge, they stretched too many city blocks to count. Not soon after arriving I bumped into some friends I made at hostel: Luke, Anthony, and Joseph, three Welsh lads that are traveling through Latin America for a few months. We all wandered around the markets, stumbling across various street performers, who were amazing on their own merits. There were tango dancers, big bands, and one performer that I found very cute who danced with a life-size doll.

The week began just like any other week: with a rally! There had been recent negotiations between the countryside - there had been a rural strike for over 20 days, which cut all major routes to the city, thus stopping all supplies of primary commodities - and the government. However, on Tuesday the government organised a mass rally, to demonstrate its support base. Over 100,000 people - and me - manifested in the famous Plaza de Mayo. The rally was short, about 30mins, with the president being the only speaker. The following day, the strike was suspended, as previously arranged. So this is what I mean that things have stablised. Now, supermarkets have been supplied meat, and dairy products; although this would have been better served a few days before, as I cooked up my spagbol minus the meat - I´m not that much of a cook to be able to substitute a key ingredient.

The day before the rally, on Monday, I had left Stef and Caroliña, who had put me up for 5 nights, and were very hospitable and amicable, to move in with a new couch surfing buddy, Martin. Martin resides fairly close to the centre of Buenos Aires, conveniently enough. He is a literature student - over here to be a university student means to be studying for at least 6 years - and he is a very politically conscious person. He is an individual that is very knowledgeable on Argentina, and Latin America. For a few years he was an activist in the Socialist Party, and thereafter in the Communist Party, but for one reason or another (take a guess), quickly became disillusioned and left; but still maintains his political convictions and engagement. We have gotten along extremely well, and will more than likely maintain contact after I leave.

On Wednesday, I ended up an hour south to this colonial town called La Plata. First thing when I got there, I decided to go the Museum of Natural Science, which had been recommended to me by Martin. To my disappointment, it was closed due to renovations. However, I did enjoy a tranquil walk around the park, where the Museum is located. Ample tree-lined roads provided for a nice walk. Some how, having some John Butler and Jose Gonzalez playing on the mp3 amplified the atmosphere of the place. Around here I started thinking how awesome it could be to share this moment with my friends - a small sense of longing for loved ones drifted in temporarily.

In La Plata, I went to the monumental, Gothic cathedral, located in the city centre. Underneath the building they made way for a historical museum of the place. It´s amazing how long they took to construct this thing: beginning in 1884 and nearly fully completed by 1999! The main structure was completed in the thirties, but the two mega towers took the longest, for various engineering issues. I was able to take a trip up to the towers for a sweet, birds eye view of the city. The interior is magnificent. The Gothic interior, with its high roofs, and columns, would be cause for some neck pains.

In the next few weeks I will writing an article for Green Left Weekly about the political developments, before and upcoming, of Argentina.

Argentina: Buenos Aires at last

The following is from an email that I had written to friends and family in the first week of arriving in Buenos Aires. The experience and comments are, I feel, worth the post.

March 24, 2008
11:20 AM
Buenos Aires, Argentina

Comrades, friends, and family:

Che (In Argentina this is a popular way to address people, possibly equivalent to the Australian mate)

After a 17 hour trip, which at times involved babies crying, and no window seat, I finally made it Buenos Aires, Argentina, at the local time of 14:00. The sensation of being in a different country didn't hit until the trip from the airport to the city, where after passing through a few toll booths, the highway carves through the shanty town known as villa 31 and here you feel you are in a different place. The villa, which are adobe houses, two-story high, is where the urban poor live, and this dominates much of the drive till you get to the city. Once I arrived at the city it was time to find accommodation.

My attempts to try and pre-book a hostel proved pointless, as they never got back to me. Fortunately, I met an American backpacker, Brian, who had traveled through New Zealand for a few months, and he had some idea of a good place to stay (according to his lonely planet). A short trip in a taxi, and we were in a middle class area called Palermo.

Palermo is somewhat of an affluent area. Night spots, bars, restaurants are plotted all along here. Palermo is nice though, with its two story apartments, and tree lined cobble stoned roads. It is suitable for a tourist; but you would need to travel out of here to explore the other side of Buenos Aires.

Buenos Aires city, as one English backpacker agreed, has the feel of a European city - although, according to him, it is quieter, and the people are more friendly (?). Buenos Aires is known as the Paris of Latin American. I spent most of Monday, March 24, exploring the huge CBD. It was a public holiday, during the morning it was noticeably quiet, but it picked up by mid-afternoon for the commemoration rally, or as it is referred to here, Nunca Mas (Never Again).

Nunca Mas is the anniversary of the 1976 military coup, where thousands of people were tortured, assassinated, or disappeared. Hoards of people - possibly 50 thousand, although I'm really bad at guesstimating - came to the city centre, Plaza de Mayo, to commemorate this day. I've never seen so many flags, drums, and chanting in my life - it was amazing (see attached photos). Numerous speeches were made, which demanded the government prosecute the military officials, open the secret archives to determine accurately those that were repressed, and others which I recorded my MP3, but memory fails at this moment. Amongst other demands, the spirit of Internationalism was expressed with a call for Yankee Imperialism out of Iraq, and Latin America; Hands of Venezuela and Cuba; No aggression against Iran; Release of the Cuba 5; Close Guantanamo; Argentine troops out of Haiti; and denounced Israeli occupation of Palestine. The day finished around 20:00.