Lunch tour with Gustavo & Paula

Our last week in Castro was a whirlwind. Class parties every day, last English class on Wednesday, all school activity on THursday, Onces at Diego's Friday afternoon, Primero Basico parents asado Friday night...by Saturday morning Mike and I were tired!

Good thing Berto and Gabi let us sleep in a bit Saturday morning, because Saturday's outtng was something we did not want to miss.

Our friends Gustavo & Paula had invited us out for a parents only lunch in the south east of the island. (We met G&P at a kid birthday party as their son Cristobal is one of Berto's buddies. It helps a lot that the speak for Gringo's to understand and that Gustavo can kick English in when we flounder.)

When they showed up ina friend's 4 door pick up we knew we were going to see some secret parts of Chiloe. The day was blue sky clear, phenomenal for early winter in the south. As we headed south to Quelin, we had to stop for the first of many stunning views of Volcan Corcavado across the gulf in the Andes.

We took a dirt track off the main road towards the north end of Lelbun beach. The sides of the road were dripping with trees, ferns the size of a man and intertwining vines with red flowers. G&P recently purchased a plot of land on the beach and we were taking the back way down to the beach.

Mike and I posed at the edge of the bluff where the future front porch will be built. Wide sandy beach, a grove of trees for afternoon shade, a farm next door for fresh lamb to roast and a straight view to the Andes; what's not to like? If it wasn't for the pesky full day of travel Cambridge to Lelbun, we'd be invading Gustavo & Paula every weekend.



After a stroll down the Lelbun beach, we back roaded it out to the hamlet of Aituy. Aituy had a still better view across the gulf. THe town itself was a church, futbol cancha on the flat space in front of the church, club house for the fishermen's union and the rural elementary school. On the way out of town we passed a man and his llama. Mike took advantage of our gringo status to do the shameless task we all secretly wanted to do; ask the llama to pose for a photo.



The afternoon was flying by so we figured we better get to lunch before it was evening.











Our destination was the restaurant of a luxury resort. The restaurant is in the shape of a boat beached on it's side. The hull faces the road while the deck is mostly windows a great views to the ocean.

After placing our orders at the restaurant, we strolled about the paths of the resort. Ever since the summer we had been wondering why there were no high end luxury resorts on Chiloe. The landscape is splendid, the food is fresh and wonderful and there is no shortage of out of the way places with great views. We are wondering no more. And now that we know that there is a place with $800 a night cabañas for rent that are tucked into private little groves and pastures linked by lighted paths down to the beach, we will send our gringo friends there. (While we rent the spanish only cabaña down the road for $80 and recharge our flashlight for a sheep turd walk to the beach.)

After a lunch of fresh, well cooked seafood and great conversation, the sun was beginning to go down. THis was, after all a few days after the winter solstice in Chile.


As we drove north towards Castro we kept looking in the rear view mirror and exclaiming at the sunset colors reflecting of Corcavado.

Our last Saturday on Chiloe island was all the best of what we have come to love about Chiloe, Beautiful countryside, good friends, generosity of people and the freshest best seafood anywhere.


To all that add the best views we've enjoyed all year!