Valdivian Coast

I know at the end of our last post we promised photos of our trips around Valdivia. We got a little side tracked by this and that so here we go. The first thing you need to know about Valdivia was that it was the epicenter of the strongest earthquake ever recorded. (9.5 Richter, 1960 For fun google it and you will be blown away by the photos and videos) One of the impacts of the earthquake was that the land about Valdivia dropped 6 feet!
The boat ride we took went past swamp areas that prior to the earthquake had been farms and ranches. All the area now is a massive nature preserve. In the summer the popular thing is to rent a boat and paddle or putt putt up the rivers surrounding Valdivia.
We just did an hour long circumnavigation of Isla Teja. The day was so beautiful and sunny that we all had our sun hats on over big grins. The reddish leaves behind Berto are not fall foliage, but eucapyltus trees.

The return to the center of Valdivia showed off the new modern hotel and conference center.
After our morning boat ride we switched transport for a bus ride the 20 kilometers to the Pacific Coast. Niebla (fog in Spanish) is a small village famous for it's Spanish fort. Niebla sits at the entrance of the river up to Valdivia. During the 16th and 17th centuries English and Dutch warships had to get past Niebla before they could attack Valdivia. From the high bluffs we could see the strategic advantage the fort gave the Spanish.

Inside the cove, Niebla today is a small fishing village. In the last 20 years Chileans have built summer homes and hotels amidst the village houses over looking the harbor.

Along the back wall of the harborside fish market a mural celebrated the area's history. THe art of the mural is well practiced in Chile. Some of the murals are such long narrative paintings that I need a video to properly catch their beauty.



Inspired by the artistic mural, I tried to get all artsy with the blue sky and the brightly colored fishing boats.

The next day, Saturday, we took a 7 hour bus ride back to our home on our island. Sunday, as is our habit, we took a long walk in the hills above our house. If you look carefully you can see the Andes on the distant horizon.