Hola,     Greetings from Chiloe, Chile,an archipelago island off the coast of southern mainland Chile. The island primarily subsist on agriculture such as sheep, cow, vegetables as well as fishing. However, tourism is also well established but the culture and simplicity of the place is still in place as far as I can tell. Like the other parts of Chile that I have seen, there is a well-established transportation system including buses and ferries that move people efficiently and inexpensively around the island. If I had to compare Chiloe to other places I have been, then I would say it has the hard working nature of Smith Island, the unsure weather of Vermont, and the sheep of New Zealand.

Before coming to Chiloe, I had spent Christmas in Pucon, Chile. This lush green area is surrounded heavily by lakes with black volcanic sand beaches, Verdant pastures, and snow-capped volcanoes still spewing smoke like an old factory building. Indeed there was more going on under my feet than I care to admit. Chile, in general, sits at the crossroads of two continental plates that have pushed together to form the Andes Mountains and the 50 volcanoes that line Chile from north to south. One of the attractions resulting from this seismically active area are an abundance of hot springs which is ground water that had come in contact with magma and forced to rise. Since, at the time I was nursing a sore foot, I felt it obligatory to spend two days soaking in the hot springs.

Have a happy new year

Felipe