When planning our trip to South America, Chile was number one on our list, but after travelling through Peru and Bolivia, there have been times we have felt like we would like to quickly get through Chile and go back! The cost of living in Chile is significantly higher, so finding affordable accommodation and food has been a bit of a challenge. Instead of comparing the prices to Peru and Bolivia, we have to think about what it would cost back at home. The economic situations of Chile and Canada are likely more similar.
The best part about being in Chile is that there are a lot of beaches! In the long skinny country on the west coast of South America, you have volcanoes and beaches! We have definitely spent our fair share of time at the beach so far, and our favourite beach is at Caleta Portales in Valparaiso. The beach is right next to a fisherman’s market which may sound a little stinky, but makes it very exciting! While walking to the beach, we couldn’t miss the flocks of pelicans waiting patiently near the market. They were waiting on the pavement next to the man cleaning the fish, on the roof of the fish market, and on top of large shipping containers stacked nearby. We watched as the fisherman tossed the remains of the fish to the pelicans. It was like spectators waiting for a ball being hit into the stands at a baseball game; once the scraps were thrown to them, pop, one pelican would grab it out of the air! There were no big struggles on the ground but there were still bossy seagulls hanging around waiting for any scraps they could find.
Birds weren’t the only scavengers waiting for free meals. Out in the water, next to the piers, sea lions were on constant alert for a fisherman walking with a bucket, which meant feeding time! And when it wasn’t feeding time, they would just lounge in the sun on the beach or play in the waves. The kids had a great time watching the sea lions swim back and forth and up onto the beach. Sometimes, the kids found fish scraps on the beach and threw them to the sea lions. And to think that we paid for a tour to see them lounging on the rocks off the coast in Peru. This is a much more exciting hands-on experience!
Being from a flat land far away from oceans, the power of the waves at the beaches has been very exciting for us! At first, I was very worried about the children and their swimming skills around the riptides, but it has become clear that so far it really isn’t too much of a problem. I have gone from telling the kids to ‘only go in as far as your ankles’ (be super careful), to ‘go in as far as your knees’ (be careful), to ‘go in as far as your waist’ (have fun and watch out), to ‘jump in! Dive in!’ But, it is pretty cold in the Pacific Ocean here, so the kids tend to play a bit in the water but frequently need to warm up in the sand!
David witnessed something pretty neat at the beach one day. After some research online he found one website that called it the “Argentinian Clap”, but since we are in Chile, perhaps it should be called the “South American Clap”. David heard many people nearby begin to clap in unison. This, of course, drew his attention. It turned out that a child was lost and the clapping was meant to get the attention of the parent that was missing a child. As the lost child was carried along, the clap moved down the beach with them. It was really neat seeing the community work together!
We were in Valparaiso for about 10 days and we went to the beach every day. We also made a quick stop in Pichilemu, which is known for its great surfing. David, Charlie and Adeline had a lesson one day and braved the cold water for some fun in the waves, but one of the most interesting parts of our visit in Pichilemu was another discovery by David.
\There was a beach very close to our accommodation (just south of Pichilemu) that, during the day, seemed practically deserted. It wasn’t the beach where we would surf, but it was a great beach for exploring. A black sand beach with very fine sand and we could find shells amongst the pools of water trapped but large volcanic rocks. While it seemed deserted in the day, more people came to the beach when the sun started to set. We went down to the beach to watch the sunset, but all the other people came to the beach to hunt for crabs!
As the sun was setting, you could see the silhouettes of crab hunters standing at the edge of the water in the mist of the salty water. They would walk to the rhythm of the waves; backwards while the waves came in, and forwards when the waves went out. And once in a while, when the waves went out, one might see a little bump in the sand. A crab! And the crab hunter would suddenly burst into a sprint and grab the crab with a gloved hand and put it in their pail waiting on shore. They had to be quick, because if another wave came before they grabbed the crab, it would be gone for good!
When we were exploring the beach earlier in the day, we saw a glove sitting on a rock, so we walked back to that rock, and it was still there! So we took the glove and tried some crab hunting ourselves. Some of the crab hunters let us try picking up one of their crabs from their bucket, and after feeling the power of their claws, Adeline let David and Charlie do the hunting for our family. It took an immense amount patience and concentration to wait for a crab to finally be swept up with a wave, and as the sun set further down and then below the horizon, it was harder and harder to see the crabs. The boys worked hard as the girls cheered from the shore, and then it happened. David saw the crab and after a mad dash, he was able to grab the crab and throw it back to shore! After playing with the crab for a little bit, we decided to give it to one of the crab hunters and head home to bed!
That might just be the last of the Chilean beaches on the ocean for a while, because we are now going to head inwards towards the Lakes Region!
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