Chiloé, Chile- August 2016
For all the solo traveling I’ve done- Chiloé was the very first place I’ve traveled to alone within Chile. This island lies at the threshold between Chile as we it, and the beginning of Patagonia land. Isolated and proud, the locals refer to themselves as “Chilote antes Chileno.” I heard about this island because of its’ colorful houses on “palitos” (stilts), renowned seafood and potato dishes, and the blissful blue water that surrounds the territory on all sides.
In the past year, Chiloé has experienced an onslaught of setbacks. The manifestation of “alga roja” has contaminated its’ lucrative fishing business- threatening the livelihoods of countless families on the island. The people who live here are a passionate and hard-working community that has been able to work because of the “red tide” that taints the water. The boats tied up on shore, the empty restaurants, the warning signs in the national parks- these are all reminders of the action/reaction that comes from a deeper imbalance purported by humans onto nature.