The Land of a Thousand Sweaters . . . and more

I (Norm) know that at the end of the last post you were promised a return trip to Caleta Portales but you will just have to wait . . . I promise that it will be worth it!

Last Friday (November 7th) was another paseo (paseo = drive or walk) with our amiga, Ines. This time, we headed 90 minutes north west of Valparaiso to a small town called La Ligua. It is known for its textiles, and while that interested us . . . just seeing a different part of the country was also a major attraction. Our Californian friends, Bill and Alethea, had also been there, and suggested that it was worth the trip.

While the Andes are ever present in the distance, Valparaiso is surrounded by foothills. This shot is indicative of the scenery on our road trips so far. It's difficult to see, but many of the lower hillsides have been cultivated for vineyards.



We're not sure if Valle Hermosa is a separate community, or part of La Ligua, but this is where the bulk of the textiles are made and marketed. Valle Hermosa (Beautiful Valley) was about a five minute drive from La Ligua but felt like a completely different place. It was a small community, seemingly, completely dependent on the sale of knitted, woven and crocheted sweaters, shawls, ponchos, etc.. The main street, and really the only street that we saw, was lined with shop after shop of garments.



Many of the items were very nice, and in fact, Charlene contributed to the economy during her time there (sweater, shawl, and scarf). Most, however, were similar in every shop, and some were very reminiscent of 1970's styles.



Some of the garments were hand made (many of the shop owners were busy crocheting while we were there) while other garments were clearly made in a mill. The prices were very good. Most of the sweaters for example could be bought for between 4 and 8,000 pesos. ($8 and $16 cdn).



This shot has nothing to do with the textile industry, but I liked the way someone had taken the time to create these steps! (And I got tired of looking at women's sweaters!)



This is a shot of still more shops further down the street. I shot it for two reasons: firstly to show a different part of the main street, but also to show the terrain. La Ligua is a little further into the Andes and you will see larger mountains in an upcoming shot.



This was taken on the drive home. The next two shots clearly show the presence of real mountains.



On the way to La Ligua, we traveled through about a five kilometer tunnel. On the way home, instead of going through the tunnel, Ines took us over the mountain. Way better!!



La Ligua is also famous for it's sweets (Dulces) The following is from TurismoChile.com.

La Ligua is famous throughout Chile for its sweets. Every day an absolute army of confectioners spread along Ruta 5 carrying their delicious alfajores (sweet biscuits), meringues, mantecados (Christmas sweets made from flour, almonds and lard), empolvados (powdered sweets), chilenitos, palitas and mil hojas.
The atmosphere of La Ligua takes a lot from its culture of sweet-making, and each factory strives to achieve the best products. The characteristics of these wonderful delicacies are their unique smell, their smooth texture, their sweetness and their presentation.
The production of the traditional Dulces de La Ligua has been transformed into part of the local identity, which makes the purchase of some obligatory!
There are currently more than 20 sweet-making factories, some of which have been making these products for many years.

This is me now . . . and I don't want to seem unkind but . . . don't believe everything that you read on the net! The Chilean and Canadian idea of sweets is, well . . . different. We have yet to be overwhelmed by Chilean pastry. There were many vendors around town, both on the street and in shops. On the way out of town, there were people on the highway waving ribbons to convince passing motorists to stop. Even as we climbed high through the mountain pass, there was an elderly woman on the side of the road selling dulces. I wonder . . . would Chileans think that a Boston Cream from Tim Horton's was merely ordinary? . . . blasphemy!!!!

And finally, before we get to the fish market, this is a shot of the plaza in downtown La Ligua . . . a lovely, prosperous looking community. The white paint on the bottom of the trees is apparently some sort of disease protection.



And now, as promised . . . and I know you've been waiting for it . . .
back to the fish market, Caleta Portales (with three video clips for your viewing pleasure!).

A fifteen minute walk through the fog, down the hill from our apartment is the main highway between Vina del Mar and Valparaiso. It is also where the Portales train station is. On the left, you can see the canopy for the train. On the right, is what looks like a sports stadium (it's not). Underneath it, and extending to the waterfront is Caleta Portales. Charlene had placed fish on the menu, and this is where we hoped to find supper!



The market felt very much like a place where men and women worked hard, and the locals came to get what they needed to put food on the table. The fog and mist helped to created an atmosphere of being in a remote outport. As much as we stood out as obvious turistas, no one seemed to care.



When I talk about the locals coming here to pick up their supper, the pelicans and gulls have be counted among them!



When at home in Saskatoon, we often watched the pelicans with a sense of awe, but never expected to get up close and personal with any of their relatives. We have often stopped to watch the pelicans soar above us or glide across the surface of the Pacific. They really are beautiful in an awkward, prehistoric sort of way. This is my favorite shot of the day....



As the fish are filleted, the scraps are often swept off the table . . . much to the delight of the uninvited guests!





Pelican FIGHT!!!!



A friend reminded us of a poem that his father used to recite to him as a child.

"A funny bird
is a Pelican
Its mouth can hold more
than its belly-can!!"

Thanks Nelson!



In a slightly different part of the market, there were vendors selling fish and shellfish from areas a little further down the coast. This is where we would find our supper! Those are salmon on the left, congrio in the centre and reineta on the left, with mussels (?) in the boxes.



Look a little closer and you'll see our supper!



We come across English speakers in the most unexpected places. It didn't take long for this fellow to figure out that we were from "away", and so he approached us with what were pretty good language skills!



Neither of us had the desire or the skills required to deal with whole fish so this fellow was recruited to prepare what we had selected. (Two fish, filleted and ready for the frying pan - $5.00.)



And so that was our trip to the fish market. Charlene pan fried the reineta in flour, egg and secret spices like only she can (Estuvo rico!). I am not generally a big fish fan but between the market experience and Charlene's cooking, this was an excellent meal! And you have to know that there was some fine Chilean wine to go with it. Mmmmm . . . muy bien!

As a Chilean friend in Saskatoon once said......."Chile is a beautiful place . . . but you often have to work a little bit to find the treasures and be willing to overlook the stuff along the way."

A mundane walk to a fish market turned in to lasting memories. We often find wonderment in the most unusual places . . . and most often not where we expect it. Somewhat like life, I guess.

So aside from some random notes, that's all for this edition.

Random notes:

Just in case you have wondered about the symbolism of the Chilean flag, here it is:

The national flag of Chile, also known as La estrella solitaria (Spanish for "the lone star"). It was adopted on October 18, 1817.

The star represents a guide to progress and honor; blue symbolizes the sky and the Pacific Ocean, white is for the snow-covered Andes, and red stands for the blood spilled to achieve independence. (Wikipedia)

A few weeks ago there were civic and municipal elections across the country. In the time leading up to the election, the city was full of campaign billboards, much like we would see at home. The biggest difference that we saw was on election day. What we found interesting was the large number of people on the street. Voting is mandatory in Chile, and election day (Sunday) here seemed to be an opportunity to get dressed up, go for a walk, and cast your ballot. If you happened to be too far away from home to vote, a visit to the local police station is in order to fill out the appropriate forms and avoid the fine.

Baking / cooking can be a challenge here, especially when trying to follow recipes from home. Many of the ingredients are either not available, or are called something other than what we are used to. We also have no measuring cups or spoons, and the gas oven has no temperature indicator. (My grandmother used to put her hand into the wood stove and was able to gauge the correct temperature, but we are not that clever.) To Charlene's great credit, we are eating very, very well, despite the challenges.

Ciao!