Musings

 Kimbrell ---   On Saturday we set out to see Roberto Roman, a solar energy professional. His house used only solar to heat his water and power his lights.  He showed us a series of rotating mirrors which we rotated in different angles so they would concentrate the sun to one spot on a peice of wood in an atempt to set fire to the wood.  This however did nothing more than make a hot and bright spot on the wood. Shortly after Roberto Roman showed us a massive rotating dome lined with mirrors in which he tilted so that it faced the sun.  He then held out a 2 x 4 between the sun and the mirrored dome which instantly ignited the wood.  Roberto explained that this was used by the Romans as a battle tactic to light their enemies on fire.  


Katie --- Yesterday morning, over a breakfast of instant coffee, toast, sweetened condensed milk, and a fruity, unidentified orange-colored jam, we lamented having not made the time to watch Bear Grylls navigate the wilderness of southern Chile on Man vs. Wild: Patagonia before our spring break departure.  Instead, from the urban comforts of Santiago, we were left to our own devices to imagine brilliant wilderness accoutrements to enhance our much anticipated river trip.

The circuitous route from hostel to airport - what was a series of subway transfers and a crowded bus - proved relatively easy to manage, as our inner-urban-Bear Grylls came to the fore.  But it was clear upon arrival at the airport in Balmeceda, the gateway to our Patagonia travels, that our collective comfort zone lies soundly in a more rural, more alpine, and more temperate locale.  The landscape as we traversed from Balmeceda to Coyhaique was a beautiful mix between African savannah and Swiss Alps, illuminated by crepuscular rays.

Cleo --- Last night, three local activists joined us for dinner. It was incredible to hear from those who live, work, and love the Aysen region, instead of the talking heads we met in Santiago. They were passionate about protecting the land and water of Patagonia, and we could feel this with every word. It was re-freshing to hear and  focus on the humanistic side of this major project instead of the technicalities and numbers.