(Gracias a Wikipedia for this picture! Downtown Pucón with Volcán Villarrica looming in the background.)When we rolled in (literally, in a tour bus) to the city and our first stop was a Mapuche Ruka, a small village built by some local Mapuche to simulate their traditional lifestyle. (The Mapuche are the indigenous people of what is now Chile.) The family that runs the ruka doesn't actually live there- it literally just exists for tourists. The Mapuche generally live in houses like the other Chileans.
I had/have mixed feelings about the ruka. I had a lot of fun with my visit. We rode horses, cuddled with baby dogs/cats/sheep, ate delicious empanadas and meat and potatoes, played a traditional Mapuche game similar to hockey, and witnessed some traditional dances acted out by the Mapuche. They were extremely gracious letting 30+ gringos run around with their animals and children and eat their food.
I wish I had more time so I could fully explain the relationship between the Mapuche and other Chileans. Perhaps some of you heard about the recent Mapuche hunger strike that took place a few hours north of Valdivia. But even before the strike, there were tensions between the Mapuche and the Chilean government/people. Tensions that go way back to the colonization of Chile by Europeans and the systematic destruction of Mapuche people and culture. (Sound familiar?) Now, the Mapuche culture is seen as distinctly separate from Chilean culture and many things, such as the Mapuche language and traditions, are disappearing. Very few Chileans that I've met are interested in Mapuche culture and many of them believe that the Mapuche are greedy, lazy alcoholics. (Again, sound familiar?)
Knowing all that, I feel grateful that I had the opportunity to learn about Mapuche culture, even if it was a tourist attraction. There are few places in Chile where I could learn about Mapuche culture from Mapuche. But I also kept in mind that the Mapuche are selling their culture to us because it is not considered a legitimate culture by the majority of Chileans, and the validation of tourists is probably the most validation they get. And the tourism industry may be one of the only ways for them to preserve their culture. Definitely not a best-case scenario. While I do wish that we could've had a more authentic experience of the Mapuche culture, I know that would be nearly impossible to coordinate respectfully with the size of our group. After all, we are tourists, so it made sense for us to go to a tourist attraction. And even if it was inauthentic, it did give me insight into the current situation with Mapuche in Chile.
Phew. Being in a new country and observing the role of indigenous people has been interesting. I'm trying to be as objective as possible because I know that I can't just waltz in from another culture and make judgments about indigenous/non-indigenous relations. And I know that my background in a liberal arts college has given me a very different perspective on oppression. At the same time, I am an anthropologist and I know that true objectivity is impossible. So I definitely have some opinions that I may blog about in the future.
The rest of my time in Pucón was EXTREMELY enjoyable. After the ruka, we had some time to explore the city, which involved me eating ice cream and gossiping on the beach. After that, we were taken out to a very posh restaurant, and after that, we went to some hot springs! We got there around 10 PM and the stars were breathtaking; we could see the milky way and everything. It was one of the best views of the sky I can remember. Not to mention I viewed in while sitting in a pool of extremely warm water in the middle of CHILE.
The next day, after a continental breakfast at our hotel, we went to the hills of the Andes for a hike. Our last group hike was us wandering around a forest for 3 hours and looking at the ocean, so I expected something similar. Not the case. This hike was 1 km of an uphill road and 3 km up an extremely, extremely steep trail. After that, we were told, there would be a 40-minute less-steep hike where we could see SNOW! And after 3+ hours, we reached the top of the peak and found ourselves in a beautiful snow wonderland!! I was so overjoyed.
That night, I stayed in a hostel for the first time in my life! It was easy since Pucón is so accustomed to travelers. The next day, me and a few of my friends kayaked on Lago Villarrica, got more ice cream, and hung out on the beach until we took the bus home. I should also mention that the whole time we were in Pucón, it was sunny and warm and gorgeous. All in all, I had an awesome weekend. Here are some pictures!
Me trying to cuddle with a lamb at the ruka. I look enamored; it looks highly uncomfortable.
My first sighting of SNOW! I am standing almost knee-deep in it at this point.
Same pose, new snow! I am literally standing on a frozen lake in the Andes. Too cool. Also, it was so strange to be wearing short sleeves in the snowy mountains and not feel cold at all.
My friend Caitlin and I kayaking in Lago Villarrica with an active volcano behind us!
I had/have mixed feelings about the ruka. I had a lot of fun with my visit. We rode horses, cuddled with baby dogs/cats/sheep, ate delicious empanadas and meat and potatoes, played a traditional Mapuche game similar to hockey, and witnessed some traditional dances acted out by the Mapuche. They were extremely gracious letting 30+ gringos run around with their animals and children and eat their food.
I wish I had more time so I could fully explain the relationship between the Mapuche and other Chileans. Perhaps some of you heard about the recent Mapuche hunger strike that took place a few hours north of Valdivia. But even before the strike, there were tensions between the Mapuche and the Chilean government/people. Tensions that go way back to the colonization of Chile by Europeans and the systematic destruction of Mapuche people and culture. (Sound familiar?) Now, the Mapuche culture is seen as distinctly separate from Chilean culture and many things, such as the Mapuche language and traditions, are disappearing. Very few Chileans that I've met are interested in Mapuche culture and many of them believe that the Mapuche are greedy, lazy alcoholics. (Again, sound familiar?)
Knowing all that, I feel grateful that I had the opportunity to learn about Mapuche culture, even if it was a tourist attraction. There are few places in Chile where I could learn about Mapuche culture from Mapuche. But I also kept in mind that the Mapuche are selling their culture to us because it is not considered a legitimate culture by the majority of Chileans, and the validation of tourists is probably the most validation they get. And the tourism industry may be one of the only ways for them to preserve their culture. Definitely not a best-case scenario. While I do wish that we could've had a more authentic experience of the Mapuche culture, I know that would be nearly impossible to coordinate respectfully with the size of our group. After all, we are tourists, so it made sense for us to go to a tourist attraction. And even if it was inauthentic, it did give me insight into the current situation with Mapuche in Chile.
Phew. Being in a new country and observing the role of indigenous people has been interesting. I'm trying to be as objective as possible because I know that I can't just waltz in from another culture and make judgments about indigenous/non-indigenous relations. And I know that my background in a liberal arts college has given me a very different perspective on oppression. At the same time, I am an anthropologist and I know that true objectivity is impossible. So I definitely have some opinions that I may blog about in the future.
The rest of my time in Pucón was EXTREMELY enjoyable. After the ruka, we had some time to explore the city, which involved me eating ice cream and gossiping on the beach. After that, we were taken out to a very posh restaurant, and after that, we went to some hot springs! We got there around 10 PM and the stars were breathtaking; we could see the milky way and everything. It was one of the best views of the sky I can remember. Not to mention I viewed in while sitting in a pool of extremely warm water in the middle of CHILE.
The next day, after a continental breakfast at our hotel, we went to the hills of the Andes for a hike. Our last group hike was us wandering around a forest for 3 hours and looking at the ocean, so I expected something similar. Not the case. This hike was 1 km of an uphill road and 3 km up an extremely, extremely steep trail. After that, we were told, there would be a 40-minute less-steep hike where we could see SNOW! And after 3+ hours, we reached the top of the peak and found ourselves in a beautiful snow wonderland!! I was so overjoyed.
That night, I stayed in a hostel for the first time in my life! It was easy since Pucón is so accustomed to travelers. The next day, me and a few of my friends kayaked on Lago Villarrica, got more ice cream, and hung out on the beach until we took the bus home. I should also mention that the whole time we were in Pucón, it was sunny and warm and gorgeous. All in all, I had an awesome weekend. Here are some pictures!
Me trying to cuddle with a lamb at the ruka. I look enamored; it looks highly uncomfortable.
My first sighting of SNOW! I am standing almost knee-deep in it at this point.
Same pose, new snow! I am literally standing on a frozen lake in the Andes. Too cool. Also, it was so strange to be wearing short sleeves in the snowy mountains and not feel cold at all.
My friend Caitlin and I kayaking in Lago Villarrica with an active volcano behind us!I am still without a camera, so gracias a all my friends for taking pictures of me all the time. (BUT good news- my dad mailed me my new camera and I should get it in 7-10 days! Thanks dad!!) As for now, it's midterms week and I have hella studying to do. Chao!
It could be Colorado except for the volcano! (And the Mapuche.)
ReplyDelete