Buenos Aires

Twenty bus hours out of Punta Arenas, I visited Cuevos de los Manos. 9000 years ago any Indian with a problem would take it to the Chief who would advise; "You will find my answer at the Cave of Hands." After many days of searching, risking death by dehydration and wild animal attack across the endless steppe, he would then have to scale the cliffs of the Rio Pinturas canyon to reach the cave. At last he would approach the place of solace and he would see the hand paintings and there would be hope. Under the hands he notices the inscription

´Speak to the hand 'coz the face ain't bothered.'

Well that's my theory, anyway. More erudite anthropologists have come up with other theories but what do they really know?

Ten bus hours out of Cuevos de los Manos, I visited with Juan and Fernanda. In 2001 the small community of Esquel took on a mining multinational over the proposal to mine gold near the town. It all started when the local chemistry teacher thought that the company´s use of cyanide and the local water supply weren´t a good mix. By 2003, virtually the whole community put their hands up and said ´No a la Mina´ and the company was forced to look elsewhere for it´s riches. Spent an illuminating and inspiring few hours with this couple who are using the 'Esquel effect´to empower other communities in the area. They said the keys to success were education, not having one identifiable leader and the presence of ancient Mapuche Indian links to the Earth within the community.




Twenty six bus hours out of Esquel, it´s Buenos Aires. My, what a big country.
A constant presence throughout the trip has been the Calafate berry. A giant Blaeberry from a bush more akin to Juniper, the Patagonian myth states if you eat at least five, you will return one day.

Enough said. That´s that. I´m finished.