Buses (or should I say, The Bus) arrive from Chaiten on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It is 6,000 pesos. The trip takes about four hours to cover approximately 300 kilometers. Once deposited in Futa, choices are numerous for accommodations, however fairly limited in range. You can expect to pay between 6 and 10,000 pesos for simple accommodations in one of at least 7 hospadajes which usually will include a simple breakfast of coffee, juice, pancito, marmalade, and cheese. The listings on allsouthernchile.com are accurate, but other options exist if you ask around. Camping around Lago Espejo, and other places is a possibility.
Buses also go to the frontera of Argentina on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and it's possible to go to Esquel for banking, shopping or a look-see, and return the same day. The fare from Futa to the frontera is 1,000 pesos, with the frontera to Argentina bus costing 15,000 Argentine pesos (at this time, about $5 US). The border crossing is simple, and pleasant, even if your Spanish is horrible, or non-existent. Bus drivers on both sides except both Chilean and Argentinian pesos. Just know your exchange rate.
That said, Esquel is something to do, although the gem of this area IS Futaleufu. Of course, there are the well-known rafting/kayaking/fishing activities depending on season, and weather. Not so inclined? No problem. For nothing but a little tread off your boots, you can hike out any road and be in the splendid countryside in minutes.
Rising up from the edge of Futa is Cerro Bandera with beautiful views, and interesting plants and birding. A short, and I mean short walk out of town is the Rio Espolon, easy sloping access makes this a perfect spot to plant yourself down for a picnic on the banks (some good wine, crusty bread, stinky cheese and salami where on my menu).
Going noreste (northeast) out of town brings you to the Espolon valley with it's snaking river, waterfalls, fields of sheep and cattle grazing, and stunning vistas. This hike/walk is a little longer, so renting a bike for the day might be a better option. I haven't done so, but apparently bike rentals are available. The Rio Futaleufu is also in hiking distance and a must visit if even on foot. Lago Lanconao, and Lago Espolon are a bit further out of town but beautiful, and allegedly filled with fish!
I've no earthly idea how to find out when a rodeo is taking place, except to ask. I was fortunate to have a rodeo occur on my birthday, and it will remain a highlight of my time here. More on the Rodeo later.
Car rental once in Futa is a difficult, and pricely proposition. Chaiten has a car rental place, the daily rates somewhere around $80 US. A more economic option is to go to Esquel, Argentina (M-W-F) and visit one of the two rental car companies that have permission for crossing back and forth from Argentina to Chile. The weekly rental price for a compact car (which suited our wanderings perfectly) was just under $310. This included 1400 kilometers free mileage (or is that kilomage?). We had absolutely no trouble crossing both ways with the rental car, aside from having a piece of smoked ham confiscated coming back to Futa.
Just a word to the unwise: No meat, dairy, or raw produce can be brought back from Argentina, into Chile. Our boxes of cereal, bottles of wine, and other packaged goods were waived through. Best to check with the Chilean Aduanas if you have anything specific you are planning to purchase - before you make a gift to the border fellows upon return. I should add, these folks are great guys who do a good job and re-define what a border crossing is.
People of Futa
The people of Futa are lovely. However, they will most likely NOT offer you assistance. Just wait......Here's the thing, although no one will come up to ask if you need help when you are standing dazed and confused on a corner with your 80-pound backpack, they will, if you ask, gladly and enthusiastically offer help and guidance. They are simply not intrusive, and certainly not nosy. For this reason, you might stay in Futa for several weeks and never have any serious interaction with a local, unless you make the effort. And then, they will - with gusto - share their town, it's history and culture with you. It is for this reason that I suggest while you wander about the town, you make an effort to stop and ask about the plants, and trees, that you engage your hosts in conversation about the mountains, weather, and culture. It was in this way I ended up at a rodeo, helped slaughter a sheep and learned a famous Chilean folk song. No one, though, offered to chop my wood for me!
A little History and why there is a street in almost every town named O'Higgins.
First, the street name issue. I've noticed that almost every place I have visited in Chile, from bustling Santiago, to the nautical, wild west town of Quellon (Isla Chiloe), to Futa, boasts a street named O'Higgins. I wanted to know why. A little Google search and I had my answer, which I post in the form of a question.
Q: What is the name of the man, standing only 4 feet, ten inches tall, who died in 1842 (Lima, Peru) penniless, toothless, and homeless, yet is the inspiration for statues and streets all throughout Chile?
A: O'Higgin's was the first "effective head of state for Chile", who along with Jose de San Martin, led the army which secured independence from Spain in 1817. Born the illegitimate son of a Chilean aristocratic lady, he never met his father but was well taken care of and sent to school abroad. He's a very interesting character, and well-worth a look see on Wikapedia. So, there you go. Watch for this on Jeopardy.
The history of Futa lives, breathes and walks today. Many of the people you see here are direct descendants of the pioneers who first came here in the early 1900's. They are fiercely proud of their history, and rightly so. In the book, "Colonos de la Huella del Futa", by Guido Hernan Retamal R., Sr. Retamel recounts the punishing journey from Argentina into the Futa Valley, and the difficulties the early settlers experienced. The isolation of Futa sets the stage for a very unique place, untouched for decades, uninfluenced by northern Chilean politics for the most part until the Allende administration (date) and subsequent overthrow by Pinochet. The first flights into Futa commenced in 1951,the first tape recorder came in 1957 when a journalist traveled from Santiago, and the first school was dedicated in 1958.
The quiet lives of the townspeople have changed little. However, there is now Internet and phone service, and you will see an occasional satellite dish attached to a roof. There are some cars, and the streets are now paved but you are still likely to see a horse tied to a front porch.
A Rodeo, A Birthday Barbecue, and other observations.
March in Futa came in like a Lion. No - like a Lamb - No a Lion, No......Ok, my point is that the weather changes often, and sometimes drastically. Some evenings are so mild we sit on the porch in t-shirts, watching a pregnant moon rise from the southwest over mountains. Other days present with a blustery, misty cold wind - a sign we'd better load the wood-burning stove with logs. One other March observation: Futa seems to have a plethora of March birthdays which isn't surprising if you count backwards to the dead of winter!
Coincidently today, March 24, is my birthday and I step onto the porch to have my coffee while the sun comes around to warm the western slope of the mountains. A jaunty huaso strolls by in goat-skin chaps, a fabulous wide-brimmed black hat tilted just so on his head, leading a large, regal horse. "Hola," I say, and he replies, "Hola, que tal." (They don't seem to say "Buen Dia!" here as in other Central American countries I've visited.) I comment on the horse, and ask about his chaps. The conversation turns into an invitation to a rodeo down by Lago Espejo.
There is always something about a rodeo that charms me. Not just for the hearty men who display their frontier skills but for the women who cook and care for them, and the locals who appreciate their contributions. And then, there is the entertainment factor! The rodeo here consists of the expert riders who herd and maneuver the vaca, and the men on foot with lassos who spin and twirl the rope, snapping it down, then up over the cows front legs at just the right time. A neck lasso is booed, as is roping the back legs. It's all very precise and serious. Of course no rodeo would be complete without a few local teenage boys riding a bucking bull, and these young men did a pretty good job!
It is a beautiful day for the rodeo, and Lago Espejo reflects the unearthly blue sky and background of mountains onto itself. In full swing, the competitions continue, as plates of asado de cordilla (roasted sheep) with salad and side dishes are offered for 2,000 pesos. Stately men in black berets, and handsome women with proud faces hold the hands of rosey-cheeked children. Well-fed dogs sniff for snacks left carelessly unattended (mine specifically). Admission to the rodeo is 500 pesos, beer is an outrageous 700 pesos a can, something the locals apparently anticipated as they brought their own.
The day winds down and after a visit to the bakery where we buy crusty rolls and some pastries, we walk back home to feed the furnace and listen to the remaining shouts and cheers, and music from the rodeo. A full moon rises around 10 p.m. and the town is quiet.
The Birthday Barbecue
When we first arrived in Futa, we were greeted by our landlords and neighbors, the Morales. Mrs. Morales is my lifeline - and I have badgered her relentlessly with questions. "What is this herb?", "Is that artichokes", "Where can I get my laundry done", "How do I get the hot water heater to work", and "Is that sheep in your backyard for wool?" No, it turns out that Duke, as I decided to call him, was being fattened for a birthday bash (also in March). Poor Duke, grazing unaware he would in just a few days be meat, as opposed to simply a provider of socks, or sweaters. Mrs. Morales laughed and with a chopping motion across her throat said they would be butchering him in a few days - would I like to help? Oh yeah, sure!
While I'm not keen on gutting and cleaning animals, I am interested deeply in the culture and traditions of other countries. And this was one I wanted to see, in a "National Geographic" sense.
The appointed day came, and Mrs. Morales knocked on my door at 7 a.m. With another chopping motion to her neck, and a canvas apron covering her house dress, she motioned me next door. It is Hector Morales birthday, and he is THE MAN. Sparing you the details, Duke was quickly dispatched to carne - in less than half an hour he was prepared for roasting. Midday, Hector carefully manned the cooking process in a wooden outbuilding with his battery-operated radio playing Chilean folk music.
Late in the afternoon, family and friends arrive and in the backyard on a long table (Duke is the centerpiece) we dig into some the best roasted meat I have ever tasted. For the vegetarians, a lovely fresh salad was served, pots of potatoes, and other vegetables rounded out the feast. Bottles of wine were passed around as Hector pulled out a harmonica and everyone joined in an impromptu song fest. Various family members ask us where we are from, and where we lived. They are genuinely interested in the answers, and talk turns to politics, education, and interests. By sunset we take our full bellies and wine-fogged brains home, next door, happy and honored to have been included in a family tradition.
The following week, I'm invited to another birthday fiesta. No slaughter or roast this time, but plenty of great food, great wine, and a peek into the world of Chilean folk and the influence of Victor Jara's New Chilean Song Movement.
The party starts late and is mostly friends, with a few family members. After a bit, Guido, the birthday honoree produces a guitar and songs flow as smoothly as the wine. Everyone sings, and sings well. Four-part harmony erupts expertly in lilting waltzes and ballads. I ask if they might sign the Chilean National Anthem and they chuckle good-naturedly. "Here, in Futa, we sing our own anthem," they said, falling into a ballad that touched me deeply even though I could catch only a few words. Later, another ballad is sung, "Preguntas por Puerto Montt" by Victor Jara - a haunting tale of a masacre in Puerto Montt in 1969. Eleven people were killed, and the entire settlement burned to the ground, in an event that lays still heavy on the hearts of many in Chile, or at least here in Futa. There is dancing, discussion of Allende, Pinochet, and the ever-important topic of education. Everyone seems extremely articulate and educated, almost all speak English, and a first and foremost, Futaleufu-ans!
This is just a snipet of Futaleufu, and of the people and culture. The brilliant stars, the soaring Andes, the pristine rivers with bountiful trout and salmon, the fierce independance of a people not tied to a clock, or job, but to the beat of nature and history. So much is unknown to me still, my Spanish is poor at best. I've learned that avas are a freakishly giant pea-like vegetable, that lavander is something that grows in yards, that taking four hours off mid-day is probably a good thing, chopping wood hard, but good for you and that you can live without a refridgerator but not without a hot-water shower! The thing I've found here, is that it is stunningly beautiful, the people hearty and kind, and mostly, that I have found that I'd like to stay longer, learn more, and find a way to carve out a life here.
Some Notes on Futaleufu:
One last note, as I sit here writing this with my soot-smeared face, and burned eyelashes, I'd like to learn how to make a fire properly. It has snowed in the surrounding mountains for two days now, and a cup of mate by a roaring fire would be nice!
Futaleufu has a town website: www.futaleufu.cl It has an English version that isn't too bad, and some nice photo slide shows. The 360 panaramas did not work when I tried it but you can see that they are working on promoting their town, and are very, very proud. Again, rightly so.
Wikapedia: Víctor Lidio Jara Martínez (September 28, 1932 - September 15, 1973) was a Chilean educator, theatre director, poet, folk singer-songwriter, and political activist. He was prominent in the development of the "Nueva canción Chilena"(New Chilean Song) movement, that acquired considerable prominence during the socialist government of Salvador Allende. His murder shortly after the September 11, 1973 coup in Chile, transformed Jara and his music into a symbol of struggle against military repression across Latin America.
Guido Hernan Retamal was consulted for this article. His books, "Colonos de la Huella del Futa", and "Desde la Memoria al Corazon" contain fascinating history and stories of Futa. They are available in paperback, currently in Spanish only. An English translation is in the works and should be available in September 2007.
About the Author: Vicky Lansen and her husband Greg have recently adopted Futaleufu, Chile as their new home after years of Living in Panama and Central America.
Futaleufu ( Futaleufú ) 
