El descanso de la ciudad

After having to return to Santiago for the third time I practically was running for San Fernando's door and said my final goodbye to Chile's capital. I arrived in San Fernando around mid-day and proceeded to put up my display and gain a bit of money which summed up to be around $8 for the day. I have kept a traveling partner... Julian, one of the colombians that I was previously traveling with. He is as eager as I am to see what Southern Chile has to offer and I can tell you right now that it has already shown us its heart. Passing quickly from San Fernando we arrived taking in all the lush scenery. Looking out from the window we gazed upon spudding strawberry fields, vineyards holding the most heavenly grapes bequeathed in the fertile lands of Chile, rich yellow corn and plump potatoes. We arrived at our destination in a quaint pueblo called Vichuquen which has lived through legends of witches and withcraft. I will admit that it was a magical place but I had yet to see any witches of the sort. We stayed alongside the river under a half developed Casino. We were greeted almost immediately by one of the locals who ended up being an amazing friend. El Moncho arrived offering a hot cup of coffee at his humble home above but sadly we were unbelievably beat and decided to decline. In the morning he arrived once again but with two more friends. They offered a hot lunch of chicken soup or what they call 'Cazuelo' here in Chile. We were able to get to know the other two as el Pato and el Topo. El Moncho continuously supplied us with food, hot showers which were more or less constructed from boiled water and a bucket, he let us wash our clothes in his house and gave us the best company that we could have asked for. El Moncho was a devoted farmer with a deformed right hand. Julian said that he had seemed a bit like the hunchback of Notre Dame,but I think it was more because of his heart than his hand. We decided to leave yesterday considering that we did not have anyway to repay the unconditional kindness and generousity that they had bestowed on us. We stayed on the beach about 50 Km from Vichuquen and I was almost eaten alive by the bugs, Im not sure where they came from but it was entirely too much to take and we headed for the city of Constitution... to take advantage of the city before returning to the 'campos'. Next stop: Puerto Montt.