Variety is the Spice of Life

Life on the island continues to be tough, absent of many of the conveniences I have taken for granted for so long. 

I find myself focusing a lot of energy on simply keeping warm, eating well, and staying clean. And I've learned to be more opportunistic and resourceful:  planning activities around weather, boat taxi schedules, and tides (the tidal change here is sometimes 20 feet!).  I've come up with some pretty creative dinners utilizing the dried or canned food available at the island store.

Yet when I look back and think about what I accomplished this week, it goes way beyond the basics.  I helped local families with:

  • Hauling dirt, garbage, and broken glass from the island to mainland
  • Weeding a garden
  • Cutting firewood
  • Teaching English
  • Cleaning a sailboat inside and outside
  • Digging a ditch for electrical and water pipes
  • Building scaffolding
  • Painting two houses

On top of that, I was fortunate enough to take another 3-day sailing trip to the island of Puluqui where we barbecued and had a bonfire on the beach at sunset.

Admittedly, after spending 15 years sitting at a desk, punching a keyboard, and navigating a mouse, my body is screaming at me.  (Ok maybe just "talking loudly" to me.)  I am suffering from tennis elbow, a jammed thumb, bruised ribs, and 3 cracked, bleeding fingertips from the dry, cold air.  Of course, these are mere flesh wounds no worse than a paper cut compared to what many of the locals endure day in and day out, so I carry on with a smile.

In my spare time this week, I made a video that tries to capture the many different hats I’ve worn this week.  Unfortunately, with the painfully slow internet, it’s going to take 5 hours to upload.  I can’t wait around, as I have to catch the last boat taxi back to my island.  So I’ll have to do the upload another time.  (Update on Sep 16:  I have uploaded the video to the Photos/Videos page.)

I have one more week here in Chile, then I head back to San Francisco for a few days of rest.  Then I head over to Germany for hiking.  While I've been very physically active here on the island, I don't feel adequately prepared for a trek through the Alps.

I’ll need a place to stay in San Francisco from September 22 to 25 if anyone wants to host me!

Working on Boats, Exploring Islands

I have now been living on Isla Tenglo for about 10 days and so much has happened!  Yet because I am technologically isolated – and in fact physically isolated – I have just been quietly absorbing and enjoying it all.  On most evenings, I find myself huddled by the fire talking through my fingers to my MacBook Pro.

Rather than post all of that writing, I’ve decided to provide a weekly update of my activities here at www.dannyboytravels.com along with an occasional post on Facebook.  I’ll also post a few pictures with every journal entry, but when I have more time and WIFI, I’ll add some “albums” in the Photos/Videos section with more extensive photo coverage.  The scenery down here is stunning as you might imagine.

This past week (starting Sunday Aug 30) has been nothing short of amazing, as I continued my work, but also explored the surrounding islands.

My work this week focused on the Club Nautico Reloncavi marina.  I cleaned Christian’s sailboats getting one ready for sale (“Finesse,” a 38-foot Jeanneau), and one ready for sail (“Kaweskar,” a 44-foot Beneteau).  As I had hoped, I also paired up with David, Christian’s son-in-law, and helped him with his boat maintenance and repair work.   We changed oil, replaced fuel filters, connected water tanks, repaired electronics, etc.  Each day the hard work was rewarded with a 3-course hot lunch at the Club Nautico Reloncavi restaurant.  Fantastico!

We worked on some amazing boats, including an 83-foot Swan and a 56-foot Bavaria.  Unlike San Francisco where most boats are “day-sailers,” down here the majority of sailboats are serious “cruisers,” equipped with dinghies, radar, solar panels, water makers, wind generators, etc. 

Like I said, the week wasn’t all work.  I had plenty of time to explore my island, and two others.

I first wanted to explore my host island, Isla Tenglo.  I was going to do that Sunday, my day off, but it rained all day long.  I canceled my hike as well as my supply run, choosing to seek refuge in my sleeping bag, by the fire, with a book “Walking the Amazon.”  This was perhaps the low-point of my trip thus far.  The hot water in the bathroom wasn’t working, and the stove was out of propane.  No hot shower.  No hot coffee.  Dinner consisted of a peanut butter sandwich with pumpkin seeds and almonds.

Monday made up for Sunday.  It was a glorious evening so I trekked around Isla Tenglo, taking photos of the distant volcanoes and the setting sun.  Only 8 miles long, Isla Tenglo is at the north end of Southern Chile – basically right where Chile changes from mostly mainland to mostly islands.  There are perhaps 1,000 people, and only a handful of motorized vehicles; in a week, I’ve seen one car.  The only store is about the size of an average bedroom (in San Francisco not Texas).  To get to mainland, you have to take a boat taxi, which sounds way more formal and scheduled than it actually is.

Mid-week, Christian and Lali took me on a 2-day road trip to the island of Chiloe to see a new piece of land that the yacht club had just purchased for a second location.  The drive was about 3 hours, including a ferry ride across the Canal de Chacao.  We drove through some amazing countryside, visited small towns like Dalcahue and Tenaun, and relished hot, fresh empanadas from a roadside restaurant.   The club’s land was at Playa Tutil, and looked like an absolute perfect location for their plans:  a clubhouse, boat yard, restaurant, and small hotel, plus moorings for 10-20 boats out front. 

At the end of the week, we literally set sail to explore a third island, Isla Puluqui, where Christian and Lali have a vacation cottage. We set off Friday afternoon in Kaweskar, a 44-foot Beneteau, with a full boat of 8 family and friends.  There wasn’t a lot of wind, so we motored for 3 hours down to the island, pulling into a serene cove where we moored for the weekend.

Arriving just as the sun was setting, we took the dinghy over to the beach for a big bonfire, marshmellows, and pisco sour in front of the cottage, which sat tucked away amongst lush trees and overlooked the entire cove.   After the bonfire, we went back to the boat for a barbecue, using the grill that David and I installed on the stern.

We spent the entire next day working on the house.  The family just bought the fixer-upper recently, so it needs some work before it becomes the ultimate vacation spot. 

I helped paint the trim around the front and back windows.    After the long day of work, we shuttled back to the boat where Lali had prepared an amazing lasagna.  We huddled around the table eating and drinking the evening away, knowing that we had made good progress on the house. 

The next day was Sunday, September 6.  After an early morning hike around part of the island, we spent the morning back at the cottage cleaning up.  Then we enjoyed roasted salmon for lunch (thanks again Lali), packed up the boat, and sailed back to Isla Tenglo.  We timed it perfectly – just as we were leaving Puluqui, the clouds rolled in and it started to rain.  Fortunately Christian’s boat has a full dodger and bimini over the cockpit so we stayed (mostly) dry.                                         

I finally got back to Casa Roja around 8:00pm Sunday.  I built a fire, made another simple dinner, and relaxed wondering what the next week would have in store for me.  (Another volunteer is coming tomorrow night, so I’ll be sharing Casa Roja.)

The view as we drove through the countryside and small towns of Isla Chiloe.

The view as we drove through the countryside and small towns of Isla Chiloe.

Securing the dinghy on Isla Puluqui so we can have a bonfire on the beach.

Securing the dinghy on Isla Puluqui so we can have a bonfire on the beach.

Beach bonfire on Isla Puluqui, with Kaweskar (our 44-foot Beneteau) moored just offshore.

Beach bonfire on Isla Puluqui, with Kaweskar (our 44-foot Beneteau) moored just offshore.

A view of the family vacation cottage on the shore of Isla Puluqui.  (Photo taken from bow of Kaweskar in the foreground.)

A view of the family vacation cottage on the shore of Isla Puluqui.  (Photo taken from bow of Kaweskar in the foreground.)

Enjoying the view from the top of Isla Tenglo.

Enjoying the view from the top of Isla Tenglo.

A Different Kind of Work

During the last three days, I’ve completed my first rotation of volunteer work across three families here on Isla Tenglo.  Over the next day or two, I’ll work out a full schedule for continuing the rotation.

On Thursday evening, I spent time with Veronica and her two boys Guillermo (9) and Felipe (6), teaching them English, using their school workbook as a guide. 

On Friday, I spent the afternoon with Mari and Rupe and their daughter Rocio (16).  For most of the day, Rupe and I built new stairs up the incline in his backyard. Future work may include building a greenhouse, feeding the animals, and helping Rocio with her English.  I admit I hope it’s not cleaning out the pig stall, but I will if I am asked.

On Saturday, I met Adela and her granddaughter Loreto (10).  Adela asked me to prune the apple trees in her orchard, so that they would fill out and not grow so tall.  This meant clipping some of the upper branches, which proved challenging.  Using rope, I was able to pull some of the branches down toward me to clip them.  Other times I had to use an old wooden ladder I found in the shed.  We’ll see how this goes. Teaching Loreto English may be a safer option.

Saturday evening, I met Christian’s son-in-law David.  He is an accomplished sailor, lives locally, and runs a sailboat repair/maintenance business.  I have offered to work for him for free, in exchange for learning more about boats, so we’ll see if this pans out as a fourth volunteer opportunity.

During these few days, Christian and Lali have been super helpful, available, and generous every step of the way which I truly appreciate.  I've enjoyed a few evening cocktail hours and dinner with them.

Here are a few pictures of what I’ve been up to:

Building a set of stairs in the garden.

Building a set of stairs in the garden.

The apple orchard I'm pruning.

The apple orchard I'm pruning.

This beats working in the office!

This beats working in the office!

Bienvenidos a Casa Roja

After a 12-hour plane right, a 12-hour layover in Santiago, and a 12-hour bus ride, I finally arrived in Puerto Montt, Chile, at the Club Nautico Relocavi. The dock master took me across the channel in a small motorboat to Isla Tenglo where I met Christian, my Host for the next few weeks. 

Christian immediately welcomed me into his home for breakfast, coffee, and WIFI.  After being on the road for nearly 40 hours, I’m not sure which one I needed most.

As we ate, Christian shared some history about the island community and the local families I would be helping with various tasks.   

After breakfast, Christian and I walked along the waterfront to “Casa Roja,” a beautiful two-story house overlooking the channel.  I couldn’t believe it when he said this was going to be where I would stay.  “Act like you’re the new owner” he said as he handed me the keys and left me alone in this 3 bedroom, 4 bathroom house.  

As I unpacked, I admired Casa Roja.  It had been recently renovated but still required some finishing touches – in particular window and door sealing.   With lots of big windows and a large open living area, the house was undoubtedly a fantastic summer cottage, but with the cold wind and rain at this time of year, the house was a bit drafty even with a roaring fire in the wood-burning stove.  

As the evening drew to a close, I chose a bedroom on the second floor (thinking “heat rises”), with a magnificent view of the channel.   Before midnight, I was already up looking for extra blankets and putting on my fleece hat and socks.   (After that first night, I moved downstairs to be closer to the fire, which was a much better choice.  I can't enjoy the view anyway when I'm sleeping.)

All in all, I feel very welcome here, thanks to Christian and Lali.  I look forward to my stay at Casa Roja.  (Admittedly, it's taking me a bit of time to adjust to no WIFI or cell phone coverage, and having to worry about things like propane supply, maintaining a fire, etc.   But I'm up for the challenge!

 

La Casa Roja

La Casa Roja

The beach in front of Casa Roja.

The view from the balcony.

The view from the balcony.

Not Just Downsizing, Going Totally Mobile!

Over the last couple of days, I've made the final preparations for my adventure.  I have packed up the final items at the house and move them to my storage unit.  My housekeeper and I did a 'deep clean' to prep the house for the renters. (It looks great!).   I washed the cars and hooked up battery tenders.  I packed and re-packed my backpack to make sure I was optimized in gear, size, and weight.  (My new DSLR camera takes up a lot of space, plus a Go-Pro, a point-and-shoot, an iPhone, a MacBook Pro, an external hard drive, and a battery brick.)

Here are a few pics from the last few days.

I'm at the airport typing this... Here we go!

I'm going to miss this tree.  

I'm going to miss this tree.  

Many a BBQ happened here.  Good memories!

Many a BBQ happened here.  Good memories!

My Subaru STI will go into hibernation, but she will have company next to the S2000.  

My Subaru STI will go into hibernation, but she will have company next to the S2000.  

Storage unit filled up!  But I am curious how much of this I will get rid of after months or years on the road....

Storage unit filled up!  But I am curious how much of this I will get rid of after months or years on the road....

Lots of extra gear! DBT is always prepared.

Lots of extra gear! DBT is always prepared.

Waterproof bags to hold clothes and sleeping bag.  Plus boots, sandals, and waterproof outer layer pants/jacket.

Waterproof bags to hold clothes and sleeping bag.  Plus boots, sandals, and waterproof outer layer pants/jacket.

All packed up!  

All packed up!  

Getting Down to Business

With my ticket purchased and departure date set (Aug 25), I have scrambled this past week to pack up my house and move my items to storage.  I'm happy to report, it's done. 

I will be renting my house partially furnished, so the move was not quite as bad as it could have been.  But I did realize:  I have a lot of stuff!  Am I ever really going to look back on my college coursework?  Do I really need two snowboards?  Does the Atari even work, or is it just fun to look at?  I guess I'll answer those questions at some point in the future.  I have heard of many people who come back from extended sabbaticals and sell (most) everything they own.   

In addition to packing up the house, I have also packed my bags!  It took me a few tries, testing out my assortment of backpacks, looking for the right combination.  I was hoping to walk onto the plane with one carry-on and one personal item.  However, with the weather in Chile running at 55 degrees and raining (every day), I'm bringing a bit more gear than I had anticipated.  Also, I have decided to bring a lightweight sleeping bag for maximum flexibility on accommodations.  So I will be checking a bag after all.  Disappointing, as DBT prides himself on traveling light.  

In my spare time, I visited www.moo.com and created business cards for my new self.  I figured they might come in handy as I meet new people and look for opportunities to travel, sail, and/or volunteer.   

Decisions, Decisions

With time on my hands and the world at my fingertips, I have found it difficult to decide where to go first.   But I have made the decision.

I will depart August 25, headed to Isla Tenglo, off the coast of southern Chile, the edge of Patagonia.  Through Help Exchange (www.helpx.net), I have identified an adventure operator (www.patagonianautica.com) who is willing to host me.  (Yes, they have sailboats!)

I am absolutely thrilled by the opportunity, even though I don’t know exactly what I will do.  Work on the sailboats?  Work in the orchard?  Work in the lodge?  Teach the children English? Stay tuned.

Incidentally, I have been to Chile a few times before, including as part of my 9-week backpacking trip through South America in 2008-2009.  At the time, I made a series of videos documenting the trip.  I have uploaded a few of those videos to this site.  Check them out!

 

 

The Launch

Well, here it is.  The launch of my personal website.  Thanks to my friends who helped me coin the phrase Dannyboy Travels or DBT for short.

The purpose of this site is to serve as a weblog in the truest sense:  a virtual vault to log where I am and what I am doing.  My travels may extend for quite some time; I want to record (and remember) my experiences as they happen.  Don't expect any profound statements of enlightenment or revelations of my inner self.

I don't know exactly where my travels will take me.  I'm focusing on South America (Spanish, outdoor activities) and Southeast Asia (inexpensive, beaches), but I do have a trip planned to Germany (friends, hiking), and Australia/New Zealand (sailing) is not out of the question either.  We'll see.

Likewise, I do not know what I will be doing exactly.  Maybe I'll find work along the way.  Maybe I'll do some volunteering.  Maybe I'll just sit on a beach.  

So many unknowns, but one thing is for sure:  it will be an adventure!

 

 

This is me - sailing on the San Francisco Bay!