The Last Days of Freedom... - Postcards from the Transition

…before school starts.

Daniel, our cruise director, proudly announced that of the three cruise ships into Punta Arenas, ours was the only one docking the others were tendering in. As it turned out they got to wait in their warm ship to tender into the center of town while we had to wait on a cold pier, wind blowing, for the small shuttle bus to make its way back from town to carry us on a ride longer than the tender ride into town. I enjoyed the drive along the waterfront looking at the various monuments to Magellan and polar explorers.

Historically Punta Arenas was an important stop along the sea route between New York and San Francisco before the Panama Canal Opened. It was also a wealthy wool producing center on a major sea route. That changed when the Canal opened but the city has seen a revival as a tourist center, not only for cruise ships but for visitors to Patagonia’s National Parks. It is a logistical centers for research travel to Antarctica, and it’s close to Chile’s oil reserves. The town was largely settled by Croatian immigrants.

The last time we were in Punta Arenas, five years ago, it was both sad and joyous. Sad because just before we got there, protests against income inequity turned into riots. Store fronts were boarded up because of smashed windows, two buildings near the Plaza de Armas were burned out, angry graffiti called out from the walls and the banks had guards controlling entry.

But in spite of that it was a summer weekend and the plaza was a vast circus of street performers that came to us, either as we sat on a park bench or in a café along the plaza nursing a coffee
This time we are coming back later in the season, it’s a weekday, and it’s considerably colder than five years ago. We didn’t plan anything except to hang out in the Plaza and see what happens, no high expectations.

But it’s still summer vacation, the last week before school starts for the season, it’s Carnival time and two other cruise ships are in town. The Plaza de Armas was every bit as much fun as we had experienced before, and as a bonus, no broken glass or burned out buildings.

As we got off the bus we heard the samba beat. The Escuela Batucada Timbalada do Sur, which took first place in the winter carnival competition in June was on the square playing and dancing, getting ready for the big carnival and raising money for the school. During break the participants, mostly high school aged students, were happy to talk with a pair of gringos who had put a few pesos into their tambourine.

I love the Aurora design for a samba school

There was also a weightlifting demonstration in the square.

The In Style Academy of Dance was on hand and the square will full of booths. Several represented social service agencies, for instance the society of the death was selling t shirts with sign language. School groups raising money, we bought some cookies at a bake sale, There were also crafts people and a small farmers’ market.

Of course there were tourists from the cruise ships following tour guides with little flags. I felt sorry for them, after all it could have been me, because they didn’t have time to linger and enjoy the scene. They did mostly pose for pictures in front of the statue of Magellan to rub, or kiss, the foot of the indigenous person at the explorer’s feet to bring them luck. I am not a foot kisser.