Offbeat houses in Yungay neighborhood Moorish building in downtown Artequin Museum

Darwin and the crew of HMS Beagle traveled to Montevideo in 1832, the era of Britain’s so-called “informal empire” in South America.  At the time, Montevideo was a crucial slave port, but as whites struggled for independence slaves sought retribution.  Attracted by offers of manumission, some slaves became soldiers, while […]

In Chiloé, I visited the Dalcahue Museum. Chiloé is known for its wide variety of potatoes, which Darwin disparaged.  The island is home to hundreds of varieties of potato, and DNA studies have demonstrated that Chiloé is the original global home of the potato.

In Santiago, I visited the Paleontology Museum.

Ammonite display at National Museum of Natural History.  For more on Darwin’s ammonites, see my other post here. I also visited the Geological Museum where I spoke with experts.  

I missed seeing the güiña in Petrohué, and had to settle for a photo in the museum

Near Mt. Osorno lies Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park and Petrohué Falls, featuring temperate rain forest.  The area contains 30 species of mammals, including the kodkod cat or güiña, and 80 species of birds. Within the forest, one may come across Coigues, a type of beech and the most common […]

From Puerto Montt, I took a trip to Mount Osorno volcano.  In 1835, Darwin witnessed an eruption at Osorno from Chiloé. The sun was intense, and my guide expressed concern over the risk of skin cancer.

From Punta Arenas, I flew north to Puerto Montt where I met with anthropologists, environmentalists and public health officials.  In 1834, Darwin visited nearby Chiloé, an island which also encompasses a wider archipelago.  Isolated from the rest of the country, Chiloé has developed its own set of syncretic beliefs blending […]

In Concepción, I paid a visit to the Museum of Natural History. Throughout his travels, including Chile, Darwin encountered petrified wood, either within sediments or loose and washed out of source deposits.  Petrified wood forms when trees are buried, and over time minerals collect, thus turning the wood into stone […]