I’ve just had a story published on the Timesonline website. To see it go to the Timesonline Your World website and choose South America from the continent list on the right, then Chile, and the story is titled The Most Unusual Church and the Biggest Rhubarb I’ve Ever Seen. You can also read it below:The Most Unusual Church and the Biggest Rhubarb I’ve Ever Seen – Puerto Chacabuco, Chile

Puerto Chacabuco is a small port on the south western coast of Chile. It’s a regular port of call for our small cruise ship in the South America season. It has a beautiful setting, the town is surrounded by forested hills which rise out of the sea, and behind the hills are jagged, snow covered mountains.
On our first visit I walked around the town, and like the other Chilean towns we have visited so far it most of the people live in small, colourful houses built of corrugated iron or tin. It’s a quiet, peaceful place. There were christmas decorations hanging in many of the windows and lots of dogs. It seemed poor and undeveloped, but I suppose in this remote part of Patagonia that’s not unexpected. It was a cold, cloudy day, and late in the morning it started to rain. We’ve been here several times now, and each time it’s been cold and rainy – and this is summer!

The people here are friendly. I said hello to a girl walking down the street and she showed me a narrow path through the forest that led over a hill, across a stream and down to the sea. There were great views of the town, our ship, and the sea. And also the biggest rhubarb plants that I’ve ever seen, bringing back memories of my parents’ vegetable garden when I was a kid.
Another day, I went on a tour to a park called Aiken del Sur. It’s a few minutes drive from Puerto Chacabuco and privately owned. Our guide Tim had an interesting story. He was English but lived in Coyhaique with his Chilean wife. He met her years ago while volunteering in Chile with Raleigh. He’d learnt Spanish and had a business making furniture. He told me in the winter all the roads here were impassable because of the snow, and that no-one or anything could go in and out.
The park was very beautiful and we followed a narrow trail that ended at Barba del Viejo (Old Man’s Beard) Falls. Along the way we saw many different plants and trees and also a hummingbird.

After the tour I walked around Puerto Chacabuco. I found my way down to a lake and watched fisherman at work. Then I found what has to be the strangest church I’ve ever seen. It was made of tin and even had two small square towers. A sign on the front said

‘Iglesia Metodista Pentecostal de Chile
Pto Chacabuco
Fundada en 1909’

So it looks like this little church has been here for nearly 100 years.

This little port fascinates me. It’s isolated and cold, but very beautiful and peaceful. Every time we’re here it rains. I can’t help but wonder how it must be to live in this cold, damp and isolated place. It’s very beautiful but can the beauty make up for constant gloom and low temperatures? What’s it like to grow up and live here?