Forestry Regional StudiesTrip Diary
Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management
University of New Brunswick
1 - 16 March, 2000
Introduction
Every year, the Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management offers a course entitled Forestry Regional Studies. The purpose of this course is to introduce social, cultural, historical and biological factors which influence forest management. For 16 days in March, this group of 18 students, 9 faculty and staff, and 3 industry representatives traveled throughout Chile.
Dirk Nielsen, one of the students to participate on the trip, came up with the concept of the group keeping a diary. Each day would be allocated to a student (or students), who would then keep track of the events to take place that day. At the end of the trip, the entries would be collated and edited to tell the story of the 2000 Regional Forestry Studies course.
In the pages that follow, you will read our stories. Ideally, when you put this down, you will realize that this group of people participated in a truly amazing and unique experience. If you ever have the opportunity to participate in an event of this nature, please take it. The things that you will see will be forever imbedded into your memory.
Anthony S. Davis
Editor
Authors:
Tracy Beaulieu, Seth Cain, Anthony S. Davis, Nicole D'Aoust, Jennifer Daye, David Etheridge, Ed Glover, Brendan Hemens, Doug Jones, Aaron Lambie , Troy Lifford, Stacey Macdonald, Michael Montigny, Dirk Nielsen, Neville Peasley, Deanna Prest, Glenda Richards, Sarah Sullivan, and Matt Willet.
We wish to thank our course instructors and traveling companions, without whom this trip would most likely have been to Halifax rather than through Halifax. Dr. John Kershaw, whose ability to tolerate, and organize, is fantastic; Mr. Dan Hermosilla for arranging the bulk of the industry segments, accommodations, and transportation, and for allowing us use of your ranch; Dr. Bert Husch for the incredible knowledge that you were able, and willing to pass along to us; Dr. Thom Erdle for your inspired conversations over many miles of road; Dr. Dave Maclean, for adding credibility and comedy; Dr. Ted Needham, for balancing the harvesting aspect with silviculture; Dr. Evelyn Richards your preparation for every situation was beneficial to everyone, Dr. Pierre Zundel, for balancing the silvicultural aspect with harvesting; Prof. Ted Robak, without you we would have had to forage for food; Mr. Bill Staples, any animal nearby was caught by your alert eye; and Mr. Neville Peasley, for making sure that no situation was ever looked at with anything but the brightest outlook. Mr. Peter Higgelke and Mr. Laird Van Damme, your contribution to this trip is more than words.
To our sponsors, without whom we would not have been able to do so much, we thank you for your thoughtfulness. It is our wish that this diary conveys to you our thanks, and that you are able to realize just how much your support means.
To our hosts in Chile, this trip would have been a failure without your consideration. You took the time to show us your trades and answer our questions. We thank you for your kindness.
Sponsors:
To those who supported us financially and by other means, we could not have done any of this without you - your generosity has enabled us to see more then we could possibly have asked for.
As well, we would like to thank our friends at
Wednesday March 1, 2000
Fredericton airport is not the liveliest place at any time of the day. In the pre-dawn hours it is eerily calm. That is until 27 noisy, tired, heavily packed and very excited forestry students, technicians, and professors arrive. A few members of the group find a clean spot on the floor, curl up and sleep. We arrive in Halifax at about 7:30. By now, everyone has started to wake up and enjoys a bite to eat and the morning paper. We are now ready to move on to bigger things.
Upon our arrival at Newark International Airport, the class splintered into four sections. With a twelve hour stopover, three of the four groups boarded buses into New York City for a day of exploration. The other group chose to ride the monorail at the airport for the day. The groups that went into the city enjoyed sights such as Times Square, the Empire State Building, the World Trade Center and McSorley's Old Ale House. For many of us, the city was something to behold - New York is not at all like most cities. There is a busyness that can only come from millions of people doing different things at the same time.
After dinner in the city, we all met at the airport. Our last stop in North America was at the fast food restaurants in the airport mall. Some of us, anticipating the weather in Chile, ate ice cream. We boarded the plane just before 10pm for the 9½ hour flight to Santiago, Chile.
Thursday March 2, 2000
Arriving in Santiago was thrilling. Although the cloud cover was significant until we reached the airport, we would occasionally get a view of a mountain in the desert region of Chile. As the plane descended towards the runway, those with window seats were envied by the rest of the group.
The transition through the Santiago airport was surprisingly efficient. No delays, and we were hustled from the plane to a chartered bus for the next leg of the journey. It was here that we met up with Dr. Bert Husch, a forestry consultant in Santiago and one of our main contacts in Chile. From Santiago, we traveled south through the Central Valley to the coastal port city of Concepción.
The Central Valley is bordered by the Andes Mountains to the east and the smaller coastal mountains to the west. The primary land use of the Central Valley is agriculture, and an abundance of fruit crops were seen along the highway. In addition, there were many vineyards, which supply the grapes for the famous Chilean wine industry. One of the most striking features of the valley was the dry climate. Water was supplied to the crops through extensive irrigation systems. There were many comparisons made by the group between the Central Valley and southern California.
As we traveled further south towards Concepción, the more lush the landscape became. On our ascent and descent over the coastal mountains to Concepción, we witnessed our first Pinus radiata plantations. However, I am sure that most members of the group have only snap shot memories of the beautiful scenery, as most of the time on this segment of our bus journey was spent in a state of sleep. Many had their heads tilted back, eyes closed, and mouths wide open trying to catch whatever insects roamed the bus. Justifiably so, since we arrived in Concepción approximately 36 hours after leaving Fredericton.
Friday March 3, 2000
Today we visited the Facultad de Ciencias Forestales at the Universidad de Concepción. This is one of four public universities in Chile to offer a degree in forestry. A talk was given, primarily in English, by the vice dean of forestry, Eduardo Peña, and a GIS/Cartography professor, Pedro Irdaho
Vicedecano Peña presented a general overview of forestry in Chile. We learned the main export markets for Chilean forest products where Japan at 20% and the United States at 17.4%. The presentation then shifted towards forest management education. We were informed that tuition runs at around US$2,500 for each year of the five year program. Student summer employment in forestry is not very common, as the minimum wage is approximately 30% of the New Brunswick minimum wage, which means that if a student wants to pay for school without an astronomical loan, they have to work elsewhere. Professor Iradho discussed the teaching of GIS and showed us some of the projects the university was currently working on that included land use mapping and aerial photograph rectification. The computer labs were very impressive, and similar to U.N.B.'s with Arcview, ArcINFO, Atlas and Automax software being used.
The afternoon was spent at a port facility where Eucalyptus chipping took place. The trees are debarked by hand - whatever your job is, seeing this will make it seem a lot better! On average, the facility produces 2,000 tonnes of chips per day, which then travel 1.5 km by conveyor belt from the chip pile to the ship, a trip which takes approximately eight minutes. Annually 450,000 tonnes of chips are shipped.
We left Concepción for our next stop, Los Angeles, at around 5:00pm. The drive was characterized by some very hilly clear-cuts mixed with beautiful mountain scenery.
Upon arrival in Los Angeles we checked into our hotel and met with Mr. Dan Hermosilla, our contact from KBM Forestry Consultants Inc. Dinner consisted of a fantastic fish stew served with Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon.
Saturday March 4, 2000
We started the day off by visiting a Pinus and Eucalyptus nursery owned by Mininco, called Tres Marias Nursery. This nursery, which has been operational for just two years, and is still under construction, was built to replace several small nurseries that were located throughout the region in order to reduce operating costs.
The species (P. radiata, E. nitens, and E. globulus) grown by Mininco are not native to Chile but all three species have proven more vigorous than native species.
The Tres Marias Nursery covers 133.6 hectares. The majority of this land (90ha) is used for bare root P. radiata seedlings. Around 37ha are covered by clonal hedges, from which P. radiata cuttings are taken. Finally, the remaining 6.6 ha are used for growing containerized E. nitens and E. globulus seedlings.
The Eucalyptus undergo various fertilizer treatments to maximize their growth in the initial stages. Macro-nutrients as well as micro-nutrients are supplied in specified proportions through an irrigation system. Pinus radiata cuttings and seedlings, on the other hand, once established did not require additional treatments to the soil as this species has the capacity to grow on poor sites.
When the time comes for shipping seedlings, they are graded visually. The packaged seedlings are then labeled properly and set in cold storage to await delivery.
After observing how the plantations are supplied, we traveled around to look at different plantations. Site preparation, in this case ripping rather than mounding, was used to ready the area for the Pinus radiata seedlings. The seedlings had been planted in the trenches, as this area provided a warmer micro-site than the higher ridges on either side. To control competition, herbicides (first Round-Up and then Simazine) were used.
Our last stop of the day was at a 35 year old P. radiata stand. The trees were 40m tall, and it was a perfect way to end the day - inspired. After seeing the early development stages of P. radiata, witnessing the height after 40 years was amazing, and difficult, to behold.
Sunday March 5, 2000
Our first "free" day in Chile was spent at Mr. Hermosilla's family ranch. As there was not a lot of traveling time, we left for the ranch at 9:00am instead of our usual earlier departure time. We drove west of Los Angeles for about 1½ hours, stopping at some scenic points along the way.
Upon arrival, the majority of the group went on a short tour of the ranch with Mr. Hermosilla, his wife and two children. After the tour, people split into smaller groups and either went hiking, swimming or lounging. Lunch consisted of cold cuts and cheese sandwiches. However some of us were offered lunch by Juan Carlos, Don Carlos, and Hernan (the van drivers). Boy do they know how to cook! After lunch, some people stuck around and played football (soccer) with the van drivers. Guys…let's stick to hockey. It was easy to tell that football is very popular in Chile. Everywhere we went there were football fields - on pavement, grass, and sand. The football (soccer) game was followed by a short game of football (American).The group reassembled before dinner to hear Dr. Husch give a lecture on forest policy in Chile. Dinner consisted of hot dogs cooked over charcoal and baked potatoes. After dinner, the vans were packed, and we returned exhausted to Los Angeles. It is safe to say that a great day was had by all.
Monday March 6, 2000
We started the day off by leaving Los Angeles for Temuco, the capital of Region IX. This region is characterized by its majestic Araucaria forest. Our only stop was the Parque Nacionale - Conguillos los Paraguas. Paraguas, which is Spanish for umbrella, describes the form of the mature "monkey puzzle" tree (A. araucana), which occupies the high altitudes and lives to be 2000 years old, up to 50m tall, and a 2m in diameter. Two striking features of the topography were the smoking volcano Llaima (elevation 3125m) and the Nevada mountain (elevation 2100m), at the base of which was the greenish-blue (and frigid) Lake Conguillo.
The day was spent on a tour of the park and a hike through the native forest, where in addition to A. araucana we found several of the southern beech species. Coihue (Nothofagus dombeyi), which often occupies disturbed areas, was prevalent. Lenga (N. pumilio) and nirre (N. antarctica), which are commonly encountered in the natural breaks, were also found. Many of us were surprised to see the extensive networks of bamboo (Chusquea quila) occupying the under story.
While exiting the park we drove through the vast expanse of lava fields that resulted from the 1957 eruption of Llaima.
Rather an interesting situation unfolded with regards to our lodgings that night. We arrived in Temuco to stay at the - Holiday Inn! To top off this return to North American culture we ate at the closest restaurant to the hotel - Pizza Hut! Groan!
Tuesday March 7, 2000
This morning Ricardo Cortez, with the forest company COFOMAD, took us to a native hardwood management area high in the Andes mountains. COFOMAD own 55,000 hectares of native forests, all of which are under active management. Company objectives were changed in 1991 from a high grading to a less exploitative harvest operation. Current native forest operations, under decree of CONAF (Chile's national park and forest service), must be shelterwood harvested. After the cut, strips are cleaned with spacing saws and under planted with rauli (Nothofagus alpina) at a density of 1100 stems per hectare. Rauli is considered the most valuable native tree in Chile due to its high furniture making quality and fast growth rate. All harvested areas will be planted, regardless of the level of natural regeneration present. The rauli plantations are grown on 50 year rotations and at fifty years, another shelterwood harvest will be performed on the stand.
Delayed by road construction and slower than expected traveling speed, we had arrived late and to make up the time skipped lunch. After stopping at a beautiful waterfall, we then were treated to a four course meal, Chilean style with cucumber and tomato salad, beef stew, beef and roast potatoes, and fruit cup, at a very intimate restaurant in the mountains. Ending the day of touring native forests by eating fantastic native dishes was truly grand. After eating we traveled to Valdivia, where we stayed the night in cabins.
Wednesday March 8, 2000
This morning we visited the faculty of forest science of the Universidad Austral de Chile in Valdivia, where our host is Dean Iromae. This is the oldest university in the country, started in 1954, and the forestry program in 1955. The faculty has 34 full time members and 600 - 700 students currently enrolled in the 5 year program. The program has 3 institutions: silviculture, management and wood technology. These are comparable to our minors. Upon completion of the program, the graduate bears the title Forest Engineer. The forest engineering program is similar to our resource management. Chile is currently saturated with forest engineers, as the country is producing 200 a year and there are employment opportunities for 20 to 40 graduates per year.
After departing the university campus, we traveled to the university woodland, which is used for both commercial and experimental plantations. The sites we visited were:
We were then led on a tour of the Central Forest Experiment Station by Dr. Helmut Hubert. The land used by the station is rented from the forest industry on a five year basis. There are plantations of exotic species such as P. radiata, P. menziesii, as well as native species, including N. alpina. When propagating P. radiata by cuttings instead of seeding, better development is achieved. The use of P. radiata is more prevalent then P. menziesii as the cost per seedling is much lower (25 pesos for P. radiata, 120 pesos for P. menziesii).
The last site we visited was a sample plot of Sequoia sempervirens (California Redwood) that was planted in 1976 using stock taken from Blue Lake, California. S. sempervirens is a species that requires a lot of moisture, and this site which had sufficient moisture and was nutrient rich, showed excellent growth rates.
During the afternoon, some members of the group participated on a boat ride down the Cioa Cioa River or tour around the beautiful city of Valdivia. Those who opted to tour the town visited public parks, craft markets, and returned to the Universidad Austral de Chile to explore the botanical garden. While the craft markets were interesting, there was something unique about the fish market. Situated at the water's edge, some of the fish were so fresh they were still alive! Seeing a person pick up two gigantic crabs, drop one and have to chase it to get it back was fantastic.
The remainder of the group boarded the Extasis and began an adventurous tour from Valdivia to the Pacific Ocean. Along the way we were treated to some live music as entertainment and to the beautiful banks and shoreline of the Cioa Cioa River. Communicating with our waitress was quite adventurous in itself, as the young lady's English was as sketchy as our Spanish. But we succeeded, and the meal was delightful. At the mouth of the river (three hours from Valdivia), the tour made two calls to port, both to old forts that served to protect unfriendly boats from reaching Valdivia and other cities. We were told that without the forts, the citizens of these cities would have been raped and pillaged by pirates!
Dry salty air and a cool breeze off the Pacific met us as we traveled between the forts. Everyone found a comfortable spot on the return voyage to Valdivia, and we watched the Eucalyptus and P. radiata plantations as the sun began to set. It was a beautiful sight, and we recommend that you take the trip next time you are in the area.
As the day drew to a close, we left Valdivia for Temuco, where we would spend the night in a quaint hostel.
Thursday March 9, 2000
This morning brought us to a clear-cut outside the town of Santa Barbra. The cut was approximately 125 hectares and was harvested using a barsaw fellerbuncher and skidded road side with a clambunk skidder. The wood was then processed roadside and all the slash was taken back into the cut and spread very evenly throughout the block. Our guide informed us that the wood was too big to be harvested with a circular saw fellerbuncher.
The site was scarified with a D-8 Cat tractor that ripped and mounded the soil with a four disc system. The soil was ripped to a depth of 70 centimeters. This machine can operate on a slope of up to 20 degrees, at a cost of US$120.00 per hectare, with productivity averaging about one hectare per hour. This method of site preparation is used on sandy soils to break up the capillary action of the soil and on compacted clay soils to aerate the soil.
Planting will occur in the middle of the rows at the end of June (an inverse growing season). Spacing will be four meters between rows and two meters between each tree in the row. This will reduce overall costs as it will eliminate the need for pre-commercial thinning. There will be two commercial entries, the first taking the density from 1200 stems per hectare to 700, the second taking the density to 300 stems per hectare.
The group then went on to tour a CMPC pulp mill in Santa Fe. The mill was originally designed and built for processing pine, but the company went bankrupt and was bought by CMPC. The mill was then converted to process Eucalyptus, as less machinery is needed to yield the same volume of product, due to the lower lignin content of Eucalyptus compared to Pinus. This was the first mill in Chile to produce Eucalyptus pulp. The finished product of the mill is bleached pulp and this product is shipped not far down the road to a paper mill. The mill produces two types of pulp, the first being standard (American) pulp which uses chlorine gas and the other being ECS (European) that does not use chlorine gas. CMPC informed us that the mill is expanding their storage capacity. Two years ago, the storage capacity of the mill was 60,000m3. Recently this was increased to 170,000m3, and CMPC expects to increase it further to 235,000m3 in the next two months. A high inventory is maintained as problems arise in the winter and summer when harvesting is limited.
CMPC states that they are committed to the environment and clean air emissions and accommodate all the laws concerning pollution. They are governed by the same environmental laws as in the United States and are currently trying to become certified. The mill retains all dust to prevent contamination of the air and practices TRS (total reduced sulfur), which means that sulfur and other gases are collected, recycled and burned. A biomass burner is operated to burn bark (from the debarking) and imported pine bark as a method of supplying the mill with electricity. Chlorine dioxide is also produced which is used in bleaching the pulp.
After finishing our tour of the mill, we returned to Los Angeles, where we would spend four nights at the Hostal Alborado.
Friday March 10, 2000
After traveling most of the morning, we arrived at the Rucamanqui district of Monte Agula. Monte Agula is a subsidiary of Shell Oil and primarily grows Eucalyptus. Monte Agula land holdings total more than 90,000 hectares, with 60,000 hectares of this land situated throughout the valleys between the Andes Mountains and the coastal mountains, 15,700 hectares of coastal plantations and 18,170 hectares in the Rucamanqui district. Monte Agula works closely with the Mininco Pulp Mill to provide them with the necessary logs and chips to keep the mill in high production.
The safe work ethics that Monte Agula strives for were notable. They have had only 1 - 2 accidents per year since 1997. Safety appeared to be one of their top priorities. While safety precautions were taken at all facilities and sites we visited, they were especially noticeable here.The afternoon was spent at the CMPC sawmill. This sawmill is one of the largest P. radiata sawmills in Chile. Comments were made with regards to the cleanliness and safety precautions of the mill. Many similarities were viewed between this sawmill and those found in New Brunswick. The main differences occurred at the point where the boards were ready to be kiln dried. The boards were not sorted until after the kiln drying process which seemed counterproductive.
Saturday March 11, 2000
The highlight of this day's events was a visit to a cable-yarding site. The steep terrain of eastern Chile, entering the Cordillera de Los Andes, demands the use of cable-yarding to bring timber roadside. It was an exciting event for many of the students, who had never witnessed the technique.
An unfortunate event at the site a week before highlighted Chilean attention to safety. A new Urus III skyline yarder, with only fifty hours of use, lost a pulley, killing a worker. Use of all Urus machines was immediately suspended across Chile, pending investigation of the failure. The work site strongly resembled its Canadian counterpart, with safety clothing and equipment in use.
The harvest site we visited was a P. radiata plantation, owned by Mininco. The contractor was using a Koller Orsus skyline yarding system, which the supervisor credited with the capability to remove 150m3/hr. Operation of the system unsettled the more experienced among us: for downhill yarding, trees were felled uphill, and chokers were set to the tops of the trees. Not surprisingly, they experienced a 50% breakage rate. They were unable to explain their choice of methods. Sawlogs were removed from roadside within four days of felling, while pulp sat for up to a month.
Crews consisted of a foreman, three fellers who delimbed larger branches, two choke setters and one releaser, one man bucking, one man cleaning branches with an axe, the yarder operator, and one man stacking with a three wheeled Bell Ultralogger. The manoeuverability of this machine was fascinating to watch, and well-suited to the small landing area. Crews typically worked six days on, three days off, reaching 140-150 hours a month, producing 2500-3000m3. Salaries ranged from US$300 per month for the man cleaning small branches, to US$540 per month for the heavy equipment operators. Unfortunately, the contractor was unable to provide us with the roadside cost of production.
The site was found to be heavily laden with slash. Due to be planted in September, the site could not be site prepared because of its steep grade. Skid trenches were approximately 15 to 30 meters apart, and more evident in the uphill skidding operation. Proper attention to road construction seemed lacking, as the uphill banks of landing areas already showed significant erosion.
We were lucky to get this opportunity, as the contractor informed us they were wrapping up operations in anticipation of winter, when the site would no longer be accessible. As we found throughout Chile, our hosts were friendly, gracious, and eager to share their knowledge.
Sunday March 12, 2000
The day began at approximately 8:30am leaving our humble hostel in Los Angeles on a somewhat overcast day. We drove for nearly 2 hours into the foothills of the majestic Andes mountains. We arrived at a small farm where sheep, chickens, turkeys, horses and some cattle were roaming freely. We then set out for a two hour hike into the mountains. As usual the scenery was beautiful and we were surrounded by mainly native forest (a nice change!). We climbed upwards until we came across a series of 5 waterfalls, where we rested to grab a quick bite to eat. Mr. Hermosilla, our guide, suggested that we climb around this waterfall.
While some of the group members sat and rested, others climbed around the waterfall and we came across another waterfall, this one measuring nearly 50 meters. The view was superb and I sat for 30 minutes, and could not believe the beauty and tranquility. No cars, no noise but the thoughts in my head. We continued for another half hour where we set up camp and had some badly needed lunch.
From this point small groups went their separate ways and explored the terrain. Some decided to try their luck at climbing rock faces, while others followed the path to see some more waterfalls, and some swimming/fishing holes. A few more audacious individuals even went for a dip! For some, the most spectacular sight of the day for some was the appearance of a condor, Chile's national bird.
This was the last event in which the entire group would participate, as five members of our group would depart that night for Canada. Their presence would be missed. The hike was concluded by a heartfelt thank you and presentation of gifts to two individuals that made the trip such a wonderful experience: Dr. Husch and Mr. Hermosilla.
Monday March 13, 2000
We left Los Angeles for Santiago at around 10am. The vans were slightly more cramped than we were used to as we opted for taking two rather than the three we had become accustomed to. After catching on sleep for a couple of hours, we stopped at a roadside diner for lunch.
It was here that we learned that frio means cold, not fried. Unfortunately, this little error in translation was only realized when most of the of the group received a cold cheese (rather then grilled cheese) sandwich for lunch. The main course consisted of chicken or beef stew followed by a delicious corn platter. The roadside markets were something to behold, with people waving towels to attract our attention as we drove by.
The sun was setting as we arrived in Santiago. Driving down the streets we realized that this city operated at double time compared to the rest of Chile. Our hotel was located in the heart of the downtown area surrounded by plaza after plaza of shops.
For supper, we split into small groups and ate everything from North American fast food to Chilean style pizza.
Tuesday March 14, 2000
This was our first day in the bustling city of Santiago. The day started with the usual Chilean breakfast of buns (we nicknamed them hockey pucks for their texture and shape), ham, cheese and coffee. We then loaded into the vans for one last tour, this time to the largest winery in Chile - Concha y Toro. The winery was founded in 1883 by Don Melchor de Concha y Toro just outside Santiago. The similarities between forestry (especially nurseries) and vineyard management were quite interesting. Some of use would have liked to spend a full day there! After a tour of the vineyard and cellars we enjoyed a tasting session which was, by chance, in the gift shop.
At this point the van drivers left us, and after a tearful goodbye we returned to the hotel.
For many, the afternoon was spent wandering around the markets of Santiago shopping for the perfect keepsake. Compared to the what we had seen of Chile over the past 12 days, and even to New York City Santiago was in a rush. Business people, school children, tourists, vendors, and street artists fused together into a sea of bodies.
Towards the end of the day we met back at the hotel and, hungry, decided to find something to eat. We stopped at a nearby greasy spoon and as we ate fried empañadas we talked about our day, knowing that tomorrow we would be leaving this amazing place.
Wednesday March 15, 2000
I take over this tale at midnight. Most of our group is tired. Many are already asleep, others are playing cards or reading. A few die-hards are experiencing their last night of Santiago's culture.
I slept in today - I woke up at about 8:00 and found people all around packing and realizing that there is not as much room in their back pack as they had originally thought. The most important items (e.g.: the wine from the vineyard tour) is packed carefully in each person's carry-on baggage. I skipped the standard hockey puck breakfast, opting to hit the streets and have something a little different - in this case, I went with a queso empañada - a cheese filled pastry, baked not fried, much like a croissant with a cheese filling.
Realizing that I should probably bring back a few things for some friends, at about 10:00 I decide to tackle the craft market once again. Rest assured, there is nothing more entertaining than watching me haggle while not being able to speak more than 10 words of Spanish.
Armed with a set of Rauli (Nothofagus alpina) bowls and a very nice llama wool toque, I can feel satisfied that I did my best.It is now noon, and a couple of us decide that, with just five hours before we go to the airport, we should get one last look at the heart of Santiago. We walk through shopping plazas, have some fresh peach juice, and arrive at the Presidential palace. An inspiring building, it makes one think of the interesting political events which occurred earlier on our trip - the inauguration of the new President and the return of Chile's former Dictator Pinochet. As we walk the streets, the thought of being in Chile, and the amazing two weeks that just passed, brings smiles to our faces. We run into one of our group members who had just returned the bicycle he rented for the day - we don't need to ask how was his ride, the ear to ear smile tells all.
At 5:00pm we meet at the hotel and prepare for our departure. A few of us sit back and wonder - where is next year's trip going to be? For many of us, this is the stop before graduation. To those, good luck and Godspeed. To those of us who are here for a longer time, it is a fantastic thing to travel - and with luck we will be together again next year.
We are at the airport now, and exhaustion is beginning to set in. Some of us think ahead to the work that awaits us, while others think of friends and loved ones whom they miss. Looking in peoples eyes one can see a twinkle, something that appears only after participation in a truly special event. A couple of bad movies and some turbulence is what we will experience for the next 10 hours, but that does not matter.
Thursday 16 March, 2000
Now I am confused. Did I sleep or was that flight just a nightmare. It is just after five in the morning, and I think that they had a Frasier rerun playing on the screen, but I am not certain. We file dazedly through US customs where I am certain that if there had been a problem we would have agreed to jail time in exchange for a bed. As I bemoan the orange juice and bagel situation, I realize that most of my peers are fast asleep under the airport benches.
It is 10am and now I am awake. My hunger abated by way of the bagel shop opening, I start to smile. I am right now thinking about the roads we had to travel to get to the cable yarding site. Never one to appreciate heights, I was able to get my fill of them - I had a window seat and on many turns I could see straight down for hundreds of meters.
Our arrival in Halifax was bumpy. After clearing Canadian Customs I realized that we would now be separated, as we would scatter over three different flights to return home. No long goodbyes ensued, which was the perfect way to end the trip. Although we may never all be in the same place at the same time again, I can say that we will never forget. Thank you.