Investigations

Extracts of the phonebooks of Argentina and Chile tell you more than you expect about its population: Regnier, Regenwetter,Rothschild, Ruffles, Rovlocic: immigrants from so many countries, it seems they got more than their fair share after each war or conflict. The famous cemetery in Punta Arrena (C) has big Scottish sections (Alastair MacDonald, born in Inverness, died in Punta Arenas...) as well as German sections. Unlike your first thought, most of these are settlers that came at the end of the 19th, beginning of the 20th century, fleeing the problematic economic situation in some parts of Europe and coming after the land that was full of gold and oil, or so they were told.This is all so much more interesting when you relate it to Stu and me and our deep fascination for imports by these settlers: we have spent quite some time investigating the quality of the traditions and how they survived: eating chocolate and cheese fondue brought in by Swiss settlers in Bariloche, sausage and Speck'von Fach' imported by the Germans. The best so far, however, has been the Salmon that you can buy for 2 Euros per kilo at the market, not imported by anyone, but fiercly garded by the biggest sea lions ever seen. Be warned, if you buy their bit, they will come after you along the pavement.