And the lonely sailors laid with seals, believing them to be mermaids.
January 1st 2006 This (non-direct, as I don't have the original to hand) quote from "Stories of Eva Luna" by Isabel Allende has always stuck in my mind for two reasons; first, it is a fascinating example of the power of self-delusion, secondly, it brought home that Southern Patagonia must be a bit of a grim place.
And of course it is. Grim, but stunningly beautiful. And lets face it, I used to live in Crookes, in
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Prior to the coming of the Spanish in the 16th century, northern Chile was under Inca rule while Araucanian Indians inhabited central and southern Chile; the latter were not completely subjugated until the early 1880s. Although Chile declared its ind... ... read more 
