Osorno

 

(Photo is courtesy Wikimedia.)

Our tour bus picked us up early in the morning to began our daylong excursion in the lake region around Puerto Montt. 

The program included:

Lake Todos Los Santos

Petrohué Falls

Lunch at a roadside restaurant

Puerto Varas and Lake Llanquihué

A cloud-covered Orsono

The region was of special interest for many on the Artania because it was largely settled by German immigrants. German culture continues to be very present. All the local tour guides spoke german fluently. Every town has its own German school. German shops and restaurants abound. 

Immigration is controversial everywhere these days. In Germany, it is common to criticize recent immigrants for failing to adopt german ways and language after they arrive. 

Yet here we see an example of “our” people maintaining “our” traditions in their new home over generations. 

Granted, bringing your culture from home was perhaps easier in the vast and once empty lands of the Americas.  But remaining connected to your past seems to be a universal human need.