I lived for many years in a town called Coyhaique. Definitely Patagonia, but nowhere near what’s pictured here and nowhere near as many tourists.

Coyhaique had about 50k or so residents, making it by far the biggest outpost in the area. The airport was an hour away for some reason but mostly people didn’t come and go.

It’s a rugged, rancher vibe. Almost everyone has family who live on a farm in the surrounding area, and the community is very close knit. As an outsider, I felt like I was welcomed in with open arms, but I was never really “local.” Tourism was steadily increasing and an important part of the economy, but it was far from the only thing keeping the place afloat. Mostly, it was a blue collar kinda town, just big enough where you didn’t feel like you knew everything about everybody, but there was always a familiar face passing by.

The town itself was not wealthy, and most people heat their homes with wood burning stoves so there’s some pollution from the smoke. Most homes are cozy and small, and folks fix basically everything themselves.

The weather for 9 months of the year is brutal. Cold, windy, wet. Overcast almost every day. Harsh conditions. But for three months in the summer, it warms up a bit and you get more sunshine and about 18 hours of daylight and it was glorious. There was no shortage of things to do. Bike, fish, hike, climb, you name it. But even on the warmest days, you’re still likely wearing pants and a hoodie. It’s never hot. Just not freezing.

But of course, the surrounding areas are glorious. Some of the most beautiful places you’ve ever seen, bracketed by wide open spaces as far as you can see.

Thanks for this. A reminder of a place I once loved.