Friday, March 25, 2005

Bariloche, Argentina

Today´s a special day! What is it? Well, it´s my...two-month anniversary of being in South America! Amazing, isn´t it? How does it feel? Well, I don´t feel any different than I did yesterday. I´m not making a big deal of it, and especially after a 14-hour transportation day yesterday, I´m planning on taking it easy. I´m getting a massage this afternoon, so that should be nice.

I don´t have any impressions of Bariloche yet, so let me share one more bit of information about Chiloé (I missed the accent before). Chiloé is known for its folklore, especially its legends about mystical beings which live in its forests. Before I left, I bought a little booklet about the traditions and folklore of Chiloé. I bought the English translation, figuring that would be the best way to understand it. I may have been mistaken. I´m not exactly sure where Señor Gonzalo Sarabia G. learned his English, but this is the most hilarious translation I have ever read. Also, obviously there was no spell-checker involved in the printing of the book. So, for your education and amusement, here is my favorite myth, about the horrible Invunche.


Is a bean who care the wizard caves, is like a bebe kidnaped by some wizard; they take care of him, and give to him human flesh and cat milk when grown up, the wizard make him in a monster, and they put another leg in the back, in that way he cannot go far from the cave.

He only can go out when must to eat, makin with difficult with three legs and making guturals sound, frighten to the people whom listen, if a "Cleand see him, he make magic change him in animals"; only the wizards can look him.

If somebody punch with a wood to a "Invunche" means death and siknes, coming.

The meat of this bean cure sikness, and when some die the wizard fight for this meat.